“I AM” - The Greatest
Hebrews ch. 3 (Psalm 95, Ex.3:10-15)
Intro… Identification 2:14-18 Here is the secret of Jesus’ appeal to mankind. He did not stand off. He came and lived in our messy world in order to lead us into a great salvation.
1. through suffering - by his death - of pain and shame.
2. through sympathy - free the slaves - from fear of death.
3. through helping - those who are tempted – a present reality
So once again we see it “is all about Jesus”
The supreme revelation of God came through Jesus
The only access to God came through Jesus
We have seen in past weeks that Jesus is greater than the prophets and greater than the angels.
Today He is greater than Moses. First, what was “great” about Moses?
1. Moses spoke with God face to face. (lit. mouth to mouth) and didn’t die
2. Moses received the Law of God from God.
For a Jew (Hebrew) this was unique! He is their hero! Incredible that any human could get so close to God - and still live.
Ch.3:1 Fix your thoughts on Jesus. Not just look at Him but listen and learn. Ref Col.3:1-2
Eg Lk 12:24 “consider the ravens” “consider the lilies” etc.
Learn and understand, no superficial glance.
Here is the strength of a home group – where we can learn through mutual sharing and discussion. “iron sharpens iron”
Apostle….one who is sent out on a mission. Illus…Modern missionary
The Jewish Sanhedrin or parliament of the day used this same word of an
Ambassador - has all power and authority, one who speaks on behalf of.
So Jesus filled both these roles, sent by and on behalf of the Father God.
High Priest….. bridge builder the one who stands between man and God. Especially in taking our sin and pleading God’s mercy on our behalf. - More detail about this in ch.4.
“whom we confess” I am challenged by this, do I confess the name of Jesus as much as I should?
"faithful” Here is a key Christian word. WE are called to be faithful, not successful. The house here can refer to the world but more specifically it is the people of God, in today’s language , the church. (see P.25) It is this area of Faithfulness that we see Jesus greatness. For He is the living architect and builder of the house, the church. In his time Moses was only the caretaker IN the house of Israel., Jesus is the owner operator OVER the church. He is the greatest!
And WE are that house, that church IF we have courage and stand firm in our eternal hope.
Half time – take a break – “time for a Capstan” listen carefully to the words, you have heard them before! [Play CD] “Living stones in house of God”.
The house of God, the church, only stands strong when every stone stands firm.
1 Pet 2:5, 4:17, 1Tim 3:15
So then – don’t harden your hearts.
1. you yourself do it – don’t blame others!
2. Difficulties come, lose trust in God eg no water Ex17;1-7, Num 20:1-13
Rebellion - Meribah. Testing - Massah
Struck the rock instead of speaking to it.
Anger, violence, going it alone - forgetting we are on a pilgrimage as were the Israelites.
v. 13-14 God offers a life of blessing peace and rest now and in the future
IF we Trust IF we Obey. The great God of Grace and mercy does call us to be responsible as regards the salvation bought at great cost by Jesus. The little word “IF” appears many times in these chapters and for good reason.
IF we hold on to our courage. IF we hold firmly our confidence. IF you hear his voice
v. 16-19 Death came often to the Israelites, to the Jews throughout their history because they failed to see the “ifs”, the “or else” factor.
God has put a limit on this offer of salvation – the time of our lifespan
1. Sudden death, unexpected eg those who died in earthquake, or
2. Slow death, wasted time, God’s most precious gift “the years the locusts have eaten”. Joel 1:4, 2:25
Conclusion…. But let’s end on a brighter note, but not forgetting the seriousness of life and death for us all.
Joel 2:28-32. God does not give up His reaching out to us. Inspite of our hardness, our wasted years in the wilderness of worldly living, there is a message of revival in the air, God, still alive and well and reaching out. …
Eg a day of teaching on revival with Ian Malins on Saturday at the Baptist church. – join us next week!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
13.3.11 - God, obedience and the unusual
This is an unusual story. When we stop to think about what happened, it is all really rather unusual. Lets look at what lies behind it all.
The inhabitants of Jericho and of the whole land live in fear of what God will do. Israel’s God has already given Jericho over to Joshua’s power. It is only necessary for him to claim that victory.
So the King and the Warriors are already at Joshua’s mercy. Only the walls remain an obstacle.
The walls of Jericho did not tumble just because of a shout of the people walking around. There had been preparation for the shout of victory. Some of that preparation had started forty years earlier in the preparation of Joshua and Caleb and the soldiers that had been trained in the wilderness. There was more preparation after the Jordan had been crossed. There had been a renewal of the rite of circumcision and a new observance of the passover. The hearts of the people had to be right before there could be a full outpouring of God's blessing.
Let’s ponder that – the hearts of the people had to be right before there could be a full outpouring of God’s blessing. As individuals, as families, as a church, as a wider community – we want to be in a place where we can receive God’s blessing – our hearts need to be right. How is the state of your heart? Do we struggle with bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, jealousy, greed, the list goes on.
Do you recall the ad for Vogel bread that used to a TV awhile back? There’s the couple who live in New York and he used to preciously to guard his Vogel bread – she apparently let someone else get at it, he is still going on about it and she says – “Let it go – it was over a year ago” How do we hold onto things - Let it go – it was over a year ago!!
If we want to receive God’s blessing, our hearts need to be right – we need to let things go.
But the preparation did not stop with the circumcision and celebration of Passover. It continued right up to the moment of the victory shout. Everything that went before that moment was the preparation of the hearts of the people. The story stresses three steps.
Silence
In v.10 we find the command to the people to keep silent. They were to be utterly quiet as they circled the doomed city. Their lips were not to speak a word. Verse 10 says:
Joshua had commanded the people, "Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!" (6:10)
That must have been a difficult thing for the people to do. We are talking about a large number of people here – the whole nation of Israel. It is hard to imagine any large group moving anywhere without an increasingly noisy hum, then roar of voices. There were soldiers to get in line, a route to be pointed and taken. How this could be accomplished in silence I'm not sure, but this is what the people did. You can see why they only took the fighting men and not the kids. The kids would be saying:
Are we there yet, Dad?
How much longer, Dad?
Dad, we gotta stop, I need to go to the toilet””
By the 7th day Joshua Junior would have been saying “Hey, Dad, are you sure you know where you are going – we have been past this palm tree five times already today!”
Now the people would have difficulty ignoring the taunts of the people of Jericho. On the first day the Canaanites would probably have been silent too, watching to see what this army might do.
It must have been bizarre: a silent attacking force watched by silent defenders. But silence would hardly have lasted beyond the second day. By the then the people of Jericho would have begun to mock the Jewish soldiers, imagine what they might have said:
Are you getting good exercise marching round our walls?
Are you lost?
You've crossed the Jordan River, is that all your're going to do?
Are you checking to see if we've left a door open?
Are you afraid to fight?
Why don't you try to get in?
You're just cowards!"
Under such circumstances it would have been difficult for the Jewish people to have kept silent.
What do you think they were thinking about? I suspect they were thinking there is no way of conquering this city unless God delivers it to us. Jericho's walls were high. The gates were shut.
Each time they walked around the walls would have helped them to realize that if there was to be a victory, it would have to be given by God.
Silence before God is a lesson we all need to learn. If we are not speaking aloud, then there are a thousand mental voices inside our head, each wanting to have the last word. Listen to God? How can we possibly hear what he is saying when we ourselves never stop. This passage seems to be saying, "Hush, don't talk so much. Let God speak!”
2. Obedience
The second step in the preparation of the people for the conquest of Jericho was obedience.
Obedience is an essential part of true faith, which is why, I suppose, the actions of the people of Jericho are cited in Hebrews as a demonstration of faith.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days (Hebrews 11:30)
What is it that most honours God and which God takes delight in honouring? Is it powerful statements of faith? No, many people have loudly proclaimed his name, only to later fall away and cease to serve him. It is not about exercising our natural talents and abilities? No, Many people have had great ability but waste them on worthless projects. Is its attractive appearance or personality? No, Saul stood out amongst others, but he finished badly.
Samuel's words after Saul had sinned reveal the true answer. We find this in 1 Sameul 15:22:
Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the word of the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
That is the answer. The thing that most honours and that most delights God is obedience.
Even Jesus was honoured and given a name above every name because he was obedient "obedient to death – even death on a cross"
Obedience to the very end
The third step in the preparation of the Jewish people for victory was obedience to the very end.
This is involved in the previous point, of course, because obedience that is not total, is not real obedience; it is disobedience.
It is necessary to point this out, because how often do we start on the path that God has directed us, then for a variety of reasons fail to continue on that path.
The conquest of Jericho emphasizes the point. The people were given their instructions one day at a time, and at the end of their assignment for that day, they returned to their camp. And nothing happened!
They had encircled the walls. But when they reurned to the camp, the walls were still standing, no one surrendered, and the Jewish armies seemed to be no closer to the final conquest of Canaan than they had been the day before. So it was after the second day... and the third... and the fourth... and the fifth... and the sixth...
We need to learn the lesson that the Jewish armies learned at Jericho. There is no substitute for obedience to God, and in that obedience we are called to be obedient to the end. And when God does not act as quickly as we think he should or precisely in the way we are convinced he should act, we are still not justified in pulling back or starting off with our own methods and techniques.
One of the cornerstones of being a disciple of Christ is that of obedience and taking up our cross and being prepared to go to wherever that may lead.
It was only when the people had obeyed God faithfully that victory came and the walls tumbled.
Demolishing Strongholds
As disciples of Christ, as soldiers in the army of God we are engaged in a war where enemy strongholds need to be conquered. We see them everywhere. There are fortresses of evil in the world, in the church, and when we are honest - in ourselves.
They are surrounded by high walls. And like Jericho the gates they are sealed. How are we to respond? How do we respond to evil? The answer is that we are to assault them in the way God has told us to carry out warfare: by prayer, by the Word of God, by our behaviour, and by our testimony. We might look at the forces of evil and think the ancient weapons of the church are inadequate, and we may be tempted to abandon them and use the world's tools.
The apostle Paul wrote in his second letter to the Corinthians in Ch.10 v.4:
The weapons we fight with, are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
And the book of Revelation in Ch. 12:11 says of the battle against Satan:
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.
We need to listen to God and obey faithfully to the very end. When we do, then in God's own time the walls of Satan's strongholds will tumble.
The inhabitants of Jericho and of the whole land live in fear of what God will do. Israel’s God has already given Jericho over to Joshua’s power. It is only necessary for him to claim that victory.
So the King and the Warriors are already at Joshua’s mercy. Only the walls remain an obstacle.
The walls of Jericho did not tumble just because of a shout of the people walking around. There had been preparation for the shout of victory. Some of that preparation had started forty years earlier in the preparation of Joshua and Caleb and the soldiers that had been trained in the wilderness. There was more preparation after the Jordan had been crossed. There had been a renewal of the rite of circumcision and a new observance of the passover. The hearts of the people had to be right before there could be a full outpouring of God's blessing.
Let’s ponder that – the hearts of the people had to be right before there could be a full outpouring of God’s blessing. As individuals, as families, as a church, as a wider community – we want to be in a place where we can receive God’s blessing – our hearts need to be right. How is the state of your heart? Do we struggle with bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, jealousy, greed, the list goes on.
Do you recall the ad for Vogel bread that used to a TV awhile back? There’s the couple who live in New York and he used to preciously to guard his Vogel bread – she apparently let someone else get at it, he is still going on about it and she says – “Let it go – it was over a year ago” How do we hold onto things - Let it go – it was over a year ago!!
If we want to receive God’s blessing, our hearts need to be right – we need to let things go.
But the preparation did not stop with the circumcision and celebration of Passover. It continued right up to the moment of the victory shout. Everything that went before that moment was the preparation of the hearts of the people. The story stresses three steps.
Silence
In v.10 we find the command to the people to keep silent. They were to be utterly quiet as they circled the doomed city. Their lips were not to speak a word. Verse 10 says:
Joshua had commanded the people, "Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!" (6:10)
That must have been a difficult thing for the people to do. We are talking about a large number of people here – the whole nation of Israel. It is hard to imagine any large group moving anywhere without an increasingly noisy hum, then roar of voices. There were soldiers to get in line, a route to be pointed and taken. How this could be accomplished in silence I'm not sure, but this is what the people did. You can see why they only took the fighting men and not the kids. The kids would be saying:
Are we there yet, Dad?
How much longer, Dad?
Dad, we gotta stop, I need to go to the toilet””
By the 7th day Joshua Junior would have been saying “Hey, Dad, are you sure you know where you are going – we have been past this palm tree five times already today!”
Now the people would have difficulty ignoring the taunts of the people of Jericho. On the first day the Canaanites would probably have been silent too, watching to see what this army might do.
It must have been bizarre: a silent attacking force watched by silent defenders. But silence would hardly have lasted beyond the second day. By the then the people of Jericho would have begun to mock the Jewish soldiers, imagine what they might have said:
Are you getting good exercise marching round our walls?
Are you lost?
You've crossed the Jordan River, is that all your're going to do?
Are you checking to see if we've left a door open?
Are you afraid to fight?
Why don't you try to get in?
You're just cowards!"
Under such circumstances it would have been difficult for the Jewish people to have kept silent.
What do you think they were thinking about? I suspect they were thinking there is no way of conquering this city unless God delivers it to us. Jericho's walls were high. The gates were shut.
Each time they walked around the walls would have helped them to realize that if there was to be a victory, it would have to be given by God.
Silence before God is a lesson we all need to learn. If we are not speaking aloud, then there are a thousand mental voices inside our head, each wanting to have the last word. Listen to God? How can we possibly hear what he is saying when we ourselves never stop. This passage seems to be saying, "Hush, don't talk so much. Let God speak!”
2. Obedience
The second step in the preparation of the people for the conquest of Jericho was obedience.
Obedience is an essential part of true faith, which is why, I suppose, the actions of the people of Jericho are cited in Hebrews as a demonstration of faith.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days (Hebrews 11:30)
What is it that most honours God and which God takes delight in honouring? Is it powerful statements of faith? No, many people have loudly proclaimed his name, only to later fall away and cease to serve him. It is not about exercising our natural talents and abilities? No, Many people have had great ability but waste them on worthless projects. Is its attractive appearance or personality? No, Saul stood out amongst others, but he finished badly.
Samuel's words after Saul had sinned reveal the true answer. We find this in 1 Sameul 15:22:
Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the word of the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
That is the answer. The thing that most honours and that most delights God is obedience.
Even Jesus was honoured and given a name above every name because he was obedient "obedient to death – even death on a cross"
Obedience to the very end
The third step in the preparation of the Jewish people for victory was obedience to the very end.
This is involved in the previous point, of course, because obedience that is not total, is not real obedience; it is disobedience.
It is necessary to point this out, because how often do we start on the path that God has directed us, then for a variety of reasons fail to continue on that path.
The conquest of Jericho emphasizes the point. The people were given their instructions one day at a time, and at the end of their assignment for that day, they returned to their camp. And nothing happened!
They had encircled the walls. But when they reurned to the camp, the walls were still standing, no one surrendered, and the Jewish armies seemed to be no closer to the final conquest of Canaan than they had been the day before. So it was after the second day... and the third... and the fourth... and the fifth... and the sixth...
We need to learn the lesson that the Jewish armies learned at Jericho. There is no substitute for obedience to God, and in that obedience we are called to be obedient to the end. And when God does not act as quickly as we think he should or precisely in the way we are convinced he should act, we are still not justified in pulling back or starting off with our own methods and techniques.
One of the cornerstones of being a disciple of Christ is that of obedience and taking up our cross and being prepared to go to wherever that may lead.
It was only when the people had obeyed God faithfully that victory came and the walls tumbled.
Demolishing Strongholds
As disciples of Christ, as soldiers in the army of God we are engaged in a war where enemy strongholds need to be conquered. We see them everywhere. There are fortresses of evil in the world, in the church, and when we are honest - in ourselves.
They are surrounded by high walls. And like Jericho the gates they are sealed. How are we to respond? How do we respond to evil? The answer is that we are to assault them in the way God has told us to carry out warfare: by prayer, by the Word of God, by our behaviour, and by our testimony. We might look at the forces of evil and think the ancient weapons of the church are inadequate, and we may be tempted to abandon them and use the world's tools.
The apostle Paul wrote in his second letter to the Corinthians in Ch.10 v.4:
The weapons we fight with, are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
And the book of Revelation in Ch. 12:11 says of the battle against Satan:
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.
We need to listen to God and obey faithfully to the very end. When we do, then in God's own time the walls of Satan's strongholds will tumble.
27.2.11 - Psalm 46 A Biblical Response to Disaster
This has been a week that our country will never forget.
Preaching involves at least two responsibilities. The first is to explain the Bible and relate it to life. The second is to take life and explain it in light of Scripture. My goal this morning is to accomplish both of these purposes. Let me begin by making two introductory comments.
1. Like you, I have experienced a wide variety of emotions this week. Sadness, shock, despair, helplessness, grief. Jesus said in Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” It is important that people have time to grieve and take stock. Can I please urge you to have extra patience and consideration for the stresses that people may find themselves under. If people snap and bite a bit more or don’t quite act in their normal manner – take it with a grain of salt.
2. I know that I will not be able to address all the questions you may have. My purpose this morning is to help draw our attention back to God and to allow Him to speak to us through His Word.
Please turn in your Bibles to Psalm 46. This song was written in the context of problems, stress, and uncertainty. The writer’s world was crumbling all around him. This Psalm was written with the nation of Israel in mind, but it certainly applies to us today. A nation is strong when their trust is in God. The source of our strength cannot be in our government, our economy, our buildings, or anything else that is temporary. We must return to God.
Before we get into the Psalm, let me point out the use of the word “Selah” after verse 3, verse 7, and verse 11. This curious phrase is most likely a musical rest, in which the singers stopped singing and only the instruments were heard. According to one Bible dictionary, this phrase can also signify a musical crescendo that is then followed by silent reflection. It also carries with it the idea of “meditation.” In Psalm 46, we’re called to pause and meditate three different times so that we can comprehend what God is saying to us. For our purposes this morning, we’ll follow this natural outline and pause at these same spots.
We’re reminded of three essential truths about God from this passage. God demonstrates His dependability through:
His Protection (1-3)
His Presence (4-7)
His Position (8-11)
His Protection
Follow along as I read Psalm 46:1-3: “1. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3. though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah.”
In the midst of whatever we’re feeling today, God desires to be our refuge, our strength, and our help. God is our refuge even when what seems permanent is demolished. When the world crashes in around us, God is still there, protecting us. The word “refuge” literally means “to flee,” as in running to a shelter. The idea is that God wants us to run to Him for protection. The word “strength” implies that we can rely on His might when we feel weak and defenceless.
The phrase “ever-present help” means that God is quick to give assistance. It literally means that He has “proved” Himself to be such a help in the past and we can therefore trust in Him in the present. Because of this we do not have to fear. Verse 2 & 3 are true only if verse 1 is true. If God is your refuge and strength, you don’t have anything to worry about this morning. He will do His part as you seek protection in Him.
In verse 2 the writer is imagining the worst calamity that could possibly hit his people as he describes earthquakes, volcanoes erupting, and mountains slipping into the sea. Even though the “earth may have given way,” we don’t have to be afraid. Mountains provided refuge in times of war and were considered to be the most secure part of nature. They were the most fixed and firm things on earth.
Verse 3 describes the roaring waters of the sea, which is a picture of our lives when they’re out of control. “Roaring,” means to “be in great commotion, to rage”. When the “mountains quake with their surging” refers to the pride or haughtiness of the mountains. Our sense of pride as a country has been replaced with quaking and concern about the future.
If we become more humble as a result, and recognize that God is our protector, our faith can cast out fear. The psalmist is saying that when that which is secure is suddenly gone, we’re to seek refuge in God Himself. Our sense of helplessness and fear should drive us to Him. As 2 Chronicles 7:14 so beautifully puts it: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
The first “Selah” is used at the end of verse 3. Let’s pause here and reflect silently upon God’s protection and our need to seek refuge in Him. Confess any personal sins, any sins in our church, and the sins of our nation right now.
His Presence
Let’s look at verses 4-7: “4. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. 6. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. 7. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah.”
God protects us when we seek refuge in Him. Fortunately, we don’t have to run far to find Him because His presence is right here with us. Verse 4 paints a picture that is easy for us to miss. First of all, the city of God is Jerusalem. While it was a very beautiful city, it had no river that ran through it like the other major cities and countries of that day. Babylon was built on the Euphrates. Egypt had the Nile. Rome had the Tiber. Jerusalem did not have a physical river but it had something even better ¬ the very presence of God.
God’s grace flows through like a river that brings gladness and joy to His people. While the ocean rages and foams, God’s presence is depicted as a calm and gently flowing stream. This image in Scripture is used to represent happiness, abundance, and peace, even when everything else is falling apart.
God’s presence with His people is one of the central truths of Scripture. Verse 5 says that “God is within her” and verse 7 declares that the “Lord Almighty is with us.” This is from the root word “Immanuel,” which means “God with us” and was used in Matthew 1:23 to refer to Jesus. That means that when we put our faith in Jesus, we have “God with us” at all times.
Notice the last part of verse 5: “God will help her at the break of day.” No matter how bad things get, God’s presence means that He will help us. When we wake up to start a brand new day, we will experience what Jeremiah did in Lamentations 3:22-23: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” God is faithful to us. He will never leave us or forsake us.
Following the 9/11 attack in the USA, President Bush reminded the American people of this truth when he quoted part of Romans 8:39 in his speech at a national prayer service: “Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God is present with His people even when “nations are in uproar and kingdoms fall” according to verse 6. “Uproar” is the same word that is used in verse 3 to describe the roar of the waters. When the nations are agitated like the waves of the sea, God is still with His people.
Currently we see major change and upheaval for the people of the Middle East. For Christians in that part of the world may they take comfort that God is with them. No matter how bad things get, we can always count on His presence. The last part of verse 6 reminds us of God’s incredible power. When “he lifts his voice, the earth melts.” What we saw this week is nothing compared to the awesome power of God. The raging world melts or dissolves before Him.
Verse 7 concludes by saying that the “God of Jacob is our fortress.” As in verse 1, God is depicted not only as powerful, but also as a fortress that we can run to for safety. The description of God as “The Lord Almighty” in the first part of verse 7 means, “The Lord of Hosts.” The hosts refer to all the armies of heaven. The Lord Almighty has all the hosts of heaven ready to do His work. As such, we can take comfort in His presence as we seek His care and protection.
Let’s pause at this second “Selah” and thank God for His presence with us.
His Position
We can depend on God during times like this because of His protection, His presence, and finally, because of His position.
Notice verses 8-11: “8. Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth. 9. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. 10. ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ 11. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah.”
As a nation, according to verse 8 we’re called to “come and see the works of the Lord.” This word means to “run or pursue” in order to “see,” which refers to “gazing, contemplating, or perceiving.” I’ve been amazed at how people are seeking the Lord right now.
Verse 10 calls us to bow before His position as sovereign ruler. We’re called to “Be still and know that I am God.” To “be still” means to “cast down or let fall.” It’s the idea of not putting forth exertion. The picture is of letting our hands fall to our sides, as we leave matters with God. We’re not to just have a “moment of silence” or even to just be quiet. The purpose is so that we can know God. To “know” means to “acknowledge and comprehend, or to discover.” We can’t even begin to know God experientially until we become still before Him. This is actually a rebuke. We’re to cease striving and working in our own self-effort and submit ourselves to God.
Notice the last part of verse 10: “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” As we quiet our souls and reflect upon His position as Lord over the whole world, we will recognize His supremacy and inevitable triumph. Until we’re still and quiet before Him, the awesome reality of His coming exaltation among all the nations will not impact us. Friends, no matter what happens, remember this: God will be exalted among the nations!
Philippians 2:10-11: “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Verse 11 is a great summary statement of this entire psalm. Because “the Lord almighty is with us, and the God of Jacob is our fortress,” we can trust Him.
Jesus Christ is God and Lord of history. Nothing has happened outside of His plan. Nothing ever leaves him bewildered or astonished. Nothing ever catches him by surprise. Though there is tragedy and war, though the mountains fall into the sea, those who know Jesus Christ have nothing to fear. Whether nature wreaks havoc, or the nations rage against one another, God is our refuge. God will still provide His protection and presence because of His position as Lord of Hosts. He will ultimately triumph.
Let’s pause here at the final “Selah” and be still before God. Affirm the central truth of Scripture that He is supreme and will be exalted among the nations.
Action Steps
It’s difficult to know how to respond to what happened in our country this week. But I feel compelled to conclude with at least 3 action steps.
1. Get right with God.
Life is way too unpredictable and too brief to live it without God at the centre. We count our lives in years but God tells us in Psalm 90:12 to number our days. On Tuesday morning people thought they were going to work, or going to travel on a bus or have a look at a Cathedral. The truth of the matter is that everybody in this room is just one heartbeat away from eternity. In 1 Samuel 20:3, David said, “Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”
We’re all going to die, one way or another, therefore we must get ready. If you have never surrendered your life to Jesus, you need to do it right now, before it’s too late!
2. Tell others about Jesus.
I’ve been struck by the images of the rescue workers who have worked so diligently to find people who are trapped. As I’ve watched, I can’t help but wonder if I exhibit that same zeal to help rescue people who are trapped in their sins. Instead of spending time with people who are surrounded by life’s debris, many of us insulate ourselves from those who need rescuing.
Friends, a crisis always creates opportunity. When Jesus describes the signs of the end of the age, He tells his followers in Luke 21:13 that, “this will result in your being witnesses to them.” I’ve had several significant conversations this week with people who are not yet believers. There is unprecedented openness to spiritual matters right now. Talk to your friends and family members about a relationship with Jesus. Don’t hold back. Let’s be bold and point people to Christ.
3. Time for the church to be the church.
Let’s stop playing games. Let’s bind together in unity and minister side-by-side with each other. Let’s pray as if everything depends on God, because it does! Let’s deal decisively with sin in our lives and practice grace and forgiveness with others.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
Amen.
Preaching involves at least two responsibilities. The first is to explain the Bible and relate it to life. The second is to take life and explain it in light of Scripture. My goal this morning is to accomplish both of these purposes. Let me begin by making two introductory comments.
1. Like you, I have experienced a wide variety of emotions this week. Sadness, shock, despair, helplessness, grief. Jesus said in Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” It is important that people have time to grieve and take stock. Can I please urge you to have extra patience and consideration for the stresses that people may find themselves under. If people snap and bite a bit more or don’t quite act in their normal manner – take it with a grain of salt.
2. I know that I will not be able to address all the questions you may have. My purpose this morning is to help draw our attention back to God and to allow Him to speak to us through His Word.
Please turn in your Bibles to Psalm 46. This song was written in the context of problems, stress, and uncertainty. The writer’s world was crumbling all around him. This Psalm was written with the nation of Israel in mind, but it certainly applies to us today. A nation is strong when their trust is in God. The source of our strength cannot be in our government, our economy, our buildings, or anything else that is temporary. We must return to God.
Before we get into the Psalm, let me point out the use of the word “Selah” after verse 3, verse 7, and verse 11. This curious phrase is most likely a musical rest, in which the singers stopped singing and only the instruments were heard. According to one Bible dictionary, this phrase can also signify a musical crescendo that is then followed by silent reflection. It also carries with it the idea of “meditation.” In Psalm 46, we’re called to pause and meditate three different times so that we can comprehend what God is saying to us. For our purposes this morning, we’ll follow this natural outline and pause at these same spots.
We’re reminded of three essential truths about God from this passage. God demonstrates His dependability through:
His Protection (1-3)
His Presence (4-7)
His Position (8-11)
His Protection
Follow along as I read Psalm 46:1-3: “1. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3. though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah.”
In the midst of whatever we’re feeling today, God desires to be our refuge, our strength, and our help. God is our refuge even when what seems permanent is demolished. When the world crashes in around us, God is still there, protecting us. The word “refuge” literally means “to flee,” as in running to a shelter. The idea is that God wants us to run to Him for protection. The word “strength” implies that we can rely on His might when we feel weak and defenceless.
The phrase “ever-present help” means that God is quick to give assistance. It literally means that He has “proved” Himself to be such a help in the past and we can therefore trust in Him in the present. Because of this we do not have to fear. Verse 2 & 3 are true only if verse 1 is true. If God is your refuge and strength, you don’t have anything to worry about this morning. He will do His part as you seek protection in Him.
In verse 2 the writer is imagining the worst calamity that could possibly hit his people as he describes earthquakes, volcanoes erupting, and mountains slipping into the sea. Even though the “earth may have given way,” we don’t have to be afraid. Mountains provided refuge in times of war and were considered to be the most secure part of nature. They were the most fixed and firm things on earth.
Verse 3 describes the roaring waters of the sea, which is a picture of our lives when they’re out of control. “Roaring,” means to “be in great commotion, to rage”. When the “mountains quake with their surging” refers to the pride or haughtiness of the mountains. Our sense of pride as a country has been replaced with quaking and concern about the future.
If we become more humble as a result, and recognize that God is our protector, our faith can cast out fear. The psalmist is saying that when that which is secure is suddenly gone, we’re to seek refuge in God Himself. Our sense of helplessness and fear should drive us to Him. As 2 Chronicles 7:14 so beautifully puts it: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
The first “Selah” is used at the end of verse 3. Let’s pause here and reflect silently upon God’s protection and our need to seek refuge in Him. Confess any personal sins, any sins in our church, and the sins of our nation right now.
His Presence
Let’s look at verses 4-7: “4. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. 6. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. 7. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah.”
God protects us when we seek refuge in Him. Fortunately, we don’t have to run far to find Him because His presence is right here with us. Verse 4 paints a picture that is easy for us to miss. First of all, the city of God is Jerusalem. While it was a very beautiful city, it had no river that ran through it like the other major cities and countries of that day. Babylon was built on the Euphrates. Egypt had the Nile. Rome had the Tiber. Jerusalem did not have a physical river but it had something even better ¬ the very presence of God.
God’s grace flows through like a river that brings gladness and joy to His people. While the ocean rages and foams, God’s presence is depicted as a calm and gently flowing stream. This image in Scripture is used to represent happiness, abundance, and peace, even when everything else is falling apart.
God’s presence with His people is one of the central truths of Scripture. Verse 5 says that “God is within her” and verse 7 declares that the “Lord Almighty is with us.” This is from the root word “Immanuel,” which means “God with us” and was used in Matthew 1:23 to refer to Jesus. That means that when we put our faith in Jesus, we have “God with us” at all times.
Notice the last part of verse 5: “God will help her at the break of day.” No matter how bad things get, God’s presence means that He will help us. When we wake up to start a brand new day, we will experience what Jeremiah did in Lamentations 3:22-23: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” God is faithful to us. He will never leave us or forsake us.
Following the 9/11 attack in the USA, President Bush reminded the American people of this truth when he quoted part of Romans 8:39 in his speech at a national prayer service: “Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God is present with His people even when “nations are in uproar and kingdoms fall” according to verse 6. “Uproar” is the same word that is used in verse 3 to describe the roar of the waters. When the nations are agitated like the waves of the sea, God is still with His people.
Currently we see major change and upheaval for the people of the Middle East. For Christians in that part of the world may they take comfort that God is with them. No matter how bad things get, we can always count on His presence. The last part of verse 6 reminds us of God’s incredible power. When “he lifts his voice, the earth melts.” What we saw this week is nothing compared to the awesome power of God. The raging world melts or dissolves before Him.
Verse 7 concludes by saying that the “God of Jacob is our fortress.” As in verse 1, God is depicted not only as powerful, but also as a fortress that we can run to for safety. The description of God as “The Lord Almighty” in the first part of verse 7 means, “The Lord of Hosts.” The hosts refer to all the armies of heaven. The Lord Almighty has all the hosts of heaven ready to do His work. As such, we can take comfort in His presence as we seek His care and protection.
Let’s pause at this second “Selah” and thank God for His presence with us.
His Position
We can depend on God during times like this because of His protection, His presence, and finally, because of His position.
Notice verses 8-11: “8. Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth. 9. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. 10. ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ 11. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah.”
As a nation, according to verse 8 we’re called to “come and see the works of the Lord.” This word means to “run or pursue” in order to “see,” which refers to “gazing, contemplating, or perceiving.” I’ve been amazed at how people are seeking the Lord right now.
Verse 10 calls us to bow before His position as sovereign ruler. We’re called to “Be still and know that I am God.” To “be still” means to “cast down or let fall.” It’s the idea of not putting forth exertion. The picture is of letting our hands fall to our sides, as we leave matters with God. We’re not to just have a “moment of silence” or even to just be quiet. The purpose is so that we can know God. To “know” means to “acknowledge and comprehend, or to discover.” We can’t even begin to know God experientially until we become still before Him. This is actually a rebuke. We’re to cease striving and working in our own self-effort and submit ourselves to God.
Notice the last part of verse 10: “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” As we quiet our souls and reflect upon His position as Lord over the whole world, we will recognize His supremacy and inevitable triumph. Until we’re still and quiet before Him, the awesome reality of His coming exaltation among all the nations will not impact us. Friends, no matter what happens, remember this: God will be exalted among the nations!
Philippians 2:10-11: “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Verse 11 is a great summary statement of this entire psalm. Because “the Lord almighty is with us, and the God of Jacob is our fortress,” we can trust Him.
Jesus Christ is God and Lord of history. Nothing has happened outside of His plan. Nothing ever leaves him bewildered or astonished. Nothing ever catches him by surprise. Though there is tragedy and war, though the mountains fall into the sea, those who know Jesus Christ have nothing to fear. Whether nature wreaks havoc, or the nations rage against one another, God is our refuge. God will still provide His protection and presence because of His position as Lord of Hosts. He will ultimately triumph.
Let’s pause here at the final “Selah” and be still before God. Affirm the central truth of Scripture that He is supreme and will be exalted among the nations.
Action Steps
It’s difficult to know how to respond to what happened in our country this week. But I feel compelled to conclude with at least 3 action steps.
1. Get right with God.
Life is way too unpredictable and too brief to live it without God at the centre. We count our lives in years but God tells us in Psalm 90:12 to number our days. On Tuesday morning people thought they were going to work, or going to travel on a bus or have a look at a Cathedral. The truth of the matter is that everybody in this room is just one heartbeat away from eternity. In 1 Samuel 20:3, David said, “Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”
We’re all going to die, one way or another, therefore we must get ready. If you have never surrendered your life to Jesus, you need to do it right now, before it’s too late!
2. Tell others about Jesus.
I’ve been struck by the images of the rescue workers who have worked so diligently to find people who are trapped. As I’ve watched, I can’t help but wonder if I exhibit that same zeal to help rescue people who are trapped in their sins. Instead of spending time with people who are surrounded by life’s debris, many of us insulate ourselves from those who need rescuing.
Friends, a crisis always creates opportunity. When Jesus describes the signs of the end of the age, He tells his followers in Luke 21:13 that, “this will result in your being witnesses to them.” I’ve had several significant conversations this week with people who are not yet believers. There is unprecedented openness to spiritual matters right now. Talk to your friends and family members about a relationship with Jesus. Don’t hold back. Let’s be bold and point people to Christ.
3. Time for the church to be the church.
Let’s stop playing games. Let’s bind together in unity and minister side-by-side with each other. Let’s pray as if everything depends on God, because it does! Let’s deal decisively with sin in our lives and practice grace and forgiveness with others.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
Amen.
060311 - “What is man that God should care”?
“What is man that God should care”?
Hebrews chapter 2, Sunday 6 March 2011
Introduction…
V1. Following on further as regards, “Why it’s all about Jesus”, we are first of all challenged as regards what we already know and have acted upon as a Christian, to pay attention to what we already have heard. If we have attended church for ?? years, we must know something, in fact we must know a lot! It was already a problem anticipated in the early church, e.g. 2 Tim. 4:2-4. In addition we must ask the question: have we put it into practice?
Pay Attention…
The danger for the eternal pew-sitter is that one day they will get bored and drift away or go get their ears tickled! Here at Calvin we don’t want that to happen. That’s one reason why we had “ministry expo” last week, so you can be involved – for your own good as well as for that of the church.
Listen up…
V2. What did the angels say? See Mt 1:21, Lk2:10-11, 14 and in the OT. The angels as messengers were to be listened to, not ignored.
Note the use of very strong words…
Violation
Disobedience
Punishment
V3. But the greatest of these (sins) is ignoring salvation – the crystal-clear warning notice at the top of the cliff – “turn around” to the Grace of God in Jesus. Just as being passionately in love with your wife or husband will keep us from the sin of adultery, so will our passion for salvation in Jesus keep us from the sin of violation of God’s laws. Don’t ignore your spouse, don’t ignore your salvation by taking it for granted, by not growing into Christ.
The writer of Hebrews did not have first-hand contact with Jesus it seems, BUT he is prepared to accept what others have witnessed and experienced. Consider the power of a testimony. How open are we to take on board what others experience? Or are we skeptical?
V4. But now comes the heaviest and undeniable evidence for salvation direct from God:
Signs: not pointless displays, but signs for direction.
Wonders not explained by human reason – but outside our normal box.
Miracles: works that require superhuman power
Gifts of the HS: abilities that stretch our faith for Christian service.
Look Up…
Jesus enters our world. Jesus identifies with those who are lost.
V5: God is giving us the reason for salvation – He is building a future with His redeemed. And this is where mankind comes in – for who are we? Now in a world that teaches unceasingly that we are merely the highest form of the animal world, these verses are a shaft of bright light. Here is who mankind is – straight from the Manufacturer’s user guide and maintenance manual. Page 2, ch 2 v 6-8. (read)
1. made by God
2. instructed by God (mindful) guided, will- and purpose-driven.
3. maintained by God (in good times and bad).
4. positioned by God (lower than angels, higher than animals ref Gen. 1:24-31.
5. honoured by God (with gifts of intelligence etc) e.g. language learning.
6. responsible to God everything under Him.
YET – not yet! Because sin has cut across that plan of uninterrupted relationship between God and mankind. But what we do see is the fulfillment of that plan in Jesus. That’s why it is still – “all about Jesus”.
Look Out…
V9. “But we see Jesus…” hope of the world incarnate, made “a little lower” than the angels, so that “by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone”. The taste was being shut off from God His Father, of having that relationship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit interrupted by our sin. That is what it means, this for Jesus was the True horror of the Cross, not just the pain of physical death BUT the bitter agony of separation from God. NOW why don’t you and I and the world around us feel that too??? The pain of our spiritual paucity, our spiritual bankruptcy. This MUST be a pain that God Himself still feels.
V10: Jesus was made “perfect”, meaning the perfect, spotless and only acceptable sacrifice for sin through that terrible separation from God.
Remember Jesus’ cry from the cross? It wasn’t, “My God my God, these nails and thorns are hurting me” (physically). No, what was it? “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”: broken fellowship, severed relationship – that was the agony cry!
What do we feel when away from church, when we are away from Christian fellowship for a period? What do we feel when we miss our quiet time, our daily Bible reading, or our family devotions?
V11-13: This is the way, and the only way the God /man relationship can be restored. Again it is by Grace that Jesus is not ashamed to call us family, to call us His brothers and sisters.
Conclusion….
For the Christian it seems to me that God has gone out of His way to focus our attention on Jesus and the salvation He is offering to mankind, the ultimate of His creation. We owe it to God to listen up to all His messengers, angels, signs, wonders etc. He has bought us by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and brought us into His family – the very thing He originally intended. We are therefore responsible to live and act accordingly as Christians.
Thinking of Christchurch again, and especially the amazing stories, great and small, that we are reading of dedicated rescuers, neighbour helping neighbour and a multitude of organizations pitching in to help, too many to name etc, we are witness to the glow of the essence of a Christian ethic that has under-girded this nation’s social fabric since its beginning. You and I have the responsibility to see that that remains, that this nation remains a nation under the grace of God in Jesus Christ, and that the Christian Faith lived out by you and me remains alive, strong and effective both at the heart of individual faith, and maintains that glow of the glory and honour that God has entrusted to us in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Hebrews chapter 2, Sunday 6 March 2011
Introduction…
V1. Following on further as regards, “Why it’s all about Jesus”, we are first of all challenged as regards what we already know and have acted upon as a Christian, to pay attention to what we already have heard. If we have attended church for ?? years, we must know something, in fact we must know a lot! It was already a problem anticipated in the early church, e.g. 2 Tim. 4:2-4. In addition we must ask the question: have we put it into practice?
Pay Attention…
The danger for the eternal pew-sitter is that one day they will get bored and drift away or go get their ears tickled! Here at Calvin we don’t want that to happen. That’s one reason why we had “ministry expo” last week, so you can be involved – for your own good as well as for that of the church.
Listen up…
V2. What did the angels say? See Mt 1:21, Lk2:10-11, 14 and in the OT. The angels as messengers were to be listened to, not ignored.
Note the use of very strong words…
Violation
Disobedience
Punishment
V3. But the greatest of these (sins) is ignoring salvation – the crystal-clear warning notice at the top of the cliff – “turn around” to the Grace of God in Jesus. Just as being passionately in love with your wife or husband will keep us from the sin of adultery, so will our passion for salvation in Jesus keep us from the sin of violation of God’s laws. Don’t ignore your spouse, don’t ignore your salvation by taking it for granted, by not growing into Christ.
The writer of Hebrews did not have first-hand contact with Jesus it seems, BUT he is prepared to accept what others have witnessed and experienced. Consider the power of a testimony. How open are we to take on board what others experience? Or are we skeptical?
V4. But now comes the heaviest and undeniable evidence for salvation direct from God:
Signs: not pointless displays, but signs for direction.
Wonders not explained by human reason – but outside our normal box.
Miracles: works that require superhuman power
Gifts of the HS: abilities that stretch our faith for Christian service.
Look Up…
Jesus enters our world. Jesus identifies with those who are lost.
V5: God is giving us the reason for salvation – He is building a future with His redeemed. And this is where mankind comes in – for who are we? Now in a world that teaches unceasingly that we are merely the highest form of the animal world, these verses are a shaft of bright light. Here is who mankind is – straight from the Manufacturer’s user guide and maintenance manual. Page 2, ch 2 v 6-8. (read)
1. made by God
2. instructed by God (mindful) guided, will- and purpose-driven.
3. maintained by God (in good times and bad).
4. positioned by God (lower than angels, higher than animals ref Gen. 1:24-31.
5. honoured by God (with gifts of intelligence etc) e.g. language learning.
6. responsible to God everything under Him.
YET – not yet! Because sin has cut across that plan of uninterrupted relationship between God and mankind. But what we do see is the fulfillment of that plan in Jesus. That’s why it is still – “all about Jesus”.
Look Out…
V9. “But we see Jesus…” hope of the world incarnate, made “a little lower” than the angels, so that “by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone”. The taste was being shut off from God His Father, of having that relationship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit interrupted by our sin. That is what it means, this for Jesus was the True horror of the Cross, not just the pain of physical death BUT the bitter agony of separation from God. NOW why don’t you and I and the world around us feel that too??? The pain of our spiritual paucity, our spiritual bankruptcy. This MUST be a pain that God Himself still feels.
V10: Jesus was made “perfect”, meaning the perfect, spotless and only acceptable sacrifice for sin through that terrible separation from God.
Remember Jesus’ cry from the cross? It wasn’t, “My God my God, these nails and thorns are hurting me” (physically). No, what was it? “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”: broken fellowship, severed relationship – that was the agony cry!
What do we feel when away from church, when we are away from Christian fellowship for a period? What do we feel when we miss our quiet time, our daily Bible reading, or our family devotions?
V11-13: This is the way, and the only way the God /man relationship can be restored. Again it is by Grace that Jesus is not ashamed to call us family, to call us His brothers and sisters.
Conclusion….
For the Christian it seems to me that God has gone out of His way to focus our attention on Jesus and the salvation He is offering to mankind, the ultimate of His creation. We owe it to God to listen up to all His messengers, angels, signs, wonders etc. He has bought us by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and brought us into His family – the very thing He originally intended. We are therefore responsible to live and act accordingly as Christians.
Thinking of Christchurch again, and especially the amazing stories, great and small, that we are reading of dedicated rescuers, neighbour helping neighbour and a multitude of organizations pitching in to help, too many to name etc, we are witness to the glow of the essence of a Christian ethic that has under-girded this nation’s social fabric since its beginning. You and I have the responsibility to see that that remains, that this nation remains a nation under the grace of God in Jesus Christ, and that the Christian Faith lived out by you and me remains alive, strong and effective both at the heart of individual faith, and maintains that glow of the glory and honour that God has entrusted to us in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
20.2.2011 Why is it "All about Jesus"?
Why is it “All about Jesus”?
Hebrews ch.1
Sunday 20 Feb 2011.
Introduction…
God is reaching out through... (sending God)
Creation – nature it just happened
Creation – human we are not animals
Prophets (priest and kings) got it wrong many times – trust
Angels modern confusion (spirits, powers, evil influences
Jesus, Son of God, son of Man
He is the Radiance of God’s glory… v3. Simply put, we see God in Jesus. He is the exact representation of God. There’s no need to go outside of Jesus to know God, to understand God. This is why the Gospels are SO important to us. We can’t do any better than to read and study the Gospels over and over again because that is where we meet Jesus – nowhere else! (Not Shine TV, Radio Rhema, Bob Gass or Praise Be, Equip or Parachute). Good that all these are, they have their place for sure, but do not replace the personal reading of the life of Jesus for ourselves.
You see, the Gospels are His powerful Word to us and for us. Now I know there are some here who got a bit scared or switched off 2 weeks ago when I enthused over the No. 11. But friends, I put it to you, unless we grow in the Word, we will go nowhere. How are we to grow our Christian lives and make them more meaningful within our family and neighbourhood? There is no simpler, more effective way than to add 11 more minutes to your reading, to add 11 more verses a week etc.
Reading about Jesus will make us more like Jesus. That way your neighbour will see Jesus in you, as we see God in Him.
He made purification for sin…(v3), then He sat down. Can the finished work of Christ be put any clearer? No. As my eye surgeon said to me after my eye operation and follow-up treatment, “This is as good as it gets.” There is no other solution to the problem of sin. God in Jesus Christ has done it, and when God does it it is GOOD. Ref Gen 1 (creation)
The blood of Jesus flowing down that cross, from His head, His hands and His feet was (and please excuse the apt pun), THE SOLUTION to rid sin of its hold on all who will call on Him, turn from their sinful ways and believe in His power to save to the uttermost.
With nothing more that could be done for sin either then or now here today, Sunday 20th Feb 2011, is it any wonder that Jesus sat down? “It is finished,” was His final cry from the cross that day outside Jerusalem, and it still rings true down the ages. Do you hear it today? Do you believe it today? Christian, do you STILL believe it today? 1Cor 11:27-32: taking communion “without recognizing the body of the Lord”. Although we have a quarterly routine for communion at Calvin, it is no routine thing for God. He is still looking for that “broken and contrite spirit” that recognizes in Jesus’ dead body and the glorious resurrection that followed, the ONLY solution to sin and its blight on the human race.
We live in an age that often renames sin as “deviant behavior” or “heredity influence” or “social disease.” As Christians we must uphold the root cause and cure for all such so-called ills. There is no short-cutting the need for recognition and confession of sin before God and our fellow humans by kneeling at the Cross of Christ and returning to our maker for permanent healing.
He is at God’s right hand…v3. The Majesty in heaven is the God of all creation and of all people. Could this be the derivation of a “right-hand man”, the one we cannot do without, the one who gets the job done? Jesus is the Son of God. As such He has inherited the Majesty. This passage goes on to tell us God has put all things, including all His enemies, under His feet, v13. He has the mind of God (for our guidance), the ear of God (for our prayers), and the heart of God (for our allegiance). What more, who more do we need?
And I am blown away when I read on in v8-9 that all that Jesus has done for us, his life and death, his agony and rejection (by God and man), has ended up by bringing JOY. There is perhaps no more amazing verse in scripture than Hebrews 12:2: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the JOY set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” “Consider Him”, it goes on, and demands we answer, “Yes”, if we are not to grow weary and lose heart. Today there should be no greater mark of the Christian life than JOY. If this was Jesus’ experience in all He went through for us, surely we His children have inherited the same. I believe this is a very practical thermometer of our day to day Christian life.
He is greater than angels and powers…
This book of Hebrews goes out of its way to emphasize the supremacy of Jesus, both at the visible human level and at the spiritual and at times mystical level. We will see this later in the book as regards Moses and Melchizedek. But here it is angels that are highlighted. One of the first issues faced by the early church was just where did Jesus fit in the commonly-held belief in the world at that time, that there existed a long chain of spiritual beings between God and man, between heaven and earth. Sadly the early church did lean this way at times. Even today there are churches that elevate saints to become intermediaries, or bishops who become all powerful. Primal religions are built around the placating of many, many spirits. Some of these spirits are real – messengers of Satan; others are generated internally through fears and indulging in known human dangers, as in the all too common drug scene.
We will talk more about this in later chapters. But for now we are told that angels are for us: – v 14 they are ministering spirits, sent from heaven to serve those who are serious about being saved. - Are you such a one? Have you ever been touched by an angel?
He will roll up earth and heaven…v10-14. Jesus is not only the beginning and creator, the present day sustainer and forgiver, he is also the end and judge of everything. We are so comfortable with our present- day situation, our homes, families, cars (not the BMW series 7), that we rarely stop and think about where all this is heading. The writer of Ecclesiastes had some insights 3,000 years ago when he wrote about the things we invest our time in as “vanity, meaningless, a chasing after the wind”. He, Jesus, will of course “remain the same”, v12, for He is God and remains in control and care of the very purpose of creation, namely us, His people, His children.
Where will you be at when all this happens? How well do you know Jesus? Events in the Middle East right now shout loud and clear giving an authentic echo of much Bible prophecy. You cannot shake Israel, Egypt, Palestine out of the equation. Jesus’ earthly life spanned all three of these countries. He remains at the centre of world-shaking events. Today, is He at the centre of your events, of your daily life?
I am giving you a moment to answer this question and then invite anyone who wants to connect or reconnect with Jesus to come to the front right hand side of the church while we close. Members are here to talk and pray with you.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
13.02.11 - It's Not About Me
How many of you believe that you are dead?
The theme for today is: It’s Not About Me. You might think that on this, my last Sunday here, I am being terribly modest and saying that today is not about me. That is not what I am saying.
In my last three sermons here I have spoken about three things that are at the core of the Christian faith:
- Firstly: It is all about Jesus.
- Secondly: The calling on us is to be followers
- Today: It is not about me
“It is not about me” expresses a key biblical theme which, I think, many Christians don’t even know about. I regret that I haven’t taught it more.
Our society is self-absorbed. It is all about me. All of the time we hear about self-image, self-actualisation, self-respect, self-fulfilment, self-interest, self-sufficiency, being self-made, etc. We are obsessed with self. Our society is self-centred and self-ish.
Why should you buy L’Oreal products? Because you’re worth it. It’s all about you.
And yet the Bible talks about dying to self. In our society, it is all about me. The Kingdom of God attitude is that it is not about me at all. Dying to self means I don’t matter which equals “It is not about me.”
Let me give you some examples from the life of an average church. You tell me who it is all about.
- I didn’t get much out of worship today.
- I don’t want my church to grow because then I won’t know everybody.
- The church exists to meet the needs of me and my family. (A survey in the USA showed that 89% of Christians believed that.)
- I am going to go to another church. This one doesn’t suit me.
- I no longer go to church. Many years ago a minister was rude to me.
- Having a new member in our small group would change the dynamics. It has taken a long time for us to get to this point.
- I don’t want people to see that I am struggling or that our family is struggling
When I was considering resigning I faced lots of me questions. There is a certain prestige that goes with being the Senior Pastor of Calvin. My identity is linked to my position. Who would I be if I didn’t have a church? I might end up being a nobody. I had to face my tendency to think about myself.
Maybe we can all identify with those things because we are strongly self-centred. It is simple built into us to think first of ourselves. The old illustration is: when you are handed a photo of a group that you were part of, who do you look for first? We always look for ourselves. Have I been recorded? Will I be remembered? What do I look like? Our whole natural orientation is towards ourselves. It is all about me.
Contrast that with Jesus saying, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
Jesus said three things are required. Denying ourselves means saying no to ourselves. We have desires and appetites. We desire comfort and ease, possessions, other people’s praise, security, pleasure. Advertising appeals to those desires. Our society says “If you want it, have it. Satisfy your desires.”
Jesus says the opposite. He says, “Deny yourself. Say ‘No’ to yourself.” Sometimes we are called to deny even legitimate desire – for example, by fasting – in order to say Jesus comes first.
Our society doesn’t understand self-denial. Many would mock the idea of denying yourself. On the other hand, when we see people do it – when we see parents sacrificing to look after a disabled child or we think of our war dead, or those who donate organs – we admire those who deny themselves.
Secondly Jesus says His followers must take up their crosses daily. The disciples would have known what he was talking about. Anyone who took up his cross was walking to his death. It wasn’t just about carrying a heavy burden. It was about dying. Taking up one’s cross meant accepting your death - daily.
Thirdly, Jesus requires people to follow Him. Following means surrendering our independence. If I follow another person I no longer choose where I will go or what I will do or what I will believe.
And so Jesus says, “Deny yourself. It is not about you. Take up your cross. It is not about you. Follow. It is not about you.” With three powerful images, He says repeatedly that is it not about us. Anyone who would follow Jesus must die to himself or herself – must adopt this attitude that it is not about me.
In these Biblical examples, is the person involved was saying “It is about me” or “It’s not about me”?
- Ruth said to Naomi, “Where you go, I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die and there I will be buried.”
- Daniel prayed, even under threat of death.
- John the Baptist said, “I must decrease and He must increase”.
- Peter denied knowing Jesus.
- The rich young ruler couldn’t give up his possessions to follow Jesus.
The rich young ruler had asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus said, “Sell your possessions and give the money to the poor.” But he couldn’t do it. By clinging to his possessions he missed out on eternal life.
We read Luke 9:23 before. Look at the next verse. Jesus said, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” (v.24)
Everything in us screams out against dying to ourselves. Everything in us wants to protect ourselves, accumulate for ourselves, defend ourselves but while we do that we miss out on the life that Jesus gives. The rich young ruler chose life now - and missed out on life eternal. The greatest blessings await those who deny themselves. Jesus said that those who had given up homes and family and possessions would not fail to receive a hundred times as much. When we die to ourselves we don’t lose; we gain.
Let’s recap. Jesus said that dying to ourselves is essential. We cannot be disciples without it. He also said that those who do, will be greatly blessed. But how can we? When self-centredness is so deeply ingrained in us, how can we? It is impossible. We cannot do it. We would have to change our very nature to do it. Can a leopard change his spots? Can we change who we are? No, not to that degree. We can change superficial things but we cannot change who we are at the most basic level. We are self-centred.
Here is the good news. This is the bit that I think is so little understood. You are already dead; just believe it. When we become Christians – and particularly when we are baptised – we die. We share in Jesus’ death. The Bible says we become one with Jesus and in His death we also die.
More than that, when He rose to life again, we rose to a new life. The old person died and a new person began living a new life. The only way to live this new life is in Christ.
2 Cor 5:17 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation: The old has gone, the new is here!
Paul talked about this experience.
Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
I want to read Romans 6:1-4. It is a little bit complicated but listen for these points:
- In baptism we shared Christ’s death
- We also share his resurrection. We have been raised to live a new life
- When we died, sin lost its power over us. The old person was a slave to sin but that person died. The new person is free from sin.
- We therefore should say “no” to sin, and, instead, live for God.
READ Romans 6:1-14
Please note v.11: count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
If we are baptised Christians, then we have died and been raised to a new life. That is true but for it to do us any good, we must believe it. So Paul says, “Believe it. Count yourself (or, consider yourself) dead to sin but alive to God. God says that it is true. Believe that it is true and live as if it was true.”
So, for example, if you are a Christian but you struggle to give over control of your life to Jesus; you still like security; you still like possessions, what can you do? You can try to change yourself but you will fail. Then you might be discouraged by constant failure and conclude that it is useless; you’ll never make it.
Or, you could remember that you are dead and, as a result, things have changed! Sin has no power over dead people. I don't know if you have noticed, but dead people don't sin. And sin has no power over people living the new life.
Paul says, “Count yourself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” You can say, “Those things used to have control over me but they don’t now. I used to be a slave to sin; I used to be powerless but now I am dead to sin and living a new life in Jesus. I am no longer a slave. I am now free. I am free to say no to things. I am free to trust Jesus for my security – and I am going to. I am going to live by faith.”
Things change radically when we put our faith in Jesus. Sin now has no power over us. We are free to live the new life. “Count yourself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” That one truth will change your life. If it doesn’t quite make sense to you yet, prayerfully mediate on Romans 6 until it does.
Once we believe that we can live the new life, then we should! Pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and empowering to live a life free from sin.
Now, how many of you believe that you are dead?
Calvin, over the last 20 years we, as a family, have been blessed beyond our wildest expectations. This has been a fantastic time and you have been fantastic people. Being on this journey with you, with all its ups and downs and all of the times when we seem to have caught the wave and other times when we have had to stop and re-think and pray hard, has been an enriching adventure. I have learnt so much from you. I was 34 when I arrived here. I am a much different person and a much richer person now and that is because of having had the privilege to do this thing called church with you.
I pray that the journey continues to be rewarding for you. For what it is worth, my last appeal to you as I leave has been the theme of these last three sermons:
- Keep it all about Jesus. Don’t let it ever become a system or an organisation.
- Be followers. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Learn from Him. Become like Him. Do what He did.
- And finally, If you are a Christian, believe that you have died and that you have been raised with Jesus to a new life. You have died to sin and are alive in God. In an average church people still think it is all about them. Don’t be an average church. Let it be all about Jesus.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
06.02.11 - Pressing On Into 2000 + 11
Phil. 3:7-16 A collective paraphrase
Alan Benntt
3 introductory remarks…
Follows on from what Ken shared from Phil 1 last week.
Change the “I” to “We” and “Us” Told to imitate God and Paul !(4;9 and 1 Cor.4)
We are now in year 11 of the 21st century. 11 is a progressive number, it takes us beyond the plateau that 10 can easily become. (our 11th grandchild is due this week!) To me it sets us on an exciting journey across an unknown gap before we come to 20. Using the words of Francis Schaeffer, an inspiring Christian apologist of 40-50 years ago, it is a “Great leap of Faith” I want to see Calvin CC excited about launching into that leap this year. We have the security of knowing that God has brought us through 10 years of this new century intact and with our heads held high. Remember all the doom and gloom of Y2K, computers crashing and planes falling out of the sky.! That negative thinking is way behind us now.
I want us to move on from there with a spring in our step, with faith burning in our hearts and with the number 11 in our minds, hearts and on our lips.
- We want to know Christ (more). Closer relationship. More than 10 years ago. More than last year. How much more? +11 minutes more, 11 times aware of Him per day more. 11 more verses per day Bible reading. Whatever way we can measure our relationship with Jesus, let’s add to that in some way that will bring GROWTH in that relationship. This relationship with Jesus growth is foundational for all else. For several weeks now Peter has left us with the phrase, “It’s all about Jesus” ringing in our ears. Today it is a collective response these verses are asking for, WE want to know Jesus more.
Power of His resurrection surely means the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Yes Lord, we want more of that too. What would happen if Calvin church experienced 11% more HS activity through this year?
That could be an interesting goal in the light of the Ian Malin’s seminars coming in March 25-27. We need to be sure that all of our church based activity is HS led, has resurrection like power at it’s heart.
Fellowship of sharing. Christ suffered in order that the Church would come into being. The church will go on growing as we fellowship more and more. Share more and more together, perhaps spend 11 minutes more chatting after church before going home..
Like Him, reminds us that it is a sacrifice. This same verse reminds us that our lives are not wasted. Christians and the church spend their lives looking forward (11) to eternal life with no regrets.
- Not that we have already obtained. That’s right. We have only got to 10, Here we must stock take. Just like shopkeepers and farmers and even politicians! One of the many legacies Pastor Peter leaves with us is a “
Healthy Church
Jesus planted this church here 50 years ago. Pastor Peter has led this church forward over past 20 years. Jesus not only contacted us but He also contracted with us to grow His Calvin Community Church. We dare not pull back and deny Jesus the direction and purpose He has for this church. His purpose is growth. 11+, 11x, 11%. Certainly not 11-
So how do we advance, make progress through 2011 ?
- One thing we do… actually 3.things…
a) Forgetting the past. Learn from it and then leave it. We must put 2010 and all previous years behind us. We are now in 2000+11 (Illus from TH )
In Christ, God forgives and forgets – sins in the deepest sea.
b) Strain towards..application of mind and muscle. Ref Col
c) Press on…into 2011 and beyond . To be positive.
A word about being positive…NOTE. I am not preaching PPT !
“Hello, how are you today?, “Not too bad” = means “good” because the prize ahead is heaven. I fear that on arrival there and Jesus shows us the mansion He has prepared for us we will say “not too bad” !!
- All about being mature in Christ. This dosen’t mean dowdy or satisfied, proper and respectful. God forbid that a mature church is looked upon as being middle aged. I don’t want it ever said that Calvin is middle aged (fat, flabby and past it’s prime) as it could easily be labeled by comparison with the human frame. Rather it means we are progressing in Christ, still growing, still learning, still excited about being a dynamic Christian church in this Gore community. I want to cheer and encourage every member here today, fresh back after the summer break, who are picking up the ongoing activities of this church and giving their time and energy once again in service to God. They are well into their 11+ exams and are going to be blessed with an 11x+ or % increase in fruitfulness and joy in their hearts. Let us all join them and…
Live up to v10… what is already attained by rejoicing in what has been so far achieved .here at Calvin and everyone of us being involved and doing that same 11 bit more across every avenue of ministry that this church is doing and that is yet to be added to. May God energise us as we start with our Great leap of Faith into 2000 +11
30.1.11 - To Live is Christ, to Die is Gain.
Sermon preached at Calvin 30/1/11 Ken Williams
Philippians 1:18b-26
• I want to begin by asking you a question. Well, actually it is several questions. How important is your life? How much do you personally value your own life?
• Just take a moment and ponder the question.
• Ready for a challenge? Right – Philippians ch.1 – Paul is in a Roman prison and he is writing to the church in Philippi.
• Now we are looking at the verses v.18b through to v.26. Now this passage is pretty tight, compact – full of theological content. It becomes easier if we break it into two parts.
• READ (vv.18b – 20)
• In this first part, Paul states his conviction that whatever the future holds for him, he will not be deprived of his joy, it does not matter whether he lives, it does not matter whether he dies - because Christ will be exalted, will be lifted up in him.
• Paul was living his life for Jesus and nothing else really mattered.
• Paul speaks of his own affairs only as they touch on the progress of the gospel – his own life, his circumstances and situation were secondary to the progress of the gospel – can any of us honestly say the same.
• Can we really say – my life doesn’t matter! It is Christ that counts!
• I think Paul could have sung this song – to me it is a very challenging song – but are we always completely honest as we sing the words.
• We sing it with passion and enthusiasm – but are we really willing to lay down our life – I think it is a great song, but it really is challenging, hugely challenging.
• So are many of our songs and maybe we sing through them, without really reflecting on the implications.
• This passage should challenge us, should make us feel uncomfortable – we are products of the culture of the Western world and we have to resist the temptation to soften the impact of this passage.
The Choice to Live
• Paul states something in here that can easily go unnoticed in our culture.
• We live in a culture that thinks of physical death with such dread that society’s highest goal is the postponement of death as long as possible.
• We don’t talk about death, we shun it, we push it away – we all know it is coming – but we don’t talk about it.
• SO... for us who are products of such a society, we will inevitably find Paul’s notion that remaining alive is a sacrifice and death a gain, difficult to understand.
• To live or to die, Paul hopes for the outcome that, in his opinion, will most clearly advance the preaching of Christ.
• If we are to let this passage speak to us on its own terms, we will need to stare Paul’s astonishing indifference toward death, squarely in the face and ask ourselves whether our attitude toward death imitates his.
• Along with the Philippians in times past, we need to look to Paul as a model.
Our Attitude Towards Life and Death
• Prior to the first half of the 20th century, when extended families often lived near each other and even in the same house with one another, it was not uncommon for children to observe death firsthand and to learn to cope with it from older family members around them.
• Today, however, people die in hospitals or resthomes more frequently than homes, bodies are quickly removed from hospital to morgue, and the embalmers art rapidly restores the body to a lifelike appearance.
• Our way of coping with death seems to be to deny its existence.
• Paul, however, faced death with the same firm resolve that marked his approach to life, for both death and life to him meant service to Christ, and service to Christ was his primary goal.
• Perhaps more than at any other time in history, the church needs to adopt Paul’s perspective on life and death.
• With most people in the world around us refusing to talk about the subject of death, out of stark terror, and with the philosophers who do speak of it often claiming that the notion of life after death is only wishful thinking, it is tempting for the believer to live as if there were nothing beyond the grave.
• Iran is a country where many Christians have learned Paul’s perspective on death.
• Maybe like Paul, they can provide an example for us in the West... Read section from Commentary on Philippians p.89
• The test of faith that Paul experienced nearly two thousand years ago is repeated in the modern church today.
• So what sort of faith is this?
• It is the sort of faith that produces a passion within us.
• It is the sort of faith that says I will do whatever it takes to obey my God.
• It is the sort of faith that says I am not afraid of failure.
• It is the sort of faith that says I will not care what anyone else says or thinks.
• It is the sort of faith that says I will refuse to be ashamed by the comments and criticisms of others.
• Because the faith, the attitude, the mindset, that Jesus wants me to have is faith that says I will do whatever it takes to follow my God.
• To live is Christ, to die is gain.
Philippians 1:18b-26
• I want to begin by asking you a question. Well, actually it is several questions. How important is your life? How much do you personally value your own life?
• Just take a moment and ponder the question.
• Ready for a challenge? Right – Philippians ch.1 – Paul is in a Roman prison and he is writing to the church in Philippi.
• Now we are looking at the verses v.18b through to v.26. Now this passage is pretty tight, compact – full of theological content. It becomes easier if we break it into two parts.
• READ (vv.18b – 20)
• In this first part, Paul states his conviction that whatever the future holds for him, he will not be deprived of his joy, it does not matter whether he lives, it does not matter whether he dies - because Christ will be exalted, will be lifted up in him.
• Paul was living his life for Jesus and nothing else really mattered.
• In the second part, Paul provides the reason for this unusual perspective and states what he believes the outcome of his circumstances will be.
• READ (vv.21-26).
• Living in comfort-conscious New Zealand we are not exempt from the implicit rebuke of Paul’s attitude toward death. Reread vv.21-22.
• It will be a rare believer who can read this passage, grapple with it seriously, and come away satisfied that he or she is following Paul’s example.
• He is committed to the extent that his own life is of secondary consequence.
• Paul speaks of his own affairs only as they touch on the progress of the gospel – his own life, his circumstances and situation were secondary to the progress of the gospel – can any of us honestly say the same.
• Paul is a hugely challenging character to us.
• Can we really say – my life doesn’t matter! It is Christ that counts!
• Let’s think about the words of a song that we sing here sometimes – I lay my life down at your feet. (One Way)
• I think Paul could have sung this song – to me it is a very challenging song – but are we always completely honest as we sing the words.
• We sing it with passion and enthusiasm – but are we really willing to lay down our life – I think it is a great song, but it really is challenging, hugely challenging.
• So are many of our songs and maybe we sing through them, without really reflecting on the implications.
• Our culture - This culture of the Western world, with its elevation of personal freedom and individual rights above virtually every other ideal, doesn’t provide a friendly environment for the development of the notions that Paul expresses here.
• This passage should challenge us, should make us feel uncomfortable – we are products of the culture of the Western world and we have to resist the temptation to soften the impact of this passage.
The Choice to Live
• Paul states something in here that can easily go unnoticed in our culture.
• He genuinely considers his choice to live, rather than to die, to be the more difficult and sacrificial choice.
• We live in a culture that thinks of physical death with such dread that society’s highest goal is the postponement of death as long as possible.
• We don’t talk about death, we shun it, we push it away – we all know it is coming – but we don’t talk about it.
• SO... for us who are products of such a society, we will inevitably find Paul’s notion that remaining alive is a sacrifice and death a gain, difficult to understand.
• To live or to die, Paul hopes for the outcome that, in his opinion, will most clearly advance the preaching of Christ.
• This can only strike us as strange in the modern church, if we have allowed the comforts of our present existence to steal the place of Christ in our lives as our chief priority.
• If we are to let this passage speak to us on its own terms, we will need to stare Paul’s astonishing indifference toward death, squarely in the face and ask ourselves whether our attitude toward death imitates his.
• Along with the Philippians in times past, we need to look to Paul as a model.
• Christ is more important than life itself to him, and the joy and progress of his fellow Christians more important than departing to be with Christ.
Our Attitude Towards Life and Death
• It has been observed that death is an embarrassment to modern Western culture.
• Prior to the first half of the 20th century, when extended families often lived near each other and even in the same house with one another, it was not uncommon for children to observe death firsthand and to learn to cope with it from older family members around them.
• Today, however, people die in hospitals or resthomes more frequently than homes, bodies are quickly removed from hospital to morgue, and the embalmers art rapidly restores the body to a lifelike appearance.
• Our way of coping with death seems to be to deny its existence.
• Paul, however, faced death with the same firm resolve that marked his approach to life, for both death and life to him meant service to Christ, and service to Christ was his primary goal.
• Perhaps more than at any other time in history, the church needs to adopt Paul’s perspective on life and death.
• With most people in the world around us refusing to talk about the subject of death, out of stark terror, and with the philosophers who do speak of it often claiming that the notion of life after death is only wishful thinking, it is tempting for the believer to live as if there were nothing beyond the grave.
• But this can only cause us to clutch our material possessions more tightly for the security they can give and keep us from risking our lives in the service of God.
• Are we prepared to give our all, our everything for God or... when it comes down to it – do we put a higher priority on other things – our reputation, our status, our security, our finances, our comfort, our time.
• Iran is a country where many Christians have learned Paul’s perspective on death.
• Maybe like Paul, they can provide an example for us in the West... Read section from Commentary on Philippians p.89
• The test of faith that Paul experienced nearly two thousand years ago is repeated in the modern church today.
• We in the West are insulated from it, but it remains a reality for believers who live under anti-Christian totalitarian regimes.
• Now the reality is most of us here, will never have to physically die for our faith. But that is the depth of faith and attitude that Jesus wants us to grow into.
• So what sort of faith is this?
• It is the sort of faith that produces a passion within us.
• It is the sort of faith that says I will do whatever it takes to obey my God.
• It is the sort of faith that says I am not afraid of failure.
• It is the sort of faith that says I will not care what anyone else says or thinks.
• It is the sort of faith that says I will refuse to be ashamed by the comments and criticisms of others.
• Because the faith, the attitude, the mindset, that Jesus wants me to have is faith that says I will do whatever it takes to follow my God.
• To live is Christ, to die is gain.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
23.01.11 - Follow Me
I mentioned last week that I have very few opportunities left to preach here. I am away for the next two Sundays doing Moderator stuff. That means there is only today and our last Sunday here which will be 13th February. As I have thought about what I want to say on those occasions, I have chosen to simply reiterate some things that I believe are of the utmost importance.
Last week I simply said that it is all about Jesus. Our faith and our lives must centre on the person of Jesus. It is not about living a certain lifestyle. It is not about serving an organisation; the church. It is about trusting and serving Jesus Himself, and then, on that basis, choosing to live in a way that honours Him and choosing to commit to His church and so on. Jesus is to be central. The other things follow.
Today I want to consider one word that I think sums up what we are called to do in our relationship with Jesus: Follow.
It was a word that was one of Jesus’ favourites. Very often His invitation to people to come into a relationship with Him was “Follow Me”. When He called Peter and Andrew, James and John to leave their nets, the words were, “Come. Follow Me.” When He called Matthew to leave his tax collector’s booth, it was “Follow Me.”
It became the general term for people’s relationship with Jesus. Jesus said,
Mark 8:34 If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Anyone who would be a Christian is called to follow Jesus. Indeed, Christians were called “followers” long before they were called “Christians”: followers of Jesus, followers of the Way.
Why use that word? What does it mean to follow someone?
The most basic meaning is to walk behind or to travel behind. I think it is used that way in the Bible. We are several times told that crowds followed Jesus. It doesn’t necessarily mean any great commitment just that they travelled around after Him and enjoyed the teaching and seeing the miracles. In, fact, often when we are told that there were great crowds, we find that Jesus challenged them. The verse I just used (Mark 8:34) actually begins, “Then He called the crowd to Him along with his disciples and said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Jesus was looking for a type of following greater than simply travelling around behind. Jesus was looking for more than spectators. To follow does have a much deeper meaning.
If I was to say that I was a follower of Bob Marley that would probably mean that I looked to him as my teacher and inspiration. It would mean that I adopted his Rastafarian views and modelled my life on him. It would almost certainly mean that I wore dreadlock and a multicoloured crocheted hat. I would be committed to reggae music and possibly would try to imitate Bob Marley on the guitar. In other words, I would think like Bob Marley, talk like Bob Marley, dress like Bob Marley, look like Bob Marley, live what Bob Marley liked, behave like Bob Marley and believe what Bob Marley believed.
If I was a committed follower my whole life would be influenced by Bob Marley. Everything: what he ate, what he read, ethical standards musical tastes. Everything.
Likewise if I was a follower of Karl Marx or Mahatma Gandhi! There are all those people who try to look like Elvis Presley and sing like Elvis Presley. That is somewhat trivial perhaps but in some instances people will lay down their lives for the sake of the person they have chosen to follow. People would die in their devotion to Karl Marx and his philosophy.
Think of the lengths followers of Mohammed will go to. Every day, in Islam, we see examples of what it means to follow.
Following, in that sense, means committing one’s whole life to another person. It includes
• Imitating that person
• Becoming like that person
• Adopting the teachings and beliefs of that person
• Promoting the teachings and beliefs of that person.
• Taking instruction from that person.
• Maybe dying for that person.
Another way we might describe a follower of someone would be to say that he is a disciple of that person.
All of that is true when we consider Jesus’ invitation: Follow Me. It literally meant to travel around with Him but the being with Him was so that these other things might happen; so that people would know what he was like and imitate Him; would gradually become like Him; would learn from Him and adopt His teaching; would do what He did and would be committed to the point of being willing to die for Him.
Jesus said that: If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross; deny himself; be willing to die.
If people will die for Karl Marx or Mohammed, is it asking too much for people to be willing to die for Jesus? Even if it doesn’t mean actually losing one’s life, it does mean giving up our lives completely. It does mean dying to self so that we become nothing and Jesus becomes everything. It means I surrender everything about myself in favour of Jesus. I surrender my own ambitions, my own views, my own future, my right to make my own decisions and my own preferences. I surrender my own comfort and my so-called “rights” in order to become like Jesus and think like Jesus and talk like Jesus and act like Jesus and take my instructions from Jesus. My one goal is to glorify Jesus (not myself).
Does that sound extreme? Ridiculously extreme? Is that too much? Jesus asks for our complete allegiance. He asks that nothing else comes ahead of Him. Remember He said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple. Anyone who does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (Lk 14:26-27) “Hate” is hyperbole. It is overstatement. Jesus wants us to love our families but His point is that our love for Him must be so much greater that it completely overshadows our love for our families. Without that level of commitment we cannot be His disciples, He says.
Is that asking way too much? Jesus is God. Are we willing to be 100% committed to God? He is not a human being like Marx or Mohammed. We are talking about God asking for our allegiance.
But not only that, we are talking about the God who sacrificed Himself for us – the God who loves this world so much that He gave His one and only Son to die nailed to a cross. Can a God who died for us legitimately ask for our complete allegiance?
There is no doubt that that is what Jesus is asking for. He doesn’t invite us to negotiate the terms. We either accept His terms or we don’t. What about you? Are you willing to give Jesus your whole life?
Is saying “I am a follower of Jesus” different from saying, “I am a Christian”? It seems to me that “Christian” is a label that doesn’t necessarily imply that I am doing anything. But if I am a follower I must be doing something. Following implies modelling my life on Him, learning from Him, being willing to obey Him and go where he says to go.
Basically, followers try to become like their leader. Followers of Jesus Christ seek to be like Him. Let’s think in terms of head, heart and hands. Head implies our thinking and our beliefs. The Bible talks about having the mind of Christ. We are to learn to think like Him. We are to believe what He says.
Heart involves our character and our affections. In character we are to be Christ-like. The fruit of the Spirit would be one description of Christ-like character that God wants to see in us. Christ-like affections mean that we like what Jesus likes and we prioritise what Jesus prioritises. Our values come from Him.
Hands means that we do what He did. Christ-likeness isn’t only about inner transformation. The Christ-like person acts like Christ. It means praying and worshipping like He did. It means caring for the needy and going to social outcasts. It means calling people to follow Jesus and training those who do. It means being a person through whom God can work miraculously. Followers do what their leader modelled.
There is an Old Testament passage that very beautifully picks up what it means to be a dedicated follower. Remember Ruth’s words to her mother-in-law, Naomi. Listen to them again.
Ruth 1:15-17 15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”
16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”
Notice how Ruth doesn’t ask to negotiate these things or share the leadership. She completely submits to Naomi’s leadership. Where Naomi goes Ruth will go. If Naomi stops and stays somewhere, Ruth will stay there. Ruth was a Moabite and Naomi was a Jew but Ruth said that Naomi’s people would be her people. She would even submit to Naomi’s God. He would become her God. She would die where Naomi died and be buried with her. Not even death would separate her from her mother-in-law.
It is a very beautiful statement. Could you make that same statement to Jesus. Could you say to Jesus, “Where you go I will go”? Are you willing to follow Jesus if He leads you to the mission field or to your neighbour’s house? Ruth models perfect submission.
When Jesus says it is time to move, are we willing to move? When Jesus says we will stay here then are we content to stay?
Your people will be my people. Commitment to Jesus’ church. These are God’s people therefore they will be my people. I will be part of this team. I will love these people. I will put into practice all that the Bible says about the church. I won’t just hang around the fringes. These are my people.
Jesus, your God will be my God. I will believe what you believed and what you taught. I will submit to Your Father. I will worship. I will serve. I will listen to Him. Your God will be my God.
Where you die I will die and there I will be buried. The Bible says a lot about dying with Jesus. I think that is an area we know too little about but we are called to die with Him and to rise to a new life.
Ruth, surprisingly, says that not even death will separate them. For followers of Jesus, death will actually be a coming together. Those who have committed to following Him will, at long last, be with Him.
Jesus must be at the centre. Our response is to follow. Jesus very explicitly calls us to follow and very explicitly talks about what it means to be a follower. He seeks absolute devotion but then the rewards promised to followers of Jesus will make every sacrifice worthwhile.
Matt 19:18-19 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
Last week I simply said that it is all about Jesus. Our faith and our lives must centre on the person of Jesus. It is not about living a certain lifestyle. It is not about serving an organisation; the church. It is about trusting and serving Jesus Himself, and then, on that basis, choosing to live in a way that honours Him and choosing to commit to His church and so on. Jesus is to be central. The other things follow.
Today I want to consider one word that I think sums up what we are called to do in our relationship with Jesus: Follow.
It was a word that was one of Jesus’ favourites. Very often His invitation to people to come into a relationship with Him was “Follow Me”. When He called Peter and Andrew, James and John to leave their nets, the words were, “Come. Follow Me.” When He called Matthew to leave his tax collector’s booth, it was “Follow Me.”
It became the general term for people’s relationship with Jesus. Jesus said,
Mark 8:34 If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Anyone who would be a Christian is called to follow Jesus. Indeed, Christians were called “followers” long before they were called “Christians”: followers of Jesus, followers of the Way.
Why use that word? What does it mean to follow someone?
The most basic meaning is to walk behind or to travel behind. I think it is used that way in the Bible. We are several times told that crowds followed Jesus. It doesn’t necessarily mean any great commitment just that they travelled around after Him and enjoyed the teaching and seeing the miracles. In, fact, often when we are told that there were great crowds, we find that Jesus challenged them. The verse I just used (Mark 8:34) actually begins, “Then He called the crowd to Him along with his disciples and said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Jesus was looking for a type of following greater than simply travelling around behind. Jesus was looking for more than spectators. To follow does have a much deeper meaning.
If I was to say that I was a follower of Bob Marley that would probably mean that I looked to him as my teacher and inspiration. It would mean that I adopted his Rastafarian views and modelled my life on him. It would almost certainly mean that I wore dreadlock and a multicoloured crocheted hat. I would be committed to reggae music and possibly would try to imitate Bob Marley on the guitar. In other words, I would think like Bob Marley, talk like Bob Marley, dress like Bob Marley, look like Bob Marley, live what Bob Marley liked, behave like Bob Marley and believe what Bob Marley believed.
If I was a committed follower my whole life would be influenced by Bob Marley. Everything: what he ate, what he read, ethical standards musical tastes. Everything.
Likewise if I was a follower of Karl Marx or Mahatma Gandhi! There are all those people who try to look like Elvis Presley and sing like Elvis Presley. That is somewhat trivial perhaps but in some instances people will lay down their lives for the sake of the person they have chosen to follow. People would die in their devotion to Karl Marx and his philosophy.
Think of the lengths followers of Mohammed will go to. Every day, in Islam, we see examples of what it means to follow.
Following, in that sense, means committing one’s whole life to another person. It includes
• Imitating that person
• Becoming like that person
• Adopting the teachings and beliefs of that person
• Promoting the teachings and beliefs of that person.
• Taking instruction from that person.
• Maybe dying for that person.
Another way we might describe a follower of someone would be to say that he is a disciple of that person.
All of that is true when we consider Jesus’ invitation: Follow Me. It literally meant to travel around with Him but the being with Him was so that these other things might happen; so that people would know what he was like and imitate Him; would gradually become like Him; would learn from Him and adopt His teaching; would do what He did and would be committed to the point of being willing to die for Him.
Jesus said that: If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross; deny himself; be willing to die.
If people will die for Karl Marx or Mohammed, is it asking too much for people to be willing to die for Jesus? Even if it doesn’t mean actually losing one’s life, it does mean giving up our lives completely. It does mean dying to self so that we become nothing and Jesus becomes everything. It means I surrender everything about myself in favour of Jesus. I surrender my own ambitions, my own views, my own future, my right to make my own decisions and my own preferences. I surrender my own comfort and my so-called “rights” in order to become like Jesus and think like Jesus and talk like Jesus and act like Jesus and take my instructions from Jesus. My one goal is to glorify Jesus (not myself).
Does that sound extreme? Ridiculously extreme? Is that too much? Jesus asks for our complete allegiance. He asks that nothing else comes ahead of Him. Remember He said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple. Anyone who does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (Lk 14:26-27) “Hate” is hyperbole. It is overstatement. Jesus wants us to love our families but His point is that our love for Him must be so much greater that it completely overshadows our love for our families. Without that level of commitment we cannot be His disciples, He says.
Is that asking way too much? Jesus is God. Are we willing to be 100% committed to God? He is not a human being like Marx or Mohammed. We are talking about God asking for our allegiance.
But not only that, we are talking about the God who sacrificed Himself for us – the God who loves this world so much that He gave His one and only Son to die nailed to a cross. Can a God who died for us legitimately ask for our complete allegiance?
There is no doubt that that is what Jesus is asking for. He doesn’t invite us to negotiate the terms. We either accept His terms or we don’t. What about you? Are you willing to give Jesus your whole life?
Is saying “I am a follower of Jesus” different from saying, “I am a Christian”? It seems to me that “Christian” is a label that doesn’t necessarily imply that I am doing anything. But if I am a follower I must be doing something. Following implies modelling my life on Him, learning from Him, being willing to obey Him and go where he says to go.
Basically, followers try to become like their leader. Followers of Jesus Christ seek to be like Him. Let’s think in terms of head, heart and hands. Head implies our thinking and our beliefs. The Bible talks about having the mind of Christ. We are to learn to think like Him. We are to believe what He says.
Heart involves our character and our affections. In character we are to be Christ-like. The fruit of the Spirit would be one description of Christ-like character that God wants to see in us. Christ-like affections mean that we like what Jesus likes and we prioritise what Jesus prioritises. Our values come from Him.
Hands means that we do what He did. Christ-likeness isn’t only about inner transformation. The Christ-like person acts like Christ. It means praying and worshipping like He did. It means caring for the needy and going to social outcasts. It means calling people to follow Jesus and training those who do. It means being a person through whom God can work miraculously. Followers do what their leader modelled.
There is an Old Testament passage that very beautifully picks up what it means to be a dedicated follower. Remember Ruth’s words to her mother-in-law, Naomi. Listen to them again.
Ruth 1:15-17 15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”
16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”
Notice how Ruth doesn’t ask to negotiate these things or share the leadership. She completely submits to Naomi’s leadership. Where Naomi goes Ruth will go. If Naomi stops and stays somewhere, Ruth will stay there. Ruth was a Moabite and Naomi was a Jew but Ruth said that Naomi’s people would be her people. She would even submit to Naomi’s God. He would become her God. She would die where Naomi died and be buried with her. Not even death would separate her from her mother-in-law.
It is a very beautiful statement. Could you make that same statement to Jesus. Could you say to Jesus, “Where you go I will go”? Are you willing to follow Jesus if He leads you to the mission field or to your neighbour’s house? Ruth models perfect submission.
When Jesus says it is time to move, are we willing to move? When Jesus says we will stay here then are we content to stay?
Your people will be my people. Commitment to Jesus’ church. These are God’s people therefore they will be my people. I will be part of this team. I will love these people. I will put into practice all that the Bible says about the church. I won’t just hang around the fringes. These are my people.
Jesus, your God will be my God. I will believe what you believed and what you taught. I will submit to Your Father. I will worship. I will serve. I will listen to Him. Your God will be my God.
Where you die I will die and there I will be buried. The Bible says a lot about dying with Jesus. I think that is an area we know too little about but we are called to die with Him and to rise to a new life.
Ruth, surprisingly, says that not even death will separate them. For followers of Jesus, death will actually be a coming together. Those who have committed to following Him will, at long last, be with Him.
Jesus must be at the centre. Our response is to follow. Jesus very explicitly calls us to follow and very explicitly talks about what it means to be a follower. He seeks absolute devotion but then the rewards promised to followers of Jesus will make every sacrifice worthwhile.
Matt 19:18-19 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
16.01.11 - It Is All About Jesus
I have only three more occasions when I will preach here. I am here this week and next, then away on 30th January and 6th February and then 13th February will be our last Sunday. Obviously, I have asked myself what I want to say in these last opportunities.
Eighteen months ago, I got an email that quoted an article called “The Amazing Disappearing and Reappearing Cross”. It was about preaching. Its main point was that a lot of preaching doesn’t even refer to Jesus or, more particularly, to the Cross. The Cross has disappeared. A lot of preaching is like the self-help books that you can buy in any book shop. How to be successful. How to be a better person. How to have a better marriage. Six steps to answered prayer.
It is good to be successful. It is good to be a better person and to have a better marriage and to pray. It is good for preaching to be practical. The question is: Was Jesus required? Or could we do it by ourselves?
Preachers might tell people what they ought to do. That’s fine but how are people going to live by that moral standard? This article says, “It takes a life transformation to live by the moral standards of Jesus. That transformation can only come through the cross.” The preaching is not Christian unless it comes back to the cross.
It is not only preaching. In our discussions in our small groups or to our conversations with friends we can tell people what to do and how to do it, in a way that doesn’t require Jesus. It is self-help. Even if it reflects Jesus’ teaching, if it can be done without Jesus then anyone could do it. A good-living Hindu or Muslim or atheist could do it. The cross has disappeared.
For example, Jesus said, “When someone strikes you on one cheek, turn the other cheek to him.” Any good Hindu or atheist might agree with that and might even go some way towards living it out. But self-protection and the desire for retaliation and revenge are built into us. They are part of our nature. The only way our nature changes is through the death of Jesus on the cross. Anyone can have a high ideal. That is not uniquely Christian. But only the person who has died and been raised again with Jesus, has that new nature. The new nature is the Christ-like nature and Jesus wasn’t driven by a desire for retaliation. Being a new person in Christ is uniquely Christian. An atheist can agree with Christ’s teaching but an atheist cannot be a new person in Christ.
Another example: how do you grow a church? Well there are all sorts of things that it is just wise to do. The worship should engage people. The preaching needs to be relevant. Being entertaining helps. Small groups are key. Make people feel welcome and valued. You know two of the most important things are nice toilets and high quality child-care. Those things are really important but any savvy business knows that it needs to look after people and provide excellent services. That has got nothing to do with Jesus.
If Jesus isn’t required, then it is not Christian. Any fool could do it.
Paul, the apostle, talking about growing a church said, “I planted the seed; Apollos watered it but God makes it grow.” (1 Cor 3:6). In fact he went on to say,
1 Cor 3:7-9 So neither the one who plants, nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their labour. For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
In one sense, those who clean the toilets and those who develop the programmes are nothing because growth comes from God. In another sense, they are co-workers with God. We need to plant and water. We need to clean the toilets and have good programmes – but the growth comes from God.
Another example: you read your Bible (because the preacher said you should) and you are reminded of the story of the exodus of the Jews out of Egypt. But did you hear the voice of the Holy Spirit? What have you done that was different from what a non-Christian could do? Reading the Bible is not necessarily Christian. Anyone can read the Bible. Not anyone can hear God speak through the Bible.
Do you hear what I am saying? It is all about Jesus. It is all about the cross – the saving, transforming effect of the cross. Paul said,
1 Cor 2:2 I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
It is not about self-improvement. It is not about good living. It is not about what we can do. It is about Jesus and the cross. It is not about being good people. It is about being changed people, new people.
We can simply live by a high moral code but not be changed people. We can visit the sick but Jesus be no part of it. We can serve as part of the church family and rely completely on our human abilities. If Jesus isn’t required, we are doing no more than any other highly motivated atheist.
The New Testament does contain lots of commands as to how we should live. It can sound like moral advice but I suggest to you that it is always linked back to Jesus
• These things are to be done as our response to Jesus, as people saved by Jesus
• These things are to be done because we are to imitate Jesus, as people following Jesus
• These things can be done only by the power of Jesus, as people transformed by Jesus
For example, Romans 12-16 contain instruction as to how Christians should live but the first 11 chapters contain a detailed description of what God has done for our salvation. In particular, chapters 6-8 talk about us dying with Jesus and being raised to a new life in which sin has no power over us. So the ethical instruction does not stand alone. It follows on from all that has been said. It is the consequence of the gospel. Paul makes that clear by starting chapter 12 with “therefore”. That links the ethical instruction to the salvation we have received. In fact, Paul makes it more explicit:
Rom 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s great mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is true worship.
The ethical living is an act of worship explicitly a response to the mercy of God. No atheist is motivated to worship God or to respond to God’s great mercy or to offer his body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is specifically Christian.
Not only that but in the next verse Paul says,
Rom 12:2 Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Paul doesn’t say, “Transform yourself” but “be transformed”. Who is going to do the transforming? This is us being transformed by God.
The verse also talks about a daily conversation with God as we discern His will. Christianity is not just about good, ethical living. It is about living in a relationship with Jesus and living by the power of Jesus.
Although those later chapters of Romans do contain lots of ethical instruction and not every one is linked back to Jesus, we run across verses such as:
Rom 12:5 ...in Christ we, though many, form one body...
That is not true of Hindus and Muslims and atheists. It is only as we are in Christ that we form one body.
Romans 13:14 Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
The ability to no longer gratify our sinful natures comes only as we clothe ourselves with Jesus. Even the most moral atheist cannot do that.
What I am trying to say is that it is all about Jesus. It is about Jesus being at the very centre of our lives; about Jesus being the motivating and empowering presence in our lives. It is not about living ethically. It is about living by faith In Jesus.
I think the Christian life is summed up nicely in an Old Testament passage.
Proverbs 3:5-6 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Ponder those words. See how it centres around the Lord. Everything centres around Jesus and a wholehearted trust in Him. “With all your heart... in all your ways”. Everything centres around Jesus.
It is about trust. It is about believing that God is good; with all our heart believing that God is good; believing that God knows what He is doing and I can trust Him. He loves me and He is not going to hurt me so I will do whatever He asks of me.
Sometimes God will ask of us things that we don’t understand and that don’t seem rational. Asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac made no sense at all but Abraham did not rely on his own understanding. He trusted God and that trust is referred to several times in the New Testament as the epitome of faith.
It doesn’t mean doing stupid things. It means trusting God – believing that God is good – so much that we will do what He asks even when we don’t understanding.
It also means that, for example, in growing a church, it is not just a case of relying on techniques – human wisdom. Trust God. Don’t rely only on clever programming.
In all your ways submit to Him. All your ways – everything we do – no exceptions. There is no part of our lives which is to be kept separate from our Christian lives. There is no part that we can control while other bits we allow Jesus to control. Jesus is to be Lord of all our lives.
Submission means we acknowledge that Jesus is Lord and we are not. Everything is offered to Jesus with us saying, “Lord, what do you want? May your will, not mine, be done.”
The promise at the end is “and He will make your paths straight”. Or it can be translated “and He will direct your paths”. If we trust God and give all of our lives to Him, He will guide us. He will make our path easier. It doesn’t say it here but it does elsewhere: He will be with us.
Is Jesus at the centre of your life? Are you living in a relationship with Him and communicating with Him? Do you let Him speak to you through the scriptures and by His Spirit? Are you praying?
Have you given yourself to Him? Have you offered your body as a living sacrifice? Is everything you do submitted to Him?
Are you living the new life that comes only through having died and been raised with Him?
Sometimes the question is asked of churches: If the Holy Spirit departed, would you notice? In other words, how much of the life of this church depends on the presence and power of God and how much is it simply a human organisation that would carry on regardless?
The same question can be asked of each individual Christian. We can live a sort of Christianity that doesn’t include Christ. We can be ethical and serve in the church but Jesus can be absent. One of the things I want to stress before I leave is: It is all about Jesus. It is about knowing Jesus, relating to Jesus, serving Jesus and being transformed and empowered by Jesus. Please centre your life on Jesus.
Eighteen months ago, I got an email that quoted an article called “The Amazing Disappearing and Reappearing Cross”. It was about preaching. Its main point was that a lot of preaching doesn’t even refer to Jesus or, more particularly, to the Cross. The Cross has disappeared. A lot of preaching is like the self-help books that you can buy in any book shop. How to be successful. How to be a better person. How to have a better marriage. Six steps to answered prayer.
It is good to be successful. It is good to be a better person and to have a better marriage and to pray. It is good for preaching to be practical. The question is: Was Jesus required? Or could we do it by ourselves?
Preachers might tell people what they ought to do. That’s fine but how are people going to live by that moral standard? This article says, “It takes a life transformation to live by the moral standards of Jesus. That transformation can only come through the cross.” The preaching is not Christian unless it comes back to the cross.
It is not only preaching. In our discussions in our small groups or to our conversations with friends we can tell people what to do and how to do it, in a way that doesn’t require Jesus. It is self-help. Even if it reflects Jesus’ teaching, if it can be done without Jesus then anyone could do it. A good-living Hindu or Muslim or atheist could do it. The cross has disappeared.
For example, Jesus said, “When someone strikes you on one cheek, turn the other cheek to him.” Any good Hindu or atheist might agree with that and might even go some way towards living it out. But self-protection and the desire for retaliation and revenge are built into us. They are part of our nature. The only way our nature changes is through the death of Jesus on the cross. Anyone can have a high ideal. That is not uniquely Christian. But only the person who has died and been raised again with Jesus, has that new nature. The new nature is the Christ-like nature and Jesus wasn’t driven by a desire for retaliation. Being a new person in Christ is uniquely Christian. An atheist can agree with Christ’s teaching but an atheist cannot be a new person in Christ.
Another example: how do you grow a church? Well there are all sorts of things that it is just wise to do. The worship should engage people. The preaching needs to be relevant. Being entertaining helps. Small groups are key. Make people feel welcome and valued. You know two of the most important things are nice toilets and high quality child-care. Those things are really important but any savvy business knows that it needs to look after people and provide excellent services. That has got nothing to do with Jesus.
If Jesus isn’t required, then it is not Christian. Any fool could do it.
Paul, the apostle, talking about growing a church said, “I planted the seed; Apollos watered it but God makes it grow.” (1 Cor 3:6). In fact he went on to say,
1 Cor 3:7-9 So neither the one who plants, nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their labour. For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
In one sense, those who clean the toilets and those who develop the programmes are nothing because growth comes from God. In another sense, they are co-workers with God. We need to plant and water. We need to clean the toilets and have good programmes – but the growth comes from God.
Another example: you read your Bible (because the preacher said you should) and you are reminded of the story of the exodus of the Jews out of Egypt. But did you hear the voice of the Holy Spirit? What have you done that was different from what a non-Christian could do? Reading the Bible is not necessarily Christian. Anyone can read the Bible. Not anyone can hear God speak through the Bible.
Do you hear what I am saying? It is all about Jesus. It is all about the cross – the saving, transforming effect of the cross. Paul said,
1 Cor 2:2 I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
It is not about self-improvement. It is not about good living. It is not about what we can do. It is about Jesus and the cross. It is not about being good people. It is about being changed people, new people.
We can simply live by a high moral code but not be changed people. We can visit the sick but Jesus be no part of it. We can serve as part of the church family and rely completely on our human abilities. If Jesus isn’t required, we are doing no more than any other highly motivated atheist.
The New Testament does contain lots of commands as to how we should live. It can sound like moral advice but I suggest to you that it is always linked back to Jesus
• These things are to be done as our response to Jesus, as people saved by Jesus
• These things are to be done because we are to imitate Jesus, as people following Jesus
• These things can be done only by the power of Jesus, as people transformed by Jesus
For example, Romans 12-16 contain instruction as to how Christians should live but the first 11 chapters contain a detailed description of what God has done for our salvation. In particular, chapters 6-8 talk about us dying with Jesus and being raised to a new life in which sin has no power over us. So the ethical instruction does not stand alone. It follows on from all that has been said. It is the consequence of the gospel. Paul makes that clear by starting chapter 12 with “therefore”. That links the ethical instruction to the salvation we have received. In fact, Paul makes it more explicit:
Rom 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s great mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is true worship.
The ethical living is an act of worship explicitly a response to the mercy of God. No atheist is motivated to worship God or to respond to God’s great mercy or to offer his body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is specifically Christian.
Not only that but in the next verse Paul says,
Rom 12:2 Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Paul doesn’t say, “Transform yourself” but “be transformed”. Who is going to do the transforming? This is us being transformed by God.
The verse also talks about a daily conversation with God as we discern His will. Christianity is not just about good, ethical living. It is about living in a relationship with Jesus and living by the power of Jesus.
Although those later chapters of Romans do contain lots of ethical instruction and not every one is linked back to Jesus, we run across verses such as:
Rom 12:5 ...in Christ we, though many, form one body...
That is not true of Hindus and Muslims and atheists. It is only as we are in Christ that we form one body.
Romans 13:14 Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
The ability to no longer gratify our sinful natures comes only as we clothe ourselves with Jesus. Even the most moral atheist cannot do that.
What I am trying to say is that it is all about Jesus. It is about Jesus being at the very centre of our lives; about Jesus being the motivating and empowering presence in our lives. It is not about living ethically. It is about living by faith In Jesus.
I think the Christian life is summed up nicely in an Old Testament passage.
Proverbs 3:5-6 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Ponder those words. See how it centres around the Lord. Everything centres around Jesus and a wholehearted trust in Him. “With all your heart... in all your ways”. Everything centres around Jesus.
It is about trust. It is about believing that God is good; with all our heart believing that God is good; believing that God knows what He is doing and I can trust Him. He loves me and He is not going to hurt me so I will do whatever He asks of me.
Sometimes God will ask of us things that we don’t understand and that don’t seem rational. Asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac made no sense at all but Abraham did not rely on his own understanding. He trusted God and that trust is referred to several times in the New Testament as the epitome of faith.
It doesn’t mean doing stupid things. It means trusting God – believing that God is good – so much that we will do what He asks even when we don’t understanding.
It also means that, for example, in growing a church, it is not just a case of relying on techniques – human wisdom. Trust God. Don’t rely only on clever programming.
In all your ways submit to Him. All your ways – everything we do – no exceptions. There is no part of our lives which is to be kept separate from our Christian lives. There is no part that we can control while other bits we allow Jesus to control. Jesus is to be Lord of all our lives.
Submission means we acknowledge that Jesus is Lord and we are not. Everything is offered to Jesus with us saying, “Lord, what do you want? May your will, not mine, be done.”
The promise at the end is “and He will make your paths straight”. Or it can be translated “and He will direct your paths”. If we trust God and give all of our lives to Him, He will guide us. He will make our path easier. It doesn’t say it here but it does elsewhere: He will be with us.
Is Jesus at the centre of your life? Are you living in a relationship with Him and communicating with Him? Do you let Him speak to you through the scriptures and by His Spirit? Are you praying?
Have you given yourself to Him? Have you offered your body as a living sacrifice? Is everything you do submitted to Him?
Are you living the new life that comes only through having died and been raised with Him?
Sometimes the question is asked of churches: If the Holy Spirit departed, would you notice? In other words, how much of the life of this church depends on the presence and power of God and how much is it simply a human organisation that would carry on regardless?
The same question can be asked of each individual Christian. We can live a sort of Christianity that doesn’t include Christ. We can be ethical and serve in the church but Jesus can be absent. One of the things I want to stress before I leave is: It is all about Jesus. It is about knowing Jesus, relating to Jesus, serving Jesus and being transformed and empowered by Jesus. Please centre your life on Jesus.
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