Calvin Sermons

20.03.11 "I AM" - The Greatest

2011-03-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

“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!

13.3.11 - God, obedience and the unusual

2011-03-15T20:32:00.000-07:00

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.

27.2.11 - Psalm 46 A Biblical Response to Disaster

2011-03-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

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.

060311 - “What is man that God should care”?

2011-03-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

“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.

20.2.2011 Why is it "All about Jesus"?

2011-02-22T12:36:00.000-08:00

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.

13.02.11 - It's Not About Me

2011-02-15T19:26:00.000-08:00

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.

06.02.11 - Pressing On Into 2000 + 11

2011-02-08T19:01:00.000-08:00

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 21^st century. 11 is a progressive number, it takes us beyond the plateau that 10 can easily become. (our 11^th 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” chart with helpful insights into Calvin’s growth so far. But this year is no longer 2010, it is eleven. God doesn’t want us to just roll year over year. We reflect on the past and set sails for the future. We get out No. 11 sail for the winds of 2011. (illus..Americas Cup yachting) We press on to take hold of our future in Christ. Jesus took hold of us. How many years ago was that? (more than 11 perhaps!)

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 3 “set your minds…..set your hearts…on things above.

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.

2011-02-08T13:05:00.000-08:00

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.

• 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.

23.01.11 - Follow Me

2011-01-22T15:24:00.000-08:00

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.

16.01.11 - It Is All About Jesus

2011-01-15T15:44:00.000-08:00

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.

09.01.11 - Learning The Way Jesus Taught

2011-01-08T15:22:00.000-08:00

I want to do one of those mind-reading tricks. Think of any incident involving Jesus and the disciples. Focus on that for a minute... Wow! That’s amazing! Some of you were thinking of them crossing the lake in the storm which is what I was thinking of too! That is incredible!

On the basis of that, let’s read that story. READ Mark 4:35-41

This was a teaching moment – provided by the testing circumstances of the storm. The disciples were clearly in grave danger. Some of them were fishermen and must have been in storms before but this storm was apparently so violent that they feared they are going to drown.

There were other boats travelling with them, so lots of people were in danger.

If this was a teaching moment, what was the potential lesson? It wasn’t about sailing. It wasn’t about water safety. What was it about? We can see it in the questions Jesus asked at the end: Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith? The lesson was one of faith – in the midst of the storm being able to trust God and, trusting Him, not being afraid. It is a lesson about the peace that comes from faith in God.

Have you learnt that lesson? What would your reaction be in a similar situation? What is your reaction when you face some frightening situation? Have you learnt the lesson of this incident?

If you have learnt to trust God and not be afraid, how did you learn that? Someone might have told you that you can trust God; how to trust God and that you should trust God. But is being told enough for you to actually trust God? Don’t you have to experience it? Don’t you have to be in a situation where you are challenged to trust God and you do and you discover Him to be trustworthy. You might say you trust God but you won’t know if you really do until that trust is test by a situation – like a storm.

God will bring about those tests. It is part of the learning. If you are learning about patience, God will set up some little experiment to test that. If you are learning about giving, God will test that.

That happened to the disciples all of the time. It is what we see here. Would they trust God in a storm? On other occasions... Could they heal the boy with a demon? How would they feed 5000 people with only 5 loaves and 2 fish? Did they understand who Jesus was? How would they get on ministering in the villages when Jesus sent them out? All of the time they were being tested. It is part of the learning.

They were tested as they crossed the lake. I don’t think this storm happened by chance. God put them in that situation to see how they would react. Or, maybe, so they could see how they would react.

When God puts us in a testing situation, it might be primarily so that we can see how we are getting on – how much we are learning; what progress we are making. Sometimes it is encouraging. Sometimes...

So, a large part of this teaching moment was experimentation – being in the situation so as to see how they would react; giving it a go to see if we can do it.

Another part of what happened here was that Jesus went to sleep. In the midst of a storm that caused fishermen to fear for their lives, Jesus went to sleep. They had to wake Him. He didn’t seem at all phased by the storm. He was perfectly at peace – which is what they should have been.

In front of their eyes, Jesus demonstrated a different response. That response was so staggering they couldn’t understand it. They thought He didn’t care about them. They thought He should be doing something. It was so staggering that it must have made a huge impression. Later, they must often have thought “in the midst of that storm, Jesus slept.”

Demonstration – showing a different attitude or response; showing how to do it – was a major part of Jesus’ teaching technique. They observed Him. He showed them how to heal, how to pray, how to serve, how to react to criticism, how to worship. He showed them. In fact, I can’t think of anything that He taught them that He hadn’t already demonstrated.

His example, His modelling of it for them was perhaps the very foundation of His teaching method. He taught by demonstrating.

Which raises another point. The context for His teaching was not a classroom but life and more particularly, mission. They learnt about life in the context of life. They leant about ministry in the context of ministry. They learned about mission by being with Jesus when He was involved in mission and watching His example and experimenting themselves. They learnt about trusting God, in a storm.

When they woke Him, He got up and rebuked the wind and the waves and they stopped. He demonstrated a faith response that resulted in a miracle. In this storm, Jesus demonstrated peace and power.

So we have Jesus’ demonstration and their experimentation but there is something else in this passage. When Jesus had completed the miracle, He turned to the disciples and asked two questions: “Why are you so afraid?” and “Do you still have no faith?” He wanted them to think about what was going on; what was going on inside themselves; why they had reacted as they had; and why they hadn’t trusted God.

In other words, part of the process was reflection. And they did reflect. We are told they asked each other, “Who is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!” “Who is Jesus?” is a good thing to reflect on when it comes to questions of faith and fear.

Demonstration, reflection and experimentation but there is one obvious thing missing from this account. What about teaching? Jesus spent a lot of time teaching. He is known universally as a teacher. I said that the disciples learnt by watching him on the job, but that is not the whole picture because there were also times when they withdrew and He gave them instruction. There were the equivalent of classroom times, as well as public teaching.

If we take those four components we see that two are primarily the responsibility of the teacher (although the student is involved) and two are primarily the responsibility of the student (although the teacher may well be involved.) Two involve the practice and two involved theory. Together, the make a powerful training package. Powerful? Well it is the method Jesus modelled and he was pretty effective.

There are two other things I would like to include but I am not going to spend time on. I think they can come into play at any point on that grid. One is challenge. A challenge asks for a response from the other person. Remember when the disciples suggested sending the crowd away, Jesus said “You feed them.” That was a challenge. “Who do you say that I am?” “Follow me.”

The other side of the challenge coin is a turning point. It was a turning point when the disciples left their boats and nets to follow Him. It was a turning point when Peter said, “You are the Christ the son of the living God”

(Just as an aside, if you take the initial letters of those six things it spells DIRECT.)

So what? Why am I talking about Jesus’ training method?

Firstly, because this, I suggest, is how Jesus grows people. If we want to grow in our own faith – and I hope that might be one thing you have reflected on over the holidays and one thing that you are prioritising for yourself in this new year – if you want to grow, this is how Jesus will do it. We have His example and His teaching and we need to be reading our Bibles to get as much of that as we can. But we also have the examples of other people and we will receive teaching from other people. It might be in reading a Christian biography that we see the example of a man or woman of God. It might be as we observe a Christian we respect. It might be through a deliberate mentoring relationship.

If we want to grow, we should be seeking out people who can show us and people who can teach us.

But Jesus’ method also requires that we reflect. John Piper says we shouldn’t read a lot of books. We should read a few books and reflect on them. It is in the reflection that we grow. Reading without reflection is superficial. Living without thinking about it and learning from it is superficial. Watching others or hearing teaching without taking time to reflect on it, is superficial.

And Jesus will also require us to step out and give it a go – experimentation, which may lead to more reflection, more instruction etc. In the end it is not about knowing about it. It is about doing it – being doers of God’s word.

So, the challenge is: In this new year are we going to seek out people who can show us and people who can teach us and will we give time to reflecting and will we put into practice what God is teaching us?

But then the second reason for talking about Jesus’ method is this: How can we best fulfil the Great Commission? How can we best bring people to faith in Jesus and bring people to maturity in Jesus? How can we teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded? Well, what method did Jesus demonstrate? What method did He teach? Let’s reflect on that and let’s experiment with it. Let’s do it.

My impression is that we tend to rely heavily on instruction. We preach; we watch courses on DVD; we go to conferences. If we are doing it as a group, we might add in some reflection – some discussion and thinking – but the emphasis is on the theory. Perhaps the area we need to develop is the practical. Who is going to demonstrate studying the Bible and praying and coping with stress and evangelism and caring for the poor? Who is going to not just talk about it but show how it is done?

Of course that is more challenging. It is harder to do it than to talk about it. But doing it is a lot more powerful and has more credibility. Jesus first modelled in His own life everything He wanted to see in His followers. We too need to ensure we can model being a Christian, not just talk about. We need to do the equivalent of sleeping in the boat and let people see that we can have peace in the midst of turmoil because we trust God. We need to do the equivalent of calming the storm. Could you trust God for that? Before we try to teach people about trusting God, we need to trust God.

Then conversely, we need to give the “student” opportunities to experiment – to give it a go. The storm provided an opportunity. Being sent out to preach the gospel, heal the sick and raise the dead provided an opportunity. We need to give opportunities for real ministry.

Churches often rely most heavily on our small groups for growth but small groups often stop at a bit of instruction and some reflection. Imagine what might happen if small groups gave equal weight to demonstration and experimentation. Let the group members see the group leader (or someone else) do what it is they are learning about. And then, give the group members opportunities to do it. If the group is learning about faith, then go into situations where faith is required. If the group is learning about evangelism, then evangelise. Experiment and then reflect and then read another book so as to get more instruction and then ask an accomplished evangelist to say what he does.

We can include these four elements in any order and repeat them any number of times. The point is that when all four are present, we will be most effective.

Ultimately, in response to a challenge, there will be that turning point – the point at which the person does believe or does act or does trust. That’s what we are after – real growth. That’s worth celebrating. That’s worth the effort.

Jesus demonstrated a training method that involved Demonstration, Instruction, Reflection and Experimentation. And He commissioned us to carry on His work. Now it is up to us to reflect on the method and learn more about it. But then the challenge is: will we do it? Will we pick up those four key elements and do them? Will we model what it is to be a Christian, teach about what it is to be a Christian, encourage reflection on that and then give people opportunities to live out their Christian faith?

25/12/10 - God sends the Shepherds

2010-12-23T15:06:00.000-08:00

Luke 2:1-20

Intro…An Adventure with God…recent weeks school prize lists in Ensign. I only ever won one school prize – in st.4. It was the book, “The adventures of Marco Polo”. How I loved reading that book over and over again. When reading a great adventure story, we often wonder how we would have coped if we had been there or were the main character. Eg Scott of the Antarctic, Hillary on Everest, Buzz Aldran on the moon. Those who have read James Thurber’s “The secret life of Walter Mitty” will know what I mean for they are “fantastic daydreams of personal triumph”. This is not escapism, it is adventure!

I believe much of the detail given of this true record of Jesus birth is for us to get such a feel for this amazing event, that we can project ourselves into it and be swept up into the heart of God’s love for his creation and his ultimate last effort to redeem us lost people. So let’s join with the shepherds this morning, become one of them and for the next few minutes get caught up in their experience, their great adventure.

1. Good News has come to us - v10….don’t be frightened, but count it for what it is; the greatest privilege and act of loving grace ever experienced by mankind, and by lowly shepherds at that ! Why us? Why not shepherds in China or Africa, why us? Why not to princes or religious leaders? – Anyone but us! (Shepherds love chatting, talking late into the night, mulling over the facts, the event and any underlying meaning. On the other hand, Wikileaks reveals that princes and leaders distort and hide the truth!)

“That will be for all people” v10, because you and I are chosen by God to chat and send this Good News on throughout the world – to those shepherds in China and Africa and all places in between. Later on this baby Jesus was to grow and teach us that, “To those that much has been given, much will be required of them”.

2. So you want a sign? – v11-12. OK check this out you shepherds who for years have been to Sunday school and church, had 20 years of Peter Cheyne’s excellent teaching, so know your Bibles well. Two facts.

1. Town of David (Bethlehem) and 2. Messiah, Christ, the Anointed One coming to save God’s people. That checks out in OT – great. We know our Bibles, our theology. – thanks Pastor Peter!

BUT what’s this baby idea? Is that in the OT? Is 40 says, “the sovereign Lord comes with power and his arm rules for him”. That doesn’t sound like a baby. Try Is 7 “the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel” That’s more like it! That sure seems to fit what these angels are singing about.

Another point, us shepherds know about babies. Why, during lambing we often need to use our midwifery skills to help a ewe give birth, so that shouldn’t scare us. And strips of cloth and a manger, bales of hay etc., well all rather basic stuff just like we are used to and find ourselves sitting on!

3. A message from heaven – v14 ..Wow, as if one angel isn’t enough, this massive choir of angels, of heavenly host is amazing – perhaps even overkill. But listen, it seems there are 2 verses to their song, one exalting God in the heavens for what is happening and second, a message of hope, salvation and peace for us people who know him. Wow again, that makes me wonder if I really do know Him, this amazing God who keeps intervening in our lives, who keeps sending us messages almost every day trying to get our attention.

4. Let’s see for ourselves – v15 nothing like a first hand encounter with this Jesus, this Messiah, even if he is just a baby in a manger. And that’s exactly what God has been trying to get us to do, have a first hand encounter with those things, “which the Lord has told us about”. The Bible is full of the Lord “telling” us. And come to think of it He has been telling our parents, grandparents, right back down through history – ever since Adam and Eve mucked up and sinned in the garden, God has been sending this same message down through the centuries. And He will continue to do so until the day he returns again, so that we and all those people out there we are responsible for to tell this Good News have heard it. Heard it clearly as we have been privileged to do; until they say, “Yes”, He is the Christ. But first! – Have you ever said “Yes” to Jesus?
5. Spread the word – v17-18 tell others this Good News. Don’t let it stop with us shepherds. John 3:16, For God so loved the world, the rich, the poor, the Kiwi and the new immigrant. Thank God for His love, His grace, his revelation, his angels, his intervening in our lives today,, leading us here to Bethlehem, to this particular baby in this particular manger. This is the only place where the God’s glory can be seen, can be experienced, where true lasting peace can be found and where we must acknowledge our responsibility to keep on sending this Good News out into a needy decaying, dying world of sin and shame.

Conclusion… Two times the Bible record here tries to catch our attention this Christmas with the words, “just as they had been told” v 17,20.

I believe God has been telling us shepherds here this morning the same thing. A saviour has come, proof has been given, our hearts have been warmed, we have been amazed at the grand scale of events, events that have again challenged our finite minds and natural understanding of this world. But remember this world is just the beginning of a next world, entered by God’s grace alone. That grace is found here this morning in the baby we found in the manger in God’s chosen town of Bethlehem.

We have seen, heard, tasted that the Lord is good. - Heb.

As we return home from this place this morning, may we go as shepherds who have been dazzled, amazed, drawn towards and transformed by our encounter with Christ. We too will spread the word so that others can be amazed, we will go glorifying and praising God for all that we have been told, all that we have seen, all that we have experienced with Jesus.

And one final word, as good shepherds, don’t put the lid on your experience with Jesus on Boxing Day. Don’t wrap Him up and put Him away until next December. Make your new year resolution here today by taking up Mary’s testimony of all that happened by your visit to the manger – treasure your knowledge and experience with Jesus that day, ponder it in your heart and starting tomorrow with the traditional meaning of Boxing Day which is not the getting of more sales bargains, but rather the giving of our abundance, have the Holy Spirit grow all that knowledge and experience into a dynamic faith to pass on as a gift to those without Christ through 2011.

12.12.10 - And The Whole World Changed

2010-12-21T12:33:00.000-08:00

Ken Williams

Introduction
Life is constantly in a state of change – nothing ever stays the same. Go to the supermarket this week and the one thing you know, is it will be more expensive next week.
• But there are times in our lives of significant change, when everything gets turned upside down – when your whole world changes.
• When you first get married, when your first child is born, a death of someone close – I recall when each of my parents died – for a period of time I was just in a void – the rest of the world carried on as normal – but I was oblivious, my whole personal world had changed.
• Nothing stays the same.

READ Luke 1:26-38
• In these verses we have an amazing story – it’s mysterious and glorious! For here it is described how God sent an angel to the earth with the news of the coming of his Son, Jesus, the Saviour of the world.• Now this was an event that changed the world. Jesus birth and all that followed, changed the whole world – it ushered in a whole new era from which there is no going back.• But what did this do to Mary’s world? She was a young woman betrothed or engaged to be married – she would have had visions of what lay ahead, dreams, hopes, aspirations – then BANG – an angel appears and in a short space of time – her whole world changed.
• This is a story told on two levels:

1. It is the story of Mary and what is communicated to her through the angel Gabriel – so it is a simple delicate narrative.

2. But it is also an account which is packed with deep, deep theological meaning woven into the text.
• What do we find out in this passage
o That Jesus is the Son of God and that he is God himself (v.32-35)
o That as Messiah he will bring in a new kingdom which will never end. (vv.32-33)
o Through vv.32&35 we see implications of the Trinity (v.32, 35)
o In those same verse we see evidence of the power of God most high (v.32; 35)
o In numerous verses the favour and grace of God is mentioned (vv.29-30, 34-35, 38) – These are issues of major significance in helping with our understanding of the Christian faith

• We see in this story that God has power over all things.
• He has power over human reproduction – which is quite staggering if you stop to think about it.
• God is in control – which is actually incredibly comforting – there are issues which come up in everyone of our lives which are totally beyond our control – beyond our comprehension and understanding – but -
• God is in control – it is God who changes things.

v.27
• Since betrothal often took place soon after puberty, Mary may have just entered her teens.
• It was a state much more binding among the Jews of that day than is an engagement with us. It was a solemn undertaking to marry.
• Only divorce or death could sever betrothal.
• The relationship was legally binding, but intercourse was not permitted until marriage.
• So there’s the problem – Mary is going to be with child – but she is not married – imagine her trying to explain that one to Joseph – well, you see – its like this – there was this angel...

v.28
• We see in v.12 that, Zechariah had been gripped with fear at the appearance of the angel, but it was the angel’s words that ‘greatly troubled Mary’. Now the angel had said “Greetings you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” I think Mary’s fear, surprise, awe is pretty understandable.
• She is agitated by the words of the angel because she feels that such a greeting is not suited to her. Evidently in her modesty she did not understand why a heavenly visitor should greet her in such exalted terms.

V.30-31
• But God’s grace, like his love, banishes fear of judgement.
• Gabriel reassures her, as he had done with Zechariah. He tells Mary not to be afraid, for she has found favour with God.
• As the reason why she need not fear, he declares that God regards and treats her as the special object of His favour.
• She need not, therefore, be afraid on account of her humble station in life and her own feelings of personal unworthiness. We shouldn’t measure things on our scale – If God chooses to change the world or change our world – he will be walking with us through the process – we can trust him.
• God has chosen Mary in his mercy to bring forth a Son who is to be called Jesus. Her simple task is to trust and obey.

V.32-33
• Gabriel proceeds to say that Jesus will be great, a word he had applied to John, but now uses the word with a fuller meaning, for Jesus will be called the son of the most high. This sets him apart from all others and makes him a son of God in a special sense. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most high. His greatness will excel everything.
• He will be the recipient of the throne of his father David. A new kingdom will come into being. The world was about to change.
• It was God’s final kingdom that will have no end and it is this kingdom to which Jesus is now related. It is not a temporal kingdom, an earthly realm, but God’s kingly rule. In due time Jesus would make this clear.

v.34
• The announcement of the angel is still too overwhelming and incomprehensible to Mary
• She does not ask for any sign of confirmation, but simply on how will God accomplish this wonder.

v.35
• Gabriel makes it clear that his conception will be the result of a divine activity. Because of this the child to be born would be holy, the Son of God.

Vv.36-37
• Mary will see that with God nothing is impossible.
• What the angel had communicated to Mary was something tremendous. She exercised the faith required on her part to accept the truth of it.
• Everything that has been announced is possible, for with God nothing is impossible – even the stupendous miracle of the incarnation of his son - and his word is self fulfilling.

v.38
• In v.38 Mary says “I am the Lord’s servant.” Her servanthood is not a cringing slavery but a submission to God that in OT times characterized genuine believers and that should characterize believers today.
• We should be, it is are calling to say – I am the Lord‘s servant. I will do what is required – I will do whatever is required, whatever it takes.
• Mary expresses complete obedience. The servant girl could not but, do the will of her master. This is reinforced with; let it be according to your word.
• We are apt to take this as the most natural thing and accordingly we miss out on Mary’s quiet heroism. She was not yet married to Joseph. His reaction to her pregnancy might have been expected to be a strong one. But she recognized the will of God and accepted it.
• This was no trivial matter to her. On the one hand the highest honour ever given to a woman had been conferred on her by the Lord – to become the mother of the Son of God.
• But on the other hand Mary was placed in an extremely difficult position and especially her relation to Joseph, if she should become pregnant before marriage.
• Mary’s response is one of quiet submission. “I am the Lord’s servant.”

Conclusion
• So what has really happened here?
• In the tidings brought from God by the angel to Mary we have an impressive testimony to the divine greatness of Jesus – greatness that is wholly different from that of any human being: in respect of his existence as Man He will be of unique origin.
• Unlike all other human beings, he will be wholly without sin.
• He will be the Holy One in an absolute sense.
• Therefore He will also be the divine king who will reign over his Spiritual kingdom through all eternity.
• His coming changed the world.

19.12.10 - Putting Christ Back Into Christian

2010-12-20T20:10:00.000-08:00

It is not uncommon to hear Christians bemoaning the secularisation and the commercialisation of Christmas. We’ve probably ourselves agreed with people saying, “Put Christ back into Christmas” and reminded people that Jesus is the reason for the season.

At one level we have Christmases that are dominated by red-nosed reindeer, jolly Santas, snowy scenes and songs about mistletoe. We have often voiced our disapproval of the focus on presents and food and alcohol. We all know that those things have nothing to do with Christmas.

But there is another level. On that level we talk about goodwill, “the Christmas spirit”, peace on earth. Relationships are central. We make contact with people we don’t see the rest of the year. We wish strangers a merry Christmas. Going to church is traditional. We make an effort to express our love through gifts and cards. We are conscious of broken relationships and of those who have died. There is something about Christmas that makes us yearn for those relationships that have been disrupted. There is something about Christmas that brings out the best in people. Christmas seems to have associated with it a lot of values that we intuitively “feel” at Christmas time.

Some of the phrases that we link with Christmas come from the Bible. The angels who visited the shepherds proclaimed peace on earth and goodwill to all men. Relationships are certainly important in the Bible. There is much there about love and reconciliation and generosity. Those are all good, biblical concepts.

But I have a little disquiet. They are just concepts and we still haven’t mentioned Jesus.

At Christmas, we can preach love and talk about peace and encourage “the Christmas spirit” (whatever that is) and they are good things. But we can do that without mentioning Jesus.

I could encourage you to be more loving or to forgive others and be reconciled. I could say that Christmas is about love and reconciliation; go and be more loving. I could say that Christmas is about peace and goodwill. And I could do that without mentioning Jesus.

Would that matter? Because these concepts are Christian concepts, are they not? This is in line with Jesus’ teaching.

I think it would matter. I actually don’t think Christmas is about peace or goodwill. I think it is about Jesus. I think the peace and joy and reconciliation come as a result of experiencing Jesus. It is not simply about us trying harder. It is about us discovering Jesus in a deeper way and hence finding peace and joy and reconciliation.

In other words, I think we have to drill down through the layer that is all about presents and getting drunk, but we have to also drill down through the layer that is about peace and joy. We have to drill down far enough to find Jesus. Then we find the peace and joy as well and we discover the reason for giving gifts and celebrating with family together and worshipping with others.

A fortnight ago we read the prophecy from Isaiah 9 especially the section that began, “Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress.” Isaiah said, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” He talked about growth and joy and rejoicing, freedom from oppression and peace. He signalled a new beginning but he had a reason for proclaiming this new beginning. What was his reason?

“For unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given.”

His message wasn’t an exhortation to peace as if we could create this peace by ourselves. It was an announcement of Jesus; the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, the One who would usher in this age of peace.

Isaiah spoke in terms of this child reigning forever on the throne of His father David; reigning with justice and righteousness. He talked in terms of a new King and a new kingdom. With the birth of this child, that Kingdom was begun. That would be when the light would pierce the darkness; when there would be rejoicing and so on. Without the new king, there would be no change; people would continue to walk in darkness. He foresaw the new dawn of joy and freedom because God gave this child.

Likewise, the angels who appeared to the shepherds when Jesus was born, talked about good news of great joy for all people. That sang of peace on earth. But, again, what was the basis for their confidence? Was it going to be a sudden improvement in human nature? Were people suddenly going to pull their socks up? What was the basis?

READ Luke 2:1-14

The basis: “Today, in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.”

As with Isaiah, the proclamation of joy and peace was possible only because of the baby. Their message was of a Messiah. The central message was Jesus. Peace and joy and reconciliation are secondary. They are the results of knowing Jesus.

The Christmas message is Jesus.

I actually find that a challenge. Let me put it in a very simplistic way. If I wish someone a merry Christmas, what good have I done? It is a nice thought. It expresses my good wishes for that person but it doesn’t actually help them have a merry Christmas.

If I say, “Have a good day” it is a nice thought but it might only make them more aware that they are not having a nice day. That is because a merry Christmas or a good day are the result we hope for but I have said nothing about the cause that might make Christmas merry or a day good. I am expecting the results without the means. I have dug down to the level of meaningful concepts (perhaps even biblical concepts) but not dug down as far as the One who can make it possible.

Some people would say that a lot of modern preaching exhorts people to do good things but focuses too little on proclaiming Jesus. We talk about the Christian lifestyle but not the Christ.

I imagine that many public statements will be made by Christian leaders this Christmas that will talk about issues of justice and peace but may not mention Jesus whose Kingdom will be established and upheld with justice and peace.

We are embarrassed about Jesus. We will talk about the Christian lifestyle but not about the need for the Saviour. It should be patently obvious that, despite the good intentions of many, many people the world has not achieved peace. Only Jesus can bring peace to the lives of nations and families of this world. It is useless for us to preach about moral reform and living better lives without preaching Jesus.

The apostle Paul said that he decided to preach nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. If we look at the context of that statement, in 1 Corinthians 1 and 2, notice how he talks about Jesus being the power. The power is not in ideas or challenges. The power is in the person Jesus.

READ 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, 30-2:5

Paul rejected philosophical wisdom (even though that was what the Greeks loved). He rejected eloquence and high-sounding words, for the sake of a message that seemed like foolishness – a message of a crucified Messiah. But, actually, that message had power. The power of the message of Jesus had saved the Corinthians themselves.

There wouldn’t seem to be much power in a message about an obscure Jew who was executed on a cross but that is the only message that can change the world.

There is a lot of emphasis in churches today on meeting needs in the community, which is absolutely a good thing. It is a way of being relevant and of showing something of the love of God. It is a way of meeting people and serving them and hopefully breaking down some perceptions about the church. It is a way of helping people to feel more warmly disposed towards the church and its message. It hopefully leads to opportunities to share that message.

But there is a temptation to serve without mentioning Jesus. There is a hope that the serving in and of itself is sufficient. I have heard church leaders asking, “We have got involved in all of these ministries in the community but we are now not sure we are doing anything more than social work. What makes it distinctively Christian?”

Around the country, churches have found Mainly Music to be very effective. Groups are bursting at the seams and have waiting lists, but it is common for churches to say, “But we haven’t seen any come to faith. We haven’t seen any come into the church.”

There has to be a step beyond providing the programme and I think our Mainly Music team is very good at being intentional about building relationships that might then provide opportunities for sharing Jesus.

A couple of weeks ago I heard a speaker talking about churches being “missional” – being involved in mission in our communities. He asked the question, “How do we get beyond social work?” He said that in some quarters serving people is seen as the goal but it is not. Our goal, as Christians, is glorifying God. That puts a completely different spin on it. How can we glorify God through serving.

A "Christian" social agency might have so-called Christian values but if they cannot introduce someone to Jesus or they don’t provide Christian counselling as such or they wouldn’t explicitly provide biblical advice and help, they might do a tremendous amount of good work but can an they be called “Christian”?

Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.” (Mark 9:41)

“In Jesus’ name” must at least mean that Jesus is acknowledged. It might mean that I do it as an ambassador of Jesus. Maybe it goes further and means that the cup of cold water is seen as coming from Christ and I am only the delivery boy. Whatever it means, it means that Jesus is explicitly part of it.

We talk about putting Christ back into Christmas but we need to ensure that we keep Christ in Christian. It is not “Christian” unless it includes Christ. It is not Christian if it just deals with concepts or principles. It must include the person.

What would make this a Christian Christmas for us?
1. Spending time with Jesus
2. Obeying Jesus
3. Telling others about Jesus

Let’s consider how we personally can put Christ back into Christmas.

05.12.10 - Christmas Means Freedom

2010-12-06T23:16:00.000-08:00

Probably just about every year, churches read the prophecy from Isaiah that includes the words “For unto us a child is born; to us a son is given...”

We like it because it is clearly a prophecy of the Messiah and it was spoken about 800 years before Jesus was born. We like it because it tells us that God had a plan centuries earlier. We like it because the accuracy of the prophecy confirms for us the majesty of God who could foretell these things and centuries later they come to pass. We like it because it gives magnificent titles to Jesus. He will be called Wonderful counsellor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. We like it because it says that God is in control and a new day is coming when Jesus will rule with justice and righteousness.

But, I think there is another reason why we should like it. To see that more clearly, we have to go back and read the section leading up to this passage. READ Isaiah 8:19-22

It is about consulting mediums and spiritists. Consulting mediums and spiritists is an insult to God. It is a turning away from God. As Isaiah says, “Should not a people enquire of their God?” Why go and listen to people who whisper and mutter? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Why consult the dead when you can consult the living God?

Isaiah says, “Consult God’s instruction” but people don’t want to. People would rather turn to some other oracle than listen to God. Often people don’t want to hear what God has to say but they will listen to all sorts of other nonsense.

We are free to do that. We are free to not listen to God but the result is confusion and darkness. Isaiah says that if a person doesn’t speak in accordance with God’s instruction, they have no light of dawn. People who speak but not in accordance with God’s word, spread only more and more confusion. People who listen to them live in deception. They don’t know the truth and so they stumble around in darkness and move further and further away from God. Listen to the description Isaiah gives: these people are distressed and hungry; they roam through the land, famished; they are enraged and they look up and curse both their king and their God. These are poor tormented souls. They look towards the earth and they see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom.

It is a terrible picture of lostness and darkness and anger and distress and it finishes with “they will be thrust into outer darkness” which is a reference to eternal punishment.

In our advanced western culture people still consult mediums and spiritists for personal guidance or to supposedly solve crimes. We make TV programmes about it and people are enthralled. People read their horoscopes and some go to séances or tarot readings or palm readers.

You can go any bookshop and buy books written by all sorts of gurus offering spiritual wisdom. These are the modern-day priests and prophets and oracles of spiritual truth – which is not truth.

Should not a people enquire of their God?

The result is as Isaiah described it: darkness and spiritual confusion. This so-called wisdom only increases the darkness. We are a nation that doesn’t consult God, and look at the results: the drunkenness, violence, crime, abuse, distress; spiritual darkness and confusion. People are going into a dark eternity every day because of refusing to consult God’s instruction.

It is no surprise. The apostle Paul talked about a coming time when people would listen to myths rather than listen to God.

2 Timothy 4:2-5
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

As Isaiah described, the result is “darkness and distress and fearful gloom”.

Nevertheless. Isaiah 9 starts with “Nevertheless there will be no more gloom for those who were in darkness.” God prophesies a complete change. There was terrible darkness but... Let’s see how the passage moves on. Listen to the transformation and the rejoicing. READ Isaiah 9:1-7.

Those in darkness have seen a great light. They rejoice like people rejoice at the harvest, like soldiers after a victory. The yoke that had burdened them was shattered. The rod of the oppressor, shattered. The things of warfare will be burned in the fire. Darkness becomes light. Oppression and captivity become freedom. Torment becomes peace. What started as a really, really gloomy passage becomes a passage of freedom and joy.

How? What makes the difference?

For unto us a child is born. Darkness becomes light. Oppression and captivity become freedom, for unto us a child is born. Not just any child. This child will rule the earth. He is the wise guide, God Himself, eternal Father, one who brings peace. He will reign on David’s throne, with justice and righteousness, forever.

There is no doubt this is Jesus. There is no doubt that the world is a different place because of Jesus.

Two of the most important words in this passage are the “Nevertheless” in 9:1 and the “For” in 9:6. Look at the structure of this passage. There is as section talking about the lostness of people who turn away from God. Then it says “Nevertheless” and it describes how God brings light and joy that dispel the darkness. So we have two very contrasting descriptions: one of lostness and darkness; one of light and joy. Then it gives the reason for the change: “for unto us a child is born.”

That is like a testimony, isn’t it? “My life was like this. Now it is like this, because of Jesus.” We have the bad news; the good news and the reason.

That is why we celebrate Christmas. A child has been born who has changed everything. The lost world has a Saviour.

Do you have a testimony, a personal story, like that? “I was lost but now I’m found because of Jesus. I was far from God but my life has been changed by Jesus.” Is that your story? If so, you will have no problem celebrating Christmas. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have everlasting life.

And you will be eager to celebrate Communion, knowing that it was through His self-sacrifice that the world was changed and your personal destiny was turned around. Isaiah will in later chapters talk about the suffering of the Messiah: He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.

Or, would you like a story like that? Does there need to be light in your darkness? Have you been following the ways of other people but not consulting God? Are you walking in darkness? God has a different option: the people walking in darkness have seen a great light, because a child was born. Jesus is the Saviour who can turn our worlds around.

Let us all readily receive God’s gift: the Messiah who will rule the world with justice and righteousness. Let us all turn again, in humility, to Jesus. Even if we’ve done it before, let us say, “Jesus, I need You.”

21.11.10 - I stand at the door and knock - Please let me in. Joshua 5

2010-11-22T14:56:00.000-08:00

Introduction… News of that powerful hand of the Lord miracle of crossing Jordan has reached right across the land to the far coast. None came out to confront Israel, so for a while the people of God had a time of peace. So it was time to tidy up a few loose ends!

Circumcision… Ancient practice done at puberty or before marriage, possibly done for health reasons. (survey done revealed Jewish women have very low levels of cervical cancer). For Israel it became a follow-up to the contractual relationship (Gen 15) between God and Abraham re: having a son and heir and the promised land. Then in Gen 17 it was renewed as a covenant and promise, a ceremony celebrated on the 8th day after birth. Performed by the head of the house. (exception Ex. 4 24-26 woman in difficult passage)

Why did God choose Circumcision?... especially in the light of it being a heathen practice and what we squeamish modern humans feel is barbaric. This latter point may not be so true here in Southland where we are used to tailing and castration in the farming world. The underlying theme of this morning’s message title of “relationship building” is the key. Let me explain. Every approach God has ever made towards his creation and created is for a closer relationship. Think about that for a moment. And in particular regarding the pinnacle of His creation, toward us humankind, made in the image and after the likeness of God himself. From walking with Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening to the glorious promise of His return to take us to be with Him, he has always been reaching out to us. And what about at Bethlehem? Taking it a step further, at the heart of any human relationship is a desire for “intimacy”, most closely found and expressed in marriage. Now, please don’t be embarrassed or throw me out for what I am about to say! But I believe circumcision demonstrates the depth of intimacy God wants to have with His people Israel and His people, us Christians, who bare His Son’s name. For Israel he put a physical mark on the most private, personal and intimate part of a body. The removal of the foreskin of a man goes further than if he is just naked, it touches him in his most sensitive and intimate part of his body – the strongest of feelings in shared intimacy with the one who he loves forever. In the NT Christian marriage is explicitly an earthly picture of the relationship of Christ and his church (Mt 25, Eph 5, Rev 19) Here then is the high standard of commitment and intimacy that God is looking for, that is represented to us in circumcision, for us Christians though it is in the heart; the total uninhibited abandonment of modesty and privacy between bridegroom and bride, between God and His people.

It is the Mosaic law that introduced this new concept of circumcision, “of the heart.” Deut 10:16, Jer. 4:4 Not just a physical mark of belonging – but spiritual qualities of commitment and obedience to God’s will. Lev 11:44, 19:18, Deut 6:5 all speak of the need for holiness, loving a neighbour, and loving God. Does that sound familiar?! Sure it does. Jesus said, “Hear O Israel the Lord our God, the Lord is One” “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” That comes first. From that platform comes the second, “Love your neighbour as yourself.” Mk.12 Here at Calvin we are going to have an opportunity to do this very thing this Christmas.

The Passover… Still a very fresh memory as these were the children of those who had lived through the amazing “passing over” of the Holy Spirit of those houses covered by the blood of the lambs slain on that dreadful night when God’s anger burned against Pharaoh and all Egypt and the firstborn of all not under the blood died. Passover is both a solemn time of serious reflection and grateful celebration of a God who keeps His promises and who deals justly with all mankind.

Manna stops… Now here is a nasty sudden turn of events. No sooner had they tasted of the yummy fresh fruit and veg of New World Canaan than the heavenly supply of the past 40 years stopped. Well, the manna got a bit boring anyway, though they must admit it kept them strong and healthy. Now surprise, surprise, there is no record of food allergies setting in with this abrupt change of diet, and no more moaning either! But did this mean they were on their own now. Had God left them alone, had He just dumped them into the Promised Land and left? I’m sure some may have thought that – perhaps Joshua himself was suddenly hit with doubts and fears – after all God had had to prop him up with lots of encouraging, “fear nots” as he took up leadership from Moses. Now here he was looking over Jericho v13, and wondering how on earth he and his 40,000 troops were to tackle those massive walls all alone - by themselves.

The Commander.. Suddenly a high ranking soldier appears out of nowhere with a drawn sword. Not recognizing the uniform perhaps, Joshua challenges, “Are you for us or against us”? to which no straight answer is given, just a title. That title alone is enough to send Joshua into immediate horizontal worship. What’s going on here? Joshua is in charge is he not? Has he lost the plot? Is he scared yet again to show gutsy leadership and just when it is needed most? No, Joshua recognizes in this man and his title someone greater than he. Here is the Lord of Hosts in Person. I like to think that here is another amazing act of grace, grace upon grace. This is no angel; we don’t worship angels or saints for they are man’s servants. God comes down to meet Joshua on the edge of the Promised Land to remind all Israel that God is still with them, no longer as a sugar daddy supplying food for hungry tummies, clouds and fires for guidance, but now in a new role, as the one who will be out front fighting for them in the heavens, for they are now not in the worldly wilderness but have entered all that God has prepared for them as His very own. It will still be a battle, many battles for them as it is for us Christians today. Whoever said the Christian life was easy? Calvin, what do you say? Well I say it is! …but when and only when it starts with our shoes off in humility, in servant-hood, in submission to the leadership, the lordship of Jesus Christ our great Commander in Chief. He has His sword drawn ready. Leave the battles with him in trusting prayer and praise. Joshua was about to face a major test of his faith. Immediately after the rejoicing in victory over Jericho came the devastating sin of Ai which cost the lives of the sinner and his entire innocent family. God hates sin with a capital H. But by His mercy we can have an encounter with the great Commander who Joshua met. We meet Him at the foot of His cross where it is level holy ground. He accepts each one of us because of that scarlet thread, not hung out of a doomed window to save a few, but poured out over a cross from His body to save the world. Turn to Him today just as Joshua did, take off your dirty shoes, and ask Him the same question, “What message does my Lord have for his/her servant?” Will you do this? God bless you.

14.11.10 - What Do These Stones Mean?

2010-11-10T17:42:00.000-08:00

Alan Bennett

Read Joshua 4
We have left the priests and the Ark of the Covenant standing in the river bed for a week now. We don’t know how long it took for perhaps up to 700,000 people to cross over the Jordan river. Possibly it was just one day if the crossing front was wide. I for one would not have been happy on Ark night duty, knowing the river wasn’t far away, waiting to return at any moment. So it is now time for them too to come up into the promised land.

At first reading Ch 4 may not seem to contain much for us. But there is always something for us in scripture – if we dig for it.

Good Preparation and Planning… We have already seen in Ch.3 the hard work Joshua put into getting the people ready for this epic event in Israel’s development, some 40 years after Israel’s deliverance out of Egypt. Now those 12 men, first chosen in 3:12 are to step forward. They come, one each from the 12 tribes – for unity, for equal sharing and participation in the Lord’s work. This speaks to me of the importance of involving a wide cross section of a congregation in church affairs and ministries. Note they were CHOSEN, they were not volunteers. A church leader must have the freedom and the courage to divinely tap people on the shoulder for ministry according to the spiritual gifting and potential he may see in them. This is what happened in Acts 6 when the church CHOSE 7 men to take food to the widows. That event, of getting the right well educated young men into a low profile “meals on wheels” work soon led to v7 “The word of God spread, the number of disciples increased rapidly and a large number of priests became obedient to the truth.” Acts 6:7. Please Lord do it again and again, do it here in Calvin –AMEN.!

God and doing His will…In v3-4 we see an important principle and lesson for us. God did not give Joshua the whole picture as to “how” and “what” he was doing with Israel or even with Joshua himself. We see God “drip feeding” guidance and direction into Joshua as he and the people moved along. Here the life of faith and obedience is illustrated so clearly. We try to make ourselves God, by wanting to know the end from the beginning. When the last person had crossed I reckon those priests were busting to get out of there. But their role, their job was to stand, to stand in the middle holding back the flood with the word of God until every person had crossed including the slow 12 stone carriers. They were there to mark the path with the truth and power of the Word until God said otherwise. And when He did, they came out and the flood returned. In today’s world we are so obsessed with defining “outcomes” and “results”, God is obsessed with faith and obedience. When will we learn!

I love the detail found in scripture. Did you notice in v6 that the men were to take up stones and carry them on their shoulders. At one stone each that tells me they were not stones, they were boulders. Shoulders are for boulders.! Don’t let us forget that Jesus talked of putting our backs to the plough, taking up our cross. Our cross is not a tiny silver emblem on a chain around our neck, though nothing wrong with that, but it is what Simon of Cyrene carried the day Jesus was crucified. Isn’t this what is meant when Paul testifies in Col.1:24 “I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of His body, the church.” It is Jesus invitation to come on board with Him. The Christian life is a partnership with Jesus and His people, the church of God on earth.

God and Miracles… Perhaps a word here about miracles. This second crossing of a deep waterway by Israel was no mere “convergence of nature” or “circumstance of timing”. This miracle started by faith and obedience when the toes of the priests met the water. It was maintained for a God determined period by the steadfast obedience of those priests and the faith of all Israel as they crossed on dry land, and it ended when God saw it was no longer necessary.. From start to finish it was God initiated. V18 tells us that the conclusion was, “the water ran as before.” This tells me it wasn’t just dammed up by a timely earthquake or rock-fall or anything else that just happened to come along. If it had been dammed up and then come free it would have rampaged back down at a level far greater than flood level and swept all Israel away, as they were still sorting themselves out on or near the riverbank. We do not have to explain how God does miraculous.

V23 tells us, “He did to the Jordan just what he did to the Red Sea.” Hallelujah, my God is not a “one off” God. – AMEN.! He fed 5000 and then he went on to feed 4,000. He healed the lepers, He healed the blind, and above all else He saved me, and He saved you and you and you, and now, today, He wants to save you and you and you. This is our God, a great God of love, mercy, forgiveness, of justice and salvation.. And why does he do it? Joshua gives us the answer-v24 “He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and that you might always fear the Lord your God.” Put another way I believe miracles are for evangelizing the lost and for purifying His church

God and Memory …

Southland loves it’s stones. The Baptists, St Andrew, Calvin etc. Lumsden has it’s Millenium stone – “marking the work of the HS in the area”. Myanmar or Burma is in the news….

Illus.. 8 mile church in Yangon has a huge stone with an open Bible on it beside the open baptistery on a busy intersection and bus interchange. – for all to see. (sound system as well)

Averil and I have learnt much from browsing among the tombstones of the new places we visit. Most memorable was in St Paul’s Church, Malacca, Malaysia just before we were designated to work in Central Thailand. and expecting our first-born. There is a temporary burial crypt of Francis Xavier, the pioneer RC missionary to China and parts of Asia. And in the surrounding graveyard of the 18th – 19th century. One family, “To God be the Glory” 2 children, father, 1 child, mother, then 2 more children all died and buried in space of one month – Cholera. Sorry to be ending on a seemingly sad note. But for the Christian, death is not the end There is joy for us in heaven. And there is joy for us now in crossing our rivers daily taking God’s word seriously and doing His will that he has planned and purposed for us.

In closing, the question arises, “How do you and I wish to be remembered? What do you and I want written on our tombstone? Have our lives brought glory to God? Do you know this God of miracles who above all else miraculously crossed from heaven to earth, to take your sin, your shame, your fears and by nailing them to His cross has opened the door for your forgiveness and new life in His promised land prepared for you here and in the hereafter. As we leave this place this morning take another look at the rock and the cross at the front of the church. Reflect on them as memorials to your great salvation. Then ask yourself these two questions.. Am I standing on the rock Christ Jesus?

Am I taking up my cross daily and following Him?

07.11.10 - Going Where You've Never Been Before

2010-11-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

READ Joshua 3

This is a hugely significant event. Israel entered the Promised Land. The Promised Land is called the Promised Land because it was the land that God had promised. back to the time of Abraham, centuries earlier, God had promised the Israelites this land.

Imagine, after centuries and centuries, being the generation who actually stood in the land.

Forty years earlier they had approached its southern border at Kadesh Barnea but they had got cold feet and hadn’t believed that God would give them the land. Forty more years they wandered in the desert until that whole generation died. Now the next generation again stands at the border – this time at the eastern border, just north of the Dead Sea. They had already conquered some land on the eastern side of the Jordan River but they still had to cross the river to enter the land that had so long been their dream. They camped at Shittim, opposite Jericho.

As we read last week, Joshua, who had taken over the leadership from Moses, sent two spies into the land. They returned saying, “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.” (2:24)

They then moved from Shittim to camp by the Jordan. Three days passed. Then the people were told that the priests would take up the Ark of the Covenant and move forward. They would lead the way so that the people would know where to go since they had never been this way before.

The Ark of the Covenant was the gold-covered box that had two gold cherubim on top and contained the tablets Moses had received on Mt Sinai with the Ten Commandments written on them. Also in the Ark of the Covenant was Aaron’s rod and a jar of the manna that God had provided to feed the people in the desert. The Ark represented the presence of God, which is why the people were told to follow the Ark but to stay almost a kilometre behind it. It was holy. The people – other than the priests who carried the Ark on poles – could not get too close to God.

The phrase “since you have never been this way before” caught my attention. Something new is often frightening. We fear the unknown. We often don’t like going into places that we don’t know. It was like that for the Israelites. Despite the excitement of finally entering the Promised Land, there would have also been trepidation. There were enemies in the land. The cities were occupied and fortified. Last time they had heard reports that there were giants in the land. And last time they had failed.

For Joshua it was all new too. This was his first big assignment as leader. And it was a big assignment: leading the people into the Promised Land. Going where you have never been before is an metaphor of faith, I think. Can I do this new thing? Actually, the question is not “can I?”. The question is “can God? Do I trust God” Would God keep His promise to give the people this land? Would God defeat the people already living there? For Joshua, would God be with him as leader? Would the people respect him and follow him as leader?

So the first thing was that, when they saw the ark moving, the the people were to follow.

Before they did that, they were to consecrate themselves. They were to re-affirm their dedication to God which included ensuring they were right with God and were ritually clean; that things had been sorted out; that they were in a right relationship with God.

God had promised them the land but that didn’t mean they could disobey and still receive that promise. They had to be right with God. Last time God had promised them the land they had missed out because of their disobedience. Prior to entering the land, they were to sort those things out.

We too need to be right with God. God has made lots of promises but they are dependent on how we live. Maybe, if we long for God to fulfil some promises, a good first step would be to take time and make some specific steps to be right with Him.

Then God said to Joshua, “Today I will exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.” Moses had been such a colossus. In all world history there have been few leaders to compare with Moses. How was Joshua to step into those shoes? How could he ever compare? If he couldn’t compare, would the people respect him? Could he be leader?

But God said, “I am going to exalt you in their eyes. They will know that I am with you just as I was with Moses.” The way God would show that He was with Joshua just as He had been with Moses would be to repeat perhaps the most famous miracle that He had done for Moses. When Moses led the people out of Egypt, God parted the Red Sea and they passed through on dry ground. When Joshua would lead the people into the Promised Land, God would split the Jordan River and they would pass through on dry ground. By repeating the miracle, God would show that He was with Joshua in just the same way.

This was not only about entering the land. This was about establishing Joshua as leader. Not only that, this miracle would also be a sign to the people that further miracles would follow; that God did intend to drive out the seven nations living in the land already. V.10 said, “This is how you will know that the living God is with you and will drive out the enemy.”

The miracle would be even greater because it was the worst possible time. The river was in flood. Apparently the Jordan is normally about 40 or 50 metres across. When it is in flood, swollen by the melting snows of Mt Hermon, it becomes a raging torrent.

The Israelites broke camp, ready to move on. The priests, carrying the ark, went ahead of them. But the Jordan River was still flowing. They had to step into the flowing river. Only then would it stop flowing.

God was willing to give them lots of confirmation through signs. He was willing to perform a miracle as a confirmation that He would conquer the people of the land. But He also required them to trust Him and step out. He had already said that as soon as they set foot in the Jordan, the water would stop flowing. They had the promise. They had to be willing to trust that He would do as He had said He would do. They must have felt the temptation of unbelief: What if nothing happens?

That is often the case for us too – but it is a test of our faith. God may say, “Do A and I will be with you. Ring So-and-so and I will be with you. Give away this amount of money. I’ll look after you. Go and pray with someone. Just trust me.” We have to make the phone call or give away the money or pray with that person before we actually see the miracle. Often we chicken out and then we don’t see what God wants to do. “Step into the water while it is still flowing” is the challenge. “Trust me. I’ve said I’ll stop it.”

If the river stopped flowing before we even reached it, no faith would be required. If all the doors opened and the path ahead was crystal clear, no faith would be required. Faith is acting in response to God speaking. If God has told you to do something or to trust Him in a particular situation, then the next step is ours. It is as we take that step that God then acts and fulfils what He has said.

Faith is acting in response to God speaking. God must speak first. It is not an invitation to do something reckless challenging God to respond. It is not an invitation to throw ourselves off the Temple so that God has to catch us. God takes an initiative and you respond. It is not you taking an initiative so that God has to respond.

The priests did step into the river and an amazing thing happened. It stopped flowing. A great distance up-stream it stopped and the passage says that it piled up in a heap. The water down-stream flowed away leaving dry land . Maybe there was landslide upstream that blocked the river. Maybe. Maybe it was a purely supernatural act. Actually, however, it happened, it was supernatural, not natural. God acted at exactly the right time and right place, for the whole nation – millions of people – to cross the river on dry land. It happened by design, not by chance. It was a miracle.

Joshua stood on the brink of his leadership of the nation. This was the first big test. The people stood on the brink of the Promised Land. After years of longing, they could now see it, but there was a raging river – a river impossible to cross – between them and the promise. Even if they crossed it, there would be more challenges ahead because there were enemy peoples in the land.

Soon afterwards they stood in that land. The impossible-to-cross river had been crossed. They were somewhere they had never been before.

You too might be able to see a better future – a future that God has seemed to place in your heart – but it seems impossible to get there. It is just a dream.

If it is from God, He doesn’t want it to remain just a dream. Why would He torment you with a longing that He doesn’t plan to fulfil – if it is from Him?

Perhaps the first thing we need to do is clarify, as much as we can, that it is from God. Go back to God and enquire, “Lord is this if you.” If it is not of God, then we are only tormenting ourselves by clinging to a dream that can never be fulfilled. But, if it is of God, then the Bible says that He will give us the desires of our hearts. If it is of God, He will bring it to pass.

Then, let us consecrate ourselves. If there are sins to be confessed, or things to be put right, then let’s do those things.

Even then, let us not rush in and try to force God’s hand. The Israelites camped for three days before anything happened. They had to wait until they saw the priests start moving. Wait for God’s timing.

When that happens, we must be ready to act in obedience. If God tells us to do something, then we must do it – even with no guarantee of success (except that he has told us to do it.)

The rest is up to God, but we can have every confidence. This story, and so many stories like it, give us confidence that God is powerful and He does act and He does answer prayers.

For the Israelites, the crossing of the river was a sign that God would also drive out the nations living in the land. Every time were see God doing something miraculous, it enables us to believe for the next thing as well.

This chapter is about trusting God. It is about faith. But it is also about God being trustworthy. Trusting God is often a challenge. Can I bring myself to give away that money? Can I step out into some area I have never been before? May what we see of God in the Bible persuade us that we can. This God is trustworthy.

05.10.10 - What Is Our Hope, Joy and Glory?

2010-11-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Tau Ben-Unu and I were talking as we drove back from Dunedin and Tau told me about learning survival skills from his grandfather.

At about 9 years old, he and his grandfather went bush together, and all they had was a machete. For several days in the bush Tau’s grandfather showed him how to use the knife, to open coconuts, cut down branches and coconut leaves to build shelter, gather food, even to dig a shallow hole for an umu (hangi).

It was precious grandfather to grandson time, time in which one generation passed on life skills to another generation. And Tau remembers it to this day.

Translate that into a Christian context. What value do we place on one person taking another under his/her wing and teaching that person how to live as a follower of Jesus Christ?

When I preached at John Coutts’ induction, I used 1 Thessalonians. We are going to read again from 1 Thessalonians. You didn’t know this was going to be a series, did you? Nor did I.

Paul had been in Thessalonica. There had been a move of the Holy Spirit. People were powerfully converted and Paul had then taught and trained them. But then he had been separated from them and that separation hurt. He was desperate to be back with them. As George reads, listen for why Paul wanted to be re-united.

Read 1 Thessalonians 2:17-4:2

1 Thess 2:19-20 19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? 20 Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

Paul’s hope, joy and crown of glory is the Thessalonians. Actually, it is not just the Thessalonians; it is seeing the Thessalonians grow in their faith.

In this letter there is huge rejoicing in their conversion – how that had received the gospel and turned to God from idols and how their witness was known through the whole region. There is also huge rejoicing in their living out of their faith. Paul was worried that, with persecution, they might have fallen away, but Timothy had reported that they were going on in faith and love. And Paul was over the moon. But he still wanted to be with them.

What for? What drives Paul? Does he just enjoy their company? Well, yes he does but it is far more than that.

He sent Timothy to strengthen and encourage them in their faith (3:2). Day and night he prays earnestly to be able to see them again “to supply what is lacking in their faith” (3:10). He prays that God may strengthen their hearts so that they might be blameless and holy in the presence of God when the Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones (3:13).

It is all about being with them to grow them; to help them be strong in their faith.

Paul said his hope was the Thessalonians. His goal, his desire, his dream was on-fire mature Christians. Can I remind you of Colossians 1:28-19?

Col 1:28-29 28 [Jesus] is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.

Paul’s personal goal, and the focus of all his energy, was to present everyone fully mature in Christ, through admonishing and teaching with all wisdom.

His joy was seeing the Thessalonians growing in their faith and living as followers of Jesus. We see that joy in his relief when Timothy returned and reported that the Thessalonians were going on for Jesus and were people of faith and love. Paul said, “Now we really live since you are standing firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?” (3:8-9) When his disciples are going from strength to strength, Paul feels alive.

His crown in which he would glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes was the Thessalonians. What else will there be to glory in in the presence of Jesus? Jesus won’t be terribly impressed by our accumulated possessions. He might not care about the qualifications on our walls. The one thing worth rejoicing in will be the people whose lives have been changed because of us – in other words, disciples (although I was going to see if I could get away without using that word!)

Paul asks, “What is our hope, our joy and our crown? Is it not you?” It is about people – people growing in their relationship with Jesus. For Christians the Maori proverb is true: He aha te mea nui? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. What is the most important thing? It is people, it is people, it is people. For us, it is people. It is about people coming to know Jesus and being on fire for Jesus.

This is a significant moment. The Mataura Presbytery has existed for 119 years. It is right and proper that we should mark the end of such a long-standing institution – and all the more so when we remember that over that time there have been thousands of men and women who have been committed to Jesus and passionate about the mission of the church. We stand at the end of a long line of faithful followers of Jesus.

And at the beginning of another line. We are part of something new – the bigger Southern Presbytery and the new Mataura Resource Group. The foundation we lay might shape the effectiveness of those groups for a long time. We have both the opportunity and the responsibility to do this well.

A large part of the motivation of the presbytery reforms has been for the church to be more mission-focused. The Mataura Presbytery had a mission statement that was printed on the front of the agenda every month. I thought it was a great statement: Presbytery has a passion to fulfil its leadership role in encouraging parishes to work together supporting and resourcing one another in order to grow the Kingdom of God in this region.

It was a great statement. It is debatable how much we have worked together and supported and resourced one another in order to grow the Kingdom. However, now it is about the future. The point of the reforming of presbyteries is that we be more effective in mission.

We celebrate a change in the structures. Structures are important. They can either help or hinder the mission. They are important but it is never about the structure. It is about people. It is about bring people into a relationship with Jesus and nurturing their growth to on-fire maturity in Jesus.

As we make this transition, is our hope – our dream – the conversion and growth of the people of this region? Is our joy seeing people come to know Jesus and grow in their relationship with Jesus?

When we stand before Jesus, what will we glory in? Will there be people there whom we have helped become fully devoted followers of Jesus? What else will there be to glory in besides changed lives? It is people. Many of us lead organisations called churches. The organisation might be going fine but are lives being changed?

What exactly does Paul want to see in their lives? What can we learn from him? He very clearly wants to see people converted. He rejoices in the Thessalonians’ conversion, but this letter is written to people already converted. What does he want to see in the lives of those who are Christians?

In 4:1 Paul refers back to the time he had with them just after they were converted and says, “we instructed you how to live in order to please God.” It is interesting that straight after their conversion they received instruction about how to live God-pleasing lives. Do we train new converts like that? And now Paul can say, “as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.”

This is his passion. They are doing well but he wants to spend time with them to help them do fantastically well. This is about not being satisfied with luke-warm Christians, half-pie Christians or even half-grown Christians but striving for more.

In chapters 4 and 5 Paul gives some specific instructions about sexual morality, love for one another, living lives that win the respect of outsiders, understanding about Jesus’ return and living accordingly, working hard, prayer, not quenching the Spirit’s fire and so on. But remember that this instruction is just adding to, and filling in some of the gaps in, the instruction that he had already given them.

The general description of his goal is that they live lives that please God.

1 Thess 2:10-12 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

There Paul talks about living lives worthy of God. I am not sure there is much difference between lives that are worthy of God and lives that please God, but we could take either one of those phrases and identified what it means. What sort of life pleases God? Describe it. What does that life look like? What sort of life is worthy of God? Then that is the life that we should be encouraging and training our people to live.

We tend to just leave people to live their own lives. We think it is impertinent to tell people how to live but I suggest God wants us to train up people who will live lives that are worthy of Him.

Paul’s example here is that first he modelled it. They had witnessed his life. He had been holy, righteous and blameless as he lived among them. But then he says that he dealt with them as a father deals with his children, encouraging, comforting and urging them to live lives worthy of God.

Let us also model lives that are worthy of God. Let us also treat people lovingly and tenderly like a father deals with his children. Good fathers don’t stand back and let their children live as they like. Good fathers encourage, comfort and urge. Good fathers want to see their children do their very best. Good fathers encourage their children to aim a little higher and strive to be all that they can be. It is not passive. Good fathers are actively involved encouraging, comforting and urging.

That is what Tau’s grandfather did. He took the initiative to spend significant time with his grandson to show him things; to challenge him; to teach him skills; to show that he cared, to stretch him, to prepare him for life.

What else is important? What is our hope, our joy, our crown in which we will glory in the presence of Jesus, if it is not people who have grown to know Jesus and to live lives that please God? What else is important? What else are you going to point proudly to in the presence of Jesus? Is the anything else worthwhile? It is about people following Jesus because we influenced them.

May the mission of the Southern Presbytery and the mission of the Mataura Resource Group be focused on people – people becoming disciples of Jesus Christ.

31.10.10 - Choose Which Side You're On

2010-10-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we started looking at the book of Joshua. This book is in the Old Testament! It is part of the story of the escape of the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and into the land that God had promised them – a land of milk and honey. When they came to the border of the land the first time, the Israelites chickened out. They didn’t trust God to help them and so they were destined to wander for another forty years in the desert. All this time, they were led by Moses but at the end of that forty years, Moses died and God appointed Joshua to lead them into the Promised Land. The book of Joshua is about the conquest of the Promised Land with Joshua leading the people.

In the first chapter God repeatedly told Joshua to be bold; he would take the land. He was to live by God’s word and God would be with him.

I want to get into chapter 2 but I do want to make a couple of comments about the remainder of chapter 1.

V.10 says, “Joshua then commanded the officers of Israel....” Joshua had been told to lead and he did. God had repeatedly told him to be bold, which probably indicates that he was not naturally bold. Leadership is not easy. Leadership should be approached with some trepidation. There are responsibilities that go with it and there are difficulties. The person who is too eager to lead is probably the wrong person to lead. Leadership requires boldness and obedience just as much as any other ministry.

Joshua began leading – despite his diffidence. Joshua took up the reigns. Joshua stepped into Moses’ big shoes. Joshua trusted that God would be with him.

Finally, in that chapter, there is like an oath of allegiance from the people. Followership is also not easy. Followership is a matter of obedience as much as leadership is. These people swore to obey Joshua just as they had obeyed Moses and to deal with anyone who rebelled against him.

READ Joshua 2

1. Why did Joshua send spies into the land when that had failed so miserably last time?
Forty years earlier the spies had said, “We can’t conquer it. There are giants in the land.” This time the question was not whether the land could be conquered. Joshua had explicitly said, “God is giving us this land.” The spies were sent in to see, not if they could conquer it, but how they could conquer it.

2. What were these good Jewish men doing going to the house of a prostitute?
Maybe they went there because that would be one of the last places you would expect to find God-fearing Jews. Or, tradition says that Rahab was also an innkeeper and history shows that women innkeepers were often also prostitutes. If she was an innkeeper, then staying in an inn would arouse no suspicion. It doesn’t necessarily suggest immorality on their part.

3. Rahab was a prostitute who told lies and betrayed her own people. Why did God save her?
Rahab is listed in the Hebrews 11 catalogue of the great heroes of faith. Really? Perhaps even more surprisingly, she is listed in Jesus’ family tree. If you look at Matthew 1, this Canaanite prostitute was Jesus’ great, great, great... 29 greats... grandmother.

Rahab said the spies had left the city. They hadn’t. They were on her roof. Is lying OK?

No, it is not. Honesty is one of the key characteristics of Christian character. Jesus said, “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No’.” Our speech is to be straightforward, honest and clear.

The fact that Rahab lied doesn’t make lying right. But she was a Canaanite. The Canaanites were a thoroughly wicked and perverse people who worshipped pagan gods. Rahab had no knowledge of the ethical standards that God had given to the Israelites, such as the commandment to not bear false witness against your neighbour.

Alan Bennett said the other day that people in Thailand will lie because they will say what they think you want to hear and what will avoid shame. In countries where there is no Christian heritage there is also no Christian ethic. Increasingly, in our society, people do not have a basic understanding of right and wrong. At the point of coming to faith in Jesus, they may still reflect their old values, or lack of values. But God accepts them and then starts the process of refining.

God doesn’t expect us to be Christlike before we come to faith, but He does expect us to become Christlike afterwards.

So the king’s men went off to search the road – which, obviously was going to be a fruitless exercise because the spies were under the flax on the roof. At night, Rahab went up to talk to them. What was it that she said that meant that God saved her? Why is she considered a woman of faith? Wasn’t she just afraid? Did she not simply betray her own people out of self-interest, so as to save her own skin?

Look at v.11: The Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

That is a declaration of faith! Rahab almost certainly had worshipped the Canaanite gods Baal and Asherah – a highly sexualised fertility cult. But she had had a revelation. The God of the Israelites was the God of heaven and earth. It might look as if she had turned against her own people but the bigger truth is that she has turned away from their gods to worship the one true God.

It doesn’t matter that she was a prostitute. It doesn’t matter that she was dishonest. God still loved her. She put her faith in Him and He delivered her and her family.

This is story of God’s grace to a person who didn’t deserve it but who, in her desperation, turned to Him.

God’s judgement was about to come on Jericho.

Deut 7:1-6 1 When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you- 2when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. 3 Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, 4 for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods, and the LORD's anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you. 5 This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire. 6 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

These seven nations worshipped pagan gods with worship that involved all sorts of immorality. God said they were to be destroyed completely lest they lure the Israelites into worshipping false gods and into immorality. God was going to destroy them because the Israelites were to be a holy people.

But there was one person who had faith. God would rescue her and her family. Rahab’s faith wasn’t strong. She probably didn’t even understand much about God, but she recognised that the God of the Israelites was God in heaven above and on earth below. And she acted on it. That is crucially important.

Hebrews 11:31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

Rahab had come to her conclusion about God some time earlier. She showed the reality of that belief by welcoming the spies. She demonstrated which side she had chosen to be on. She was saved not by her belief. All of the people of Jericho shared that belief. Rahab said that their hearts had all melted and no one was courageous enough to fight against Israel. They had all heard that this God had delivered Israel through the Red Sea on dry land and had defeat the two kings on the east side of the Jordan. They all shared that belief that this was an awesome and powerful God. The belief didn’t save them. Rahab was saved because she welcomed the spies. She believed enough to act on it.

James 2:25-26 25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

The difference between Rahab and all the other “Jerichoites” was that she chose to entrust herself to this new God. It was a risk. She might still have been killed by the Israelites. She might have been killed by her own people for having betrayed them. She still chose to align herself with Israel’s God and to trust Him. She demonstrated that faith by welcoming the spies. It is our actions that show the reality of our faith. Faith without works is dead.

We might tell people that we trust Jesus. We do. We really do. But if someone said, “Show me that you trust Jesus” what would you show that person? Faith without works is dead.

It was the evidence of God’s supernatural power that persuaded her. Today it is so often the supernatural that convinces people. It might be through the use of spiritual gifts – a miracle or a prayer answered or a healing. But people also have to hear the gospel. The word and the works are meant to go together. The last verse in Mark’s gospel reads:
Mark 16:20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His word by the signs that accompanied it.

The signs confirm the words.

But sometimes it is another type of miracle. It is the miracle of a changed character. It is the witness of a person who is being changed by Jesus. It is the fact that people see love, compassion, trustworthiness, integrity, a person who will do what is right, courage. It is the miracle of a person who has died to himself/herself – who is selfless. Jesus said people would believe because of our love for one another.

Is the supernatural apparent in our lives? Can people see God in us; in our ministry; in our character?

Rahab recognised God and entrusted her life to Him. Her neighbours recognised God and feared but chose to die as pagans.

Most people in our society are living lives far from God – some as blatantly immoral and godless as the people of Jericho. Some live apparently respectable lives – but actually still worship other gods. Good people but they haven’t come to the point that this prostitute came to of knowing that they are in danger of God’s judgement and therefore putting their lives into God’s hands.

God delayed the Israelite conquest of the land so that He could rescue one person. In fact, God’s grace extends to families. Rahab had a baby faith but her faith was sufficient for her family to also be saved. Of course, they had to show some faith too. They had to be in her house believing that this might be the means of escape. Because of Rahab’s faith, God’s grace was extended to her family.

They had to be in her house and hang a scarlet cord from the window. Many people see that scarlet cord as a symbol of blood. Forty years earlier the Israelites had been instructed to paint the blood of the Passover lamb on their door posts. Where there was no blood, the firstborn in each house perished but where there was blood the angel of death passed by.

Centuries later, the blood of Jesus would be shed to save the whole world. Those who trust in the blood are saved. Those who don’t aren’t. God required Rahab to hang the scarlet cord from her window.

This whole story is a story of God’s grace to a helpless sinner who believed and trusted. What was the outcome? Was Rahab saved? We won’t find out for another four chapters! But, as you probably already know, when the city fell, Rahab and her family were saved.

Is it time for you to choose which side you are going to be on? There is judgement ahead. Now is the time to choose to be on God’s side and to demonstrate that choice by your action. It doesn’t matter what your past has been. It doesn’t matter that your faith might be only new. If you choose to trust God, He will be merciful and you will be saved. Understand that Jesus’ blood was shed for you. Trust in that. Hang that scarlet cord outside your window. My only hope is in the blood of Jesus shed for me.

Is it time for you to tell someone else about this salvation that is freely available? Rahab, as a brand new baby believer, invited her family. Who should you be inviting?

17.10.10 - Words To A New Leader

2010-10-16T17:22:00.000-07:00

READ Joshua 1:1-9

God’s words to Joshua include the clause “then you will be prosperous and successful.” Do those words interest you? Do you want to accomplish something for God? Do you want to be effective for Him?

Joshua was called to take over the leadership of Israel. That was his particular ministry but what we read here could apply to anyone starting any ministry. You can be prosperous and successful in your ministry.

The story of Joshua doesn’t start in chapter 1 of this book. He wasn’t plucked out of nowhere to become the leader of Israel. God generally puts people through a long period of preparation before they can lead and we see a hint of that in the description of Joshua as “Moses’ aide”. Joshua had been Moses’ second-in-command. He had been a servant to Moses. He had been mentored by Moses.

In Exodus, Joshua is referred to as Moses’ young aide (e.g. Ex 33:11). This probably means that he was a young man when the Israelites had left Egypt.

When Moses went up Mt Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, it seems Joshua went part-way (Ex 24:13; 32:17).

When Moses went to the tent of meeting, into the presence of God, Joshua went with him and when Moses returned to the camp, Joshua stayed at the tent.

You might remember the battle against the Amalekites when Moses went up the mountain with Aaron and Hur. While Moses arms were lifted up, the Israelites were winning. When Moses’ arms drooped, the Amalekites had the ascendency – and so Aaron and Hur held up Moses arms. While Moses was up the mountain doing the spiritual warfare, it was Joshua who was leading the army down below. (Ex 17)

It is possible that Joshua had been an assistant to Moses even before they had left Egypt which would mean that for more than forty years, Joshua had been the servant.

Joshua was one of the twelve spies sent to spy out the Promised Land and only Joshua and Caleb had come back saying the people should trust God and take the land. The other ten brought back a report of the difficulties, and discouraged the people. It was because of that that God said that generation would never enter the Promised Land but was condemned to forty year of aimless wandering in the desert. Only Caleb and Joshua would enter the land.

Then when Moses was told that he would not enter the Promised Land, he asked God to appoint someone else to be the leader of the people. God told Moses to commission Joshua “a man in whom is the spirit of leadership” and to give him some of his authority “so that the whole Israelite community will obey him”. Presumably Moses gave Joshua more leadership opportunities that he exercised with the authority that Moses had delegated. And so Israel saw that Moses had approved Joshua and Israel obeyed Joshua.

Eventually Moses died and Joshua was to take over completely. That is what we read about in the first few verses from the book of Joshua but the thing to notice first is that Joshua had served his apprenticeship. For many, many years he had been the assistant but, in that role, had learnt from Moses and had developed skills as diverse as military leadership and meeting God.

It is true of many people in scripture that there were many years during which God prepared them. Jesus Himself had thirty years of preparation for three years of ministry. Moses was eighty before he began his role as leader of Israel.

If you desire to serve God effectively, be prepared to serve your apprenticeship. The better the preparation, the better will be your ministry. That preparation might include simply serving and being found faithful in the little things. It might include playing second fiddle and learning to take commands before you can be trusted to give commands. Good leaders have learnt what it means to be followers. Let God build into your character and hone your skills and extend your knowledge. People who aren’t willing to be apprentices show themselves not fit to be leaders.

Joshua had served his apprenticeship. He had been Moses’ aide. Then came the day when he would become leader. God said to him, “Moses, my servant, is dead. Now then, you...” The time came for Joshua to step up and take responsibility.

God then reiterated the call. Joshua was to lead the people into the Promised Land. That was no small task. The land was already inhabited and heavily fortified. The inhabitants were highly organised military forces. The Israelites were a wandering rabble. Joshua’s leadership task was immense. You might think that the ministry God is calling you to is also immense. However, look at what God says.

He reiterates the call: Go and take the land.

When it does get hard – and there would be battles – Joshua could look back and say, “I know God called me.” If it had been his own bright idea doubts would set in. But it wasn’t his idea. It was God’s call on his life and he could always come back to that thought.

We too need to know what ministry God has called us to. That sense of call will strengthen us when it gets hard. It is a serious mistake to seek to be effective for God in an area to which He has not called us. There is no guarantee of God’s presence and God’s help if we are simply following our own bright ideas.

On the other hand, there is a promise of God’s help if we are obedient to the call on our lives. Where God calls He also enables. Notice how God gives Joshua an assurance with many promises. “I will give you this land. I will give you every place where you set your foot. Your territory will extend from the Euphrates to the Mediterranean. No one will be able to stand against you...”

And then perhaps the greatest assurance of all: v.5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you. In the same way that I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

That is a promise God has made to person after person and one that He makes to us. For example, in the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples and I will be with you to the very end of the age.” We can make disciples with the same assurance Joshua had: God has promised to be with us.

Then four times God says “Be strong and courageous.” (vv. 6, 7, twice in v.9) Presumably God had to keep saying it because Joshua didn’t feel particularly strong and courageous.

If you are not strong and courageous, does it do any good to be told to be strong and courageous? If you are worrying and don’t know how to stop, what good is it if someone tells you not to worry. You are worrying! That is the problem. It was not that Joshua had it in himself to be strong and courageous and he just had to pluck up the courage. He could be strong and courageous because of God – because of God’s call on his life; because of the promises God had given, but primarily because God had promised to be with him. The source of his strength and courage was not his own internal fortitude. The source was God.

We might be very afraid of what God is asking of us too. God doesn’t simply say, “Be brave.” He says, “I am with you. Therefore be brave.” It is about trusting God and because we trust Him, being strong and courageous. It is the bravery that comes from faith.

We see that very clearly in v.9. God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous, not afraid, not discouraged “for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” There is the reason. This is about trust; faith.

There is a condition, or a requirement. God isn’t making a blanket promise to always be with Joshua no matter what. No, there are times when God says “I won’t be with you.” When the Israelites listened to the negative reports of the ten spies and refused to enter the land, God pronounced a punishment on them: they would wander in the desert until no one of that generation remained alive (except Caleb and Joshua). Then the people said, “OK we will go in.” But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed! Do not go up because the Lord is not with you! You will be defeated by your enemies... Because you have turned away from the Lord, He will not be with you and you will fall by the sword.”

We cannot assume that God is with us. God is not with us if we choose to sin – which leads to the next thing God said to Joshua: Be careful to obey all the Law my servant, Moses, gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (v.8-9)

If Joshua is going to lead these people successfully, he must obey all of the Law, doing everything in it. There isn’t room for a partially committed person in ministry. There isn’t room for the person who is going to pick and choose what he/she will obey; who will let Jesus be partially Lord. God is looking for dedicated people who have made Jesus Lord of their lives and desire to do what is right at all times.

To obey God’s word, one must know God’s word. And, again, not know just a little of it; not know just the stories taught in Sunday school, but know God’s word and to have heard God speak through it.

God says to Joshua, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips.” On your lips? Joshua was to speak God’s word. As a leader, he was to take His leading from God and from God alone. Even as a leader, Joshua was to be a follower. He wasn’t to teach his own ideas and philosophy. It was the word of God that was to be constantly on his lips.

To be giving out the word of God, he had to be taking in the word of God and he had to understand it. Understanding comes from meditation. Meditation is simply focused thinking. Day and night, Joshua was to be thinking about God word. As we meditate, the Holy Spirit reveals understanding. The aim of meditating is obedience. God says here, “Meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

If you do aspire to have an impact for God and especially if you aspire to lead others, meditate on God’s word day and night. We live in an age when Christians spend far more time sitting in front of their TVs and computer screens and reading all sorts of other literature than they spend reading the word of God. Be a student of the word and you will end up head and shoulders ahead of your contemporaries. You will be the sort of person God chooses to use.

Joshua proved to be a great leader. He wasn’t perfect. He made mistakes, but he was, nevertheless, a great leader. Much of that greatness can be traced back to these verses. It was because he had been willing to serve his apprenticeship. It was because he had learnt from Moses. It was because the call of God was on his life and he determined to fulfil what God had called him to. It was because He had God’s promises. It was because He was a man of faith and a man of the word of God. He sought to know and do all that God had said, and he knew the presence of God.

At one stage God had said to the Israelites, “Go up and enter the Promised Land. I will send an angel but I will not go with you because you are a stiff-necked people.” (Ex 33:1-4)

Moses then said, “Lord, if you don’t go with us, don’t send us. What else would distinguish us from the other nations?” You see, the one thing that makes Christians different is the presence of God in our lives – the presence of the Holy Spirit. If you want to be effective: serve your apprenticeship; let God train you; know God’s call on your life and the promises that come with it; and let His word soak into you and come out again. And He has promised to be with you. If God is with us, there is nothing in the whole world that can prevent us being prosperous and successful in the things He is calling us to do. If God is for us, who can be against us?

03.10.10 - The Church has Power

2010-10-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

Alan Bennett

Slide 1 Isaiah 12 and John 7:37-39 Sunday Oct 3 2010

Introduction… last week we looked at history and future of the church. Today is the all important “secret” to any church having a future i.e. engine room, power, Holy Spirit and prayer.

Slide 2 Feast (Festival) of Tabernacles. On each of the 7 days one major part of the celebrations was when the Priest drew water from the Pool of Siloam and paraded it through the streets back to the Temple to the crowds singing along the way from Is.12:3 “With joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation”. At the temple it was poured over the alter (via a tube, as not the days when priest could enter)

Lots of explanations for this, thanks for rain, good crops etc.

(The Jerusalem Talmud c200 AD lets the cat out of the bag on this by recording, “Why is the name of it (this ceremony) called, the drawing out of water? Because of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, according to what is said, “With joy you shall draw waters out of the wells of salvation”.)

But on the “Great Day” Lev 23:36 day 8, this was not done. Hence the powerful significance of Jesus words about thirst, “If anyone is thirsty let them come to me”. Until now Jesus had not taught openly outside of the synagogue, nor is anything recorded of that teaching. He had only been answering questions and false statements. But now Jesus goes on the offensive. Now, at the culmination of the greatest feast of the Jewish calendar year He interprets the song of Isaiah in terms of the life He came to bring into his people and into his church.

Jesus takes the water symbolism and speaks of the living water he will pour out. V39 “By this he meant the Spirit.” The people are thinking of rain and their bodily needs past and future. He turns their attention to the deep needs of the soul and the way he would supply that need. In John 4 Jesus referred to the living water. But now, here we have His meaning, that living water is the Holy Spirit, the third all important person of the trinity

Slide 3 Now for some comments on the text of John 7:37-39…

“stood” as against normal practice of sitting when teaching. Recognize and remember. Emphasis importance of what is being said. (Perhaps especially for the out-of-town crowds they only had this one opportunity to hear Jesus and He knew it.)

“Loud voice” also v 28 “cried out” (no 500w amp and speakers) to be heard and with emotion. Jesus was passionate about what he said. (If it’s not worth saying don’t say it.)

“Come to me” and “believe in me” emphasis there is no other way to meet those needs. John 14:6 “I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life”. For 7 days water has been poured out and nothing has happened, nothing has changed, either in their lives or in the life of the temple where all that water has gone.

“Streams of living water will flow from within” continuous supply from God flowing into and out of the heart and life of every believer who is in touch with Jesus.

Through the first believers and the Holy Spirit empowered disciples, this then carries over into the growing church, as in Acts where we recognise the life and work of the Holy Spirit is best seen and has the greatest impact on the world. The Holy Spirit is to flow through us. As individuals this may be a small brook, creek or stream, but what Jesus intends is for RIVERS to flow. Rivers are formed by (first bogs and swamps!) brooks, creeks and streams coming together as a church river and flowing in the same direction down through the dry valleys and across the vast parched plains of a struggling, lost, “God-is-irrelevant” society such as NZ.

Slide 4 We can see this and take heart from many references in Acts e.g.

Acts 4:7-12. Here is the first Apostle of the early church, telling it as it is.. and forever should be….. (read) “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit….”

Acts 6:2-5 a necessary standard for ministry in the church for any age surely… (read) “known to be full of HS” i.e. already seen, already involved.

Acts 8 the Holy Spirit is given for power evangelism, both collective and personal evangelism. Also in directing the church’s outreach.

Acts 13 the Holy Spirit leads the church into missions, more power evangelism, with confrontation with sorcery and evil spirits.

Slide 5 We can see the power and influence of the Holy Spirit upon the church through the references in the letters to the early churches…e.g.

1 Cor. 2:9-11 “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things even the deep things of God. No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”

Gal. 5:22-25 “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. …. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Eph. 3:14-16 “I pray he may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being…..and I pray that you have power together with all the saints to grasp all the love of Christ”

Phil. 2:1-2 “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.”

1 Thess. 1:4-6 “the Gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction…..you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.”

Revelation Letters to all 7 churches ends with...”He who has an ear, let him hear what the Holy Spirit says to the churches.”

Slide 6 Conclusion…

So where does all this lead us to? How is the Holy Spirit at work here at Calvin? What is the Holy Spirit saying to us? Us members, leaders, the many programmes of Calvin, internal and external.

Our combined power in ministry and service can only be the sum total of the spiritual temperature of us as individuals.

Are we hearing, listening and acting on what the Spirit is saying?

Are we experiencing the joy given by the Spirit?

Are we fellowshipping in the Spirit?

Do we know the power of the Spirit in our lives?

Are the fruit of the Spirit evident?

I pray that all of us experience the Water of Life washing over us and through us in the week ahead.

BTW how are you going with your first words in the morning? Perhaps a good thermometer of all the above!

03.10.10 - The Master's Method

2010-10-04T21:24:00.000-07:00

I am of the view that Jesus is the master disciple-maker. I don’t believe anyone has improved on His strategy. In fact, some of the best training methods down through the centuries have simple copied Jesus. Apprentices were trained traditionally, using Jesus’ model. I have recently learnt a little about the training of knights. By-and-large, it used Jesus’ method. Because we are students of Jesus, let’s look at how Jesus made disciples and seek to imitate Him. Discovering His approach will be the key to being effective.

Well, it is pretty obvious, isn’t it? Disciple-making requires that we wear sandals and grow beards; we select 12 men and we live together, for three years, in Israel.

That might actually work. It did work for Jesus. However, they are not the essential components. There are other aspects that I think are essential. We might try to do it differently. We might want to cut some corners, but I think we will not see the results either. It pays to study the Master and to imitate Him.

The first thing we learn from Jesus is that disciple-making is relational. We would prefer to achieve it using programmes. The typical method for what is called “discipling” is a short, maybe 6-week, course for new Christians in which they learn the basics about Christianity and Christian living. It wouldn’t be unknown for new Christians to be given material to work through all by themselves, meaning no relationship, and growth as a disciple being seen as acquiring a certain amount of basic knowledge.

Jesus commands us to teach them to obey everything He has commanded and that can’t be done in six weeks. But besides that, Jesus modelled relationships, not programmes.

Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” We learn from each others. We learn in community. We learn as we listen to other people and watch them. We learn when things go wrong and we have to apologise or patch up a relationship. We learn by doing things together.

On Thursday I mentioned Mark 3:14 which says that Jesus appointed twelve that they might be with Him. That was the key to discipling – being with Jesus. They listened to Him, they watched Him, they ate with Him and did the dished with Him and journeyed with Him and asked questions and grappled with His questions. They saw Jesus teaching and healing and dealing with opposition and getting discouraged and befriending outcasts. They learnt massive amounts just by watching Jesus.

In Acts 4:13, when the rulers and elders and teachers of the law put Peter and John on trial, we read...

Acts 4:13
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

What had turned these unschooled men into courageous healers and preachers? They had been with Jesus.

Discipleship is caught more than taught. Jesus’ method is relational.

Secondly, Jesus was very intentional. We talked about this on Thursday. Remember when Jesus called the first disciples, He said, “I will make you fishers of men.” And Mark 3:14 tells us that Jesus chose the twelve to be with Him that He might send them out (to preach and to cast out demons). He started the process with the end in mind. He knew what His objective was. It was to make missionaries.

From that point on, Jesus was very intentional about growing those men and readying them. We see His purposefulness in the strategic way He went about it.

John 17 contains Jesus’ prayer, prayed at the Last Supper. He prayed for these 11 men who had been with Him. It is fascinating because Jesus said to God that He had finished the work He had given Him to do. He had not yet gone to the cross so we might wonder how He can say he has finished His work. The general explanation is that Jesus is speaking as if the cross was behind Him but maybe the context suggests He was talking about a work that He had finished. This section of the prayer is all about His input into the lives of His disciples.

READ John 17:1-19.

I have revealed you to them. V.6
They have obeyed your word, v.6
Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. V.7
I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. V.8
They know with certainty that I came from you. V.8
I pray for them. V.9
Glory will come to me through them. V.10
They will be in the world. V.11
I protected them. None has been lost (except Judas). V.12
I have given them your word. V.14
They are not of the world, just as I am not. V.16
Sanctify them by the truth. Your word is truth. V.17
As you have sent me into the world, I have sent them. V.18
I sanctified myself that they might be truly sanctified, v.19

Jesus prayed, “Father, I have invested in these men just as You asked me to and I have completed that task. They now believe.” Four times Jesus refers to the word. I have given them your word. They have believed your word. Sanctify them by your word. The word of God must be central to our disciple-making. “I have protected them. I have prayed for them. And now they are ready to be sent into the world.” Maybe the work that Jesus had completed was the work of making disciples who were now ready to be sent into the world. Jesus’ prayer was about having completed that task.

Yes, this is a prayer for unity but it is also Jesus still thinking and acting and praying as a disciple-maker.

You will remember too that Jesus then, in John 17, prays for those who would believe in Him through the message of the apostles. In fact, Jesus starts the prayer by praying about Himself, then his disciples, then his disciples’ disciples. There are three generations in view in this prayer. In fact, there are multiple generations because Jesus intended that this process would continue. Every succeeding generation has come to believe because of the message of the eleven, passed on from one generation to the next.

This prayer not only demonstrates the intentionality but, again, how relational it was. I have revealed You. It is not just that Jesus has passed on theoretical concepts. In His own person, He had revealed God. They had walked with God. I have given them your word. I pray for them. I have protected them.

Besides anything else, just seeing how intensely Jesus prays for His disciples shows His love for them, His desire that they be effective in the world and His focus on preparing these disciples for ministry.

Jesus’ disciple-making was relational and intentional. It was also focused on a small group. Jesus obviously did have a mass ministry but it was focused much more on just twelve men.

Jesus chose to go for quality rather than quality. He could have had hundreds of so-called followers, partially trained. Instead he opted for 12 who would be highly trained; twelve who had observed Him in all manner of situations and who had heard Him at length and who had been given ministry opportunities and had had the chance to de-brief with Jesus afterwards.

It seems like a huge risk to rely on eleven men who had not shown great promise and had quite often frustrated Jesus with their slowness. But actually quality produces quantity. Quality disciples will make more disciples. And the biblical principle is multiplication which very quickly produces quantity. Could the crowds have been relied on to make more disciples? Absolutely not. But these men had been trained.

Disciple-making is about depth not breadth. Disciple-making producing quality followers of Jesus. Quality followers will soon make more.

Jesus also led the disciples through growth stages. Different scholars and authors describe those stages differently. It is possible to use a human analogy and talk about birth and infancy and childhood, youth, adulthood, with the goal of full maturity. When we raise children we know what stage they are at and we treat them accordingly. We don’t send six year olds to university. We treat six year olds as six year olds but always wanting to see growth. Similarly, in growing Christians, we need to know what stage they are at and what input or training is appropriate. We don’t want to assume new Christians are mature and we don’t want to try to re-convert mature Christians.

READ Hebrews 5:11-6:3.

The writer knew that his readers should be teachers but actually were still babies needing milk not solid food. There shouldn’t have been the need to repeat basic teaching but, in fact, they did need to. It is just wrong and frustrating that these people haven’t grown and aren’t teaching. Should the people in our churches be teachers by now? Are they?

Jesus was sometimes frustrated that the disciples were so slow. He knew what they should have understood and what they should have been able to do but He also knew where they were actually at.

Can I suggest one way of describing the stages of a Christian’s growth?

The come and see stage. In John 1 in particular, there is a theme of “come and see”. It seems that Jesus simply invited people to go with Him and observe. There is no commitment involved. They possible went back to their fishing in between but they had opportunities to watch.

But then came the “follow me” stage. Jesus walked along the lake front and challenged Peter and Andrew, James and John to follow Him. Now a commitment was required. Would they or would they not? “You have seen me in action. Will you follow me?”

Some time later Jesus invited twelve of them to be with Him. The “be with me” stage is about much more focused one-on-one time with Jesus. The twelve were selected for more individual attention and more focused training.

As part of that, they were given practical ministry assignments. When the crowd of 5000 men plus women and children was hungry, Jesus said, “You feed them.” That was a test. What would they do? Given what they were learning about Jesus, what should they have done? They didn’t have a clue what to do. They had no expectation of a miracle. Jesus had to take over but even then He gave the bread and fish to the disciples to distribute to the crowd. The disciples had to take a step of faith and take those meagre portions to the crowd not knowing what would happen or whether they would simply look silly.

Jesus got them involved. He sent them out to preach the good news of the kingdom, heal the sick, cast out demons and raise the dead, long before we would probably think they were ready. Then they came back and reflected with Him on the experience.

Part of the “Be with me” stage was a “you do it” stage. Practical ministry under supervision.

Ultimately there was the “Go” stage when they graduated and were commissioned to make disciples themselves. Whereas they had so often been so inept, they got to the point where Jesus trusted them to go solo. He would no longer be with them. They would still require the empowering of the Holy Spirit but, with that one proviso (and it is interesting that Jesus emphasised in all of the versions of the Great Commission that they would need the Holy Spirit and that they should not try to minister until they had received the Holy Spirit) with that one proviso, they were ready. They had been trained. They knew what to do. They had seen Jesus do it. They could graduate. They could be commissioned.

Very obviously Jesus gave the disciples large amounts of time. He modelled what He wanted to see in them and urged them to imitate Him. He taught. He questioned. He gave them authority. He rebuked. He did all sorts of things – more than we can cover today.

Are those essential? Can we make disciples without investing time? Can we do it properly without significant relationships? Can we do it without setting an example for others to follow? Can we do it if our example doesn’t match our words?

I think they are essential. I don’t think anyone has yet improved on Jesus but here we have a problem. Doing it Jesus’ way is hard – maybe too hard. I have found that people react against making disciples if it requires time and relationships and modelling what we want to see in others. We would rather use programmes. Relationships are time consuming and messy. Relationships have the potential to be painful and disappointing. We are not even sure that we can have relationships that are good enough to sustain intentional growth. It suggests a depth of relationship that frightens us. We don’t have time to invest in people. Let’s find another method that doesn’t require copious time.

It seems impertinent to talk about someone’s growth stage. It is something you simply don’t talk about. We would never suggest that someone was immature.

We also squirm at the idea of a mentoring relationship that implies that the mentor is more mature than the disciple. We don’t like any suggestion that one person might be more mature than another.

There’s lots about Jesus’ approach that we don’t like. But what are our results like compared with His? We have not yet discovered a more effective way than the one Jesus modelled for us.

Many of us have never been intentionally discipled. We haven’t experienced it and so we fear we don’t know how to do it. It hasn’t been modelled for us because no one took this interest in us.

True, but it has been modelled by Jesus. Yes, we are at a disadvantage. We are asked to do something that we haven’t experienced. It is like asking people who didn’t have good parents to be good parents. But we can learn from Jesus. We can start a new cycle of making disciple-making disciples. It will take commitment. It will take real disciples – disciples utterly committed to Jesus – to do it.

How did Jesus do it? How we can implement whatever He did in our context?

Can we, as individuals, have time to have relationships with just a few people because we want to invest in them?

Most of our churches have established relationships for pastoral care. We allocate certain people to care for other people. We do it for people’s wellbeing. Could we do it for people’s growth? If we have some growing, committed Christians could we match them to some people who are eager to grow and ask them to spend time together each week or each fortnight?

If they are not sure what to do, there are resources that they can work through together. Just that would pick up several aspects of what Jesus modelled: the intentionality, the relational nature, the investment of time, the mentoring.

Learning from the Master is a bit daunting. Jesus’ methods are radical. We struggle with them. But they also make it possible. We don’t have to make up a method of making disciples. Jesus models the best possible method. We just need to be willing to learn from Him and then figure out how we can apply the principles in our setting.

It will always remain challenging. Investing in people with this level of intentionality; deciding to make followers of Christ who will lay down their lives for Him is radical. It will attract criticism and it will have its disappointments but it is also the one thing worth doing. There is nothing more worth devoting our lives to than making disciples of Jesus Christ – real disciples of Jesus Christ – committed disciples of Jesus Christ – mature, trained disciples of Jesus Christ who will also make disciples of Jesus Christ.

30.09.10 - Between Conversion and Commissioning

2010-10-04T20:23:00.000-07:00

John Ortberg tells the story of Denny. Denny was in John’s church. He had attended church his whole life but was not happy man. He was perpetually negative. Everyone expected him to be negative and his face showed it. When John Ortberg tried to introduce some contemporary music into the church service – nothing radical, just more contemporary music - Denny began complaining that the music was too loud.

John tried to explain to him that the church wanted to reach people in the community who didn’t know Jesus and wanted to remove one of the cultural barriers that stopped people coming into the church. Denny just responded, “The music is too loud.” He was just a grumpy man.

Then he started talking to other staff, the ushers, even strangers in the foyer saying, “Don’t you think the music is too loud?” The staff realised they had to deal with it and thought they had, until, one day, an official from the equivalent of OSH turned up because of a noise complaint against the church. The OSH man felt embarrassed about busting a church. They laughed about it. It came to nothing.

But who had filed the complaint? Denny, of course.

John Ortberg’s observation on the entire affair is telling. He says, “Denny is not changing. He is a cranky guy. He has been cranky his whole life. Not just about the church – he does not effectively know how to love his wife, his children cannot relate to him and he has no joy. He’s been going to church his whole life – sixty years. And nobody is surprised. Nobody in the church is surprised that he stays cranky year after year. No one is particularly bothered by it. It is as if we expect it – that’s just Denny. Nobody is expecting him to be more like Jesus year after year.”

My guess is that most of us have people like Denny in our churches. Or people who display other signs of bad behaviour. We just accept that that is how people are. But that is not what Jesus intended.

I am really sorry if this is kindergarten stuff for you but I fear at times that we have lost sight of our primary calling. To put it bluntly, I think we have largely forgotten what Jesus intended.

Each of the four gospels finishes with the Great Commission. Let’s hear them all.

Matt 28:16-20
16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Mark 16:15-16
15He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Luke 24:46-49
46He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

John 20:21-23
21Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 22And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

Each of the gospels concludes with this commissioning of His followers. We have to conclude that this is important. As Jesus’ mission ended, He defined the mission of His followers. This is our mission.

The story of the early church in Acts begins with the Great Commission.

Acts 1:8
... you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

In Acts we see the church doing what it had been commanded by Jesus to do – making disciples.

If it wasn’t enough that each of the gospels ends with this charge to mission and the story of the early church starts with it, Jesus was equally clear about it when He began His ministry of making disciples.

Matt 4:18-22
18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of people." 20At once they left their nets and followed him.

21Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

When He began His ministry and called these men, Jesus was very clear about what the end result would be: I will make you fishers of people. What were they to become? Evangelists and disciple-makers.

Again, when He chose the Twelve,
Mark 3:13-15
13Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15and to have authority to drive out demons.

He appointed them “to be with Him... that He might send them out.” The intention from the beginning was to send them out. He was about making missionaries.

When people join our churches, do we say, “It is great to have you as part of our church. You know, our purpose is to make missionaries. You become part of us; we will train you to be sent out”? It might be debatable when the Twelve were converted but if we see their agreeing to follow Jesus as their conversion, then at the point of their conversion, Jesus was already talking about their commissioning. Those two events are watershed events in a Christian’s life: conversion and commissioning. For Jesus, at the point of conversion, the intention is commissioning. What happens between conversion and commissioning?

These five versions of the Great Commission are all a bit different but if we consider them all together, there is one single thrust: It is all about preaching the gospel of forgiveness to all nations in the power of the Holy Spirit and then training the converts to follow Jesus.

Matthew calls that “making disciples”. We have heard the Matthew passage preached on dozens of times. One problem is that that is often in the context of a missions service. It is about what happens overseas.

In the Commission there are four verbs: Go, make disciples, baptise and teach to obey. Grammatically, one is the main verb and the other three are participles, or supporting verbs.

When I ask people which they think is the main verb, the answer is often “Go”. That is what we hear preached. In fact, “go” is not the main verb. The main verb is “make disciples”. That is not about what is done overseas. That is our mission. Our mission is to make disciples. The participles tell us how to do it.

We are to make disciples by going, which means getting off our backsides and out of our comfort zones, taking the initiative to go to people. Literally, “go” means “as you go”. In other words, as we go through life, in all we do, we are to make disciples.

We are to make disciples by baptising them which is about bringing them to faith. The first phase is evangelism. It means sharing the good news of Jesus, seeing people converted and celebrating that new faith through baptism. The first half of the Great Commission is about conversion. If we are going to do what we have been commissioned to do, we have to be very intentional about seeking conversions – people coming to a faith in Jesus Christ.

But Jesus didn’t stop there. We are to make disciples by teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded. The disciple-making process doesn’t stop when someone is converted. Jesus talked about then intentionally training Christians to obey all of Jesus’ teaching. He didn’t say, “Teach them everything I have commanded.” He said, “Teach them to obey everything I have commanded.”

What would that look like? Can you imagine whole churches of people actively learning to obeying everything Jesus commanded? They would love God with all their hearts, souls, minds and strength. They would love each other. Imagine if we had lots of people who knew how to turn the other cheek.

The reality is often that we have churches full of Dennys; people who are self-centred, when Jesus said we can’t even be disciples without dying to ourselves. People who are still spiritual babies.

This is what happens between conversion and commissioning: coaching.

In the Great Commission, Jesus command conversion then coaching. Bringing people to faith in Jesus Christ then bringing people to maturity in Jesus Christ. This is our mission.

Of course, if disciples are to obey everything Jesus commanded, that includes this command to make disciples. And so disciples are to become disciple-makers. It is a cyclic process analogous to parents who raise children to become parents who can raise children. Or, the master craftsman who trains an apprentice to the point where he/she can become a master and train another generation of apprentices. Disciples are to be coached to be disciple makers. The sequence is conversion, coaching, commissioning.

For the apostles, that was exactly how it was. They were called to follow, then they were trained, then they were commissioned. The disciples became disciple-makers.

That is why our theme doesn’t simply talk about making disciples. It talks about making disciple-making disciples: growing people to the point where they make disciples.

Think about those three words: conversion, coaching, commissioning. Is your church intentional about each of them? How focused is your church on evangelism? What strategies does your church have in place for coaching; for training people to obey everything Jesus commanded? At the point of conversion are you already talking about commissioning? It is about training people for ministry. The gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher are given “to equip God’s people for works of service”. The objective is followers of Christ who are converted, then coached, then commissioned. That is what happened in the New Testament. That is what disciple-making is all about. That is our mission.

I remember the first two sentences in my first third form Latin text book: Discipuli picturam spectate. Britannia insula est. Pupils, look at the picture. Britain is an island.

The English word “disciple” is derived from that Latin word “discipulus” (plural, discipuli). It simply means a pupil, a student. It translates the New Testament Greek word “mathetes” which also means a pupil or a student - except that, in the New Testament, disciples are always disciples of someone. John the Baptist had disciples; the Pharisees; rabbis; Jesus. The philosophy was not so much that the disciple learned facts from the teacher but that the disciple became like the teacher. It was not about information but about imitation. It was about gaining knowledge, yes, but also about developing skills and growing in character – to become like the teacher.

In Matthew 10:24 Jesus said, “The disciple is not above his teacher, nor the servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.”

The goal was for the disciple to become like his teacher. The disciple was not just a student but a follower. We should recognise that word. Jesus called people to follow Him. The follower is someone who attaches himself/herself to a particular leader wanting to be like that leader. It is that “being like Jesus” that he summed up in the words “obeying everything I have commanded.” Living like Jesus; thinking like Jesus; doing what Jesus did; having the mind of Christ; having the character of Christ.

This is our mission: making followers of Jesus, or students of Jesus, who are becoming like Jesus.

Jesus set the discipleship bar very high. He said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24) There were no exceptions. Anyone who would come after Jesus must lay down his/her life. We should say the same to people who want to join our churches.

In Luke 14:25-27 we are told, “Large crowds were travelling with Jesus, and turning to them 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. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

There is no discipleship without that. People who don’t do these things cannot be disciples. We have drifted a long way from that sort of aspiration; that sort of self-denying followership. We are meant to be making disciples love Jesus above everything, including their own families and even their own lives. We are not doing it. The best thing we can do for our towns and cities and country is produce citizens who are increasingly like Jesus. Just imagine what our communities would be like. This is our mission.

It is a huge ask and yet Jesus said, “I will make you fishers of people.” He is still in the business of making missionaries. He can do in people’s lives what we can’t. He doesn’t expect instant maturity. The Twelve were frustratingly slow to grow, and yet those men became world-changers. Jesus did make them fishers of people. A disciple is a student, a learner; not instantly perfect but a student of Jesus Christ and becoming like Him.

My prayer is that we will be convicted that this is what we are called to. I pray that we might know beyond all doubt that it can be done. God is still in the business of making disciple-making disciples. This is on His heart. If we say yes to being disciples who make disciples, God will enable us for that. He will be so excited that we are doing what we have been commissioned to do. That church will grow. That’s my prophecy because you know what? Jesus said, “Go, make disciples, baptising them and teaching them to obey... and surely I will be with you to the very end of the age.” Do this and I will be with you.

Apart from His sacrificial work on the cross, the most significant thing our Lord did upon earth was to make disciples. He relied on having 11 trained disciples. It was the basis for the spread of His movement. The scary thing is that disciple-making is still the basis for the spread of His movement.

Some have said the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand is in terminal decline. But what if we listened to Jesus’ last words and we said “Yes, Lord”? What if we committed ourselves to seeing people converted, then coached and then commissioned? Might we see a miracle? Might we experience God’s blessing?

26.09.10 - The Church Has A Future

2010-09-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

Alan Bennett

1Peter 2:1-12

Song on CD – “Living stones in the house of God” (firm of faith, alive in the Spirit)

These “living stones” are the major tool in God’s overall plan to unite all things in Jesus Christ his Son. The church is the temple or body of people who God has been forming and through which he has been acting down through the ages. It has roots that go back to the OT It’s mission stretches forward into all remaining history and into eternity.

That story is the churches historical dimension. Much has been recorded and written and postulated. Sadly the church in history and even today has partly lost or ignored that mission.

Slide 2. “Shut in upon itself, the great concern of the Christian community is to preserve it’s immunity and safeguard it’s existence” (Abbe Godin)

But this space-time world is really part of a larger spiritual realm in which God reigns. Jesus spoke often of the “kingdom of God” or “The Kingdom of Heaven” being among us. The church is the body given to Christ through his redemptive work on the cross and glorious resurrection. God has chosen to put the church with Christ at the very centre of his plan to reconcile the world to himself. This is where you and I come in, the living stone members of His body, chosen by God for our time and empowered by His Spirit, the Holy Spirit of power and authority to carry on in the world the work of the Kingdom which Jesus began.

We don’t need to be reminded that we follow in the train of those 12 original insecure ordinary men who having spent 3 years with Jesus almost blew it, almost that is until the anointing came upon them at Pentecost. Ever-since the Holy Spirit has empowered ordinary men and women in every age to do exploits in His name. And so, now it is our turn. Are we ready? (pause for response) Do we know what we are to do ?

Slide 3 “ The church is a mixed society. It is not a community of saints and dedicated persons but a society of sinners at every variety of spiritual development” (Max Warren)

“The church’s task is not to save itself – Christ has already done that. It is rather to give itself in love and service- in fact to die for the world”. (Tullip Vinay)

I put it to you this morning that our mandate for being church is no different from what Jesus set Himself to do when he elaborated on the Kingdom of God by reading out loud in the synagogue in Nazareth quoting from Is. 6 as recorded in Luke 4…

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me…”

To preach good news to the poor ie those without hope. “I am the way etc”

To proclaim freedom for the prisoners -- actual, in mind, disability, abuse, poverty

To give recovery of sight to the blind literal, all sickness, spiritual, ignorant, arrogant

To release the oppressed -- injustice, satanic bound, drugs, marginalized

To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour --actual God’s love, blessing, revival, recovery

This then is the churches mandate or mission for now and into the future. Jesus himself set this in motion. How well we act on this in both quality and quantity as a church today will determine the size and scope of the church tomorrow. I believe it will also determine the quality and quantity of our life as a nation. Church history is a record of the measure of God’s blessing upon the nations that have followed and adhered to and upheld the Gospel call. Let’s be selfish for a moment. If you and I want an ideal environment for our children and grandchildren to the 3-4 generation then we need to act now.

Slide 4 “ While women weep as they do now, I’ll fight; while little children go hungry, I’ll fight; while men go to prison as they do now, in and out, in and out, I’ll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, where there remains one dark soul without the light of God – I’ll fight. I’ll fight to the very end”. (General Booth) don’t you love that?! Echoed by Winston Churchill perhaps!?

But we don’t act out of a selfish motive Ultimately it does not rest with either a future national or labour government or an MMP mix of major and minor parties.. God has chosen His church, you and me, as individuals with Holy Spirit gifts to act together as His church to these ends. And because Jesus has redeemed his church for this very purpose, the church will be victorious, His Kingdom will come. – Amen, !! Hallelujah !!

You see, as good Presbyterians we must go along with the sovereignty of God and the way the most insecure and blunt of those original 12, Peter, recorded his understanding of the church in the passage read.- 1 Peter 2:9-12

You are a chosen people You are a royal priesthood You are a holy nation

You are a people belonging to God….. These are the 4 links that bind us to the body of Christ, that keep us worshipping our sovereign God and His work of redemption.

Slide 5 “Once a man is united to God how could he not live forever? Once a man is separated from God, what can he do but wither and die?” (CS Lewis)

“You are a people taken out of darkness, now in the light of God. You had no mercy but now you have received mercy You are aliens, strangers in this world.” …. These are the 3 big changes that have taken place in those who have come to know Christ.

1. Gentile pagans who knew not God – now with a new life in God.

2. Lived to themselves, selfish, oblivious of others needs, now having tasted.

3. Now no status in the world. Scary perhaps!, not conforming. Worldly standards “war against the soul” the spiritual battle behind so many behavioural issues.

Therefore abstain from sin, live good lives, look for God’s visitation. These are the 3 big commands the Bible leaves us to follow through on today and everyday while we have breath. “That they may see” better – “that they may gain insight”

Slide 6 “We shall rest and we shall see, we shall see and we shall love, we shall love and we shall pray, in the end which is no end”. (Augustine of Hippo)

“God’s visitation” can come at any time.

1. The final judgment. 4:7
2. Christians suffering more 4:17
3. Revival comes through preaching 4:6

All 3 are true and relevant for us today. The final judgment of this world is certain. Christians here and around the world are suffering, often with their lives. . By prayer, and preaching the Good News, the Holy Spirit will come before this, because God is still calling people to repentance and faith. Yes, the church has a future as long as the Word is proclaimed and we are open and prepared for more of His Spirit.

Conclusion… I want to back track a little in closing. There may be someone here this morning who has NOT yet “tasted that the Lord is good” There may be someone here this morning who is still in darkness is not part of this church, this ministry we have been talking about. You need to come to our head stone, our corner stone, the one who has given us a reason for life today and a hope for a sure tomorrow. I want to invite you in a few minutes to join with a church member at the back of the auditorium for prayer and further explanation of how to know Jesus as your Saviour to.

Prayer. And Benediction

19.09.10 - What Is The Church?

2010-09-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

Pastor Alan Bennett

READ Eph. 5: 15-33

No, I’m not starting a campaign for better husbands and wives and parenting, though that may come in a later message. But looking into some of the foundational reasons for church, this unique body that has continued to grow and expand around the world for 2000 years and no secular power or authority has been able to fully understand it, stop it or destroy it.

Averil and I went to Thailand in 1967 to plant not build churches in the central provinces that were the least evangelized of the land. Yes, churches are planted and subsequently grow primarily as an organism. Churches are not built from a blue-print and then left to be occupied and maintained as an organization, although the Southern Baptists from USA did this for a time in Thailand. In Matt 16 Jesus did say, “I will build my church and the powers of death will not overcome it”. But here the building is not brick and mortar but on the confession of faith by Peter, that Holy Spirit inspired, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God”. This is the same question put by Jesus that we must all answer, “Who do you say I am”? Ultimately then we see that churches are a matter of a relationship, first in coming to know Jesus personally and then that same relationship spreading through our human networks. (illus Anchalee Jongkakeekit, Thai pop singer)

That’s why this passage in Ephesians is so relevant to our understanding of church. It links the “mystery” of a husband and wife relationship and subsequent family relationship, to the God initiated and inspired relationship between Christ and His church and His people, the body of Christ.

So how does a church get started? Like most things in this world it starts with a birth, a birth of at least one, though sometimes twins come along (eg lambing) Through evangelism The Holy Spirit comes upon a life and that life is “born again” (Jn 3). Later, more come to faith in Jesus through the same new-birth experience and so a family is formed. There is no limit to this family size. (illus all 4 of ours born in April 4+4 =8 )

The church then grows through relationships forming within this unit, which we call “the local church”, being the equivalent of a normal natural family, made up of sons and daughters, brothers and sisters living and loving one another under the same roof, each with a sure personal allegiance to the parent, Jesus himself. Ref Acts 8:1, 12:1 , .

In time, when we see this happening in many places over many years, perhaps decades at times, the extended family emerges. Church communities come together because of mutual respect, understanding and a desire to work together; sometimes the start of a denomination. In Thailand many recent new churches have begun through Aunts and Uncles believing.

The Christian Faith should then go on and make a positive impact on it’s neighbourhood and society just as the name of a well respected citizen and extended family can do. Eg who’s who list (ref Southland phone book or Calvin membership! )

From the change the Christian Faith can have on society, the good news will spread and be noticed at national level. (illus the vision of Watoto, at present 1,900 children, goal 10,000 in Uganda, 2 million across Africa. Some doctors, lawyers, teachers, nurses and at least one President ! )

(4 years ago the then PM of Thailand said in a speech on national TV, “I wish all Thai people would live like the Christians live in helping one another) Praise God he saw a difference somewhere in his travels and spoke it out as “good news” In this regard I am sure we had a glimpse of the still present Christian ethic at work in Christchurch last week with so many people and groups sacrificially caring for one another, / contrasted with a few who sadly exploited the situation to their own ends.

Let’s look more closely for a moment at what makes a church in our passage in Ephesians 5 …

Christ is the head of this organism, this family, this community this body v23 not the moderator or pastor! Jesus is at the helm

Christ is its saviour. V23 He bought it at the price of His blood, His death. He now lives as an advocate for the church. Do we consult Him regularly?

Christ loves the church v25, and He wants it to be holy and pure, just as wives want their husbands to be and vice versa. Outside influences and unchallenged standards as seen on TV are not for this family the church. The church has a unique right to model true love in this world and protect His assets. How dare we fail our Lord at this point!

Christ wants His church to be radiant and blameless v27, alive with head held high. Sadly this is one area the church is vulnerable to attack, especially by the media frenzy. We have all heard it said, “ Church is boring, it’s dead and/or the church is full of hypocrites and sex offenders. “ Can we still hold our heads up high? I believe at Calvin, by God’s grace , we can and we will. Only in this way can we be different from any service club down the road.

Christ feeds and cares for His church. V29 We are fed by reading our Bibles at home and when meeting as church or in any church ministry. We must be people of the Book. Are we? We are cared for by the Holy Spirit who as promised is in the life of every believer. But do we experience his care, his comfort, his counseling? Do we listen to the Spirit as well as pray our requests?

“The profound mystery” v31-32 Christ has bound himself to the church to the point that we become one with Him, knowing and doing his will. It is all about constant open two way communications (illus. the party game with husbands and wives asked same questions)

More seriously, we all struggle with prayer. The first disciples did and to their credit they admitted as much and asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray” Look at the result of their admission – the Lord’s prayer. It has been a model for the church ever-since, not to be chanted only, but as a form for us to insert our lives, our longings our doubts our anxieties, our praise and worship into. The more we pray, commune with Jesus, the closer we are to “being one” with him and perhaps unraveling this mystery or at least taking the profound out of it.!

Yes, the church is a relationship, an organism pulsating with life and vitality. Calvin has experienced this and will go on doing so, so long as the cycle of birth and rebirth in the Spirit is with us. Let us grow and guard our homes our families, our love for Jesus and His church, maintaining the purity of the Faith for His names sake. Amen.

12.09.10 - Spreading Confidence In God

2010-09-11T18:33:00.000-07:00

For the last two weeks we have started from a passage in Jeremiah 17 in which Jeremiah says, “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.”

That message isn’t restricted to Jeremiah. That is one of the most basic truths in the entire Bible. Those who have faith in God are blessed. Jeremiah contrasts it with trusting in people or trusting in our own strength. Trusting in God. Having confidence in God.

Last week I talked about growing confidence in God: how we can grow in faith. This week I want to talk about spreading confidence in God. We want other people to be blessed (I hope) and so we want others to trust in the Lord. Love for people must mean that we want them to come to faith in Jesus and be blessed.

I suggested last week that our trust is dependent on our past experience or other people’s past experience. Should I trust aeroplanes? If my past experience of aeroplanes is frightening then I won’t trust aeroplanes. If I hear stories from other people of frightening plane rides then I also won’t trust them. Conversely, of course, if my experience or what others tell me is positive, then I am much more likely to trust them.

Except that we also tend to not trust what we don’t understand. If I have inaccurate information about aeroplanes then I might mistrust them or if I have inadequate information. That would be true of anything. My past experience of dogs and other people’s past experiences of dogs – for example, news media stories of children being savaged by dogs – will affect whether or not I trust dogs. But some of my information might be inaccurate or maybe my view would change if I had more information.

So let’s apply that to how we can encourage people to trust in God, starting at the bottom.

Most people in our society simply don’t know much about God. It used to be that most people at least knew the basic Bible stories and were familiar with a good part of what the church teaches. But today we cannot assume that.

How can we encourage faith? Clearly there is a need for people to tell them. The first need is for some information. If we tell a story about someone at church being healed, that might be radical new information for some of our friends. They simply don’t know about a God who heals. Or if someone is facing some struggle, you might simply say that you are willing to pray. The idea of a God you can talk to and who answers prayer might be new information. People are largely ignorant. A first step is to reduce the ignorance. Tell them.

There is also the question of the quality of the information people have. People have very strange ideas about God such as that He is a killjoy just waiting to catch us having fun and punish us for it. Countering the misinformation might be as simple as having fun and letting people see that Christians can be happy.

I don’t want to say much about the quality and quantity of the information except to say that if lack of information or lack of reliable information is keeping people from trusting God and from knowing His blessings then we can change that by being willing to talk. Clearly God wants us to talk.

Paul, in Romans 10, talks about people simply not knowing.

Romans 10:14-15 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

How can they believe if no one tells them? Sometimes all that is required is some information. We often assume that people don’t want to hear but “how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.” That is not really about how attractive your feet are. It is about how much people appreciate the person who brings good news. “It is a beautiful thing that you bothered to come and tell me.” They are grateful for good news. All you are doing is offering them something good; a blessing. They will be eternally grateful for that.

If the quality of the information is an issue, tell them the truth. Clarify misunderstandings.

But let’s move on. Sometimes people just need to be told and they will believe but often people’s trust in God will be affected by other people’s experiences of God. We are those other people. Our experiences of God can help people have confidence in Him. In fact, our experiences can have incredible power.

I think there are three steps here. I want to start with the least effective and work towards the most effective but even the least effective can be incredibly powerful.

The first step is us simply living as Christians – as people who have been transformed by Jesus. It is not about us saying anything or people directly experiencing God. It is about people experiencing God’s people. It is about our lifestyle – a lifestyle that is different because of Jesus. A life transformed by Jesus can speak powerfully.

What would be on that step? Our fellowship; our love for one another. When people can see Christians caring for one another like in the early church where, as we read again recently, they sold their land and possessions so as to give to the poor, that is different from society at large and that speaks volumes.

John 13:34-35 34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Loving one another; the strength of our commitment to one another, is a powerful witness. People will know we are disciples of Jesus when they see that.

On that step we could also put serving and caring, in other words, not just our caring for one another but our caring for them. Meeting physical and practical needs. Befriending.

Jesus demonstrated this. He stopped to talk to Zacchaeus to whom no one else would talk and then went and shared a meal with him. Zacchaeus was transformed by that act of love, and repented. Jesus became infamous for being a friend of tax collectors and sinners. And they came to faith in God as a result.

In these instances, people aren’t experiencing God. They are experiencing God’s people. It is the lowest step but when God’s people are transformed people, that experience can be powerful.

The second step is more powerful. Good deeds are good but they often need words as well. A transformed life might raise lots of questions but people need more than questions. They need answers. Why do you behave like this? Why do you love me? Why did you forgive me when I hurt you?

Remember, Paul, in Romans 10 said, “How can they know unless someone tells them?”

1 Peter 3:15 ...Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...

People see that you have hope. They see that you are different. Be ready to say why.

So the next step is being willing to talk about our experience of God. “I was able to forgive you because God forgave me.” What might we put on that step? Testimonies; our stories of what God has done for us. And those stories can just be part of a conversation.

We know testimonies are powerful, don’t we? When they are honest stories of what God has done for us, people can identify with our situation and can be blown away by hearing what God did.

I think there is an even more powerful step. What if people not only heard about our experiences of God but witnessed them? What if you had a friend whom you took to your small group and the group prayed for something and that prayer was answered? What of someone came to church and saw a healing taking place? Or saw someone repent in tears and find forgiveness? Isn’t seeing it even more powerful than hearing about it second hand?

That happened during Jesus’ ministry. People saw God-things happen and they were amazed and some chose to follow. At Pentecost, people heard the apostles speaking in tongues. People saw the lame man at the Temple healed by Peter and John. They didn’t experience God but they witnessed someone else experience God. Both occasions were followed by preaching. They still needed to hear. The sign opened the door for the message. Now more trusting, they probably did experience God in the preaching.

Jesus said to the first enquirers, “Come and see.” I am convinced there is huge value in that and we need to think more about what that means for us. What if we said, “Come and see”? What if we invited people to come with us and see what God was doing – maybe just see how people love each other or see that Christians can have more fun without alcohol than other have with it, or see miracles taking place? How powerful might that be?

The fourth step is when people experience God themselves. The crowd at the temple witnessed someone else experience of God, but the lame man experienced God personally. How powerful has that got to be? Jesus healed and forgave and delivered from demons. This is what is called “power evangelism” – people coming to know God through some experience of His power. We hear stories of Muslim having visions of Jesus and being converted. Someone might pick up a Bible in a hotel room and hear God speak personally. All of these things are non-Christians experiencing God.

People can come to faith in God at any point. They don’t have to get to the top step. They can simply hear and believe. The steps simply indicate increasing power. On the bottom step there is no God; just God’s people. The second step involves hearing about God. The third, witnessing God. The fourth, experiencing God. But they are all powerful.

So what does this mean for us as a church? What does it mean for you as an individual? Or for your small group? What does it mean for Anthony and Suzie, and all other parents? How can we spread confidence in God to our children? Our own witness; our own lifestyle; talking to them about our own experiences of God; them seeing us experience God – being part of family prayers and seeing that God answers. But ultimately, that they themselves experience God. Let’s let our children experience God.

Are we experiencing God? Then telling others about that or letting them witness it can be a huge part of their coming to trust God.

It is the same thing with our neighbours. What do they see in us? Maybe we can talk to them about our experience of God – a little snippet of our testimony We can invite them to “come and see” when we experience God. Maybe we can be part of them experiencing God. Which step do your friends need?

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord. We want other people to experience those blessings. So let’s be ready to use any of those steps, just whichever ones are appropriate.

05.09.10 - Growing Confidence In God

2010-09-10T15:48:00.000-07:00

Last week we look at a passage in Jeremiah 17. I’d like to read it again. READ Jer 17:5-8

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.

The first couple of verses say, Cursed are those who trust in mortals, who depend on flesh for their strength. We either trust God or we trust something else – our skills, our bank balance, the fact that the government will come to our aid if we get into trouble, or whatever. There is a choice: God or something else. I don’t want to focus on the curses but on the blessings. How can we grow our trust in God?

In the 2010 Reader’s Digest survey of the most trusted professions in New Zealand, religious ministers ranked 25th just after roof insulation installers and one place higher than weather forecasters!

Why would that be? Why aren’t ministers higher? Well, we could list things like the sex scandals in the Catholic Church (and other churches. The Catholics don’t have it all on their own), American televangelists who have failed morally either with money or sex, a high profile pastor/politician in this country imprisoned for child abuse, Brian Tamaki and the suspicions (warranted or not) of control and of fleecing his congregation so that he can live in luxury. And we could go on.

Trust is based on previous experience – either our own experience (including what the person has said to us) or what we have heard of other people’s experiences. Some people will have had their own bad experience at the hands of a pastor. But, most people’s lack of trust is based on what they have heard – other people’s experiences.

But two questions need to be asked about those experiences or reports of experiences. Firstly, How reliable is the information? Or, how reliable is the interpretation?

I might be influenced by misunderstanding, misinformation, even deliberate slander. I might see a person doing something, completely misinterpret it and conclude that I can’t trust that person.

I might have a bad experience with a fireman and stop trusting firemen– whereas they came out on top of the Reader’s Digest survey. I might be told that you can’t rust people whose eyes are too close together, and I might believe it. Many women have been shamefully treated by men and now don’t trust any man.

Or someone might tell me a story. How reliable is that story? How reliable is the person who told me? Might he have been deliberately trying to damage the reputation of another person? Whatever the motivation, personality attacks are designed to damage a person’s credibility.

The second question is: How complete is the information?

We tend not to trust things we don’t understand. We might not trust people who are different from us, including different races – or different religions.

Do you trust Muslims? Why or why not? Do you have personal experience? Are you going by other people’s experiences – such as New Yorkers’ on Sept 11, 2001? How accurate is your knowledge? Might some of what you have heard be distorted – maybe intentionally distorter? How complete is your knowledge? How much do you actually know about Muslims?

So, coming back to Jeremiah, do you trust God? Why or why not? Do you have personal experience? Do you know what God says about Himself? Are you going by other people’s experiences? How accurate is your knowledge? Might some of what you have heard be distorted – maybe intentionally distorted? How much do you actually know about God?

Blessed are those who trust in the lord, who have confidence in Him. How can we grow our confidence in Him? How can we be people of faith? Let’s work our way backwards through these things.

1. Find out. Seek Him.
God is a pretty big topic. A little bit of information isn’t going to give you a good understanding and not really going to convince you that you can have confidence in God. Those who know God well are the ones who trust Him most. Knowing God should be a life quest.

Jeremiah knew something about this. He wrote:
Jer 29:12-14 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity.

Jeremiah foretold the time when the Jews suffering in exile in Babylon, would rediscover God. God said that He had plans for them, plans to prosper them and not to harm them, plans to give them a hope and a future. God said He would come to them to fulfil His promises. When He did, the Jews would call on God and pray and seek Him with all their hearts. And God would be found by them.

God is gracious. Even after their sin and exile, He still had good plans and He gave them yet another opportunity. God is good but the people still had to want God. They still had to seek with all their hearts.

A couple a weeks ago I mentioned some disturbing figures about how little New Zealand Christians read their Bibles. It is questionable how much Christians are seeking God with all their heart.

2. Get reliable information
There’s an awful lot of rubbish talked about God. Be discerning. How reliable is the stuff you read? How reliable are the people who are influencing you?

I am not going to say any more about that, except the obvious. There are some sources that are far more reliable than others. Top of the list is the Bible. It is good to read books and listen to podcasts but, actually, seek God with all your heart first and foremost in the Bible. We need to be people who know the scriptures well and therefore know God well.

Be like the Bereans in
Acts 17:11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

3. Be inspired by other people’s experiences
The Bible is a record of God’s dealings with other people. When we hear about God creating the whole universe just by speaking, or rescuing His people by dividing the Red Sea does that increase our faith? When we hear about God giving barren Hannah a son or protecting Daniel all night in the lions’ den does that give us confidence in Him? When we read that God answered Elijah’s prayer sending down fire to consume his sacrifice or about Jesus healing a synagogue ruler’s daughter, are we more able to believe that God is powerful and loving? When we read about Jesus hanging condemned and bloodied on a cross, doe that reinforce our knowledge that God loves? And when we read about the empty tomb or about the spread of the early church, are we excited about God?

God has given us a book of other people’s experiences of Him, so that we might be inspired.

Romans 10:17 ... faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

There are other ways, of course, of hearing about other people’s experiences – books, web sites, recordings. There are a million inspiring resources that can really grow our faith. Let’s be inspired. Let’s seek God wherever we can find Him.

Of course, when we get outside the Bible we again have to ask the question about the reliability of our information. The Bible is 100% reliable. Nothing else is. We do need to be discerning but God has given us many opportunities to be inspired. People’s testimonies build faith.

That is also why fellowship is so important. We benefit greatly by mixing with other Christians. God has deliberately put us into a family with others because He knows that their stories and their example can build, brick-upon-brick, our own faith.

Heb 10:23-25 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess. We have a confidence in God’s promises for the future. We believe God will keep His promises. We believe that on the basis of what we know of God’s character: He who promised is faithful.

But Hebrews recognises that our confidence might wane and so the writer says, “Let us hold unswervingly to it. Let us grow in our confidence.” How? What does he recommend? That we spur one another on. That we don’t give up meeting together.

4. Experience God yourself
Other people’s experiences and other people’s encouragement are tremendously valuable. But it is never a substitute for our own experience. In fact, if all we hear about are other people’s experiences of God and we don’t have those same experiences, it can be very disappointing. It can make us doubt if it is all real. Why doesn’t God do these things for me? We need our own experiences.

How can we experience God?

Pray. It is faith-building when we pray and God answers that prayer. Of course it is a risk. If God doesn’t answer, we will be disappointed. If we would rather not be disappointed we won’t pray but, by doing that, we also rob ourselves of the opportunities to see the answers. If we don’t pray, we demonstrate that we don’t trust God. The way to correct that is to take the risk and experience God’s faithfulness.

How else can we experience God? Read the Bible. Have you had the experience of hearing God speak as you read – knowing that God is saying something specifically to you. That might not be your experience every time. God might sometimes test your faith by not speaking. Will you still trust Him if He doesn’t speak? But if we don’t read our Bible, we won’t have that experience of hearing Him speak.

How else can we experience God? Taking risks. Being obedient. Doing what we believe God is telling us to do. Yes, it is a risk but if there is nothing ventured there will be nothing gained. Faith comes from taking those risks and finding that God is faithful.

Often that obedience might be responding to prompts to serve others or to minister to others. If God is asking us to speak to someone or help someone, we might be scared. We might fear that it will be rejected or that God won’t use that. But taking the risk puts us in a position to receive what we will never receive if we don’t take the risk. It is those who give who receive.

Times of trial can be the most profound growth times. It can be when we don’t experience God; when it seems that God is absent, that we find that if we hold onto Him He has not let go of us.

1 Peter 1:6-7 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Jeremiah says, “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.” It is true. Having confidence in God is a great blessing and leads to great blessing. Do we have confidence in God? Can I suggest you do your homework? Go looking. Go and find out. Make it a life quest.

You will hear all sorts of things. Test their reliability.

Find out how others have experienced God. Read the Bible. Mix with other Christians. Read books.

But seek you own experience of God. Listen to Him. Talk to Him. Obey Him. And see if He doesn’t prove Himself faithful.

Col 2:6-7 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

If we have received Christ Jesus as Lord that is great but Paul says, “In the same way, continue to live your lives in Him.” Live by faith. Live trusting God, rooted and built up in Him. Strengthen your faith. Whatever your faith level today, seek to increase it tomorrow.

The first step is receiving Christ Jesus as Lord. Maybe you have never done that. The question is whether we have put our faith in Jesus. If you are not sure you can do that, do your homework; talk to a Christian you know; read the Bible. Our eternal salvation depends on our faith in Jesus. Either we trust God or we don’t.

Maybe God has led you to the point of knowing you should put your trust in Him. If so, don’t delay. Do that today. Tell Him you know He loves you and you are willing to trust Him. If you would like someone to pray with you as you make that step, there will be people at the front of the church, on the right hand side, at the end of the service.

29.08.10 - Surviving the Tough Times

2010-08-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago we looked at Psalm 1 which used two contrasting images – a tree planted by a stream of water that was healthy and fruitful, and chaff, the husks off the grain that are good for nothing and which blow away in the wind.

The image of the tree planted by the water is also used by Jeremiah and I’d like to look at that. But, again, two images are used and they are very different. They are designed to provide a contrast. And, again, they illustrate two types of people. Look at these two images (a bush in a parched, salty desert, barely growing at all, and a tree planted by water.)

READ Jeremiah 17:5-8

Have we got those two images in our minds: a bush planted in wasteland, in a desert, in a salt land where no one lives; a tree planted by water, whose roots go down giving a constant supply of water. Even when drought comes, it remains healthy and it continues to bear fruit.

But Jeremiah is not giving a lesson on trees. He is talking about people – two types of people. Through the prophet, Jeremiah, God illustrates two types of people: those who trust in Him and whose confidence is in Him and those who trust in people, who depend on flesh.

When David went out to fight Goliath, what did he trust in? Did he think he could defeat Goliath by himself?

Look up the story in 1 Samuel 17. King Saul said to David, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are little more than a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

Saul was right. David couldn’t do it.

But David replied, “When a lion or a bear came and carried off one of my father’s sheep, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. If it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.” It sounds as if David has an inflated opinion of himself. It was all about what he could do, but then we get things in perspective. He said, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

David had killed lions and bears but he wasn’t trusting in his own skill or strength. He could do it only because God rescued him. When it came to fighting Goliath, he again trusted that God would rescue him.

For your future security, are you trusting God to provide or are you trusting in your investments? Where is your focus at the moment? Are you preoccupied with storing up money for a rainy day and therefore not serving God? Are you storing up treasure on earth instead of treasure in heaven? Maybe if we served God, He would provide for our futures. But can we serve, really trusting that He will look after us?

The Bible is full of stories of great armies being defeated by much smaller armies that simply trusted in God. God says do not put your trust in horses and chariots. Can you trust me?

In our work or our relationships or our ministries we can trust in our training, our strength, our skills, our knowledge, our persuasiveness instead of in God. Those who trust in flesh are the bush in the salty desert.

But some people trust in God and their confidence is not in their accumulated money or their qualifications. Their confidence is in God. They know that God will look after them; God will provide for them; God will enable them to do what they could not do without Him; God will do miracles.

Jesus said, “You are going to be arrested and tried before kings. Don’t worry about what you will say because the Holy Spirit will give you the words.” Can we trust God to give us the words?

God says those who trust in themselves or other people, are cursed; they are like that stunted bush in the salt land. Even when prosperity comes, these people don’t share in it. That is a bad picture. I don’t want that to be God’s assessment of me; that I am a stunted bush producing nothing.

By contrast, the tree by the stream is blessed. Trouble will come. It is described here as heat and drought. The tree isn’t spared trouble but God says it doesn’t fear the heat; it has no worries in the year of drought.

Why not? Because its roots go deep and even when there is little water, it still has a supply and so it can remain strong.

It seems to me the emphasis in these verses is on survival; surviving the tough times – the drought, the heat. Again, it is talking about people. People who trust in God can survive tough times.

We sometimes say, “I don’t know how non-Christians survive tough times like this when they don’t have God to lean on.” The Christian knows what it is to lean on God when the going gets tough. Even in the drought the tree with deep roots that is planted by a stream can still get water. In the same way, even in troubling times, the person who trusts in God still receives help. If this person lives close to God and has put his/her roots down into God, then, even in tough times, he/she has a source of peace and help and strength. Being able to draw from God means we can survive when everything around us is turning to custard. There is enough in God to sustain us through that time and God is always there.

The leaves of this tree are always green. In other words, the person who trusts in God is always sustained; is never defeated by the difficult circumstances.

It never fails to bear fruit. This person doesn’t merely survive. Even in the tough times, the person who trusts God can be productive. Consider, for example, a Christian thrown into prison for his faith. Today we have handed out envelopes for support for people who are persecuted for their faith. In many parts of the world, Christians are suffering simply because they are Christians. This week, .........., one of our ............in Sudan, sent an email asking for prayer for a Samaritan’s Purse humanitarian worker kidnapped in Dafur in May. ..........said conditions in Dafur are deteriorating fast and the insecurity is causing many people to leave for safety reasons. .............asked us to join others in prayer for her: that she will be strong in captivity, that she would be protected body, mind and soul and that God would get the glory if and when she is released.

She is one of many Christians imprisoned and persecuted. Please do consider giving to support our persecuted brothers and sisters. They trust in God and God will deliver – through our giving.

Imagine being one of those Christians thrown into a terrible prison. God is able to bring peace even there. Those Christians can survive if they know how to trust in God. Paul and Silas were once in prison in Philippi yet they were found singing hymns in the middle of the night. They weren’t drunk or mentally unstable. They knew God’s presence in the prison and had confidence in Him despite the circumstances.

But that story, in Acts 16, also illustrates the other part of what Jeremiah says. Not only did their leaves remain green, they didn’t fail to produce fruit. Even in that prison they preached about Jesus to the jailor and he and his whole family were converted.

And, Paul and Silas were miraculously released from the prison which was, for them, another consequence of trusting in God.

Today, no doubt, many of those persecuted Christians maintain their sanity and their joy in prison because they are able to draw from the God they have come to know and trust. And many will witness in prison so that others also come to know Jesus. Their leaves remain green and they never fail to bear fruit.

Does this passage from Jeremiah mean that things always go well for the person of faith and always go badly for those who simply trust in worldly means? No. We know that often it is the ungodly who seem to have the easy life and all the material possessions. Sometimes they look like the strong green tree while those who do trust God look like the starved bush. Sometimes it looks as if the ungodly flourish and the faithful Christian struggles. If you wonder about that seeming injustice, read psalms 37 and 73.

Ps 37:35-36 35
I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.

In the short-term it seems unjust but take a long term view and you realise that God is just.

There is all sorts of practical advice I could give about surviving tough times. I could talk about making sure you have a nest egg in the bank. I could talk about keeping fit and healthy. Get a good lawyer. But a nest egg can disappear overnight if the economy fails. It is very unreliable. God can provide. Can we trust Him to provide? Those who trust God are more secure than those who trust banks.

Jeremiah’s advice is not superficial. It is not that a nest egg or a good lawyer are inherently wrong. It is just a question of where we put our confidence. The real way to survive tough times is to have confidence in God. Those who trust God are like a tree planted by the water. Those people can survive anything.

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus pleaded with God to be spared the cross. It was a desert time for Him but Jesus’ roots went deep. He had a close relationship with His Father. He trusted Him and when He wrestled in prayer His roots went deep enough to find God and in God He found the peace that enabled Him to calmly face those who would arrest Him.

Even on the cross, in all the horror and turmoil of that, He talked to God and committed Himself into God’s hands. That was where His trust was. That was where His confidence lay. His roots were deep enough to find water even then. And He never failed to bear fruit. It was on the cross that He achieved His finest hour, when He saved the world by dying for it.

Three days later Jesus knew the joy of the resurrection and the joy of knowing He had done all that God has asked of Him. He had been faithful, trusting His Father. His Father had been faithful.

How deep are your roots? Deep enough to find God even in tough times?

We can trust Jesus who loved us so much He was willing to lose everything to die for us. We can trust God who is able to bring resurrection out of crucifixion. Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They are like a tree planted by the water.

22.08.10 - Re-setting Our Compass

2010-08-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

If you are on a journey using a compass, every so often you need to re-set your compass. That simply means get a new bearing so that you know which direction to head. You need a map and a compass. You make sure your map is facing north, using the compass. You align the dial of your compass with the compass needle. You position the compass over your current position and turn the base until the arrow points to your destination and where the dial is intersected by the arrow on the base gives you the bearing.

If you then travel some distance and get off course, you can repeat the process and get a new bearing. To set your compass you need four things. You need a compass, and a map, but you also need to know where you are and where you want to go.

Over the last little while we have been re-setting our compass. The elders and staff have been involved. We have had congregational meetings and there has been a small group working specifically on our vision. Our vision is where we want to go. We are re-asking ourselves, “Where are we? Where do we want to go?” so that we can re-set the compass and head in the right direction.

A while ago we put a draft mission triangle in the newsletter and asked for comments. We have updated that a bit. It now looks like this. It picks up three key things Jesus said. When He was asked by a Pharisee trying to trap Him, which was the greatest commandment in the law. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind. The second greatest, He said, is to love our neighbours as ourselves. Those two greatest commandments are on two sides of the triangle. At the end of His life, Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” That is the Great Commission and is on the bottom side of the triangle.

We often talk too about the five purposes of the church. They are easily attached to the triangle. Worship is our expression of our love for God. Loving people is expressed through fellowship and through serving, meeting needs. Making disciples involves evangelism and bringing people to maturity.

You will be given a copy of that at the end of the service as well as a draft list of values that we would love your comments on. We have still to work on our vision and some goals, so we are only part-way through the process but it is all part of re-setting the compass.

I’d like to consider a biblical example. The early church wasn’t perfect but it still does give us a very good idea of what a church should be like. In terms of knowing where we are heading; what our destination is, there is really no alternative than to be guided by what we see in scripture.

In the book of Acts we see the life of the very early church. Just last month we looked at the story of the lame man healed at the Temple (Acts 3,4). I want to look at it again. I won’t read it all. I’ll summarise it. You might like to have your Bibles open at Acts 3, 4. One day Peter and John went up to the Temple at the time of prayer; three o’clock in the afternoon. At the temple gate they saw a lame man begging. He asked Peter and John for money. Peter looked straight at him and said, “I don’t have any silver or gold but what I do have, I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” And of course, he did. Walking and leaping and praising God, he went into the temple with them. When the people saw him, and recognised who he was, they were filled with wonder and amazement.

Now I just want you to see how this illustrates our triangle. Peter and John were going up to pray in the Temple. It started with worship, but it didn’t end there. It was “Peter and John” so they were having fellowship. They were doing this together. And it was three o’clock in the afternoon – afternoon tea time – a very good time for fellowship.

Then they saw a person in need so they healed him. Actually, they were very emphatic that they hadn’t healed him, but we will come to that. They served – They met a need – in this case, by the power of God.

But that is not the end of the story. Healing this man wasn’t the end. If we carry on in Acts 3 we see that the people in the Temple came running over to see what was happening. When Peter realised this, he started preaching. He said, “Why are you staring at us? We didn’t heal this man. The God of our fathers has glorified His servant Jesus.”

That probably wasn’t the safe thing to say. Jesus wasn’t very popular with the leaders and it was only a short time since He had been killed. But Peter was very direct. He accused them of killing this Jesus whom God had glorified. “You handed Him over... You disowned Him... You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released! You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead. It was that Jesus whom you killed who healed this man completely as you see. Not us. Jesus.”

He then became a little more conciliatory. “You acted in ignorance. God had said through the prophets that the Messiah would suffer.” Then 3:19: “Repent then, and turn to God, so that your sins might be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that He may send the Messiah, who was appointed for you – even Jesus.”

There was the evangelism. Repent and be forgiven. Notice how Peter said that Jesus had been appointed for them. Jesus had been sent for them. God had given a Saviour for them. The people who killed Him would be saved by Him. That is God’s grace, isn’t it?

If we move into chapter 4 we see that the religious leaders arrived, were pretty angry, arrested Peter and John and threw them into prison. But look at v.4: But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand. Their evangelism had been effective.

The next day the leaders questioned Peter and John. By what power or name had they done this thing? Again, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, was forthright: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed... Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved.

The next verse (4:13) says, “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”

Peter and John were uneducated fishermen. How come they were so bold as to confront the leaders like this? The leaders concluded that these men were different because they had been with Jesus. Peter and John had a boldness and a maturity and power that came not through formal education but through being with Jesus. These men had been disciple.

The leaders decided they could do little but they did command Peter and John not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Peter replied, “Should we obey you, or obey God? We cannot help speaking about what we have seen or heard.” They were now mature followers of Jesus who couldn’t help but witness to the things they had experienced, even though that might endanger their lives. They had died to themselves and that is perhaps the greatest sign of maturity.

Peter and John went back to the gathered Christians and said what had happened. The Christian community started praying. They recognised the conflict that was developing. The worldly rulers were rising up against Jesus whom God had anointed. That meant they might rise up against Jesus’ followers too, but these young Christians prayed, “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

Isn’t that great? “Persecution is breaking out. Lord, enable us to speak out boldly. Perform more miracles in the name of Jesus.” Even these new Christians were gaining real maturity. The next verse says, “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”

In that story we see all of the five purposes. They were all part of the life of the early church. And there is a sequence. It was because they had come to love God that they loved each other and joined in fellowship and they loved others and served them. It was because of the miracle that they had the opportunity to preach and it was because they loved both God and people that they wanted to tell them about Jesus. Miracles are sometimes called “signs”. They point beyond themselves to Jesus, so the serving is often what opens up the opportunity for evangelism. And, of course, it doesn’t stop with conversion. Conversion is to be followed by growth to maturity. Peter and John had grown through being with Jesus. The new believers were already growing and keen to be involved in the serving and the evangelism.

You might think I was a little flippant about the fellowship; they were going to prayer together and it was afternoon tea time! But this story is bracketed by two summary descriptions of the life of the church where all five purposes are very clear but fellowship is particularly prominent. These two descriptions are at the end of Chapter 2 and at the end of Chapter 4. We have looked at them many times before because they are a snapshot of what God wants His church to be like. If you think that there wasn’t much evidence of fellowship in what I said, the evidence for fellowship in the early church is enormous. Fellowship is about togetherness, community, family, caring, sharing.

READ Acts 4:32-35

All of the believers were one in heart and mind. “All of the believers” must include even those who were converted in the temple that day the lame man was healed. They had been brought into a community who were united – one in heart and mind. A large part of what we read about in those verses is about sharing possessions and caring for the needy. It is about community and serving.

The other thing mentioned is that the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of Jesus with great power. I take that to mean that they continued to do what they had done in the temple and before the leaders – to say that the Jesus who had been crucified was God’s Messiah whom God had raised again and that there was forgiveness and salvation in this Jesus. In other words, that they continued to share the good news. So fellowship, serving, evangelism.

We don’t specifically see worship or maturity in those verses but let’s also read the ones that come immediately before the story of the lame man at the temple. Listen for all five purposes: worship, fellowship, serving, evangelism and growth to maturity.

READ Acts 2:42-47

Every so often, we need to review. We need to remember what it is all about. We need to get things in focus again. We need to re-set our compass so that we head in the right direction.

The life of the early church was characterised by those five purposes, in a wonderful and powerful way. They were a whole package and it is that package that we want to have in place. That is our hope – that we might be like them. Wouldn’t it be great if we could read those verses and think that they were a description of Calvin; that we too were devoted to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer; that we were seeing signs and wonders and that level of commitment to each other that meant that people were selling their possessions so as to give to those in need; that we met frequently (daily?) for worship and we met frequently in each other’s homes and enjoyed meals together praising God; and that the Lord was adding daily to our number those who were being saved?

This story of the lame man didn’t stop with the worship. It didn’t stop with the fellowship. It didn’t stop with the serving. It didn’t stop with the evangelism. It didn’t stop with maturity because the next generation began worshipping and fellowshipping and serving and evangelising and growing others.

Is that the direction we are taking? Let’s pause long enough to take stock and to remember what it is all about and to re-set our compass so that we are heading where God is calling us – as a church but also as individuals. Where is your compass pointing? Is it time to re-set that compass?

08.08.10 - Manila Talk

2010-08-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

Jason Barron

Magundung Umaga, Good Morning. For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Jason and I’m the Intermediates Youth Pastor here at Calvin. At the end of June I went to Manila in the Philippines for just under 3 weeks as part of my youth worker training and also to experience another culture and to try and seek God in that place. Before the trip I had only been as far away as Auckland so needless to say this was a very daunting experience for me and while I was away I will admit that I missed home and my family very much and I’m not just saying that because they are sitting over there.

So I left Home on the 16th June to head to Manila to let this journey begin. Since I have been back I have had a few standard questions so to cover all bases I’ll answer them for you. Yeah it was really hot over, ridiculously hot even. Actually were I stayed they had power, pretty inconsistent power but still power, non-drinkable tap water and a few other things that remaindered me of home.

There were 13 of us from NZ headed over to Manila from different parts of the country. Thankfully we mostly knew each other so it meant that our group de-briefing times could be very honest and real because we knew where we were coming from. The main part of the trip was to experience life in a squatter community and what better way to do that than to live in it. I spent over 2 weeks living in a slum community with a family that I was fostered out too. This is them here. Ate Ledia and Michael. They were amazing people and so very generous in the way they treated me, looked after me and even with the stuff that they gave me out of their own mean was just phenomenal.

The community itself was different than I was expecting. Most so the houses were made of concrete. They were smaller than the 2 corners of the stage here back and like I said before having power surprised me a little but apparently there are a lot of illegal connections and that caused a transformer to blow up which was pretty freaky. There were animals everywhere cats, dogs and rosters. Cock fight was a big thing in the slum community and there were many tied up on the streets. It was sad to see really.

There was something else that I noticed over there. One day a lady came round to the house I was staying in and said to me. “Jason, these are my two nieces and they are both single” and they were both pretty hang out with me, even though they were a little too shy to talk. One of the girls from our group told me that one of the girls kept telling her just before we left how much she was going to miss me. This brought me to the conclusion that girls in NZ aren’t really catching the vision here at.

I was challenged in many different areas during my time in the community. One thing I was challenged on was how much I worry about things coming up. In Matthew 6 Jesus talks about worry what it says at the end of the chapter really stuck out to me. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” I spend roughly 6 months worrying about heading over to Manila and it got a little worse with every day to the point where I wasn’t really functioning properly and went into a super-introverted state and look out if you even talked to me when I went into that state because it was not pretty. To all those that happened to I sincerely apologise for that. But now that I’m back I’m feeling a lot more free and certainly not super-introverted anymore. In fact I’m feeling really good in general which is great and I’m not worrying so much about the future, still thinking about it of course but not worrying all the time like I was. The healing I received from that was great.

There is one parable from the Bible that stuck out to me during my time over there. Marty shared this parable with us 2 weeks ago. We’re all about consistency in the youth team here. Just in case you forgot I’ll refresh your memory

Luke 10:25-37

That parable says so many different things to me and if time allowed I would happily share them but unfortunately it doesn’t. Firstly loving your neighbour as yourself. I was talking with Ate Ledia one day and she said this to me. As long as me, my family and my neighbours are ok then I am happy. I came to realise that she wasn’t just saying this but she lived it out. She was always checking up on the neighbours and they were doing likewise and it wasn’t a chore for them. It was just what they did. Even when it wasn’t easy they stuck with it. Both good and bad. Sometimes I know I find this hard to do myself, to find time in the day to spend time with my family, friends and the youth that I work with when actually I realised that I need to make time for them rather than just find it. Too me if I’m trying to find it then I am not making it as much a priority as it possibly should be. Something that Pastor Paul Loveday said before he left really stuck with me and that was that people are more important than tasks. Don’t get me wrong tasks are important but not as important as people. So I’m trying hard to make more time to spend with the people around me.

On one of the days that some of our host families took us out into the city for a look around. Towards the end of this day we were heading back to catch the train and we had a close to literal Good Samaritan experience. Everyone was walking quickly to catch the train and out of the corner of my eye a saw a lady lying on the ground. I looked back and thought that she didn’t look in good shape at all. I wasn’t sure what to do. I had been taking my queues on how to act from the Filipino’s that were hosting us but they just kept walking. I watched as many Filipino’s walked past and did nothing until 2 of the girls from our group stopped to help her and she was in a bad way. She was unconscious, bleeding a little, obviously malnourished and to top it off she was pregnant. After giving her some water and fanning her to cool her down help came and took her off to the hospital. There are many things that I would have liked to have said after this experience. One being that she was ok now but we never saw her again another would be that I was the one who stepped up and decided to help this woman out, but I wasn’t. I have heard this parable since I a child and every time that I heard it I thought that if that situation arose that I would step up and help that person out. In fact I’m sure I would have heard that at least 2 or 3 times in the last year and thought that but when it came down to putting into action I froze.

One last thought before I finish... I have been challenged in many ways as I said before but one thing that stuck out to me was that as Christians we need to live out the Bible even when it hurts and is inconvenient. It’s easy not to murder someone really but making yourself vulnerable and being totally open to what God might want you to do is not always so easy to do. My challenge to everyone this morning is to seriously think about how we are living out what we are called to do according to the Bible

01.08.10 - Themes and Topics From Les Miserables

2010-08-17T22:15:00.000-07:00

by Paul Johnstone

1) Beliefs

2) Battles
Barricades / Barriers

3) Bitterness or Brokenness
Beginnings

Scripture Readings
Deuteronomy 6 vs 1-9
Ephesians Ch 2 vs 1-10
1 Peter 1 vs 13-15

As most of you are probably already very aware, in just one week’s time the local Operatic Society is going to be staging the internationally acclaimed Stage Musical ‘Les-Miserables’. You have probably seen the advertising around town or in the papers, and you may have read an article that I put in the recent Church Newsletter outlining the background to the story, and noting also that I, and others from here, happen to be in the cast of the show. (As an aside, that is why my hair is longer than normal, as I have to cultivate a ‘scruffy’ look – for the next two weeks!!)

Now the purpose of today’s sermon is not to be a 20 minute advertising break for ‘Les-Miserables’, nor am I going to attempt to analyse all of the key biblical themes, of which there are many, that are contained within the Show.

But what I would like to do, however, is touch on some issues and topics, that each one of us may need to grapple with in our lives, and briefly reflect on how that topic may be touched on within the Show ‘Les-Mis’.

* I intend to start with, firstly, some personal reflections.
* Then, secondly, I’ll give a brief overview of the story and its timeless themes.
* Then, finally, I’ll touch on three key life truths and see how these apply to ‘Les-Miserables’.

So, for some personal reflections:
One of the aspects that I enjoy most about the story of ‘Les-Miserables’ is that it is a story about real life – unpleasant, unfair, painful and unjust though it was for many people of that time, and still continues to be for so many. It’s a story that doesn’t shy away from, or gloss over, the times of pain and difficulty that often confront us, but it does also show the possibility of hope for a new tomorrow, of redemption versus condemnation, and of legalism being overpowered by Grace. It shows us real life struggles, and of the power to overcome - but also of Grace sufficient when we fall short.

So on a personal note, I would add that when I knew late last year that I had a part in the Show, I decided that I would set some personal goals for this year – goals long overdue – that I wanted to work on anyway, but for which I had greater incentive to achieve through knowing I would be in this Show.

And these goals were around the areas of personal improvement, through looking hard at myself, of getting fitter, and losing some weight, of being more diligent and disciplined in my spiritual and prayer life, of improving a range of relationships, and work practices, and just generally seeking to be more on top of key areas in my life, and putting practical things in order.

Now I wish that I could say I am now 100% successful in all these goals – that I’m now supremely fit, and at my goal weight – a business genius – and a spiritual giant, able to overcome all temptations, trials and difficulties.

Well, I’m not. I haven’t reached all my goals. I still make mistakes, and let myself and others down, and I’m still not as disciplined as I should be in lots of areas, but I’m making good progress, and I’m grateful to God for that. And I’m grateful too that some of the themes contained in the storyline of ‘Les- Miserables’ reaffirm and continue to offer us hope and encouragement in the struggles of daily life, as they are based around some essential Biblical Truths.

Now, by way of a brief overview then of the story of ‘Les-Mis’:
Someone once said, when referring to the Arts in general “That in order for an artistic work to stand the test of time as something of true value, and lasting worth, it needs to reflect some essential God-given truth or principle”. This is sometimes referred to as a ‘Creation Ordinance’. In other words, the world has been created by God to function in a certain way. And when we fall into line with this plan, things work. We are blessed. Now, in the Arts that is often shown through, for example, God-given beauty in a painting or a sculpture, or through Biblical Truths and Principles, as portrayed in a book or drama, or through the gifts of purity, joy, hope and inspiration – contained within many musical pieces, and the like.

A ‘Creation Ordinance’
Now when referring to the Arts this can perhaps best be summarised as: For ‘lasting Appreciation’ we require ‘God’s Inspiration’, shown through ‘Our Demonstration’.

Well, it seems as though ‘The Book, Drama and Musical versions’ of Les- Miserables clearly portray a Creation Ordinance, something of God’s Demonstration of Truth, as they have lasted the test of time – while many other lesser works have long since been forgotten.

The musical is based on the 1862 book of the same name by Victor Hugo, (who had a very varied theological understanding and it appears wouldn’t have considered himself to be a committed Christian), and the book was apparently so popular when written that people queued to buy it. It primarily tells the story of Jean Valjean, a man driven to stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s starving family. He pays for his crime through 19 years hard labour and is released an angry and embittered man.

His bitterness, however, is melted as he experiences love, acceptance and grace at the hands of a very Godly bishop, who challenges him to live a life worthy of the generosity, grace and forgiveness that he has been shown.

The story follows his changed life of becoming a model citizen, even though he has to break his parole to be able to start his life once more.

In contrast to Valjean’s acceptance of grace, however, is the figure of Police Constable Javert, who relentlessly pursues this parole breaker. His understanding of the law is very one sided. He only understands judgment and penalty with no room for forgiveness and grace. And this distorted view of life and the law ultimately leads to his demise.

There are numerous other characters and stories contained within the Show.
Fantine A solo mother, used and rejected by her wealthy boyfriend, driven into selling herself through prostitution when she is wrongfully dismissed from her job.

Cossette Fantine’s daughter, who is rescued from slavery by Valjean and eventually grows up and falls in love with Marius, a student from a Paris Revolution.

Eponine A daughter of dishonest and manipulative Innkeepers who longs for a better life and risks her all for the one she loves.

We are also introduced to a harsh Prison system of the day, to the wretched poor of industrialised Paris, and to the crime and immorality that is fostered by an uncaring Government. There are also the idealistic students who believe that Revolution via guns and barricades is the only way to change their world and transform society.

Yes, there are a huge number of stories told, played out as people respond to the various circumstances of their lives.

Well, so much for my personal reflections and recent journey

And - the background to the story of ‘Les- Mis’

Now, what I’d like to do, is touch on a few words, and issues, that we all face, in our lives, and that are faced within this Show, and see if we can find appropriate challenges and responses to them.

And I’ll go over each of these reasonably briefly, as I have three topics to consider. They all begin with B. And they are as follows:
1. Our Beliefs – what we do and how we live will always be as a response to our beliefs.
2. Our Battles – we all face battles and struggles; how do we face these?

Do we face them by building up Barricades and Barriers? Or do we tear them down?

And then thirdly –
3. We can choose to respond to life’s difficulties with Bitterness or with Brokenness. What’s our choice. Because the answer to that will determine the shape of our …… New Beginnings – each day offers us the hope of a new beginning. What sort of new beginning do we want?

So then, Firstly, Beliefs

What we believe is crucial. It will determine our response to life’s issues. It will determine our eternal influence, our eternal destiny.

Our Pastor, Peter, has preached on this numerous times – that as a people wanting to follow God’s way, we must be sure that we engage our brains – that we form a Biblical perspective of life’s challenges – that we allow God to transform us, as we are reminded in Romans 12 vs 2, by the “Renewing of our Minds”. That we put ourselves in places where we will hear and learn of God’s truth, and that we will apply it in daily discipline and obedience to Him.

The reading we had earlier from Deuteronomy 6 – is about loving the Lord our God. But we are also reminded there of how we are to Love God, and it is – by Understanding God’s Word, His Commandments, His Teaching.

And by following this (read some verses)

It sounds simple I know, but it’s crucially important. Are we feeding our minds with sound Biblical truths?? Are we encouraging others in these truths? (vs 7)

We probably can’t emphasise too greatly, can we, the importance of what we believe?

It will determine our future – both in this life, and the next.

One of the classic stories of ‘Les-Miserables’ is the different beliefs held by Valjean and Javert – around the subject of The Law and Grace.

Javert’s belief could perhaps simplistically be described as ‘Old Testament’ in nature. He believed the Law had to be followed and obeyed to the letter, and if broken a penalty was to be paid. No excuses. No exceptions. No forgiveness. No Grace.

Valjean, on the other hand, had suffered for 19 bitter years at the hands of the Law, and believed he had little hope for the future. But he wonderfully found Mercy and Love at the hands of a Godly Bishop.

He had believed that his past would always determine his future, but through a gracious encounter, he came to believe that God could erase and cleanse his past and give him a fresh start.

Javert continued in his false belief around the Law, and ultimately paid the price. He didn’t understand the truth of Ephesians Ch 2, as read earlier, especially vs 8.

Valjean’s new belief and understanding from a Godly and Biblical perspective freed him for a life of service, and eternal salvation.

Beliefs – they are of eternal importance. Let us train ourselves to learn and believe the Truth.

Secondly, Battles

There are plenty of battles in the story of ‘Les-Miserables’. There are battles between Legalism and Love, between The Poor and The Privileged. Between the Students and the Army, between the Abused and the Abusers. Between the Caring and the Uncaring.

In some battles, right wins out. Valjean becomes a changed man, builds a factory, houses the sick, feeds the poor.

In some stories, evil wins. The poor remain poor. The downtrodden are kept low. Fantine and others die in sad circumstance.

Yes, life is full of Battles and Challenges. Most of which we won’t avoid. But we can choose how we’ll fight them.

And perhaps we should remember just two things when it comes to fighting the battles in life:
Firstly, do we have our Spiritual Armour on? As outlined in Ephesians Ch 6 (which I won’t detail here). In other words, ‘Are we Spiritually Prepared?’

And secondly, in fighting our battles, are we going to put up Barricades and Barriers, or are we going to tear them down?

In other words, what/who are we Trusting in, as we face the battles and Trials of Life?

The Students of the Revolution in ‘Les-Miserables’ trusted in Guns and Weapons. They erected Barricades as a show of Defiance against their foe, as a place where they could hide and find protection, fight and make their stand.

BUT the problem is – Barricades and Barriers are largely defensive in nature. They limit your fighting opportunities, and lessen your chances of victory. You may be able to hide and fight for a while at the Barricades, but in order to truly win a Battle, you have to leave the protection of a Barricade, and fight on open ground.

Well, it’s quite likely that in our lives, we also get used to putting up Barricades to protect us from the Battles of life.

Barricades and Barriers, borne of Fear, Insecurity, Inferiority, Worry and Anxiety. Our Self-Protection Devices – we put on masks to hide the real us. We deal superficially with others. Afraid to show who we really are.

As someone once wrote – “Why am I afraid to show you who I really am? I’m afraid that if I show you the real me and you don’t like it, then I have nowhere else to go – because that’s all I’ve got. And your not liking me will devastate me”.

Well, I believe, and the Bible teaches, that God wants us to tear down our man-made and feeble Barriers. And put our Trust once more in Him – and fight with our Spiritual Armour on and with Faith in God – ‘Out in the Open Ground’.

The Battles of Life, and Barricades we erect, can be Barriers to our Trusting in God.

What’s our response to this?

So, if we understand...
(1) Our Beliefs and how important they are
and
(2) We consider how we fight our Battles, and our use of Barricades.

Then, finally, let’s consider:
3. In the struggles and difficulties of Life, we often also have a choice between Bitterness or Brokenness. And our response to this will determine the shape of our new Beginnings.

In the story of ‘Les-Miserables’, after 19 years in prison, Valjean couldn’t find work as an ex-convict. He was angry, inward looking, unforgiving, and bitter. Hating the world and all that was in it. And he could have stayed that way, as sadly many people choose to. Blaming the world for their circumstance. Angry and Bitter. Forever a Victim.

BUT an encounter with a Priest, who he first tries to rob, but who then forgives and helps him, forces Valjean to look at his response to his life’s circumstance.

And in the face of unconditional Love, Forgiveness, Acceptance and Grace – his icy heart is melted.

His embittered heart is broken in the kindest of ways. He acknowledges the Love he is offered. Allows his defences to be shattered. And he finds hope in a Spiritual Rebirth.

Yes, Valjean finds a completely New Beginning and purpose in life.

Now, in contrast to this – later on Javert, when faced with similar Forgiveness and Love, offered by Valjean, refuses to accept it. He becomes embittered that an ex-convict has found greater meaning in Life than all his good works, and Legalism, have done for him. He refuses to let his heart be broken or melted. His Bitterness remains. And the New Beginning that he faces, is a death devoid of Grace and Love. As he takes his own life.

When Life’s Battles and Trials, Pains and Suffering come our way, as they most surely will, we won’t always find the circumstance to be joyful, pleasant or victorious.

Suffering, Hardship and Difficulty are just as much a part of Life as Success, Winning and Overcoming.

Just this week, Jo Parish sent out an email from the daughter of Doctor Gary Parrett on the subject of Suffering. And I’ll quote from this:
“It seems that in the American evangelical world, we know very little about lament. We much prefer the happy sayings and the happy songs. We like things to be tied up nicely and neatly. We prefer our theology to be bite-sized; slogans that fit easily on a tee-shirt or a bumper sticker are best. We particularly dislike any display of discouragement or depression on a Sunday morning. Each Lord’s Day, we ask the hurting among us to “pull themselves together” and rise with us to sing “songs of faith” in praise to the Lord. We muzzle the mouths of the downcast. After all, we reason, we are called to “rejoice always”. But Scripture tells us also to “weep with those who weep”. For, after all, there is much in our world that calls for lament”.

Again, it’s about being real before God and one another in the face of Life’s real problems.

So what is crucial here is that we don’t ignore Suffering, Pain or Lament. It must be acknowledged, felt and worked through.

But also crucial is that we know how to let it touch us. We can allow Life’s Pain and Suffering to harden and embitter us, or with all the honesty and openness possible, say, “Lord, use this circumstance to draw me closer to You. To allow me to be broken in the most gentle of ways. And to once more begin to find my meaning, purpose – and eventually a new-found quiet and inner Joy with You”.

Yes, our choice of Bitterness or Brokenness, will determine the New Beginnings, and possibilities that we will face.

So to summarise:

Firstly,...

...Do we know the crucial importance of what it is that we believe?

And are we like Valjean, eager to embrace Grace in our lives, as necessary, for Salvation, for strength to live each day, and to find the purpose and calling that God has for our Lives?

Secondly,

As we confront the Battles and Challenges that will inevitably come our way in Life...

...Will we firstly be sure we have our Spiritual Armour on, and then fight and work, trusting in God, out in the open ground, being real before Him, and others – tearing down the Barricades and Barriers that we often erect as a feeble attempt to keep ourselves safe?

God longs for intimacy with us. And for our relationships with others to be meaningful, we must show the real us.

We need to take the Barricades down.

And finally,...

...in Life’s Trials and Troubles, and in the midst of Pain, Disappointment and Lament, will we again be honest before God. Not allowing our hurts and sadness to cause us to become bitter – but better – will we allow God to gently break and melt our stubborn hearts, finding Joy and Peace in our Trust of Him? Will we choose Brokenness over Bitterness? Leading to the Hope of a New Beginning each day with Christ?

Let us Pray.

15.08.10 - Psalm 1 - Two Types Of People

2010-08-16T17:36:00.000-07:00

Last time I preached, which was four weeks ago – thank you to all those people who have done it in the interim – I talked about there being two types of people. I didn’t intend to follow that up. At the Promise Keepers conference I was re-inspired by Psalm 1 and I thought I’d talk about that today, but as I have looked at it again, it very clearly says there are two types of people. Listen to it.

READ Psalm 1.

Let’s dive right into the middle of the psalm. There are two types of people. The psalm uses two images to describe them. Those images are like chalk and cheese. These two types of people are very different.

Some people are like a tree planted by streams of water. It is a picture of health and strength and vitality and productiveness. It is deeply rooted. It is being fed by those streams. Its leaf does not wither, so it is healthy. It bears fruit in season. In fact, the psalm says of these people that everything they do prospers. God’s blessing is clearly on these people which shouldn’t be a surprise because the psalm starts “Blessed is the person...”

And also in v.6 it says “The Lord watches over the way of the righteous.” God’s eyes are on these people. God’s hand is on them.

That is one image: the tree planted by streams of water.

The other is of chaff. You will have noticed already that the psalm describes these two types of people as the righteous and the wicked. The righteous are pictured as these healthy, strong trees. But then it says, “Not so the wicked!” What is true of the righteous is not true of the wicked. The righteous are like trees planted by streams of water. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

That is the complete opposite. Whereas the tree is sturdy and strong, the chaff is flaky. Whereas the tree produces fruit, the chaff is completely useless. Chalk and cheese. Chaff and trees.

Chaff is the husk around the grain. When the grain was harvested it was winnowed to release the grain from the husk. Then it was thrown into the air and the wind blew the chaff away while the grain fell to the ground. No one wanted the chaff. It was useless. Let it blow into your next door neighbour’s field!

These are graphic images but they reflect God’s assessment of the value of these two lives. Some lives are beautiful and valuable to God. Some are useless. That act of throwing the grain into the air is an image of judgement, isn’t it? Separating the good from the bad and disposing of the bad while retaining the good.

Tree or chaff? Which type of person are you? When God looks at your life, is it a life of substance or is it shallow? Are you bearing fruit or achieving nothing? What will there be to show for your life?

We dived into the middle of the psalm so we need to go left and we need to go right. We need to see what the results of these lives are and we need to see what decides whether our lives are trees or chaff.

Let’s look first at the result. If those images represent a sharp contrast, there are equally contrasting destinations towards which they are heading: very different outcomes.

v.6 The wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

At the end of it all there will be a reckoning. One day we will stand before God, the judge. Can we imagine what it would be like to be on trial in a court and to come to that day when the jury brings in its verdict? Your future depends on whether the foreman of the jury says “Guilty” or “Not guilty”. Today is the day you will hear one or the other of those responses. Your future depends on it.

When it comes to the day of judgement, we will hear a similar verdict: guilty or not guilty. But this psalm already tells us which it is going to be. In a sense there is no wondering, no uncertainty. We have already been told. The wicked will not stand in the judgement. They will be condemned. They will not be in the assembly of the righteous. As the righteous are gathered in heaven, the wicked will not be there.

The other phrase used here is that the way of the wicked will be destroyed.

The clear implication is that the righteous will stand in the judgement. For them the outcome will be very different. They will be in that gathering in heaven. Their way will not be destroyed.

OK, there are two types of people. Some are fruitful trees and they will spend eternity with God. Some are chaff. They will not. They will experience God’s judgement.

But who are these two types of people? They are termed the righteous and the wicked but what does that mean? And what determines whether we are righteous or wicked? What choice that we make determines what type of person we are and what our eternal destiny is? Let’s go back to the beginning of the psalm.

There is a very clear choice. It is expressed firstly in terms of what the righteous person does not do. Look at v.1. Blessed are those who do not walk in step with the wicked, or stand in the way that sinners take, or sit in the company of mockers.

Then v.2 says what he does do. He delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night. This is the crucial decision. Everything else in the psalm flows from this. Whether you are a tree or chaff depends on this decisions. Whether you will be saved for eternity or condemned depends on this decision.

The first question here is: Who do you listen to? Whose advice do you take? The righteous person doesn’t live by the advice of the wicked.

Where would you hear the advice of the wicked? On TV. On the radio. In books and magazines. At school and university. From your friends.

At the 2006 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, in the midst of the debate about whether people in sexual relationships other than marriage should be leaders, one person said, “The church gets its standards from scripture not from Shortland Street.” That is exactly the point this psalm is making. The righteous person does not live according to the advice of the ungodly, but his/her delight is in the law of the Lord which he/she meditates on day and night.

Of course, not everything you hear on TV or from your friends is evil. Sometimes it can be very good advice but it is good advice only when it lines up with the Bible. There are many points of view being expressed in society that are not godly. There is a massive emphasis on sex and a normalisation of promiscuous sex and deviant sex. God invented sex but the distortions in our society and media are a million miles away from God’s view on sex. There is huge emphasis in our society on possessions – materialism. Life is largely about getting more. Is that what God says? Absolutely not! Our society says “Look after yourself.” Jesus says, “Die to yourself.” They are polar opposites.

The righteous person does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly but he searches the word of God.

Not everything you hear on TV or at school or from your friends is wrong. But how are you going to know if it lines up with scripture unless you are very, very familiar with scripture? The righteous person delights in God’s word and meditates on it day and night.

It doesn’t say ‘all day and all night” as if you do nothing else. What it means is that we read the Bible and whatever we are doing, we think, “What does that passage mean? How does it apply to my situation? What does God say about this? What decision here lines up with God’s word?” We are always thinking about it, wanting to know what God says. Knowing what God says is the way to wisdom.

The righteous person doesn’t stand in the way of sinners. That amuses me. It sounds like standing in front of fast-moving sinners and being in danger of being run over! It doesn’t mean that. It means that the righteous person isn’t on the same road as sinners. He/she is not doing the same things that sinners do.

Your friends might not think twice about using pirated software or ripping their friends CDs. But that is not where the righteous person stands. The righteous person chooses to be different. Your friends might buy Lotto tickets but is that where the righteous person stands? What does God say about that? Again, we will know only if we are very, very familiar with the word of God.

The first line is about the righteous person’s advice. The second line is about his/her actions. The third line is about his/her attitude. The righteous person chooses not to sit with mockers. Mockers are negative and cynical; people who love to criticise; people who make light of those things that are right and good. People who laugh at the idea of sexual purity or are dismissive of those who choose to worship on a Sunday. Ultimately, of course, mockers are those who ridicule God and reject God’s ways. There are plenty of them around. Blessed is the person who is not found amongst them; who rejects that way of life. Blessed is the person who speaks up for what is right and is respectful of those things that are holy, even when everyone else is mocking.

The tree people choose not to take ungodly advice, imitate sinners’ actions or adopt a scoffer’s attitude. Instead they delight in the law of God and meditate on it day and night. Of course, the opposite is true of the chaff people. They adopt the ways of the world and reject the ways of God. That is the choice that determines whether you are a tree or chaff and whether you will stand in the judgement or fall.

But there are very few righteous people. There are very few people who are that focused on knowing God’s ways and living by them. The New Zealand statistics are that of those who describe themselves as Christians, only 11% read their Bible daily. 60% of those who claim to be Christians rarely or never discuss its teachings with others. Wouldn’t you think that anyone who loves God and is always keen to better understand His ways would look for opportunities to learn from others? But most New Zealand Christians have no such desire. Most Christians are not meditating on God’s word day and night. Most Christians are not thirsting for righteousness. Most Christians are possibly adopting worldly standards in many areas of their lives. There is a lot of chaff but we have the chance to be trees.

This psalm hasn’t mentioned Jesus and you are thinking that our righteousness is received from Jesus when we put our faith in Him. It isn’t about how we live. Of course, that is true but if we delight in God’s word and meditate on it day and night, we will very soon discover that God’s way to be forgiven and to become righteous is through faith in Jesus. The world might assume that you don’t even need to be forgiven or that you can earn your own righteousness but we are not interested in what the world says. We are keen to know what God says. We do need to be forgiven. And God offers righteousness as a free gift. But then it is a question of how we choose to live and the psalm is on the button. The righteous do not take the path of the ungodly. The righteous hunger to know God and to know God’s ways and so they love the Bible and are thinking about it day and night.

Living by faith in Jesus means I want to know His ways, not the world’s ways and so I will do exactly as this psalm says. I’ll love the word of God and think about it constantly. That’s what righteous people do.

Notice how similar this psalm is to
Joshua 1:8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Notice how similar it is to Jesus words in
John 8:31 ...If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples.

None of us wants to be chaff and to face judgement? Can I strongly suggest you adopt this practice of delighting in God’s word and meditating on it day and night? Start doing that even if, at first, it is not a delight. Do it anyway because you will soon be delighting in what you learn and what God does in your life. This is a key part of being a Christian and yet very rare. Get into God’s word. Be a person who wants to know God’s ways and wants to go God’s ways. You will be part of a very small minority but it is that minority who are like those healthy, fruit-bearing trees. The majority are the chaff.

25.07.10 - Who Is My Neighbour?

2010-08-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

by Marty Redhead

This morning I thought we would look at the parable of the good Samaritan. This is a very common parable and one that we all know, however I want to attempt to shed some new light and information on this story that Jesus told. I’m also using some of my information from a book that I’ve just recently finished reading called ’15 Revolution’ which is written by a man called Paul Scanlon who is senior pastor of Abundent Life Ministries in Bradford, UK. The book is nice and short so I was able to read it quickly and understand what it all said. Which was good for me since my attention span is fairly short. Anyway, the tag line for the book is ‘go ahead, inconvenience me”. In which Ps Paul challenges the reader to take 15 mins a day to be inconvenienced and help someone out. It’s not rocket science, but some basic and potentially life changing principles.

Let me read from the text in Luke 10:25-37

You may notice that this is the only gospel account that contains the story of the Good Samaritan. I don’t think that is significant except that it tells us that Dr Luke maybe paid a little more attention to the detail about what Jesus was saying. Maybe for some reason this story resonated with Luke, challenged him in his thinking and therefore became part of the fabric that makes up this gospel. What ever the reason, this story is only mentioned once in the Bible, and it’s found in Luke 10:25. So let me read.

Read Luke 10:25-37

I think many of us read this story and think that we need to help other people more. Which is true in a sense, but I think the real impact that Jesus made by telling this story has been lost through the generations. And now with our 2010 western world view glasses on, we lose the impact of the story as we fail to see the historical significance.

When the teacher of the law stood up in what can only be assumed a crowded temple setting he stood up with the intention to trap Jesus, paint him into a corner and make him look like a fool. I read the text and think that the lawyer is asking the question lined with sarcasm as if showing off to his friend. “Hey ‘teacher’ (as if I could learn anything from you) how do I get ‘eternal’ life”? I imagine the lawyer was pushing for Jesus to proclaim himself as the way to eternal life so they could claim heresy and stone him on the spot. Except Jesus is way smarter than the Lawyer thinks and turns the question back on him. ‘What do you think” says Jesus. The Lawyer responds by quoting Deut 6:5 and Lev 19:18. (Love the lord) (and love your neighbour)

“Well done says Jesus”. But the lawyers not happy with that answer, he wants some more. I think that Jesus was happy to leave it there, but not the lawyer. Now I know some lawyers, and they’re not idiots. And I’m sure you know some lawyers that aren’t idiots. But if we’re being honest, there are some lawyers out there that just don’t quite ‘get it’. And I think that this lawyer was one of those guys that didn’t get it. So he asks as if feeling quite smug and full of himself, ready to take this so called ‘teacher’ down, and he says “who is my neighbour”?

And so Jesus launches into this parable. Right out of the blocks Jesus hits the original hearer between the eyes with the opening line “a man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho’. Straight away the listeners know that this man is a Jew, but maybe not a very bright one. Because it certainly wasn’t real smart to travel from Jerusalem to Jericho by themselves. People did it, but it was best done with others. See this piece of road is only 22km long, but is the fastest altitude dropping road in the world. Jerusalem sits at 640m above sea level – Jericho sits at 258m below sea level. That’s a drop of 898m in 22km. Which means every KM the road drops down 40m. It’s not quite Baldwin st, but it’s getting close.

Which means that it’s a rough and rugged road carved into the side of a cliff with lots of ins and outs and places to hide. A perfect place to attack and rob someone of their belongings. So when the original hearer heard that he was attacked and left for dead, there was not real surprise. This was a road that was synonymous for robbers, bandits and was a high risk road. In fact the road was called the ‘Way of the Blood’ because of it’s reputation.

After the man is beaten, bruised and the bible says ‘left half dead’, a priest comes along. He comes to where the man is lying, and does a quick assessment on him. Jesus stated that he was left half dead, which means that by just looking at the man he probably looked dead. This straight away brings a problem for the priest because if he touches the body of someone who is dead, he is declared ‘unclean’. We’re not told in which direction the priest was going, either from Jerusalem and therefore coming from the temple, or towards Jerusalem and so then would be on his way for his temple duty. Either way he would have defiled himself as a priest because of coming into contact with a dead body. However, I think the overriding thought that went though the priests head was “what will happen to me if I stop to help?”

We live in a society that scream you you you you. Get what you want, when you want it, how you want it. How will I be affected from this action? We are a selfish people who always look out for us. On my way to Invercargill on Wednesday I was following a vehicle and then on the side of the road came into view a parked red BMW with it’s fuel flap open and the man on a cell phone in the drivers seat. I have about half a second to decide what to do. In that half second I started to reason with myself.
- I’ve got a young person in the van with me so and it might not be safe.
- I’ve got a schedule to keep, and appointments to keep
- He could be on the phone with help already on the way
- He might not have actually run out of fuel, he could have pulled over to talk on the phone and the fuel flap could be broken and so just happens to be open.

By the time I had made the arguments in my head, justified myself and driven on, I was well down the road and even though I could have turned round, I did not. That man in the red BMW might not have had a problem, but he may have run out of fuel, and needed help. But I was to busy thinking of me. Thinking of what I would lose and how I would be inconvenienced. What would have you done? Stopped….Driven on….or not even seen the problem?

For whatever reason, the priest failed to help his fellow Jew on the road between Jerusalem and Jericho that day. He weighed up the options, refused to help, and carried on his way.

Next comes along a Levite. Another people group that the original hearer would have related to. The role of a Levite was to look after the temple and the goings on of it. When Israel came to the promised land, the tribe of Levi was the only tribe not given any land, but was rather given cities and then each other tribe was to give a tithe to the tribe of Levi. All the priest that served in the temple were of the Levite tribe and you would have been considered a person of significance if you were a Levite. Once again we’re not told why the Levite didn’t stop. Maybe he was in fear of his life. As many times before robbers would put one of their own guys in the middle of the road and appear to be hurt. When the innocent person stops to help, all bandits jump from their hiding place and attack the do gooder. This may have been flashing though the mind of the Levite as he passes. Whatever the reason, our Levite friend didn’t stop to help the beaten man.

By using the imagery of a Priest and a Levite Jesus is building up a picture to the hearer that if anyone is going to help this fellow Jew, then these people would be it. He is taking the listening crowd on a journey with fairly relatable people just to flip the script and smack them between the eyes with the third and final person.

As Jesus takes the crowd and builds the story up you can sense that the crowd and in particular the Lawyer are wondering where Jesus is going. So far nothing out of the ordinary, everything is pretty relatable.

And then Jesus drops the bomb.

Verse 33 “But a Samaritian, as he travelled, came where the man was”. This is where in our context we struggle with the impacting hammer that Jesus has just laid down. Jews and Samaritians were sworn enemies. They hated each other with a passion, and could not even stand the other race. In fact at the end of the story when Jesus turns to the lawyer and ask who was the man’s neighbour, he can’t even bring himself to say the word Samaritian. Instead he says “the one who had mercy on him’. The original hearer gets smacked between the eyes, and you can almost hear the audience gasp as Jesus says the word Samaritian. In our country of NZ we do not have an equivalent racial tension that is shown here. To not even be able to mention the word of the other race depicts just how deeply this hate for each other goes.

If anyone of the 3 people that came by the beaten man that day had reason not to stop, it was the Samaritian. He was not only the sworn enemy of Jews, but he was also taking his life into his own hands. The Samaritian stopped, and bandaged his wounds put him on his own donkey and took him to help. He disregarded his own safety, his own personal welfare, and his own time schedule as he helped his fellow man.

I’d like to look back at verse 33 again though. Where Jesus states ‘and when he saw the man, he took pity on him’

Are we moved with compassion towards those in need? Is something of our heart moved when we see someone in pain or discomfort that we want to help them? I know for me that I can grow hard sometimes to what is happening around me. My compassion levels are low, my patience is thin and right at that moment I just don’t care. So my prayer has become to ask God to break my heart for what breaks his. To make me moved with compassion when I see someone in need and have the courage to do something about it.

I was talking to a young person this week who was having a bit of trouble and I was trying to encourage them and getting them to think beyond the current situation. In the course of conversation I asked ‘what are you good at?’ This young person looked at me and said “I’m good at nothing, I’m worthless and a loser”? My heart just broke, and tears welled up in my eyes. For a moment I felt that I saw this young person as God saw them. With hope, potential, a plan for their life and a future. My heart broke for them and I was moved with compassion.

Are you moved with compassion when you see someone in need?

In the book that I talked about at the start of the message called ’15 Revolution’ Ps. Paul Scanlon challenges the reader to take 15min, or even only 15sec to inconvenience themselves each day to help someone else. Sometimes I think that we are moved to make a change in our world but don’t know how. Maybe we get caught up to much in looking for the divine appointment and look for big spiritual arrows above people’s heads. Now I know this sometimes happens, which is fantastic. But in my experience this is the exception rather than the rule. Most of us don’t hear the audible voice of God telling us what to do, instead we just feel a gentle prod, and quiet tug, and a move on our conscience. Sometimes we don’t even need a prod from the Holy Spirit, but rather we just need to be nice. We just need to show an interest in peoples lives and actually care about what’s going on. I know it’s just social etiquette to say ‘good’ or ‘fine’ when someone asks how you are. But we need to take a genuine interest in others lives and just be nice to them.

- Last Sunday Steph, myself and a group of others were at the Croydon Lodge for lunch. There was about 15 of us and we hadn’t booked a table. When we turned up there were 2 other groups of about 10 each sitting down for a meal as well. There would have been about 35 people there maybe, and only 1 waitress. She did her best, and got the food out as best she could with the resource she had. It was a good time with plenty of chatting and no one was really too worried about how long the food was taking. At the end when we went to pay, I just dropped a comment saying I thought she’d done a great job under fairly difficult circumstances. We chatted for about 15 secs and then I said thank you again, she she’d done great, and carried on.

Now I would like to say that that girl is now coming to church, has given her life to Christ and is thinking about going to Bible College next year. However, that is not the case. As far as I’m aware she is still waiting tables at the Lodge and still isn’t a Christian.

But that’s ok!! We should never ever view people as something we can notch up on our evangelism belt. It took me no time to pay a quick compliment to the girl saying she was doing an awesome job. And I don’t know what impact that had on her, it may have lifted her day, or meant nothing to her. But that’s not my responsibility, that’s God’s. My job is to be the face of Christ to those who I come into contact with, God is big enough to do the rest.

- I was getting my hair cut a while back and as always before I had it cut one of the apprentice hair dresses washed it for me. I decided to engage in conversation with her and told her that I was a youth pastor at Calvin Church. Which can sometimes be a real conversation killer as nobody actually knows what to say next. They can’t relate to my job and so we have to find some other common ground to talk about. Anyway, I told this girl that I was a youth pastor and then the conversation progressed and she told me that she was 7th Day Adventist, although hadn’t been going since leaving home. We chatted about church and differences between them, and she told me about her parents and how they were kind of a big deal in the 7th Day Adventist Church. She also mentioned she didn’t really like the strict rules so much and that’s why she hadn’t been for the last couple of years. And then she finished and I think I ended the conversation with something like you should think about having a look at our church at some stage. And that was that.

Being nice to people isn’t that hard. Going out of our way and inconveniencing ourselves to help someone out isn’t that hard. It doesn’t have to be as dramatic as stopping and helping someone who is hurt and beaten on the road between Jerusalem and Jericho, all it could be is a genuine interest in how someone is doing. A conversation with your hairdresser about how life is at home. Talking to your neighbour about their kids at school. Telling the meter reader that they’re doing a great job or whoever you run into during the day. Even just having a conversation with someone with a genuine desire to find out how they are doing. A complement to someone can be as powerful as the most selfless act of kindness.

When Jesus told the parable of the Good Samartian, I think that the teacher of the law and all the people who were listening got the point. Jesus flipped the script on what the teacher of the law asked and challenged the listener in the original context, and challenged us today, that everyone is our neighbour.

Play You Tube Video straight away – Tears of the Saints LIFENZ01

If we don’t do something, then who will? IF we don’t stop and help, then who will? If we’re not moved with compassion and move, then who will. We are the Church of Jesus Christ, we are the hope of the world. We are the answer to our hurting community.

My intention is not to make you feel guilty, or that you become a doormat for people’s problems. That is not what God wants. He wants us to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. He wants us to be moved with compassion by our neighbours problems as we would our own.

My challenge to you this week, is to just one time be inconvenienced by someone for 15mins.

11.07.10 - Two Types Of People

2010-07-10T18:13:00.000-07:00

It is common for people to say, “There are two types of people in the world” and then to describe what those two types are. Let me give you some examples.

I read a blog in which a personnel manager (in other words, a person who recruits new employees) was quoted as saying that after 25 years in the job, he was convinced that there are only two types of people in the world: those who start with nothing and manage to produce something, and those who could be given all the resources in the world and would still produce nothing.

That’s an interesting thought. There are those who produce (despite a disadvantage) and those who don’t produce (despite an advantage). Which are you?

Because it was a blog, there were some interesting comments. One person said, “That reminds me of the story of the hiring manager who threw half of all job applications he received in the bin. That way, he didn’t hire anyone who was unlucky.”

Someone else said, “My experience teaches me that if there are two types of people they are people who know how to actually do things and personnel managers.”

An old joke says: There are two types of people in the world: those who believe there are two types of people in the world and those who don’t.

There is actually a web site called www.tattopitw.com and a facebook page for there are two types of people in the world. Some people will become fans of that page and some won’t.

Mark Twain said, “There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded.”

There are two types of people in the world:
• Those who say the glass is half full and those who say it is half empty. Which are you?
• Those who are creative thinkers and those who are critical thinkers
• Those who read the instructions and those who don't.
• Those who follow the paths others have made and those who make their own paths.
• Dreamers and doers
• Those who moan about their situation and those who do something about it.
• Those who take risks and those who play it safe.
• Those who walk into a room and say "Ah here I am" and those who say "Ah there you are"

There are a number of jokes around too.
• There are three types of people in the world: those who can count and those who can’t.
• There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who don’t

And here is a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox: Two Kinds Of People

There are two kinds of people on earth today;
Just two kinds of people, no more I say.
Not the sinner and the saint, for it’s well understood
The good are half bad and the bad are half good.

Not the rich and the poor, for to rate a man's wealth,
You must first know the state of his conscience and health.
Not the humble and proud, for in life's little span,
He who puts on vain airs, is not counted a man.

Not the happy and sad, for the swift flying years
Bring each man his laughter and each man his tears.
No; the two kinds of people on earth I mean
Are the people who lift and the people who lean.

Wherever you go you will find the earth's masses
Are always divided in just these two classes
And oddly enough, you will find, too, I ween,
There's only one lifter to twenty who lean.

In which class are you? Are you easing the load
Of overtaxed lifters who toil down the road?
Or are you a leaner who lets others bear
Your portion of labour and worry and care?

When people are making these statements they choose one characteristic. And so people either are or are not that thing. People are either workers or shirkers. People either are or are not optimists. They either are or are not innovators. They are either doers or dreamers. They either do or do not like sea food.

So, in a sense there are only two types of people in the world – if we are talking about a single characteristic. But as soon as we add in another characteristic we have four types of people. There are:
1. Those who are introverts and like spaghetti
2. Those who are introverts and don’t like spaghetti
3. Those who are extroverts and life spaghetti
4. Those who are extroverts and don’t like spaghetti.

Add another characteristic and you have 8 types. Add a fourth and you have 16. The number of types grows exponentially until you have to say maybe there’s nearly 7 billion types of people in the world.

To make it even more complicated, it is often not true to say that a person is either A or B. There are some things that you either are or are not. You either are pregnant or you are not. You either are married or you are not. You can’t be a little bit married.

But for most things, everybody is actually on a continuum between those two extremes – maybe mainly A and a little bit B. Generally optimistic but pessimistic if I am tired. It is far more complex than just A or B. Even with just one characteristic there is an infinite range of possibilities, not just two.

For any particular characteristic, we can ask ourselves, “Am I A or B or where am I on that spectrum?” We should ask ourselves those questions. Am I a lifter or a leaner? Am I lazy or energetic? Am I positive or negative, or what combination of the two?

The reality is every one of us is unique, each made up of a unique combination of characteristics. There are not two type of people in the world but nearly 7 billion – each person unique.

Isn’t it one of the most amazing aspects of God’s creation that there are no two things exactly alike? There are no two snowflakes that are exactly the same (although I don’t know how anyone knows that) and there are no two people who are exactly the same. We have an amazingly creative God.

Our uniqueness makes us special. We are one of a kind. We are not mass produced. We are not just like everybody else, or even anybody else. There are things about us that set us apart.

Of course, the cynic says, “You are unique, just like everybody else” but the reality is that you are not exactly the same as anybody else. On the blog I mentioned earlier someone said, “There is only one kind of person in this world. A person comprised of an absolutely unique combination of features, flaws, characteristics, beliefs, quirks, and aspirations. It’s wonderful!” Celebrate the individual.

READ Luke 12:4-7

God knows all about you; all the tiny details. He knows your uniqueness. He doesn’t just assume how many hairs are on your head. He doesn’t just say, “Southland male, about 40 years old. In that case, probably 90,000 hairs.” He doesn’t make those assumptions. He knows the exact number. He knows you. He knows your uniqueness. The point Jesus is making is that you are valuable to Him.

Yet we have a tendency to want to put people in categories. We can’t cope with 7 billion types of people. God can but we can’t. We want to reduce it to a far smaller number of categories. We want to be able to say, “You are this sort of person. And you are that sort of person.” It is convenient to label people and deal with only a few categories. But it doesn’t do justice to the exceptions or the vast variety.

When we label someone we can then assume that they are a certain way. All extroverts are shallow. Or all redheads have a temper. That is the basis of prejudice – pre-judging – and it devalues people. God doesn’t put people in boxes and then make assumptions, and neither should we.

Although, you know, God does say that there are only two types of people in the world. There is one thing that divides all people into two categories.

READ Mark 9:38-40

John wanted to stop this person driving out demons because he was not one of them. There is another way of saying there are two types of people in this world; us and them.

Jesus didn’t argue with the idea of two categories. He said, “Actually, he is one of us too. If he does a miracle in my name, he is not going to then turn around and criticise me.” Then Jesus said a fascinating thing: whoever is not against us is for us. In other words, there are only two possibilities: for us or against us. There is no other option. Whoever is not against us is for us. In Matthew 12:30 Jesus states it the other way: whoever is not with us is against us. There are only two options.

There is a sharp distinction and we fall into one category or the other. We might express it in various ways. We are either God’s children or we are not. In John 8 Jesus spoke to the Jews, who clearly believed that they were God’s children. In that passage they say that they are children of God. Jesus says, “Actually, you are not. If you were, you would love me. Actually, you are children of the devil.”

We might talk about the same thing in terms of being saved and going to heaven. We either are or we are not. In the end, there is one characteristic that does divide the world into two types of people. There is going to be a judgement. People will be divided into two groups.

What is the criterion that divides people like that? It is having a relationship with Jesus. Are we for Jesus or against Him? It is trusting Him and following Him.

John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them.

That is very clear, isn’t it? Only two possibilities: whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life but rather God’s judgement. It all hinges on believing in Jesus. Believing means more than just head belief. It means trusting enough to put our lives in His hands.

That, of course, is our choice. We know what God wants. God wants everyone to be saved.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

1 Tim 2:4 [God] who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

In many ways it is ridiculous to say there are only two types of people in this world. There are many types of people because God has made us unique. But when it comes to the biggest question that we will ever face – the question that will be asked at the judgement when people will be divided into two types – we need to know that we know the answer. When it comes to our salvation and our eternity, there are only two types of people.

Have you put your faith in Jesus and are you following Him in obedience? God wants you to be His child. He doesn’t want anyone to perish. He wants to give you eternal life. If you are not already a child of God, you have the opportunity today to start that relationship. As always, at the end of the service there will be people willing to pray with you, at the front of the church, at the right hand side. If God is calling you to respond today, the service hasn’t finished until you have made that response. Please don’t just walk out and leave the service unfinished. If God wants to make you His child today, please don’t leave without becoming His child. Don’t walk away from God. There are two types of people in this world.

04.07.10 - Being Part Of A Miracle

2010-07-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

READ Acts 3:1-16

The miracle in that story is very different from the types of miracles we have been talking about as we have looked at Bruce Wilkinson’s book You Were Born For This. That was a very dramatic, visible, physical miracle. Praise God for it. And praise God when similar things happen today. And praise God for the times when we have the privilege of being involved in such a miracle.

But some miracles happen in a person’s heart and are invisible. If someone is saved by putting his trust in Jesus, that is a miracle. If someone is forgiven or is set free from a fear, that is a miracle. If someone, simply comes to know that God loves her and knows her current situation, that is a miracle.

But whatever the type of miracle, there are a lot of common features. Bruce Wilkinson talks about five steps to delivering a miracle. Last week we looked at steps one and two. And they are pretty obvious. If you are going to be involved in bringing a miracle into someone’s life, you need to identify the someone. That means being aware of God’s nudges; aware of God directing your attention towards someone because He wants to do something in that person’s life. We need to be awake to God saying, “I want to use you to do something special in that person’s life. Now go and start a conversation.”

The second step is to isolate the need that God plans to meet. In part, that means listening to what God is saying; what is on His agenda for that person. In part, it means listening to what the person says, or even the body language, and picking up the need that God seems to want to meet.

Peter and John had possibly gone into the temple hundreds of times before. The crippled man had been lame from birth and was carried to the temple gate every day to beg. Peter and John may have seen him on numerous occasions. But this day, their attention was drawn to him in a new way. God nudged them.

It wasn’t hard for them to discern his need. He needed money. He asked them for money. Obvious need.

But, in fact, that wasn’t the need God planned to meet that day. That man had possibly long ago given up hoping for a cure or a healing but God planned to heal him that day. The spoken need wasn’t the need. Peter and John had to be aware of what God was saying.

The third step is: Open the heart.

Many miracles happen in the heart. They are personal miracles – times when God speaks profoundly to a person and that person’s attitude or understanding or emotions are changed. It will be a wonderful thing and very liberating but before God can use you to touch that person’s heart, the heart must be open.

The heart is a person’s most private and protected place. Sometimes a person will share his/her heart straight away. She will be very open about the need she has. But, sometimes, that is not the case. In the story I used last week, Owen said everything was OK. He didn’t acknowledge his need. He was going to give up the ministry God had called him into. He had already decided, but he wasn’t yet ready to tell all the men in that conference. If he remained closed – if he wasn’t willing to talk about his own situation – there could be no miracle. It is only when we open up and acknowledge our need, that God can meet that need. There is a certain amount of vulnerability and humility required.

If we really sense that God has drawn our attention to someone and we believe God wants to do a miracle, how can we get that person to open his/her heart? We can’t force it and we shouldn’t try. People’s freedom and dignity must be respected. Trying to force it open is likely to make the person more resistant.

Having said that, Bruce Wilkinson’s approach with Owen was pretty direct! He went back to him a second time and told him he wasn’t telling the truth! I don’t think even Bruce would recommend that approach. You would have to be very sure that was what God was saying and, of course, sometimes God does take a direct approach.

But generally, to be allowed into someone’s heart requires a different approach – an approach that says that you care and that you can be trusted.

And, actually, even in Owen’s case, Wilkinson did a number of things to indicate that he cared and could be trusted. We’ll come to that in a moment but Wilkinson says that if he hadn’t sensed that this was a miracle opportunity he might have responded very differently. He might have encouraged Owen to reconsider his decision to quit or he might have asked all of the other men to remember Owen in their prayers. They would have both been caring, Christian responses but for God’s miracle to happen, it needed to go deeper; it required an open heart.

So, how can you open a closed heart? Hearts respond best to gentle and sincere invitations from one hearts to another. Wilkinson suggests some tips – in fact, things we already know and use all the time, and things he says he did as Owen talked.
• Maintain eye contact. There are wonderful people who, when they are talking to someone else, look at them with absolutely undivided attention.
• Soften and lower your voice. If we are talking about ideas or news our voice might be louder but when we talk about feelings we lower our voice in terms of both volume and pitch.
• Slow down and allow gaps. Leaving gaps invites the other person to carry more of the conversation and says, “What you have to say is very important to me.”
• Relax your posture. Our bodies speak volumes even when we are silent. Our bodies might say we are uneasy or aggressive or angry or bored. To encourage the other person to speak and feel safe, we need to look relaxed and open.
• Invite more heart sharing. Just saying “Hmmm” shows that you are paying attention and you care. If your head is tilted to one side it indicates that you are listening. A nod shows that you understand and care. Or you can ask questions like, “How does that make you feel?” or “What does your heart tell you at a moment like this?”
• Practise empathy. Empathy means you put yourself in the other person’s shoes and you know how he/she feels. A comment like “That must have been very frustrating” or “That must have hurt” shows that you understand the feelings.

We do a lot of this naturally but, if we want to deliver miracles for God, we also need to be quite intentional about it.

What opened the heart of the crippled man at the temple? It wasn’t actually a heart miracle. It was a physical healing but, all the same, the man had to want it. Peter said, “Look at me.” That got his attention but he still expected only money. When Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” I suspect hope flooded that man’s heart.

The fourth step is to deliver the miracle. Peter took the man’s hand and helped him to his feet. Instantly, his feet and ankles became strong.

The miracle is God’s work. We can’t do the miracle. We don’t have to know what God is going to do or understand how He will work. We can relax and leave that up to Him. But we do need to trust that God will act and we need to be open to what He wants us to do as part of that. While continuing to make eye contact, listen for the leading of the Holy Spirit. God might want us to say something or do something that we wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. Again, we don’t have to stress over it. Jesus has promised...
Matt 10:18-20 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

God might prompt you to give the person $50 or visit his grandmother or pray with him or quote a Bible verse that you didn’t even know that you remembered. It is about being open to God’s leading and willing to act. You might not even realise that what you say is significant but the other person will.

Sometimes you won’t know what to do and that is because God wants you to simply do nothing and give Him room to act.

I was sceptical that there really were five steps to a miracle or seven keys to a life of predictable miracles but ultimately there is no simple step-by-step formula. It is about our willingness to listen to God and obey. The process can look different in each different situation.

But Wilkinson says there is one constant: it is nearly always the recipient who first realises that a miracle has taken place. He might say something like, “Wow! That was an amazing breakthrough for me” or “How did you know?” or “That was a miracle.”

That leads to the fifth step: Transfer the credit.

The mission is not complete until we do everything we can to help the person shift his focus from the wonderful experience he has just had to the source of that experience. In other words, the job is not complete until we have helped that person realise that it was God who did the miracle.

In Acts 3, the man needed no help apparently. He went into the temple courts walking and jumping and praising God. But notice what happened after that. People flocked to Peter and John, amazed at what they had seen. There was the danger that they would credit Peter and John with the miracle. Peter was very emphatic. “Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?” And then later: “By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has completely healed him as you can all see.”

If someone is not particularly open to God, you want to direct their attention to Him in a way that feels natural, not “churchy”. On other occasions, it will be appropriate to be quite open about it.

Wilkinson suggests encouraging the recipient of the miracle to put into words what just happened. Help him to recognise that it was God who just showed up, but don’t tell him that. Let him come to see it himself. You might ask, “What just happened?”

He might respond, “That was God!” or “I can’t believe what just happened. It feels like a miracle.”

Wilkinson uses three steps
1. Clarify what just happened. “The fear has gone, hasn’t it?” or “Something just changed for you. What was it?”
2. Help the person express what he feels about what God just did. A good question might be: How do you feel about what God just did?
3. Help him put into words his thanks to God or his praise of God – like the crippled man, walking and jumping and praising God.

It might be a case of asking if he would like to say a short prayer of thanks to God, or offering to pray that prayer yourself. You might ask, “Don’t you think God would like to know how you’re feeling about Him right now?”

Transferring the credit is not optional. This is actually the completion of the miracle. Good people doing good works is not enough to accomplish what God wants. It is not about good works and helping people. It has to go further than that. God wants to reveal Himself. The point of the miracle was that people might experience God and know that He loves them.

But, if we can finish by ensuring that God gets the glory, then we have completed a whole miracle delivery and been part of God’s intervention in someone’s life. What a great privilege. God wanted to bless someone and He used you and the person was blessed and God got the glory.

We have been talking about this for 6 months now. Are we doing it? Does God have a miracle He wants you to deliver today?

We have talked about:
• Wanting to be used. Praying that God will use us.
• Being open to go to whomever God indicates – not just the people we like but whomever.
• Cooperating with the Holy Spirit
• Taking risks
• These five steps
   o Identifying the person
   o Isolating the need
   o Opening the heart
   o Delivering the miracle
   o Transferring the credit.

Are you willing to be used by God like this? Are you willing to be available and to listen to the Spirit and to take risks? I suggest that those nwho are willing, stand up - but only in your imagination! No-one else will know but you will know whether you are standing or sitting. Are you willing to say, “I am willing. I am available. I will be looking for the people God wants to bless.” If that is you, would you stand, in ytour imagination, as a sign to God that you want to be available to Him, and I will pray for you?

27.06.10 - Five Steps To Deliver A Miracle

2010-06-26T18:33:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year we looked at the book You Were Born For This by Bruce Wilkinson. We didn’t finish it because Easter came along and then we started talking about influence (which actually was the same topic under a different guise). Today I want to return to that book and discuss: Five step to deliver a miracle.

A title like that makes me cringe. I mentioned early on that I was very sceptical of the sub-title of this book: 7 Keys To A Life Of Predictable Miracles. Surely you can’t predict miracles. And surely miracles can’t be simply manufactured by the use of seven keys. Well, I think I was wrong. Wilkinson talks about personal miracles; the miracles the happen in people’s hearts when they know that God has done something for them because He loves them. I now think that God wants to do that often. He wants to be involved in people’s lives at the point of their need – be involved miraculously – and He wants to use us to deliver those miracles. I think God so much wants to, that miracles can be pretty much predictable.

I am still a bit uncomfortable about “Five steps to deliver a miracle” but, when we see them, I think that we will see that they are actually very obvious.

Here are the five steps:
1. Identify the person
2. Isolate the need
3. Open the heart
4. Deliver the miracle
5. Transfer the credit

I want to read a story from the Bible about Jesus’ ministry to one person. As I do, see if you can identify those five steps. READ Luke 8:42b-48.

If the miracle was the physical healing, then Jesus didn’t do any of those things first. The miracle took place without Jesus apparently doing anything. But I think there was a second miracle. If the healing miracle had already taken place, why was Jesus so insistent that this woman identify herself?

She would have been a social outcast, lonely and ashamed. She was ritually unclean, permanently. The second miracle was about restoring her and affirming her as a woman loved by God; a woman of faith.

Jesus identified her for her own good – that others might know what had happened. She told of her physical need. Everyone would have known the consequential emotional and social needs. Purely by insisting she identify herself and talk of her need, Jesus opened her heart. She was broken and in need, and forced to confess that. He delivered the miracle by affirming her.

Of course, Jesus didn’t need to transfer the credit off Himself onto God. He could take the credit but, even so, by mentioning faith he reinforced in her mind that God had touched her that day.

Let me relate another story from Wilkinson’s book. It is quite a long story so just enjoy it and, in fact, we will then just comment on the first two steps. We will, God willing, consider the rest next week.

Some years ago, Bruce Wilkinson was speaking to a group of about 80 men at a retreat centre. No more than five minutes into his talk, he felt an unusually powerful nudge from the Holy Spirit that directed his attention to one particular man. This man was seated four rows back on the left side of the aisle.

Wilkinson decided to go with the nudge. He stopped in the middle of his talk , walked down the aisle and introduced himself to the man whose name was Owen.

“I sense there is something unusual going on in your life. Is there anything I can do for you?” he said.

Alarm was written all over Owen’s face, “No! Not at all. Really, I’m fine.”

What to do? Wilkinson apologised and returned to the stage thinking, “Well Lord, that was unusual.” He also sensed that some other men in the room were looking suspiciously at someone who stops mid-sentence and walks into the audience asking point-blank, personal questions.

He gathered his thoughts and started again on his talk. But, almost immediately, he felt another strong nudge from God; same man. This time he started debating with God. I just did that Lord, and nothing happened! But the nudge was clear: Go again.

It didn’t make sense and he risked looking like an idiot, but what to do? His sentences stumbled then stopped as he battled with this decision. He decided to take a risk.

He picked up a chair from the front, carried it down the aisle and sat down right next to Owen. Very calmly Wilkinson said, “Sir, please don’t be offended but you’re not telling me the truth.”

You could have heard a pin drop.

Owen was again alarmed but when he finally found his voice, he said, “How on earth did you know?”

“I don’t know really, but God does and he has something in store for you tonight. I sense that something is deeply troubling you.”

“The truth is,” Owen said soberly, “I’m quitting the ministry tonight. I called my wife this afternoon and told her my decision. Right after your session tonight, I’m done.”

“Would you mind sharing why you are quitting?”

With everyone listening, Owen haltingly told his story. He had been a successful businessman who had felt God call him to work with men. He had given up his business and poured his heart and soul into his ministry. He said his wife and he loved what they were doing but, to keep the ministry afloat, they had gone broke, lost their saving and retirement, remortgaged their house, maxed out their credit card and were $16,000 in debt. Struggling to talk by now, Owen said, “I’ve had enough. After tonight, I quit.”

Everyone in the room could identify with Owen’s dilemma. If God wanted him in this ministry, why were the circumstances making it impossible? Wilkinson voiced those thoughts to Owen and said that he and his wife had faced similar testing many time. He then said, “I have only one question: When you changed course and launched your ministry, was that a career move on your part, or would you say it was a response to a divine call?”

“God called us,” he said, “I have no doubt.”

“Okay. Would you say that God is now calling you out of this ministry? Is he asking you to leave?”

“No.”

“Are you sure you want to leave?”

“Well, I’m up to my ears in debt. I have to quit. How am I supposed to do this?”

“I understand but has God asked you to leave?”

There was a long pause.

“No.”

Wilkinson asked Owen, “What are you going to do?”

Suddenly there was an awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the room in peace and power. Many of the other men were struggling with their own emotions. Owen’s eyes filled with tears, then, with great effort, he said, “I shouldn’t quit unless He asks me to leave. I won’t quit.”

Wilkinson wanted to test his resolve. “But what about the $16,000 debt?”

“No, I won’t quit.” He had decided.

They shook hands on his decision, then Wilkinson asked some of the audience to gather around and pray for him. Scores of men poured out their hearts in prayer for Owen and they heard him pray an emotional, humble prayer recommitting himself to his calling.

As they were going back to their seats, the man in charge of the meeting (who had earlier been a bit opposed to the idea of letting God do anything and had wanted the meeting strictly limited to half an hour) said, “It’s not right! This man is $16,000 dollars in debt. My wife and I are going to give him a thousand dollars. What are you going to do?”

The men contemplated that challenge and then, without a word, began opening their wallets. One by one they walked over to Owen with their gifts. In no time at all, Owen had sixteen thousand dollars.

He was speechless, awestruck by what God had just done. The rest of the men felt grateful to have been a part of it. It was an unforgettable experience.

Standing beside Owen in the aisle, Wilkinson said, “Do you recognise the order of things that just happened? What did you have to decide before God gave you the money?”

“Unless God calls me to, I’m not leaving.”

“When you made a decision of loyalty to God,” Wilkinson said, “the powerful arm of God was outstretched from heaven. Do you recognise who was behind this test?"

“God was. He was testing my loyalty,” Owen said.

“How did you do in the test?”

“I almost failed it.”

“Yes, but you didn’t,” Wilkinson responded, “Isn’t it interesting that God sent me here on the very night you were going to quit and gave me a supernatural nudge – twice – because He didn’t want you to fail the test? And He prompted all those men to meet your need.”

The first step is identifying the person. It is obvious, is it not, that if we are going to deliver a miracle to someone, we have to identify who the someone is.

Wilkinson’s attention was directed to Owen by a strong impression – what he calls a nudge – God suddenly alerting us to a particular person. Sometimes that might seem to be out of context or to be surprising. If it is unexpected, that strengthens the likelihood that it is from God.

It might happen in many different ways. The person might come up to you and talks about a pressing need. It might be a complete stranger. It might be a friend. It might be in the supermarket or at church. But the point is that people are not just people. They are people with needs that God wants to meet through you today. God wants to alert you to the right person.

Bruce Wilkinson advises that we don’t get hung up wondering if every person we see or talk to is the right person. We don’t have to make the miracle appointment. God will alert us. We just have to be listening and ready to respond when He does. Maybe it is that nudge. Maybe you see or hear the cues that indicate a need. Maybe you ask a question and the response indicates an opportunity that God has created.

In the book, Wilkinson says, “Especially during your early days as a delivery agent, God will make your appointments obvious. Your job is simply to grow into your role as Heaven’s ambassador and to be awake to Heavens agenda for your day.

“In the meantime, you’re not doing anything socially unacceptable if you approach a person and start a conversation. If in doubt, proceed – all you risk is being friendly.”

Once we have identified the person, we need to know what the need is that God wants to meet. A person might have many needs. We need to know what the specific need God wants to meet now is. We are not asked to meet every need or even the person’s greatest need but we are looking for that need that is at the top of God’s agenda for this person right now.

It might be very obvious but maybe we need to be sensitive to the tone of voice, or the body language or the circumstances or the expression of emotion or the words spoken – all of the verbal or non-verbal clues (or what Wilkinson describes as “cues”) that help us see what is happening inside the person.

Sometimes we can ask a question that brings a response from the person. Wilkinson calls these “bumps” i.e. we bump the person to see what response there is. We could just ask, “How can I help you?”

God clearly showed Bruce Wilkinson that he had a plan for Owen that day but finding out what the need was was more difficult. The first question (“Is there something unusual going on in your life?”) didn’t work. He had to take the risk of another bump (“You are not telling me the truth. I sense there is something deeply troubling you.”)

It may be that God can work without you knowing much of the detail. You have possibly experienced doing something, or saying something, and not realising that God was in it until the other person commented on how much it meant. Sometimes we are being used when we don’t even know it.

But often more information helps us know what God wants to do or why He has chosen us for this assignment.

Wilkinson says that when he has isolated the right need, there is often a sense of peace but he will often confirm it by asking something like, “Is this the one area that is bothering you most right now?” Maybe he didn’t have it right and he needs to switch focus.

Maybe you, like me, question there being five steps to deliver a miracle but it is obvious, isn’t it, that, if we are going to be part of what God wants to do miraculously in people’s lives, we need to identify the person and identify the need. In both instances, we need to be open to the voice of God but there are also very practical things we can do: look for the signals; ask questions.

But behind it all is the question: Do we want to? Do you want to be used by God to bring miracles into other people’s lives? Do you want to because you love God and want to be obedient to Him? Do you want to because you love people and want to see them happy? We have to ask ourselves that question first: Do we want to be involved in personal miracles?

If we want to, are we willing to? Are we willing to have our antennae up and listen to God for that nudge that indicates the person? And are we willing to then approach that person and make ourselves available?

Next week we will look at how we open the heart, deliver the miracle and transfer the credit.

20.06.10 - Go Bless

2010-06-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

On Thursday morning, Nichi asked me for the sermon theme. I then finished an email. Normally I sign off “God bless” but I made a mistake and typed “Go bless”. It occurred to me that that was perhaps the perfect theme for today. In fact, I think the typing error was a God thing.

Go bless. I am not sure if it has been obvious to you or not, but this year I have focused on only one thing. We started the year, at a January combined service, talking about being salt. Then we talked about changing the world and watched the DVD of Jessica Jackley and the Kiva organisation. We spent some time looking at Bruce Wilkinson’s book You Were Born For This which was about partnering with God to deliver everyday miracles. Since then the theme has been “influence”.

Can you see any pattern in what we are doing? I really just want to re-cap. It has all been about ministry – about how we might have a Christian influence in the lives of others. It is about “Go bless”; go and bring the blessing of God into someone else’s life. If you want to know what my agenda is, that is it: Go bless.

You might remember that You Were Born For This was about partnering with God to deliver every day miracles into the lives of people whom God loves. He wants people to know that they are loved and that God Himself cares enough to do something for them. It was about us wanting and praying to be used; about being willing to go to whomever God chooses despite our preferences; about being open to the Holy Spirit if we are to see the miraculous power of God; about being willing to be obedient even when that means risks and about looking for the signals – the nudges, cues, bumps, prompts and alerts – that indicate to us what God is doing and what He wants us to do.

After Easter we started talking about influence; about being salt and light and yeast and God’s expectation that we will make a difference for other people. We talked about the cost of influence.

We asked why we want to be influential. What is our motivation? Is it for our benefit or is it for the other person’s benefit? And, if we are reticent, why do we not want to “go bless”?

Then we discussed the need for a close relationship with Jesus, the need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit, the need for our influence to be born out of love and, last week, the power of our example.

My agenda through all of this has been to talk about ministry – about us serving others in the name of Jesus; about not just living private, self-contained lives but living lives dedicated to helping others; about being used by God to make a positive difference in other people’s lives. So, go bless.

Here is another story from the book, You Were Born For This. Look for the willingness to be used, the partnering with the Holy Spirit, the risk-taking and the nudges and prompts. One morning Toni asked God to send her to do His work that day. That is where it starts – asking to be used.

Later, in a meeting, a woman she didn’t know made a comment about sons being a challenge. Toni pricked her ears up. Possibly no one else had noticed it but Toni did. She asked God to show her how she could help and she felt a clear nudge saying, “Write her a note.”

Toni took out a pad and pen and started writing. Dear Sonya, your son is in a ... She didn’t know what to say next. Then God prompted her. A picture came to mind so she continued writing: Your son is in a wrestling match with God. He’s fighting hard but it won’t be long till he goes limp. God is going to hold him tight till he gives up completely. It will be the love of God that wins.

Toni passed the note along the row. Sonya read it and began to quietly weep. Toni wasn’t sure if she has done the wrong thing. When the meeting ended Sonya came up to Toni and asked, “How did you know?”

“How did I know what?”

“My son is a wrestler. He loves to wrestle. You’re right. Lately he’s been wrestling with God. In fact, in just one hour he will stand before a judge on an assault charge. My husband and I can’t be there to help him, so we’ve been praying that God will be his advocate in that courtroom.”

The two women went out for lunch. While they were eating Sonya’s son called. The charges had been dismissed and he said that he knew God had been watching out for him. He said, “I get a chance to start again – and I am going to.”

We can easily spend a day, doing what we want to do and not be intentional about using that day to bless others. But the word “Go” means that we have been sent. Is it fair to use that word? Have we been sent?

On the outside of our front doors we have the words, “Jesus says Come” It has sometimes been suggested that, on the inside, we should have “Jesus says go.” Sometimes churches have had above the door, as people leave, “You are now entering the mission field”. We come to church to worship God and to receive from Him but as we leave church, we enter the mission field to which we have been sent.

We are well aware that at the end of His life, Jesus sent the disciples out. He commissioned then with the words, “Go and make disciples of all nations” or “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” or “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” There is a very clear sending.

But those weren’t the only times Jesus said, “Go”. As part of their training, the disciples had been sent out on short-term missions. They had little missions in preparation for the Great Commission.

Matthew 10:5-8 5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

At this early stage Jesus limited the disciples’ mission to Israel. He specifically said not to go to the Gentiles. But when it came to the Great Commission, it was “Go to all nations. Go into all the world.” The “go” has become global. We are sent into all the world.

There is also not the same emphasis on healing the sick, cleansing lepers and casting out demons in the Great Commission. It is about salvation – preaching the gospel. Only Mark’s version mentions those sorts of things: “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

The Great Commission focuses on proclaiming the gospel and making disciples but if we assume that Jesus provides our example and that the life of the early church is also an example then healing and deliverance and the raising of the dead are part of the proclamation of the gospel.

Healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing lepers and driving out demons sound daunting for a training exercise. “We’ll start with the easy stuff, like raising the dead!” Yet, if we look back a few verses, v.1 says that Jesus gave them the authority to do these things. God empowered them to do the impossible.

If these were the ways in which people were in need, then the disciples were to meet that need. If the people were oppressed by sickness, death, leprosy and demons then the relief they needed was healing of sickness, raising the dead, cleansing of leprosy and deliverance from those demons. So the disciples – even these trainee disciples – were sent out to bring relief to suffering people.

But the disciples were also to preach the message of the Kingdom. In fact, preaching the gospel is stated first. “The Kingdom of God is near” is great news for those who will repent and be reconciled to God. It means God is close at hand. It means that the kingdom where there is no sickness or death or leprosy or demonic possession, is close – can be experienced now in part and will be revealed in its fullness.

Equally, it is bad news for those who refuse to repent. If you are out of sorts with God and God is close at hand, that is bad news. But the offer was there for everyone: repent now and enjoy God’s Kingdom.

And so, the mission was a combination of preaching the gospel and bringing relief for the suffering. Wilkinson says the last step in delivering miracle is to transfer the credit; help the person see that it was God who acted. Ultimately the purpose of the miracle is for people to know they can trust God.

Jesus said, “Freely you have received, freely give.” We who have received freely are to give freely, so yes, we are sent. All of us are sent. Sent out to give; to minister; to bless. We have not been called to be God’s children so as to sit around doing nothing. We have been recruited to be sent out.

Mark 3:14-15 14He appointed twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15and to have authority to drive out demons.

They were called to Him so that He might send them out; to preach and cast out demons.

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last...

We have been chosen to bear fruit. We haven’t been called to be God’s children so that we can simply wait for heaven. We have been called so that we might be sent out. The “come” is followed by “go”.

Galatians 3:14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

God redeemed the Jews so that the Gentiles might be blessed. The Jews were called to faith in Jesus so that they might take the gospel to the Gentiles. It was so that the blessing might be spread – not kept for themselves – but shared with the Gentiles. The “Come” was followed by “Go.”

What picture are we getting of the reason for going? Go to people who need to hear the gospel – need to hear the good news of God’s love and forgiveness and of eternal salvation. Go to people who are oppressed and needy, and bring relief. We who have so freely received God’s grace are to freely give.

The disciples were sent out to bring blessing into people’s lives – both relief from sickness or grief or demon possession and the blessing of the gospel of being reconciled to God.

When we looked at the book You Were Born For This that is what it was about: being sent into different situations to be used by God to bring some blessing. Often meeting a need resulted in a realisation of the love of God. It wasn’t ‘meet a need’ or ‘preach the gospel’. It was both: meet a need and make sure that people know that that need was met because God loves them.

We are expected to have an influence – to be the salt and the light – but clearly God’s purpose is that we are a good influence – that we bring blessing. Go bless. That is our mission. Go bless.

Every day we should remember what our mission is. Our mission is to go to the people God sends us to and bless them. It is easy doing what we want to do each day. It is so much better if we see that day as an opportunity to bless some other people. Let’s remember at the start of each day that God is saying to us, ‘Go bless” and let’s plan our day so as to do just that. Every day is an opportunity to bless.

Toni started her day with the attitude “Go bless”. She was obedient to the nudge and God demonstrated Himself to Sonya and to her son. Do you hear God saying to you, “Go bless. Go and make a positive difference in someone’s life. As you leave the church today, go bless.”?