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

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?

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

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?

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.