Sunday 17 February 2024 – Being Christ’s Ambassadors – our credentials and example

Readings: 2 Corinthians 5:17- 6:2; Matthew 6: 1-6,16-21;

MESSAGE

We had a wonderful service to give thanks to God for the life of one of our church family on Thursday. She really did live a full life. It was an interesting service for me. At the beginning a neighbour’s cat came wandering in and meaowed as if to greet me. And when I got to speak, a dog came charging in and barked like crazy. All I could do is say “welcome” to the dog. There’s a first time for everything.

I’ve had interesting experiences at funerals. Some years ago I conducted the funeral of a retired ambassador. It was a dignified occasion and things were done appropriately well with care to the detals and some formality. There was only one typing mistake really in the funeral director’s brochure (In the days before I used to proofread them.) It had a rather formal statement of introduction on the inside page which was quite common in those days: “For as much as it has pleased Almighty God to take into his eternal care the soul of our dearly beloved brother John Brown…” and on it went basically saying we were there because he had died, and we were saying farewell. It was only one letter wrong, but it did create some looks. It read like this: “For as much as it has pleased Almighty God to take into his eternal cave the soul of our dearly beloved brother John Brown…” Fortunately I didn’t get the blame for that, however.

We are ambassadors for Christ, says Paul. We have a message of reconciliation to proclaim – that “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself” (1 Cor 5:19).

In verse 20 we read: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God.”

Ambassadors are sent into another country with some authority as they represent and speak on behalf of the government or president of a country. They present their credentials at a formal acceptance ceremony and they are accorded status and respect.

Our credentials are a bit different, though. We do have the authority to speak in his name, But it’s not about us. Yes, we are a new creation, but not because of our abilities or status anything we have achieved on our own. The key verse is verse 21 – “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

And so to reflect on our lifestyles and example, we turn to Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 (Ash Wednesday’s’s reading) and Jesus’ teaching on spiritual disciplines. Jesus lists giving, fasting and praying in this gospel reading today as the things which when we do them, should never draw attention to ourselves. LENT in some branches of the Christian church involves fasting – giving up something as a spiritual discipline to help strengthen our faith. It is for many people a meaningful discipline.

The point is that fasting is not something you show off about. And in giving for that matter, whether to church, charity, or poverty-stricken families or countries, the left hand should not know what the right is doing. In other words, don’t make a show of it.

That includes works of service. It’s to God. It doesn’t matter about anyone else, whether you think they are giving or doing enough, it’s done unto the Lord and for God’s glory. (Paul makes this clear iin Colossians 3:23.)

Jesus had an issue with hypocrites who did things for show – like in a play taking on another persona or character while the real person underneath is quite different. He used a number of illustrations for this, including “whitewashed tombs” as description for religious people of the day like the teachers of the law. White and shining on the outside, but full of dead peoples’ bones on the inside. I this passage he warns his disciples not to be like the hypocrites of the day who made a show of things in all three disciplines of giving, fasting and praying.

That’s why when it comes to prayer, Jesus’ teaching matters most in my view – just because it makes sense. “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen…” (Matt 6:6).

I’ve always wondered about getting into a closet – like a broom cupboard, a storeroom or a washroom (the word is tameion, a storage chamber, storeroom or closet). The point is that it had no doors or windows onto the street. It did not mean suffocate yourself in the process, just don’t advertise.

These spiritual disciplines may seem for us like credentials, but no, they are for our private spiritual journey, and no one but the Father needs to know. When we speak on his behalf – be reconciled to God – we have solid credentials anyway. They’re in the Corinthian passage, and one verse is the key:

2 Cor 5:21 – God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

That’s why we used to sing: “He is all my righteousness, I stand complete in Him and worship him.” It’s the great exchange. He takes our sin and we receive his righteousness.

The spiritual disciplines of giving, fasting and praying all stem from that basic point and truth – that “anyone in Christ is a new creation, the old has gone and the new has come.”

Giving comes from our growing faith that the God who saves us provides and guides. They go hand in hand, give as you pray, pray as you give. Give in thanksgiving and gratitude and pray for the right recipient of your generosity.

Fasting helps you focus on God and God’s spirit guiding you through prayer and the reading of His word. Giving up food is symbolic of giving up our perceived needs and wants, and dependence on what feels good bring instant gratification. It teaches us to walk close to God in deprivation, and perhaps to make us more aware of the joyful lives that people of little means often have, while we who often have much too much or at least more than we need are often less satisfied. Depression and anxiety are much more prevalent in the wealthier parts of the world.

In the process we crucify the stuff that is a stumbling block all too often – what the bible calls “flesh” which is often translated as the sinful nature. Paul talks about putting off the “old man” and putting on the “new man” (Ephesians 4:22-24).

At the communion table today, we can surrender some of the stuff that hinders us, or that we hold on to too tightly. It could be some of our personal concerns, or our hopes and dreams, our work, our projects and hobbies we become a little too proud of, or even our children and grandchildren – any or all of these we can give over to the Father’s love and good purpose.

Or we may need to surrender our health if it’s a challenge. Whether that means seeking healing and wholeness from the broken physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual things we live with, or perhaps our need is to not be quite so adventurous and slow down a bit, learning to receive help and support and not only to give it.

What is certain is that there is nothing we can do to be loved more by God. What we can learn is to trust God more in the heaviness of the load as we hand things over to him, and perhaps trust God in the breadth of our human hurts and buried grief, sorrow, disappointment, fears, bitterness, or anger

This Lent season may be an opportunity for us to open ourselves up more to the reconciling and healing love of God shown in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Sunday message 30 July 2017 – Romans series Part 1 – From sufferings to glory

READINGS:

2 Timothy 3:10-17;  Romans 8:26-39

MESSAGE

Do you enjoy watching the news? Or do you record it and fast forward the bad bits?

I think we have trauma overload. The real issue is about suffering. It’s suffering that makes the news depressing. And the evil that causes it. Way back – ten verses back – in Romans 8 before today’s reading is this verse:

Rom 8:18  I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

In fact before that Paul writes these marvellous words in verse 15:

Rom 8:15  For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Rom 8:16  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Rom 8:17  Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

The truth is – no matter what we see on TV – we as Christians are not exempt from suffering.

In fact Simon Ponsonby in his commentary on Romans writes:

Many may be surprised to see this emphasis on suffering in the context of being the adopted sons and heirs of God. But divinity is no stranger to suffering. Sonship and suffering go hand in hand. Being a Christian, far from exempting you from suffering, actually qualifies you for it. In fact, one can almost say that if you are not suffering your sonship is called into question. (Ponsonby, Simon. God Is For Us (p. 244). Monarch Books. Kindle Edition.)

Ponsonby talks about:

• General suffering – natural events like earthquakes and droughts – for example 36 people will die every 10 seconds from starvation around the world during this service – as an example.
• Human evil that causes suffering – like the 30 million plus people enslaved in this generation. Or that 2.4 trillion dollars are spent on the defense and war industry annually when $175 billion could wipe out poverty.
• And then there is suffering particular to Christians. Being a disciple of Christ invites hardships, from discrimination to persecution. In all except thirty of the world’s 200 nation states Christians face oppressive measures, ranging from deprived economic or human rights to actual threat to life. And we must add to this the bitter war waged by the enemy of our souls, who aims well his targeted temptations, torments, and trials because we follow Christ. (Ponsonby, Simon. God Is For Us (p. 245). Monarch Books. Kindle Edition.)

So that puts to bed the objection that being a Christian is a crutch for weak people doesn’t it.

And it means we can make sense of verse 18: Rom 8:18  I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Our suffering will end with death – and we will be translated into glory. And the world’s suffering will end when Jesus returns, Simon Ponsonby reminds us.

In verses 19 to 25 Paul talks about the whole world groaning and waiting for its redemption. It’s a wonderful passage. Read it at home.

Point 1.

In today’s reading from verse 26 here’s the first point to encourage us in our personal suffering:

Rom 8:26  In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Rom 8:27  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

I remember listening to a Scottish lady called Andrea Wigglesworth speaking at New Wine one year about prayer. I don’t remember all the words she referred to, but one of the words – one word prayer words – was simply this – HELP!

Paul tells us here that deeper than that cry for help  – is a groan.

• We know that Jesus intercedes for us.
• Here the Holy Spirit intercedes for us.

Verse 26 is amazing. We don’t know what we ought to pray for. Ring any bells? It’s such a mess – what on earth do we pray? The Spirit intercedes for us with GROANS THAT WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS.

Sounds like my prayers to be honest. We groan too – as in verses 22 and 23

Rom 8:22  We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Rom 8:23  Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Many of us have experienced the most horrendous things – that could shatter hope and wound our hearts to the point of desperation. My response when this happens – is a deep sighing or groaning. A moaning in my spirit because the pain is beyond words.

And that’s exactly what the Spirit does.

The groan of God’s people in Egypt in slavery was the same – and God heard their cry and rescued them. If you are crying to God for someone or something – don’t despair. He hears you.

Did you know that John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim’s Progress, spent a total of twelve years in jail for preaching the gospel – something prohibited to all but licensed and ordained Anglican vicars! He wrote, “The best prayers have often more groans than words.” (Ponsonby, Simon. God Is For Us (p. 248). Monarch Books. Kindle Edition.)

That’s the first point in the face of suffering. God hears your groaning, your cries, your sighing. And Jesus and the Holy Spirit pray for you too – and the Holy Spirit shares your cry.

It’s taken me a while to finish point 1. Don’t give up. The Father hears your cry. The Son and the Spirit are praying.

Point 2

is simpler: It’s verse 28:

Rom 8:28  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (NIV)

If you don’t like that translation, then go for the other common option as the original is quite difficult:

(NRSV)  We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

I prefer the first – that God works all things for good for his people. It puts Him in control.

It means that it’s not just a question of things panning out on their own.

It doesn’t mean that it will all come out in the wash.

His purpose is often different. His glory is not the same as human glory like that on “America’s Got talent” – fame and fortune.

Isaiah 55 comes to mind:

Isa 55:8  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. Isa 55:9  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Don’t despair. Keep crying out to God. Two out of the three of the Trinity are praying with you!

AND God learn verse 28 off by heart!

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Amen.

24 February 2019 – Sunday Message: My Peace I give you.

Readings: Psalm 139:1-12; 23-4; Phil 4:4-8; John 14:15-27

SERMON

Once of my favourite movies is “Keeping the Faith” – where a rabbi and a priest fall in love with the same girl. The rabbi is fired for doing different and unusual things in his attempt to modernize. This scene is his farewell sermon:

I often think about that sermon.

How much of yourself do you share with your congregation? It’s a great challenge if you are a minister.

After all, preaching is about the Word of God – and should always lead people to Jesus, and not to the preacher.

That’s one of the reasons why Presbyterian ministers wore black – it was meant to not draw attention to themselves. I think these days if you wore black all the time people might think you’re an alien who was supposed to land in Wellington. After all they wear black there. A lot.

Sometimes I’m probably a bit too transparent. But today I don’t have a choice.

If we’re talking about anxiety and peace – they are very personal things.

Anxiety by definition is individual first. Human beings get anxious. We worry. And we don’t have peace of mind in a personal sense.

Peace on the other hand could be looked at from a broader worldwide point of view – peace between nations, tribes, families, gangs and so on.

God’s SHALOM is a social and personal idea – we area meant to find peace together. We make peace with each other. We pray for peace between nations and rightly so. And we seek and have internal peace.

Did you notice the rabbi’s first word in his sermon? SHALOM. Peace.

They didn’t respond. I’m not sure if they were supposed to, like churches passing the peace. It reminds me of the minister who was trying to get his laptop working at the beginning of the service and forgot that his radio mike was on. He muttered to himself “there’s something wrong with this mouse” – to which the congregation replied without thinking: “and also with you!”

Peace can be contrasted with anxiety therefore.Let’s look at anxiety first. The verse I want us to look at from the readings today is this one: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  (Psalm 139:23)

It’s found a famous song by J Edwin Orr written to the well known Maori tune after a mission at Ngaruawahia in 1936 – Search me oh God – when young Maori girls sang farewell to him. We know it as “now is the hour”

Pö atarau
E moea iho nei
E haere ana
Koe ki pämamao

Haere rä
Ka hoki mai anö
Ki i te tau
E tangi atu nei

(On a moonlit night
I see in a dream
You going away
To a distant land

Farewell,
But return again
To your loved one,
Weeping here)

I love the Hebrew language. It’s so rich.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 

“Anxious thoughts” is one word in Hebrew. Some translations just say: “test me and know my thoughts”. Thoughts here is not just a little bit of thinking about something.

The mind is a mine field isn’t it. Our thought life. Worry worry. Sleepless nights thinking thinking thinking.

Rene Descartes in his “Discourse on method” introduced us to that famous line:

COGITO ERGO SUM – I think, therefor I am – a philosophical statement which led him ultimately to postulate a view of humanity or human beings.

I think it was the Moody Blues in the song “In the beginning – lovely to see you” who used the line and added some doubt to it: “I think am, therefore I am… I think.”. It’s a creation image with a crescendo – and then these thoughts:

I think, I think I am, therefore I am, I think.

The song includes the words about people who: Face piles – And piles –  Of trials – With smiles.

“Anxious thoughts” could also translated be as “cogitations” from that same Latin word Cogito.

Cogitate means: think deeply about something; meditate or reflect. Synonyms include: think (about), contemplate, consider, give thought to, give consideration to, mull over, meditate (on), muse (on), ponder (on/over), reflect (on), deliberate (about/on), ruminate (about/on/over), dwell on, brood (on/over), agonize (over), worry (about), chew over, puzzle (over), speculate about, weigh up, revolve, turn over in one’s mind

Ruminate, dwell on, brood over, chew over – is only one small step to grinding your teeth and being restless and anxious. Mr. worry pot.

The new translation of Psalm 139:23  in Afrikaans captures it beautifully:

“… ondersoek my, sien tog my onrus raak.” – examine me, see my unease.

Onrus – unrest – back in the day, meant political upheaval with violence. Really disturbing things.

Like the rabbi in that Yom Kippur sermon, its hard for me to know where to start when it comes to sharing my life with people in the area of anxiety and stress. I’ve suffered from some post-traumatic stress symptoms including anxiety attacks. Panic attacks. They still lurk when I hear an ambulance siren.

Many times these verses have applied to me: Psa 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Psa 139:24  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Sometimes my anxious thoughts are linked to some offensive way in me. I am sometimes feeling off because I need to sort myself out. The problem can be with me.

But many times serious anxiety is beyond our control due to outside circumstances and events that are traumatic or challenging.

I can’t tell you the whole story in my journey today. But I can testify to the peace of God that passes all understanding. It’s as real as the chair you’re sitting on.

Paul in our second reading in Phil 4:7 speaks of this “peace of God, which transcends all understanding”, which will “guard (y)our hearts and (y)our minds in Christ Jesus”

It’s worth memorizing this verse 7 – seven is a perfect number – you may remember it as it rhymes with heaven. What leads us to this “seven – heaven” state of peace?

Why verse 6 of course: Php 4:6  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Don’t be anxious about “anything”.

Easier said than done of course. Post-traumatic stress disorder is an automatic response from the  brain designed to protect you from danger.

What I had to do was to pray through the anxiety and after some years it eased – together with the transformation of my thinking to realize after some years that it could have been much worse.

So when someone close to me experienced real anxiety this this week I said  the same thing that the counsellor said at the time – which I didn’t receive easily. It was too early. The counsellor said this to me – you’re going to be okay and nobody died.

I don’t agonize over a lot of things any more. No more serious cogitating.

Paul tells us not be anxious about stuff and events – anything. Writing from jail (he wasn’t a prison chaplain but an inmate) he says: Php 4:6  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

“with thanksgiving” means that thanksgiving is a foundational attitude in prayer.

Some people battle to pray out loud initially. You can. Say thank you for something and you will have the foundation for other prayers – petitions and requests.

Yes, there are times for silence.

But when we pray together we need to really pray.

Prayer and petition. “gebed en smeking” again using the Afrikaans; “prayer and supplication”. There is as begging almost, a pleading, and a passion that seems to be involved.

It’s captured in some of the Psalms. These two are good ones from David and the sons of Korah:

Psalm 61:1 Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. Psa 61:2  From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psa 61:3  For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. Psa 61:4  I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Psa 84:1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!

Psa 84:2  My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. (Psa 84:3  Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God. Psa 84:4  Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.)

My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

You can see the parallels with passages that talk about thirst.

This is a longing for his presence. We shared last week about living water welling up from within the depths of our being – that he is with us and in us.

Listen again to verses 16 and 17 of our final reading in John 14: Joh 14:16  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever— Joh 14:17  the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

The gospel reading goes on to say that the peace is linked again to the presence of God through His Holy Spirit:

Joh 14:26  But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Joh 14:27  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

We need to focus and listen and not be distracted as we pray and plead, bringing our prayers and petitions to our Father. He is here.

At Presbytery we had some workshops yesterday. I went to one about expecting more from God.…

The teaching was brilliant. It was really a series of bible passages reminding us of his presence with stories about God being in situations and really working in people’s lives in power – that’s when the peace he offers becomes tangible.

The neat thing is that the presenter spoke last year at the New Wine retreat I went to in August up at Coatesville. As she shared yesterday, you could sense something happening in the room – as people’s faith began to increase. At the end she asked people individually what they were expecting from God. It was good to hear. And inspiring.

You have to know this peace to be effective in any kind of ministry.

You can’t give what you don’t have really effectively.

I believe he wants you to have his peace today

Jesus’ peace is not as the world gives.

• Not total tranquility, or the absence of troubles or challenges… – but peace in the storms
• Not a perfect life or complete healing (though some are fully healed)… but courage to face what comes our way (I’m happy to talk to you on another occasion about my health – for now be at peace about it as I am doing very well.)
• Not an exemption from thinking through issues – remember “I think, therefore I am” – but at least peace of heart AND MIND. Remember the heaven in verse seven of Phil 4: Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
• Not a life where everything is for free or without cost. Have a look at this sign: “I pay, therefore I am…” The notice said: PLEASE PAY YOUR PARKING FEE BEFORE EXISTING. Jesus’ peace involves knowing he provides as well.
• Not a life dominated by trauma and anxiety – post traumatic recovery is possible. He really can heal us from damaging experiences.

In conclusion remember Jesus words about anxiety in Matthew:

Mat 6:34  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (NIV)

Or in another good translation: “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (ESV)

Amen

Sunday Message 25 March 2017 – The name of Jesus

Readings: Philippians 2:1-11; Acts 4:23-37

MESSAGE (What’s in a name then?)

Names are interesting. They reveal culture and the generation in which people were born. My aunts and uncles were from the generation of Enid, Eunice, Phyllis, Eileen and Violet, with Bertram, Herbert, and a couple of Stanleys. In many cultures names have clear meanings and are chosen specifically because of the circumstances of the child’s birth.

The names and titles of Jesus are also interesting and loaded with meaning. Jesus (Joshua/Jeshua), Christ (Messiah), Emmanuel (God with us), Son of God and Son of Man are the most obvious. So when we pray, his names and titles feature.

• In the name of Jesus or In Jesus’ name.
• Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
• In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

We hear so many variants of this in people’s prayers and in prayers especially for others who are sick. Clearly the New Testament church prayed for people in the name of Jesus.

We sang that powerful song today – what a beautiful name it is, what a powerful name it is.

The reading from Philippians makes it clear that this is about a name that requires bowing down in worship, in acknowledgement of his kingship.

Paul writes about Jesus’ humility and his kenosis (a self-emptying), that as a consequence (look out for the “therefores” in Scripture):

Php 2:9  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, Php 2:10  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  Php 2:11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father

This is not just Jesus aka Joshua – meaning God saves.

Not Just Jesus the Christ – the anointed one (not necessarily a divine character but set apart to rescue and save God’s people)

This is Jesus who is LORD meaning GOD.

• He has the name above every other name!
• At his name all bow
• At his name all confess – agree – declare out loud – that he is LORD to the glory of God the Father.

“All hail King Jesus!” We used to sing that in the song “Majesty”.

This name – when used in prayer – was not and is not a magic formula, but a statement of authority – so that the ones sent in His name carry with that name all the powers of the Kingdom it represents.

That’s why we pray as Jesus tells us to in the Lord’s prayer: “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done” – here on earth as in heaven.

“Heaven” here  represents alignment with the will of God – not in a slavish autocratic sense, but in terms of a release of wholeness seen in the healings, the signs and wonders – and the values of love, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit that come with ministry in His name.

So we need to learn more about how we pray the kingdom in – in our prayers of “intercession” – as we stand in the gap and pray for others and various human situations.

And we pray this kingdom in in the face of another kingdom.

Col 1:9  For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

 

Col 1:12 … giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. Col 1:13  For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,

The dominion of darkeness is dominated by the enemy, who is described as the “god of this age” – remember – who blinds unbelievers. (2Co 4:4  The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God)

IN OUR PRAYING –

We are not merely to ask for things. We are the little flock to whom he gives the kingdom:

Luk 12:31  But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Luk 12:32  “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

INTERCESSION means standing in the gap between this King Jesus and the people whom we really want to experience the wholeness and restoration of the Kingdom. We seek the Kingdom in our life goals, in our praying, and trust God to meet our other practical needs.

FIRSTLY JESUS STANDS IN THE GAP

Jesus stands in the gap in more than one way:

1. Just as Jesus intercedes before the father on our behalf, He “owns us” before the father and we are to “own him” before people. (Note the warning if we disown him – Mat 10:32 “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. Mat 10:33  But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.)

He acknowledges us as his – working for the coming Kingdom. How is this possible? Because of his position of importance and authority. Listen to Hebrews 1:

2. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Paul says something similar: Col 3:1  Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

       We are to set our hearts on things above. Not that we are thinking about heaven all the time – like an escape route. Rather that we align our thinking to God’s will. As in heaven – so we desire things on the earth.

And he stands in the gap as he intercedes for us as we find more specifically in Hebrews 7:

3. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER BIBLE PEOPLE STANDING IN THE GAP?

1. Moses is an example – in Exodus 32. He is remembered by the Psalmist here:

Psalm 106:23  So he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them.

2. Daniel in Daniel 9 – comes before God on behalf of the nation with identificational repentance and confession.

 

Dan 9:4  I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, Dan 9:5  we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. Dan 9:6  We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. Dan 9:19  O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST – the prayers of the early church in the New Testament.

The example today draws things together.

After Pentecost, the church grew as people ministered in the power of the name of Jesus.

The account we picked up is a continuation of Acts 3. If you think of your Sunday school days, I’m sure you may have known the story and the song that went with it. It went something like this:

” Peter and John went to pray, they met a lamb man on the way, la la la la la la la la (I have forgotten this bit of the song)  and this is what they had to say:  “silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. (From Acts 3:6)”

The song continues: “He went walking and leaping and praising God…”

There’s a commotion of course. The people realize that this was the beggar who sat at the gate called Beautiful. (Acts 3:10) Leaping and jumping and praising God! Walking! A man disabled from birth.

Peter preaches in Solomon’s Portico. It does not go down well. In Acts 4 they are thrown into jail. But people still believe because of the message. (v4) 3000 increases to 5000.

And the elders and chief priests gather. And they don’t rejoice in the miracle of jumping Jack. The “big guns” gather: Act 4:6  Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest’s family. Act 4:7  They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them:

 And what do they ask:  “By what power or what name did you do this?”

Peter’s reply is direct: Act 4:10  then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.

When we pick up the story in our reading today – Peter and John have been released. AND when you read the response in prayer – it’s not about them!

• It’s all about this bigger picture.
• Creation
• The nations
• The kings of the earth taking their stand against the Lod and his anointed one! Who IS that? Jesus – Jeshua – Messiah.
• Herod is mentioned – Pontius Pilate – all these powerful people who react against this Carpenter from Nazareth. Because of who He is.

 Act 4:24  When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. Act 4:25  You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? Act 4:26  The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.’ Act 4:27  Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. Act 4:28  They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.

 They have a clear picture of what goes on behind the scenes.

There’s a conflict of Kingdoms.

And they end with another great prayer of intercession:

• Lord – they are a threat to what you are doing!
• Act Lord!
• Do something!

Empower us more to do these things THROUGH THE NAME OF YOUR HOLY SERVANT JESUS. (Act 4:29  Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Act 4:30  Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”)

And what happens?

 Act 4:31  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.

We used to sing “in the name of Jesus…. We have the victory!” Because we do! There are some things we need to learn I think about praying in this name of Jesus – and standing in the gap in intercession.

The final questions to consider are these:

• Are we fully aware of the power and authority of the name of Jesus?
•  Would we like to grow in intercession and stand in the gap for others?
•  Not just for a few – we can learn to be intercessors
•  Perhaps we need to grow in discernment as we see the bigger picture as a conflict of two Kingdoms

Amen.

 

Sunday Sermon 6 September 2015 – Heart, Mind and Wallet

Readings

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Luke 11:1-13

2 Corinthians 8:1-7

Sunday Sermon

There are at least three conversions in the Christian faith and experience.

Here they are.

1.    Conversion of the heart.

The powerful reading from the Old Testament today is clear:

Deu 6:5  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deu 6:6  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.

New hearts  – changed and softened hearts, come up through the scriptures.For example here are some of these passages:

Jeremiah:

Jer_24:7  I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

Jer_29:13  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Ezekiel:

Eze_11:19  I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.

Epistles:

Rom_10:8  But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:  Rom_10:9  That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Eph_1:18  I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

Eph_5:19  Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,

Gospels:

Mar_12:30  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

Mar_12:33  To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Luk_6:45  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

Acts:

Acts_2:37  When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

We need our hearts changed!

2.    Conversion of the mind

A well known passage from Paul us this one:

Rom_12:2  Do not conform any longer 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.

I loved the reminder at Alpha this week – from St Anselm – “I believe in order to understand.” Reformed tradition has often focussed on the mind first.

The Creeds begin with “I believe…” Not “I am passionate about” or “I love”…

And the Creed has a list of intellectual propositions:

• Who God is (Father, Son Holy Spirit)
• What he did (incarnation, death, resurrection, Ascension)
• When he will come again
• What he will do (judge)
• Where we make sure that people understand these teachings (the church)

Those same passages about the heart also include the transformation of our minds, and our engaging of our thoughts and reasoning in our love and service of God.

Gospels:

Mat_22:37  Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

Luk_10:27 

He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’”

Romans:

Rom_8:6  The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; Rom_8:7  the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

The mind, not just the heart, is to be transformed by the Spirit.

Interestingly there is a third conversion to consider:

2. The conversion of the purse, or wallet.

Greg Laurie writes this about our third reading 2 Corinthians 8:7 – about giving. here is the main verse: 2 Co 8:7  But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

The story is told of Sam Houston, hero of Texas history, who gave his life to the Lord in the later years of life and asked to be baptized. He was taken down to a little country stream, and the pastor said, “General Houston, you should take your glasses off because I am going to immerse you in water.” There also were some papers in General Houston’s pocket, so he took those out as well.

Then, just as he was getting ready to go into the water, the pastor noticed that General Houston still had his wallet in his pants. He said, “Well, General, you might want to take that wallet out of your pants. It is going to get wet.”

Houston responded, “If there is any part of me that needs baptizing, it is my wallet.” So Houston was baptized, wallet and all.

Maybe some of us need our wallet or cheque book or credit cards baptized. As Martin Luther said, “There are three conversions necessary: the conversion of the heart, mind, and the purse.”

The Bible speaks a lot about money. Greatest hot topic. You can’t avoid it.

• How’s your heart?
• What is your mind focussed on?
• And is God and his kingdom at the top of your list when you open your purse? Or log on your internet bank account, or get out your cheque book?

The Epistle reading (letters) about the church in Macedonia is one of many passages about giving.

Paul admonishes them to “excel in the this grace of giving” (verse 8)

What does grace mean? Gift! Excel in the gift of giving.

Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. . . . For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).

The Gospel of Luke continues in chapter 11 – reminding us that God is Father – with all the best connotations of that word and role for us as his children:

Luk 11:1  One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Luk 11:2  He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.

The best is yet to come from this generous giving God – after whom we model our lives. We take after him!

Luk 11:9  “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Luk 11:10  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Luk 11:11  “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Luk 11:12  Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?

Luk 11:13  If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

The best gift – the gift of the Holy Spirit – is given by this Father. The gift of his presence and power to make a difference in the world.

The first chapter of Acts is worth hearing again: Act 1:4  On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. Act 1:5  For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Act 1:6  So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” Act 1:7  He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. Act 1:8  But 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.”

Are you fully converted?

Heart, mind, wallet – a life for the Father, the Kingdom, and the Good news!

Amen.

Sunday sermon 1 June 2014 – time waiting on God

Readings:  Acts 1:6-14: 1 Peter 4:12 – 14;  5:6-11:  John 17:1-11:

MESSAGE: TIME WAITING ON GOD 

This is a challenging day. It’s the 1^st of June. That in itself is not remarkable.

But it is that one Sunday – symbolically – when we are in-between Ascension Day and Pentecost.

As if we were in the upper room.

The in-between times of life are challenging generally.

The times between being a member and citizen of one country and having full rights and acceptance in another.

Immigrants know all about this. The in-between – ness of it all. Being born in one country and growing up in another can make you uncertain – betwixt and between as the English idiom says.

The times waiting in other horrid situations.

• Between the ward and the hospital theatre.
• Between life and death when the end comes.
• Between a death and a funeral – for a family
• Between jobs – for the unemployed.
• Between doctors with half-suspected diagnoses – wanting yet not wanting the truth because of what it many mean for our lives.
• Between homes – knowing we have to move out and down size – and not really knowing where we will land up.

You may know some of these times. As a church you will know this.

• In a church – between ministers (the so-called vacancy)

• In a church – between Session Clerk’s and Administrators. We seem to be in between them all at the moment.

• In-between leaders in mainly music and messy church – no one stepping up. And mission support. And in time pastoral concerns.

These things can make you insecure. Scared. Uncertain. Worried. Vulnerable. Especially if you’re in my shoes – when you’re the minister.

They are times of waiting – and especially waiting on the Lord. What do you want us to do Lord?

We’re not good at that really. Even our “best at prayer” (Presbyterians – anagram) rush in with their requests each week in our prayer meetings – asking God to bless our busy lives and our many activities. And we sit a little worried by the silence – and tend to want to scurry off and do something practical.

When he calls us to be still and wait.

Not enough waiting. Not enough surrender.

I asked more than a year ago – in the context of our leadership (probably two years ago) whether we would be prepared to stop it all – and only do the things we really knew we should.

I don’t think anyone took me too seriously. And now we may have to let some of them go.

And now we have to seriously ask Him what we should do – and some things may end. We can’t do it all – we don’t have the resources – financial or people.

And the test is probably whether the things are getting the good news to people who need to hear it! Whether they are part of the great commission.

Well on this symbolic Sunday between the Ascension of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit – almost a vacuum in history – let’s think about waiting on God some more.

Those disciples waited – and then the power came.

It was never their power of course – it was Jesus’ power (we sang that old song again – all power is given in Jesus’ name – and in Jesus’ name I come to you to share his power as he told me to – He said freely freely).

And so in the reading from Acts we heard today:

Act 1:6  So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

Act 1:7  He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

Act 1:8  But 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.”

It’s okay not to know. It’s okay to trust.

But in the in-between times – in the age in which we live between his ascension and his return – we are empowered to witness.

Not complicated. It’s not all about us! It’s about the mission we have.

Luke tells us after he left them – this is what happened in Jerusalem:

Act 1:14  They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. 

The lines we heard from the last chapters of 1 Peter – were written to a church that was waiting desperately for His return – as they were persecuted and suffering.

They are exhorted to stand firm in their suffering – to rejoice when suffering for doing good.

And to be discerning:

1Pe 5:8  Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

1Pe 5:9  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 

Of course the favourite passage is this one:

1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

1Pe 5:7  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 

We listened to Simon Ponsonby again this week in home group – speaking about desert or wilderness experiences.

He starts with Jesus being led by the spirit into the desert to be tempted by the desert in Matthew 4. And of course we too have those desert times too.

In fact he quotes Selwyn Hughes who lists a number of experiences in life where we as Christians are tested: failure, suffering, humiliation, bereavement, estrangement, doubt and dereliction.

God allows these things because they are good for us – they make us really wait on him and depend on him – so that we don’t become self-sufficient.

On Ascension Day we stopped to say – you Lord Jesus are the Head of the church! And we are your body!

How scary that you should want to use us!

We’re so helpless and weak really. Vulnerable. And that is probably where we are meant to be.

So when we come to the Gospel reading today – we are still in the zone of suspension.

Left hanging.

It’s not an easy passage.

There is some clarity again about His authority:

Joh 17:2  For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.

There is one clear-ish Johannine verse that I like to quote:

Joh 17:3  Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

The passage – the prayer – goes on and is not easy to fathom.

But the simple bits jump out:

Joh 17:9  I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 

And then another glimpse pf hope and encouragement:

Joh 17:11  I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. 

What a huge relief – that the Father has given us to the Son – and that he prays for us.

He recognises we are still in this messed-up and complicated world.

Thankfully he prays that the Father will protect us by the power of His name!

What is the name that the Father gave Jesus – by which we are protected?? I’m not entirely sure what this means. Probably simply this: “I am who I am” – the name given to Moses at the burning bush, which by the way is still the principle logo of the Presbyterian Church – born in the fires of persecution – NEC TAMEN CONSUMEBATUR –  burned but not consumed. Our all sufficient One! Jesus was certainly comfortable using the “I am” part in in his various “I am” sayings.

Why should God protect us?

So that we may be one!

Why?

Because that’s how people will know that we are Jesus’ people.

As you read the rest of John 17 – twice more he prays for our unity.

Why?

Because it’s when we are united – sometimes with our backs to the wall – that we are the most effective witnesses.

It’s a testimony that we can actually be one – because the odds are stacked against us as human beings. Our default settings are I, me mine and myself. Narcissistic obsession – loving ourselves. Our default settings include a propensity to war and violence.

We’re so judgemental of the terrible things people do – especially when people are murdered in our safe little country – forgetting that we all have the same capacity. We are not just children of Adam. We are related to Cain who killed his own brother out of anger and jealousy – in a quarrel about what? Offerings! Religious matters!

When we’re in the in-between times – vulnerable and uncertain – we all too easily lash out, blame, and seek some reason outside of ourselves. When it fact both blame and sin crouch at our own door.

So what’s to be done?

• Wait.
• Watch and pray.
• Seek his face.

Crying out to him in our desperation – that’s what he wants.

He wants to take away our self-sufficiency.

And he sometimes does that pre-eminently – through failure. It could be suffering, humiliation, bereavement, estrangement, doubt and dereliction.

But most commonly its failure.

• Failure is followed by repentance
• Repentance has with it new faith and absolute trust
• And when we walk with a limp forever after that –as Simon Ponsonby rightly says – we limp so that we can’t run ahead of God on the journey.

Wait on him – let him reduce me and you to barely nothing – so that he can be everything.

It’s okay.

It’s not for any other reason than that He allows it to happen for our long term good. And for His glory!

At the end of the day – our FAITHFULNESS is tested more than anything else. Not unlike Job – who says: “though he slay me, yet will I trust him” (Job 13:15 KJV).

Amen.

 

Sermon at Tuesday Church 11 March 2014 – Daily bread to sustain

Readings:   Isaiah 55:10-11 and  Matthew 6: 7-15

Sermon:

What really sustains you? Is it your (singular) walk with God? Or is it the fellowship that you share in the family together?

We live in an age of independence – in thinking and living. We treasure our independence. We hold onto control as long as we can – our home, our car –the various options we have that have a “my freedom” attached to them. We have all these on-line identities too – where I tell my story and share my ideas – I facebook them, or a Tweet them on twitter. I email my friends. I sign my name to petitions and letters, and have my private bank account and ID.

The prayer that forms the basis of our Christian life – the one Jesus taught – was taught or given to US as a prayer and a pattern for prayer.

It begins as “Our” Father. Not my Father. And all the petitions are in the plural.

Give us

Forgive us

Lead us not…

We are in this together.

And we have the challenge of praying together- trusting together – forgiving together as we are forgiven together.

Mat 6:11  Give us today our daily bread. Is our common prayer for our needs to be met.  The “daily” bread is the sufficient bread – the bread that is enough for the day – like the mannah, you could not store it up but collected it each day (excepting the Sabbath).

What are you hungering for? What are you concerning yourself about when it comes to your needs/

Jesus teaches us to depend on him daily for that which is sufficient. (GNB)  Give us today the food we need.

This fits in so well with Jesus’ teaching from the sermon on the Mount. Don’t worry! God provides for the sparrows! He clothes the lilies of the field. Don’t fret so.

Seek First His kingdom – says Jesus in that sermon in Matthew 5.

So it makes sense that the opening petition of the Lord ’s Prayer is “your kingdom come, your will be done…” followed by that same dependency: ‘Give us this day our daily bread”.

It’s not “My Father – give me today my daily bread!”

Sharing and supporting each other is at the heart of the Christian Community.

Let’s trust Him for the day’s needs.

Let’s depend on Him for the practical food.

And especially the bread from heaven. Remember the heart of the temptation narrative from Sunday? Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8 again: Deu 8:3  He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Mat 4:4  Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

As important as our physical nourishment is the open book of God’s word – letting Him speak to us each day from our Bibles.

May we learn to be sustained together by this wonderful Father.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)

Amen,

Sunday sermon 20 October – Never, never, never give up!

Readings:

2 Timothy 3:14-4:2

Luke 18:1-8

Message

18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 

It really makes it easy when the bible explains the purpose of a parable. What a nice start today!

We tend to see this parable as a simple matter of persistence. Fair enough – always pray and don’t give up – is Luke’s comment here.

In short – if an unjust judge gives in to a nagging widow – how much more will God hear our prayers when and if we persist.

Don’t give up! Winston Churchill comes to mind! Never never never give up – was one of his famed speeches at a school prize giving, if I recall. At Harrow in 1941 at the height of the battle of Britain. And yes – dealing with the Nazis was a matter of justice. If the just war theory holds water it seems to when you have world domination by a man who does ethnic and other cleansing on a grand scale.

The parable itself has more in it that Luke alleges. Listen to it on its own.

² He said: ‘In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. ³ And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, “Grant me justice against my adversary.” ⁴ ‘For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, “Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!”’

Jesus explains further: ⁶ And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷ And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.

And then Jesus has this to say – in what is a separate issue about the Son of Man returning:

However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?’

Which involves a separate sermon altogether.

In the reading from Timothy today we read:

 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful (profitable) for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…”

And also:

“preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction – says Paul to Timothy.

So what does the word have to say to us today? About

• Teaching
• Rebuking
• Correcting
• Training
• Encouraging

Is it about prayer? Yes

Is it saying God is unjust? He is being compared to a pretty horrible judge. No, although some say he is. Remember those long polar nights we spoke about – for some the sun never seems to rise. There are some who mistake the long lesson of waiting for an uncaring God.

This is one of those “how much more” parables.

Like Jesus in Luke 11 when teaching on prayer there. You may remember that message – or you could read it here:  http://bbpsermons.wordpress.com/2013/07/28/sunday-sermon-28-july-when-you-pray/

It’s the Lord’s Prayer on that occasion. And after sharing that prayer Jesus also said: ⁹ ‘So I say to you: ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. ¹¹ ‘Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’

If an unjust judge can surrender to an apparently powerless woman and grant her request – how much more a Good Father – a Good God – who by the way – says Jesus in Luke 11 – will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

Great verse – the Holy Spirit is the presence and power and life changing love of God in action! You need to ask in order to receive! That helps! In fact there is no other way! “Seek the Lord while he made be found” says the prophet Isaiah (chapter 55). “Call on him while he is near!”

So return to Luke 18 – again about asking. In this story – fact or fiction – or fiction based on fact – the woman has no power! This also is about injustice – a sombre reminder of how people are abused. She is in her own strength quite powerless.

In fact at best she is a squeaky wheel – and “it’s the squeaky wheel that gets the oil”.

Pressing in on God is the key.

We had a taste of that yesterday at our leaders’ retreat – a few hours that went quickly. And not all those hours were prayer hours – but we have to press in! It was a start.

So is it about persistence and constancy? Yes.

But not a silent stoic waiting – here a riotous old widow woman who presses the buttons of this guy – literally “giving him a black eye” – so that he wants to shut her up (or close her campaign down). The term the judge uses is very funny! A black eye indeed – this little widow with no father or husband or son or brother to plead her cause in a man’s world and an unjust judicial system of the day!

So if the bible is useful (profitable) for

• Teaching
• Rebuking
• Correcting
• Training
• Encouraging

The lesson to be learned is persistence.

The rebuke to be issued is this – at the worst extreme you can never pray – never ask God for anything because you’ve given up! That way you get nothing! That would be a rebuke! Don’t be daft! There is treasure here!

The correction – and the rebuke probably belong together. There is an interesting twist at the end of the passage. The broader context is the return of Jesus: and so we read: ‘However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?’ – the implied answer seems to be a bit dubious!

The rebuke – the correction from this story and teaching of Jesus – is a warning against prayerlessness. Faith dies when the praying stops.

It is said that if God was not present and many churches today – many people would not notice.

Here’s my rebuke! And I say this with all sincerity! Chatty noise and riotous friendliness is no substitute for prayer. We are often quite noisy on a Sunday before worship. But prayer is more important than just fun and fellowship. It’s the prayerful congregation which will win the cause! Which will reach people – and which will still be here in years to come – sharing the love of Jesus!

P.T. Forsyth was England ‘s greatest preacher in the nineteenth century and an authority on the power of prayer. Forsyth notes that the worst sin is prayerlessness. “Overt sin,” he writes, “crime or the glaring inconsistencies which often surprise us in Christian people are the effect of this or its punishment. We are left by God for lack of seeking God.”

And then he gives this advice on how to pray:

 Go into your chamber, shut the door and cultivate the habit of praying. Pay no attention to literary form… Read a passage of Scripture and then sit down and turn it into a prayer. Learn to be particular, specific, and detailed in your prayer… Let prayer be concrete, actual, a direct product of life’s experiences.

The training – read your bible and practice what it says about prayer! Do it!  Pray the bible – pray the Psalms! They are powerful prayers and hymns themselves and we can easily relate to the cries of the writers.

Come and do it here together! Wednesday morning – Thursday evening – Sunday before church. In the meeting room! There’s even a prayer box there – pop in and write a note requesting prayer! Sign up for our email prayer list!

The encouraging – that’s always easy. Especially if you are powerless! Persist. And sometimes you have to be a squeaky wheel. Keep reminding God of the situation – the need – the challenge – the pain – the injustice of your situation. Cry out to God!

Martin Luther, we are told, used his dog as an illustration about our passion for God. He once dangled some meat in front of the dog – showing observers the dogs persistent barking and leaping. His comment was that he wished he could pray with similar passion, desire and longing – with the dog’s intensity and concentration. He went on to tell his onlookers that with that kind of single mindedness his heart and soul would look only to Christ.

How much more us and God! We don’t need high clever language as we pray. We wouldn’t speak to our friends in fancy English. Our approach to God ois more like that of children and their parents! We do need to persist and not lose heart as we bring our prayers to God!

Never, never, never give up!

Amen.

Sunday sermon 17 February – The temptations of Jesus

The Temptations of Jesus

Luke 4:1-13

4 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, ² where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

³ The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’^[a]”

⁵ The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ⁶ And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. ⁷ So if you worship me, it will all be yours.”

⁸ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’^[b]”

⁹ The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. ¹⁰ For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
¹¹ they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’^[c]”

¹² Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^[d]”

¹³ When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Footnotes:

1. Luke 4:4 Deut. 8:3
2. Luke 4:8 Deut. 6:13
3. Luke 4:11 Psalm 91:11,12
4. Luke 4:12 Deut. 6:16

Sunday Message

There are two Adams in the Bible. And the comparison between the two is a very helpful way of looking at the story of God’s rescue plan of the world. The Christian story.

In Luke’s gospel – in the previous chapter – there is a fascinating verse which gets us thinking again today about the two Adams. Luke outlines the genealogy of Jesus – his family tree – after the account of his baptism, and ends with this verse, verse 38: ³⁸ the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

• Adam – the first Adam – the son of God.

• Jesus – the second or last Adam – the son of God.  (1 Corinthians 15:54)

It doesn’t take much to figure out what the main difference is between these two! It’s in how they respond to the devil’s temptation.

THE TEMPTATIONS

Funny that we don’t always take them seriously – in the sense that we are NOT the son of God so we assume that the temptations Jesus faced were unique to him.

Good news, or bad news if you like – we are sons of Adam by birth and nature. The same stuff comes at us, but in different ways. So let’s look at the passage today.

Temptation 1 – Serving Self.

Luke 4:  Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, ² where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. ³ The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

This is very close to home. The first temptation involves food. That pretty much settles things doesn’t it? Standing before the fridge at odd hours we have a new incentive to lock the door (of the fridge I mean). In the country where I came from you could lock your fridge which is not a bad thing if you have midnight raiders!

This temptation comes to Jesus at a time of extreme hunger. And one has to be sympathetic.

On Tuesday at our morning worship (See http://wp.me/p2bTnS-7f ) I shared about the three assumptions Jesus made when he spoke to his followers in Matthew 6 – when you give, when you pray and when you fast! We did not do a survey about who actually fasts as the congregation believes me usually – and the passage told us not to tell anyone!

But I know it’s not common! We hardly skip meals. Can you imagine what Jesus went through?

But this is about more than the food. The temptation to make food from rocks is only a symptom.

At his first day at work, in a sense, Jesus is tempted to use his power to serve his own needs.

Later on the cross he would be tempted in a similar way by the voices who taunted him by saying:   “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” (Luke 23:35).

Of course it didn’t stop there. The soldiers:  “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” (Luke 25:36). And one of the criminals hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” (Luke 23:39).

It’s about using your power to serve your own needs.

We have different power available in our lives. Resources, time, money are all forms of empowerment. Perhaps the temptation of Greed is related to this problem that we have – we could easily use our resources not to please ourselves but to be a blessing to the needy and poor.

We have power in the organisations we work in or serve in. The classic adult bully abuses that power in a self- serving way. Positive influence on the other hand is a blessing to others!

Many things we influence in the church are actually not about others but about ourselves. That’s the truth. The temptation is to serve ourselves.

The dialogue in the text today goes like this:

³ The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’^[a]” 

Of course he was quoting Deuteronomy 8:3

³ He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Jesus resists this temptation because he knows his bible – which teaches that life comes from God in the fullest sense. Only the real life we have in God makes us fully alive! (song from NW)

We are fooled in thinking that getting our own way satisfies.

The story continues in the second temptation:

Temptation 2 – The temptation to take control through compromising true worship.

For Jesus is was a stark choice:

⁵ The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ⁶ And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendour, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. ⁷ So if you worship me, it will all be yours.”

It would have been so easy to embrace the expectations of the people and become a political Messiah. Military and civil power – the power to rule and control the nations – is a great temptation. It could be achieved by a brief moment of worshipping Satan.

Like the turning of stones into bread – it’s another short cut option.

I’ve already talked a little about our abuse use of power.

So many of our temptations are about short cuts bringing instant gratification.

And of course the Kingdom Jesus was ushering in was quite different from political hopes the locals had. It was about a long hard obedience to a new set of truths and assumptions about life.

• Is this a real temptation?
• Was Jesus REALLY tempted to worship the Devil?
• And are we?

I’m not going to try to answer those questions. I’d rather point you to a key verse in the Bible:

Hebrews 4:15  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

And behind this saga in the narrative is the same command that applies to all human beings:

Exodus 20:3  “You shall have no other gods before me.

Power and worship are close allies. It’s about the things that capture our hearts! We are dealing here with Jesus who became fully human.

We need to be so very careful here, because we know that the stuff of this world doesn’t really satisfy. Two illustrations help here. The first is by the 17^th century French Philosopher Blaise Pascal:

“What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in humanity a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This we try in vain to fill with everything around us, seeking in things that are not there the help we cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God alone.”
Blaise Pascal, Pensee 10.148.

And then more well-known perhaps from Augustine the 4^th century African bishop of Hippo, the modern city of Annaba, in Algeria:

“You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you.”
St. Augustine, Confessions 1.1.1

It’s the on-going temptation to seek fulfillment in things and from other sources.

Worship is about what we give worth too – what captures our hearts and imaginations. And we are very vulnerable to this idolatry.

Temptation 3 – the third but not final temptation – a cross-avoiding spectacle

And so we come to the third one. It would have been much easier to perform a stunt. Listen again:

⁹ The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. ¹⁰ For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
¹¹ they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’^[c]”

¹² Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^[d]”

A couple of things come to mind here. The misuse of the Bible – how easy it is to abuse scripture.

• Again the short cuts of wanting instant results.
• But especially the avoidance of the cross.

Most real achievement comes with long hard commitment and courage. The cross required that in the extreme.

We too should not test God (I am not sure if we do take huge risks though). It’s probably the most difficult temptation to get our heads around and to apply to our lives.

SOME CONCLUSIONS AND SOLUTIONS

I think in all of them there is a FAITH as TRUST issue here. Jesus had to trust His Father fully. So what about us?

• Do we really believe that God’s way is best for us?
• Do WE want to force His hand?
• Are there things we don’t really trust Him for?

LET’S WATCH THIS PRESENTATION OF THE TEMPTATIONS BY CHILDREN – it will give us some insights into the problem and some solutions. It may make this sermon more memorable.

WATCH VIDEO:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntnvr5sbl04

I loved the hamburger thrown in. Typical kids. But the “on my knees” theme is the key! The song grabbed my attention – as did the Lord’s prayer reminder.

The chorus in the song: On my knees! I am on my knees! I’m on my knees!

• Prayer is at the heart of our victory against temptation.
• We pray better when we know our Bibles!
• When we’ve been on our knees (literally or not – it means devoting time to prayer) then the decisions when on our feet through the day become so much simpler. The power of the Holy Spirit applying the Word of God to our lives means that like Paul we can say: “But we have the mind of Christ.” (1Corinthians 2:16 )

So for your encouragement, read this passage which helps press on and not give up:

Hebrews 4:14-16:  Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Amen.

Sunday sermon 10 February @ 9.00am – Listen to Him (Transfiguration Sunday)

MESSAGE (Sunday 1)                    Reading: Luke 9:28-36

It’s a great passage – I love it.

• It reminds us that the Law and the Prophets (Moses and Elijah) are fulfilled in Jesus.
• That Jesus is greater than the prophets (or a prophet) and the greater teacher (than Moses)
• It’s a foretaste of heaven, and heaven and earth meet here on this mountain
• It’s a powerful description of the transformation of the face of Jesus – and the brightness of his appearance
• It reminds us that we have mountain top experiences – and that like Peter we want to stay up there on the mountain with those wonderful experiences! Of course we don’t stay on the mountain tops!
• And that it was in prayer that Jesus was transfigured (verse 29) – reminding us that we too are transformed in prayer! (Only Luke mentions that this was in the context of prayer. Yay for three gospels!)

But here’s the thing. There’s one of those voice from heaven passages – and it’s a great reminder that God speaks!

That this is all about God revealed to us!

The cloud (verse 34) is about the presence of God! That’s what we need and that’s actually the privilege of access we have (access in Ephesians is referred to in chapter 2, verses 7-8 –  He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. And in Romans 5:1-2 – Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. We have a new place of grace to stand before God! By grace!

And the voice! This is so important! Listen to verse 35 again:

35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”

Are you listening to Him?

That’s the key to all of this really.

I remember being taught – if you haven’t a clue where you are in life and what God’s will is for your next step – go back to the last thing He told you to do! And do it! Listen!

I was reading one of George Whitfield’s sermons on this passage! I love it! This short interesting Anglican of the 18th century who preached to tens of thousands at once in England and America!

I want you to listen to what he said to his hearers:

I can now only mention one thing more, and that is, Did the Father say, “This is my beloved Son, hear him?” then let every one of our hearts echo to this testimony give of Christ, “This is my beloved Saviour.” Did God so love the world, as to send his only begotten Son, his well beloved Son to preach to us?

Then, my dear friends, hear Him.

What God said seventeen hundred years ago, immediately by a voice from heaven, concerning his Son upon the mount, that same thing God says to you immediately by his word, “Hear him.” If ye never heard him before, hear him now. Hear him so as to take him to be your prophet, priest, and your king; hear him, so as to take him to be your God and your all. Hear him today, ye youth, while it is called today; hear him now, lest God should cut you off before you have another invitation to hear him; hear him while he cries, “Come unto me;” hear him while he opens his hand and his heart; hear him while he knocks at the door of your souls, lest you should hear him saying, “Depart, depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Hear him, ye old and gray-headed, hear him, ye that have one foot in the grave; hear him, I say; and if ye are dull of hearing, beg of God to open the ears of your hearts, and your blind eyes; beg of God that you may have an enlarged and a believing heart, and that ye may know what the Lord God saith concerning you.

Must have been great preaching in those revival days. In England and America.

They didn’t listen politely and go off to tea. They fell to their knees and wept in repentance.

Now I know that Presbyterians are not given to too much emotion!

But this preacher didn’t mince his words!

This is good stuff: “If you’ve got one foot in the grave – hear him! If you are dull of hearing – beg of God to open the eyes of your hearts!” Whitfield is preaching scripture here! Where is it from? Ephesians again! He’s preaching these truths: Ephesians 1:18-19  I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, Eph 1:19  and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

And of course he wants his hearers to have enlarged and believing hearts! Again Whitfield is preaching from scripture – as Psalm 119:32 says this: (MKJV)  I will run the way of Your Commandments, when You shall enlarge my heart.

And of course he wants them to know what the Lord was saying concerning them!

We’ve watched a video about the response of some Lutherans in America on this passage – have a look at this:

VIDEO: Bible story jam video Luke 9:28-36    http://vimeo.com/58940441

Interesting how different people read and responded to this text.

I liked the last man’s comment about “this I can do” – listening to his voice. I can do this – if I work on it!

And also my thought was – listening to what he has to say to us and about us.

If the Father says to the Son: “my son whom I have chosen” in Luke’s record. In Matthew the writer says: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5). And then Mark puts it this way: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” (Mark 9:7)

We get three versions – and of course it’s not surprizing as Matthew Mark and Luke were not up there – only Peter James and John.  The passage ends with these words:  “The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.”

I don’t know about you, but they’re all rather encouraging are they not? Chosen, Loved, well pleased. While they are directed at the disciples (‘This is my son’, not ‘you are my son’) the Father still encourages the Son in this amazing time of prayer! Apart from the reminded of the voice there is the unique  nature of the transfiguration itself. I’m not going to try and figure that out today.

I’m really keen that we listen to the Son!

As an aside – I suspect that the Father also wants to tell us as children (the younger brothers and sisters of this elder brother Jesus) how much he values us too! That’s a different issue of an affirmation of his love for us – especially where we face challenging times.

But here it’s about listening to Jesus – and that’s a life changing habit we need to work on in our prayers.

The conversation about this passage can continue.

• The Son still speaks!  Please listen to Him!
• We must not ignore Him!
• We need to open His book (the Bible) and give Him time so we too can encounter him and He can speak to us!

Let this conversation continue as we reflect on it. Over tea, or better on our knees!

Amen!