tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122563412024-03-25T17:01:26.367+00:00Pete's Reviews and SermonsSome of my more detailed reviews - books, films, theatre trips, software etc. I will also post the text of some of my sermons here.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.comBlogger286125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-29801836001378067782024-03-24T18:17:00.005+00:002024-03-25T16:58:05.223+00:00Jesus starting a revolution?<p>Preached 24 March 2024 at Christ Church, <b>B</b>illericay<br /></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">Reading Psalm 118:1-2+19-29; Mark 11:1-11</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Revolution</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">I think we need a revolution. With
climate change out of control and almost nothing being done about it,
with the enormous over overconsumption we have – it is said we need
one and a half earths just to keep our lifestyle going sustainably.
That’s without allowing for any improvement in anyone’s lifestyle or prospects. With our current system, no-one is going to
succeed in cutting everybody back to use two thirds of the resources
that they are using today. If it was suggested – would you vote
for them, the vast majority wouldn’t.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Who is the leader</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Who would you choose as the
revolutionary leader – Ernesto "Che" Guevara, or perhaps
Wolfie Smith – “Power to the people!”. Maybe you’d prefer
someone less violent (although I don’t remember Wolfie every
harming anyone but himself!). Someone like Mahatma Gandhi, perhaps?
There are plenty of others you could choose to get behind, but all
the ones that come to my mind are dead, I can’t think of any leader
today that I believe can deliver what we need.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Galileans</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The Galileans, wanted a revolution,
too – their revolution was the removal of the Roman occupying force
that had run their county for years. They knew who they wanted as
their leader, too. They were very clear about it – they had seen
what He could do, they knew He would make a great king. They’d
almost tried once before, but John 6:15 tells us that Jesus was aware
of their intentions:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus, knowing that they
intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a
mountain by himself.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It was not the right time then – He
had a lot more work to do before He was going to be willing to accept
that title.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">King Now?</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Now though, in our reading today,
things have moved on. Now, the time is right for Jesus to show more
openly His true nature.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Passover</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It’s Passover, people from all
around are heading to Jerusalem for the festival. Everyone within
about 20 miles was expected to attend, but many more visited
Jerusalem at this time. One estimate I read suggested as many as two
and a half million may have been on their way, or already in the
vicinity.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">To give an idea of how many that is,
the population of Essex was only one and a half million in the 2021
census. That’s a lot of people.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Staying outside the City</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Most of them would stay outside the
city, in the surrounding villages. That is what Jesus and the
Galileans were doing, they stayed around Bethany and Bethphage.
Those villages are on the Mount of Olives, about 2 miles from the
city. It was the place these Galileans stayed every time they came
from Galilee for a festival, probably three times a year. So, most
of them will be very familiar with their surroundings and probably
familiar with each other too.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Time to go public?</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus is ready to go public in a
bigger way than He has before. Mark’s gospel is full of
instructions not to tell what Jesus has done. Now things are
changing as Jesus comes to the end of His mission.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Now, He needs to be seen, He needs to
do something that will get the attention of the majority of visitors,
they may not see it, but they will definitely hear about it.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Zechariah 9:9</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So, the procession is planned, Jesus
has even found a donkey, so that He can ride into Jerusalem. He is
going to fulfil an old prophecy, it’s found in Zechariah 9:9</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">Rejoice
greatly, Daughter Zion!</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">See,
your king comes to you,</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
righteous and victorious,</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">lowly
and riding on a donkey,</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"> on a colt, the foal of a
donkey.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Normally, the conquering hero comes
on a large white stallion, adorned with various decoration to make it
look even grander than it is, he sits above everyone and is easily
visible.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">But this prophecy has the hero on a
donkey, he will be only slightly higher up than those around him, who
are walking. The prophecy is as much about the kingdom that the king
brings as it is about the ideal, Davidic king that heads it up. The
kingdom and the king conform to the divine standard of morality and
ethics, particularly as revealed in the Mosaic legislation.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">As importantly as it being what God
wants, it is what the people want – well those that are travelling
with, or around Jesus anyway.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Getting the Donkey</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So the donkey is arranged and Jesus
sends a couple of unnamed disciples to get it. They are given some
words to say, so that if challenged, they can still get the donkey
without causing a problem. If you thought passwords were new,
welcome to the 1<sup>st</sup> century, where they have been in use
for some time.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Colt</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It’s a colt, a foal that has never
been ridden, That’s a sign of purity, an animal that is suitable
for offering to God.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Procession into Jerusalem</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Now the procession starts, and
immediately the crowd are laying their coats on the ground for the
donkey to walk across. They cut branches from the fields and lay
them on the road too. (They don’t have to be palm branches, only
John mentions palm branches, so, any branches will do.)</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><a name="docs-internal-guid-8ef28c18-7fff-9dd1-40"></a>
This is reminiscent of the welcome given to Jehu when he became king
(<span style="background: transparent;">2 Kings 9:13) and the
celebration when Simon Maccabees threw the foreign occupiers out of
Jerusalem. Both actions are symbolic of welcoming a new king.</span></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The procession proceeds with shouts
of
</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“Hosanna!”
</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">and</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord!”</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">and</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“Blessed is the coming
kingdom of our father David!”</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Their revolution is underway!</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">These shouts are taken from Psalm
118, that was our Old Testament reading this morning. The psalm was
used as liturgy in the temple worship, and would have been very well
known to all the visitors in Jerusalem.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">This was not the time it was usually
sung though, so the crowd following Jesus, and cheering and praising
God, would have caused quite a disturbance.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Effects of the procession</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Word would have spread quickly
through the crowd that something unusual was happening, so soon
almost everyone around would know about it. That would include the
religious leaders, who were no doubt well aware of who Jesus was.
They would now be nervous about his intentions. After all, if he
creates trouble now, with all these people around, and the Roman
overlords feel like they are losing control, all sorts of bad things
could happen.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">In the temple</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Once in Jerusalem, Jesus heads for
the temple. He is not concerned about the effects his procession and
the celebration that has happened outside has had, He was clearly
there to be noticed. Arriving at the temple fairly late in the day,
Jesus just looks around at everything and then returns to Bethany.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">What was the point of going to
the temple?</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">What was He looking around for in the
temple?
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">If we read what happens next, we
might get some idea. The next day, he enters the temple and begins
to disrupt the trade that is taking place. He would not allow the
normal temple trade to continue. That definitely got the attention
of the religious leaders. So, we can assume that He took a good look
around to see if the temple was functioning as it should and decide
that it was not. So, was planning what He would do the following
day.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Palm Sunday</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We have re-enacted the Palm Sunday
procession today. We have done it symbolically, inside the church
building. We do it to help us remember who Jesus was when he was
alive on earth. It is difficult for us to really understand what a
king is like. King Charles does not have any real power, that exists
in our parliament.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Palm Sunday raises the question for
us about whether we are simple following a ceremony, or whether we
are prepared as followers of Jesus to welcome him as our true King.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Are we really prepared for a
revolution, not perhaps causing trouble on the streets, although it
may come to that, but personally, in our own attitudes?</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Are we ready to put our possessions
at his disposal, to obey his orders even when they puzzle us? Are we
ready to go out of our way to honour him? What are our equivalents of
cloaks to spread on the road before him, and branches to wave to make
his coming into a real festival? To draw attention to His presence
with us.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Or have we so domesticated and
trivialised our devotion to Jesus himself that we look on him simply
as someone to help us through when our lives get tough, someone to
provide us with comforting religious experiences?</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“Hosanna!”
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0.3cm;">
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0.3cm;">
let’s shout that together again now:</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“Hosanna!”
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0.3cm;">
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”</blockquote><p>Amen</p><p> Recording :</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a4oPPlgVKE">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a4oPPlgVKE</a> from about 17:30–31:40<br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">References </h4><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.preaching.com/sermons/a-question-in-the-crowd-who-is-this/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://www.preaching.com/sermons/a-question-in-the-crowd-who-is-this/</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.preaching.com/sermons/palm-sunday-hosanna-or-crucify-him-its-your-choice-mark-111-10/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://www.preaching.com/sermons/palm-sunday-hosanna-or-crucify-him-its-your-choice-mark-111-10/</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-99eb7dde-7fff-2693-8ec0-260d7ff289a3" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://mark.bible/mark-12-37" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://mark.bible/mark-12-37https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/27617/when-do-those-who-think-the-70-weeks-of-daniel-9-refer-to-years-think-the-weeks</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.preaching.com/sermons/the-day-jesus-turned-palms-into-nails/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://www.preaching.com/sermons/the-day-jesus-turned-palms-into-nails/</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-palms-of-hope-robert-leroe-sermon-on-easter-palm-sunday-77371" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-palms-of-hope-robert-leroe-sermon-on-easter-palm-sunday-77371</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/triumphal-entry-a-misnomer-for-palm-sunday-paul-clemente-sermon-on-triumphant-entry-255140" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/triumphal-entry-a-misnomer-for-palm-sunday-paul-clemente-sermon-on-triumphant-entry-255140</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Che_Guevara" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Che_Guevara</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_Smith" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_Smith</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2021/report?compare=E10000012" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2021/report?compare=E10000012</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colt" style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colt</span></a></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"></h4>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-1870707392832280902024-03-16T15:26:00.004+00:002024-03-16T16:59:20.173+00:00Two Mothers and mother church<p>Preached 10 March 2024 @ Christ Church, Billericay<br /></p>
<h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">A Mother's Day reflection on how the church is like a mother.</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">Reading 1 Sam
1v20-28; Luke 2v33-35</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Introduction</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Today is Mothering
Sunday, now perhaps better known as Mother's Day, to help us
celebrate the day, and mothers, we have two readings about two very
different mothers – Hannah in the 1 Samuel reading and Mary in the
reading from Luke. We will be looking at each of these women and
their story later. First, though, I will look a little at the
history and intent of Mothering Sunday.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Lent 4</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">The fourth Sunday of
Lent, the halfway point, is also known as Laetare Sunday, which
means rejoice and provides some refreshment from the austere festival
that is Lent. After the reformation, it came to be a time when
Christians returned to their mother churches. That is the church
where they were brought up, or possibly the local cathedral.
Returning to the church where you were brought up, inevitably meant
that you would visit and stay with your parents. People didn’t
move around as much as they do now, and there weren’t so many
places to stay. This tradition meant that domestic servants would be
given the day off to visit their mothers. So, the day slowly turned
into Mother's Day. In the mid-20th century, the American
celebration of Mother's Day and the reduced attendance at church,
further changed the emphasis towards mothers and away from the
church.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Flowers</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Today we will be
distributing daffodils to all the ladies in, or connected to, the
congregation. That’s been part of the Christ church tradition for
a long time. The traditional flower that was picked by returning
grown up children for their mothers was violets.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Bride of Christ</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0.21cm; margin-top: 0.42cm;">
The church is known as the bride of Christ in many places in the New
Testament, and we have already seen that the Church is known as a
mother. This indicates that the feminine qualities of God are to be
demonstrated in the church. The Hebrew word meaning love, and affection, "Ahava" is a feminine noun.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Compare Hannah and Mary</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Now, let's have a look at our two
mothers to see how they compare. I’ll start with Hannah.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Hannah – background</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Hannah was desperate for a child.
She lived in a polygamous relationship, and was the favourite wife.
But she didn’t have a child, in a time when a childless woman was
considered a failure, not even a real woman. The other wife
constantly reminded Hannah of her failing to irritate her. One year,
when the family made their annual pilgrimage to sacrifice to the Lord
at Shiloh, Hannah was praying fervently for a son. Eli, the priest there, thought that she was drunk. In that prayer, she made a vow:</p>
<p lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0.5cm; margin-left: 1cm; margin-right: 1cm;">
<font face="Trebuchet MS, serif">saying, “O LORD Almighty, if you
will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not
forget your servant, but give her a son, then I will give him to the
LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on
his head.”</font></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The Lord answered her prayer. Now
she has to honour the vow. She named him Samuel, the name sounds
like “God heard”. When the child is between two and three years
old, they take him to Shiloh to worship the Lord, and leave him with
Eli the priest.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Samuel given to Eli</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Now Hannah has given up her son to be
brought up by the priest, who accused he of drunkenness. I can’t
begin to imagine how difficult that would have been for her.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">She does not give him up and never
see him again. Her love for him continues as best it can. Each year,
when they travel to Shiloh, she takes new robes that she has made for
him.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Hannah’s Prayer</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">At the start of the next chapter, we
read Hannah’s prayer – her response to receiving the son she so
badly craved, and leaving him with the priest. It is pure praise to
God.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Mary</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In some ways, Mary is at the opposite
end of the spectrum to Hannah. When we meet Mary, she is betrothed
to Joseph, she is very young, and although she may be thinking about
having children, her main focus is on the wedding – which may have
been up to a year away.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">She has an encounter with an angel,
and is told that the Holy Spirit will give her a baby. That whole
experience sounds frightening enough, but Mary doesn’t seem that
disturbed by any of it.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Instead, she sings a song of praise
to God, which has a number of parallels to Hannah’s prayer.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Eighth Day</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Now it is the eighth day, and they are
in the temple to make a sacrifice for the safe delivery of the child.
The law says that “Every firstborn male must be consecrated to
the Lord” and that is what they are doing. They are interrupted by Simeon, who had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die
until he had seen the Christ. Simeon recognizes the baby Jesus as
the fulfilment of that promise.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We read that the child’s father and
mother marvelled at what was said about him. This is what Simeon
said:</p>
<p lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0.5cm; margin-left: 1cm; margin-right: 1cm;">
<font face="Trebuchet MS, serif">Luke 2 <sup>29-32</sup> “Sovereign
Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the
sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for
glory to your people Israel.”</font></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">After blessing them, there is a sting
in the tail from Simeon:</p>
<p lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0.5cm; margin-left: 1cm; margin-right: 1cm;">
“<font face="Trebuchet MS, serif">This child is destined to cause
the falling s and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that
will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be
revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”</font></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">This must have concerned Mary and
Joseph, but particularly Mary, as it was addressed to her. What will
that mean for her life and her son’s life?</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We know that Jesus the Christ died on
the cross for our sins, but perhaps you don’t remember that Mary
continued to look after Jesus as best she could.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Mary’s difficult time</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In Matthew 12<sup>46-50</sup>, she
and her other sons try to talk to Jesus, only for him to deny his
family and use the incident to teach the crowd about God. That must
have hurt her.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">She will be at the crucifixion too.
You never stop being a parent, however old your children are. There,
Jesus will make sure Mary is cared for after His death, so however
apart they may be at this point, Jesus has done what he must do as
the oldest son.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In our reading today, she only has
the dimmest glimpse of all these things that are to come. From here onwards, she will be a good mother for the young Jesus until he leaves
to follow the ministry He was born for.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Two mothers</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We’ve looked briefly at two
mothers, on this Mother's Day. Each had a difficult time with their
child, mainly due to the circumstances they found themselves in. As
parents, we all have our own difficulties with our children, at
various times. As children, I expect we were sometimes the cause of
difficulties for our parents, particularly our mothers.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Mother’s qualities</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The key quality that these two
mothers have demonstrated is their worship of the Lord, and their
focus on Him. It has clearly helped them through the difficulties
they experienced. We would expect the Bible to focus in on that
aspect of their personalities. I wondered what other personality
traits make a good mother.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">To be sure I got some thoughts other
than my own, I asked an AI to write 3 haiku’s, this is what I got
back:</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><a name="docs-internal-guid-1a1ecbb5-7fff-4873-1d"></a>
<span style="background: transparent;">(1) Gentle hands that
hold,<br />
Warm embrace that chases fear,<br />
Love's unwavering
light.</span></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="background: transparent;">(2)
Strength that knows no bound,<br />
Guiding light through darkest
times,<br />
Roots that hold us true.</span></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="background: transparent;">(3)
Laughter fills the air,<br />
Patience for each tear that
falls,<br />
Belief in what we'll be.</span></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="background: transparent;">Nothing
about worshipping God, which is not a surprise to me, as these Large
Language Models and very biassed currently.</span></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="background: transparent;">Spend
a little time thinking about your own mother, or the person who
filled that role in your life. Do they have all these qualities and
more? – I hope so.</span></p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Mother church</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Putting these ideas together, we can
get a good idea of how we should behave as mother church.
Particularly, how we should treat others who are younger and less
secure in the faith than we are.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Not all mothers are good all the
time. We heard of the sad case of a mother accused of murdering her
child in the news this week.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Safeguarding</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">To help to be sure that we, as church,
don’t ‘go bad’, we have procedures and training in place – we
call it safeguarding. It is a framework of behaviours to keep us on
the straight and narrow. In the Bible it is call “love” and it
covers all the qualities we have mentioned and more. It would make
an interesting Bible Study one day – perhaps if you have a quiet
afternoon you could find references for all these qualities. I’m
not going to do it now, because I’m coming to the end of the
sermon.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Conclusion</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We’ve looked at the role the church
plays in the world and seen that it is considered to be the mother of
the children of God. We’ve seen how our two mothers Hannah and
Mary never gave up on looking after their children, even in the most
difficult circumstances. That is what mothers do even to this day.
That is also what the church is required to do, for all its
children.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Amen.</p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">References</span></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">TBA </span><br /></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p><p class="western" lang="en-GB">Preached on-line here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13pyNn99D6A">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13pyNn99D6A</a>, starting at 25:00.<br /></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> <br /></p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-30215068773137634202024-02-18T17:22:00.003+00:002024-02-19T11:24:42.162+00:00The first temptation of Christ<p>Preached 08:00 18 Feb 2024 at Christ Church, Billericay, a slightly modified version also preached at 10:00<br /></p>
<h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Purpose: <font size="5" style="font-size: 18pt;">To
understand temptation and its avoidance</font></h3>
<h1 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Reading: Mark
1v9-15</h1>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Introduction</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">It’s the first Sunday
of Lent. Lent is a time for reflection, and the subject for
reflection today is temptation. I will be focussing on the New
Testament passage this morning. There’s more in there than just
the temptation, so there are some other things we will need to
consider.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Baptised</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">The passage starts with
Jesus’s baptism. Mark does not attempt to explain why Jesus needs
to be baptised, After all He is the son of God, so there seems to be
no need. Only Matthew provides a clue. He says that John questioned
Jesus saying </p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">“I
need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”</blockquote>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus tells him it is to
“fulfil all righteousness”. It is all part of the plan, if Jesus
is to return to God and take the experience of being human into the
God head, baptism is an essential part of what He must do because
that puts him in the same position as us.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">God speaks</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">As Jesus comes up out of
the water, the heavens open and God, the Father, speaks to His son.</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">“You
are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”</blockquote>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">But wait, Jesus hasn't
done anything yet! There wasn’t even a baptism preparation course.
He just went to John and it was done. </p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Fathers</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">At the risk of drifting
into a Father's Day sermon, I wonder how many of us fathers have told
our sons how pleased we are with them, before the trial of their
adult life begins, before they have really done anything of value. I
could plead guilty to that one. It’s somehow easier to say that to
the grandchildren than it was to the children. Of course, God’s
words here are as much for the crowd as they are for Jesus, but it
must be very affirming and a big boost to confidence, to hear of
someone’s faith in your abilities before they have even been
tested. But I must get back on course now.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Off you go</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">After the baptism, Mark
says, “At once” the Holy Spirit sent Him out into the desert.
Some translations have ‘drove’ instead of sent. In the Greek, the
same word is used of Jesus driving out evil spirits. For example
verse 34 where it says:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">“He
also drove out many demons”</blockquote>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">It can mean anything
from ‘take out’ to ‘drive out’. Where ever it’s pitched, I
don’t think there was really any choice at this point. Jesus must
go into the wilderness.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Judean Wilderness</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">The Judean wilderness is
close to the river Jordan, so Jesus won’t have to walk far. He
will be there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. Mark is the
only writer who tells us that “He was with the wild animals”. In
that wilderness there were Rock hyraxes, Nubian ibexes and Arabian
leopards. There were also Israeli mole vipers, and other unpleasant
creatures. </p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Why mention wild animals</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">So, I can’t decide if
this is supposed to be a comfort for Jesus or a further difficulty.
It has been suggested that the wild animals he came across would have
treated him as they treated Adam and Eve before the fall – so that
would not have presented any danger at all. That’s a reasonable
theory, but there isn’t much to directly support it.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">In the wilderness</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">What is Jesus going to do for these
40 days. He will have to find shelter, the days are hot –
unbearably hot, and the nights are cold – near to freezing on many
occasions. There’s also the weather to consider. Would there be
high winds causing sand storms? We don’t know, but at least rain
was unlikely.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So what does he do? There seems to
be nothing to do. All his time will be spent in prayer and
reflection, and responding to temptations. </p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Idle Hands</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">My mother always used to say “The
Devil makes work for idle hands”, when ever we couldn’t find
anything to do. I’m not sure children today are ever in this
situation, but I certainly remember being bored. I suppose I
probably listened to the devil then without realising it. Boredom,
certainly in later life, can have different effects.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Retreat</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Having nothing to do is not the same
as getting away from all the pressing business of the world we live
in. Before I started my ministry as a Reader, the very last part of
the training was a retreat. A time away from the pressures of the
world. When all you have to do is to concentrate on God. Everything
else is done for you. The shelter and food is provided – it was
very good and there was too much of it, but we weren’t meant to be
fasting.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">There were guided activities and the
days were filled with worship services and prayer times. There was
also a lot of silence. It was a wonderful time. In our own way, some
of us will have confronted our doubts and reservations about what we
were about to undertake. Perhaps even confronting our own demons –
if I can use that phrase without being too literal.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Fasting</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">For Jesus, it almost certainly wasn’t
a pleasant time. No doubt He was content to do His father's bidding,
even at that early stage of His ministry. However, the things he had
to face were not pleasant. The least pleasant thing is the fasting,
both Luke and Matthew tell us that he ate nothing.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Effects of Fasting</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">40 days is about as long as you can
go without food. According to an NHS website, starving causes
anxiety, irritability, depression, poor concentration, poor sleep,
and an inability to regulate body temperature, among a few other
symptoms. So Jesus would have to deal with these mental and physical
issues along side the temptations.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Satan’s opportunity</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So, as Jesus gets hungrier and weaker,
the opportunity for the temper improves. Satan does not usually come
to you directly, he prefers to wait until an opportune time – when
you are weak, tired, depressed, haven’t slept - then whisper an
idea. </p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">By sending Jesus into the wilderness,
God has set up the conditions for this test perfectly. I’m sure
Satan knows exactly what is going on, but he is tempted. I’m sure
he knows exactly what the outcome will be, but he is tempted. His
temptation comes from his nature, so does his inability to stay out
of God’s trap. He just can’t resist having a go – can he tempt
Jesus and get Him to sin? It’s Satan’s best opportunity.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Temptation is …</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Matthew and Luke detail some specific temptations, that doesn’t mean that is all Jesus faced. A temptation
is a thought that becomes a desire. Dwelling on that prepares you to
take some action to make it happen. Until you take action, it
remains a temptation. The longer those thoughts remain, the more
likely the action becomes. Jesus already knew how to push
temptations aside. His strategy is to bat them away really quickly,
so they do not have a chance to grow.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">How to resist</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Paul tells the Corinthians:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">No temptation has overtaken
you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will
not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are
tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">If we fail to resist a temptation, it
is entirely on us, because all the temptations we face are well known
(even if you think yours is not – it is really), and there is
always a way out.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">James tells his readers to:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">Submit yourselves, then, to
God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Temptation’s result</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That is what Jesus does, and he
passes the test. Luke tells us that, after His baptism, Jesus
entered the wilderness “full of the Holy Spirit”. When he
returns from the wilderness after the test, Jesus’s ministry starts
“in the power of the Holy Spirit.”</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That’s the difference that passing
the test, resisting the temptation makes. It brings us closer to
God, and releases the power of the Holy Spirit in us.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">For us</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">When we’re tempted, we just have to
say “No”, or “Go away”, and then remove ourselves from the
situation. Sometimes that can be hard to do, but sometimes it is
easy. Each temptation is a test that God allows us to undergo.
Resistance brings us closer to God and releases the power of the Holy
Spirit within us.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Amen.</p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> The 10am version is here <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qK2c4TkO7A">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qK2c4TkO7A</a>, it starts at about 21:20<br /></p><h3 class="western">References</h3>
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.stmarysstokedabernon.org.uk/images/pdfs/sermons/Sermon_18-2-2018.pdf"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.stmarysstokedabernon.org.uk/images/pdfs/sermons/Sermon_18-2-2018.pdf</u></span></a></span></p>
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://interruptingthesilence.com/2012/02/26/leave-home-get-baptized-go-to-the-wilderness-a-sermon-on-mark-19-15-lent-1b/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://interruptingthesilence.com/2012/02/26/leave-home-get-baptized-go-to-the-wilderness-a-sermon-on-mark-19-15-lent-1b/</u></span></a></span></p>
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/with-the-wild-beasts-an-exposition-of-mark-1-9-15-mark-a-barber-sermon-on-temptation-253440?page=1&wc=800"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/with-the-wild-beasts-an-exposition-of-mark-1-9-15-mark-a-barber-sermon-on-temptation-253440?page=1&wc=800</u></span></a></span></p>
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.nhsgrampian.org/service-hub/eating-disorder-mcn/patients--carers/anorexia---further-information/physical--psychological-effects-of-starvation/?p_applic=CCC&pContentID=4314"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.nhsgrampian.org/service-hub/eating-disorder-mcn/patients--carers/anorexia---further-information/physical--psychological-effects-of-starvation/?p_applic=CCC&pContentID=4314</u></span></a></span></p>
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misandry"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misandry</u></span></a></span></p>
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.familyeducation.com/family-life/relationships/history-genealogy/a-look-at-the-different-generations-and-how-they-parent"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.familyeducation.com/family-life/relationships/history-genealogy/a-look-at-the-different-generations-and-how-they-parent</u></span></a></span></p>
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/led-by-the-spirit-into-the-wilderness/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/led-by-the-spirit-into-the-wilderness/</u></span></a></span></p>
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaean_Desert"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaean_Desert</u></span></a></span></p>
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.bibleplaces.com/judeanwilderness/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.bibleplaces.com/judeanwilderness/</u></span></a></span></p>
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyrax"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyrax</u></span></a></span></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-81789130367591106022024-01-28T16:53:00.003+00:002024-01-28T16:53:21.551+00:00Authority<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB"> <span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Preached at Christ Church, Billericay 28/01/2024 @10:00 </span></span><br /></h2>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Authoritative
Teachers – Moses</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0.21cm; margin-top: 0.42cm;">
At Horeb, the Israelites have asked God to make Moses His spokesman.
</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">For this is what you asked
of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you
said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this
great fire anymore, or we will die.”</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It became Moses role to become the
first prophet. It is his job, and his alone, to speak with God and
to take what God says and pass it on to the Israelites. Anyone who
doesn’t listen to Moses will be answerable to God. Moses became
God’s authority for the Israelites.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">There will be other prophets to
follow Moses, and this is the way that God will now use to speak to
his people for generations to come. Kings may be appointed, but even
the best kings will still rely on a prophet to know what God wants in
any particular situation. The worst kings would ignore, or even try
to kill the prophets, and that is always followed by disastrous
results.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Life of a prophet</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Life as a prophet is dangerous, you
must be careful only to speak what God gives you. Anything else is
asking for trouble. If you get it wrong, or deliberately speak in
the name of other gods, the penalty is death.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">“The prophet”</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">While this passage talks about
prophets who will follow Moses, it also looks forward to the ‘One
Prophet’. Someone who will be as close to God as Moses was, or
even closer. Someone who will speak with the Authority of God, just
as Moses did.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">NT Reading</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">By the time we get to the period
where the New Testament reading is set, the expectation of the
arrival of that ‘One Prophet’ had reached fever pitch. This may
have something to do with God not having spoken to His people for
hundreds of years.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Mark Chapter 1</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In Mark Chapter one, we are right at
the start of Jesus’s recorded ministry. He and a few disciples
have gone to Capernaum. This is Peter’s home town. Jesus was
allowed to teach in the synagogue there.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Synagogues</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">A synagogue was not only a place of
worship, but also the administrative centre of the town or village,
it was where people gathered to make decisions about how their town
should run. It was also the primary place of education, where the
children and adults were taught about the Jewish faith.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The building was quite simple, and
similar to our traditional churches. Not like this building at all.
This looks more like a gym or a bus garage than a church. A
synagogue would typically be an oblong building with two rows of
columns, about 3 meters apart, with a door at one end and a place for
storing the scrolls of the Torah and other scriptures at the other.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Just like our word church, a
synagogue is both the people and the building. Originally synagogue
referred to the people, just as church did, but over time both came
to refer to the building as well.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Who can speak</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Perhaps because of its multiple uses,
it may have been organised with people facing each other, so that
debate was easier. On the sabbath, though, not just anyone could
turn up and speak. There was a convention known as “The freedom of
the synagogue” which meant that the leader could invite visiting
speakers, who appeared in the area, to preach on a particular
sabbath. These invitees would have to be known for their theological
capabilities and their ability to speak.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">This suggests that Jesus would
already have spoken at Nazareth and that he already had a reputation
as a good speaker. Remember that Jesus had spent time in the temple
at the age of 12 listening to the teachers and asking them questions.
Luke tells us “They were amazed at His answers”.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">What He said here, is not recorded
anywhere, but it seems unlikely that he would have been invited to
speak in a village that wasn’t his home unless he had some
experience.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">What happened when he spoke.</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The assembled synagogue were in for a
surprise. A normal sermon would have taught based on the scriptures
and referencing different scrolls and the notes that had been made in
the margins and the thoughts of various rabbis that the speaker had
heard. In many ways, it was very similar to our sermons here. Jesus
was different. He spoke directly from God. His teaching was all His
own. It clearly made sense, even though none of it is recorded for
our benefit, but more than that, it sounded fresh and relevant. They
easily recognised Jesus’s authority. The synagogue were already
impressed.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Demon (possession)</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Then the demon spoke up.</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“What do you want with us,
Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you
are—the Holy One of God!”</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Demon possession is not widely
believed today. It is largely written off as a psychological
disorder, or sometimes epilepsy.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Science, though, is only partly
responsible for our dis-belief. Horror films also share the blame,
they have dulled our senses to the reality of these things to the
point where it becomes difficult, to see any reality in them at all.
This is one of Satans strategies.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Demon possession is real</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">There are some, though, that do
believe that demon possession is real. Dr. Richard Gallagher, is a
catholic and a psychiatrist who teaches at Columbia University and
New York Medical College. He says possession is real but rare. He
has been involved in many exorcisms and is sometimes called by the
Catholic Church to help out.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">There are also theologians who will
say that while Jesus was on earth the devil was given a little more
latitude, so possessions were more common at that time.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Our Response?</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">I wonder how we would respond if
something like that were to happen here?</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Well, I would urge extreme caution
before labelling any incident you might encounter as demon
possession. Just as the church is very careful to document miracles,
so it must be very careful about labelling an incident like this as
demon possession.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In the first century, though, it was
all they knew.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus’s response.</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus, of course, knew exactly what
to do and immediately told the demon to “Be quiet.”. You may
think that is an odd response. I don’t think it was.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Why not let the demon speak the truth?</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Satan is known as the father of lies.
I hope you remember that Jesus has already had a long encounter with
him in the wilderness, and knows very well how he operates. That
means Satan also knows exactly who Jesus is. So, although he’s
speaking the truth, Jesus is the holy one of God, I think he’s
hoping that it will be thought of as a lie. A kind of double bluff.
Either that or he’s trying to conceal that Jesus is the messiah,
and God incarnate, to downgrade Jesus a little.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Whatever you believe about that,
Jesus is the Holy one of God, and is also God incarnate, so he has
God’s authority, and His command must be obeyed. The demon is
unable to say any more. He knows his time is up. This is what John
says in 1 John 3:8</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">8 The one who does what is
sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the
beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the
devil’s work.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That’s what is starting to happen
here, right at the start of Jesus’s ministry, the works of Satan
are being torn apart.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Called Out</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The demon, is then called out of the
man. This makes the man well again, and presumably he goes on his way,
as we don’t hear any more about him.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Fame</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">This little drama means that Jesus’s
fame spreads quickly across the whole area. News travels fast, even
without the internet, or the Billericay discussion page.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus is now a celebrity, whether He
likes it or not.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Authority</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We have seen two types of Authority
in these readings. One is the authority of command – Jesus gives an
order and the demons obey. The other is the authority of the experts
– like our scientists, who have a deep understanding of their field
of knowledge. The scribes, those who normally preached, would fall
into this category – they really knew their scriptures. Jesus
takes this type of authority a step further. After all, the most
authoritative person on me is me, and Jesus is God, so knows His
father better than anyone.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Our Authority</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">If we know Jesus; if we pray and
study our bibles and if we listen carefully to the Holy Spirit, we
too can have authority. Here are a few verses that remind us of
that:</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">John 14:12</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><a name="en-NIV-26681"></a>“Very
truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have
been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because
I am going to the Father.”
</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">2 Peter 1:3</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">His divine power has given
us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him
who called us by his own glory and goodness.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Luke 9:1</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">When Jesus had called the
Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all
demons and to cure diseases</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The power and authority to exorcise
demons is not everyone’s ministry, but we have all been given some
authority, and we should all be able to talk authoritatively about
Jesus, His death and resurrection, and His gift of Eternal life.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">End with a prayer?</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">“As we speak in God’s name” –
protection and courage, love.</p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><u>References</u></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-5d68d26f-7fff-0b6a-742f-5e95179f4282" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://bibleinterp.arizona.edu/articles/jesus-and-early-synagogues" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">https://bibleinterp.arizona.edu/articles/jesus-and-early-synagogues</span></a></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="http://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/21399/ddg#21402" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">http://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/21399/ddg#21402</span></a></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://askgramps.org/preaching-synagogues/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">https://askgramps.org/preaching-synagogues/</span></a></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2021-01-25/mark-121-28-3/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2021-01-25/mark-121-28-3/</span></a></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-sunday-after-epiphany-2/commentary-on-mark-121-28-2" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-sunday-after-epiphany-2/commentary-on-mark-121-28-2</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-3177aa96-7fff-32ed-f20b-5674605ab103" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/04/health/exorcism-doctor/index.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;">https://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/04/health/exorcism-doctor/index.html</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-30789304766264420762024-01-14T14:47:00.005+00:002024-01-14T14:47:35.697+00:00God is calling<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Introduction</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">This morning we have two
readings which describe God’s call to a few individuals. The
method used in each of the cases is as different as the people who
are being called. So, we can safely generalise and say that God’s
call is unique, customised for each person.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Recognising God’s
Call</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Each of us will have
experienced God’s call somehow. It may come to you very directly,
like it did for Philip, a simple “Follow me”.
</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">It may come as a
revelation, some small event of someone saying something, like it did
for Nathanael – for whom it just clicked as Jesus was speaking to
him.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">More likely, though, is
a fairly long process of things happening, contacts from church
members, whether they are friends already, or newly introduced.
Perhaps you were invited to attend church or an evangelistic event.
Perhaps you just got involved with doing something and the
Christianity around you rubbed-off on you.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Some will not have a
conversion moment, if you were brought up in a Christian family, you
may just have inherited the belief, but even for you there will be a
time when you have to take those beliefs on for yourself and be
prepared to stand up and publicly confess them.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Memories</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">I hope that has sparked
some memories for you. As we look at the readings we had from this morning, keep those in mind – we’ll come back to them later.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Hannah</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">At the start of the
first book of Samuel, we meet Hannah and are told about her desire
for a son. When she was praying she was accused of drunkenness by
Eli the priest. She told him she was not drunk, but deeply troubled,
and was pouring out her heart to the Lord. In her prayer, she had promised, “I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life,
and no razor will ever be used on his head.”</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Her prayer had been
answered, and she had handed the boy over to Eli when he was old
enough to be separated from his mother. She didn’t lose touch with
him, though, and continued to provide for him, and he grew up under
Eli’s guidance.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Samuel</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">When Samuel was old
enough, the Lord called him. We have no idea what Samuel thought,
whether he was a believer or a sceptic, but we know he was obedient
to Eli. We are told that “the word of the Lord was rare”, so
Samuel’s call would be unexpected – especially by Eli.
Nevertheless, late one evening, before the lamp of the God had gone out, Samuel was called.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">The lamp of God was a
seven pronged oil lamp, which was lit at dusk, and gave light into
the evening. Then God called Samuel, but because this sort of thing
was very unusual, Samuel thought it was Eli. It took Eli a while to
realise what was happening. On the fourth call, Samuel was ready and
instead of going to Eli, he said ‘Speak, your servant is
listening’. The message was a difficult one for a young boy to
deal with, you can read the rest of the story in the remainder of
chapter 3. Now, Samuel had met God, and his life has changed. He is
God’s prophet for the rest of his life. His word became synonymous
with God’s word.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">NT Reading</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">In our New Testament reading, Jesus has just started His ministry and is calling His
disciples. Two joined from John’s followers, one of those was
Andrew, and he introduced his brother Simon. On the second day,
Jesus went out looking for disciples in Galilee. It is not clear
whether Jesus went to Galilee specifically to call Philip, or whether
He was just looking for Galilean followers. Philip, though, was from
the same place as Andrew and Peter, so my guess is that Jesus went to
find Philip.
</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Philip</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Philip’s call is
simple ‘Follow me’ and there is no discussion, Philip simply
obeys. He then goes and finds Nathanael, and the discussion that
follows requires some careful attention.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Philip &
Nathanael</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Let’s look first at
the conversation between Philip and Nathanael.
</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Philip starts with:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">“We
have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the
prophets also wrote —Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”</blockquote>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Not surprisingly
Nathanael is a bit confused by this, after all the prophecy say that
the messiah will come from … Bethlehem. It’s there in the
prophet Micah (5:2):</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">‘But
you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,<br />
though you are small among the
clans of Judah, out of you will come for me<br />
one who will be
ruler over Israel,<br />
whose origins are from of old,<br />
from
ancient times.’</blockquote>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Nazareth</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Also, Nazareth has a bit
of a reputation among the Galileans. Although it’s quite close to
trade routes, it’s fairly inaccessible from the rest of the region,
so it is looked down on.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">We know that good can
come from anywhere, but Nathanael is not so sure.</p><h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Come and see</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Philip’s response is
not an argument, instead he gives an
invitation – ‘Come and see’, come and judge for yourself. This
is the classic response. Alway offer a person the chance to make up
their own mind instead of trying to convince them yourself. Even the
Psalmist makes the same invitation (34:8)
</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">Taste
and see that the Lord is good;</blockquote>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">So, off they go.
</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Conversation with
Jesus</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Then we have this
conversation with Jesus that is a little perplexing when you first
read it. Let me read those verses again:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;"><sup>47</sup>
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, <font color="#c9211e">“Here
is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.”</font></blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;"><sup>48</sup>
“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, <font color="#c9211e">“I
saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called
you.”</font>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;"><sup>49</sup>
Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are
the King of Israel.”
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;"><sup>50</sup>
Jesus said, <font color="#c9211e">“You believe because I told you I
saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.”</font>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;"><sup>51</sup>
He then added, <font color="#c9211e">“I tell you the truth, you
shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending
on the Son of Man.”</font></blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Explanation</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">What a strange way to greet someone,
“Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.”
Already judging his character. Why would Jesus do that?</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The clue we need is in verse 50 and
51. In verse 50 Jesus is talking to Nathanael – the ‘you’ is
singular, and in 51 he is talking to everyone around him, the ‘you’
is plural. But that sentence is aimed at Nathanael. Jesus is
talking about Jacob’s ladder. That featured in a dream that Jacob
had, where the ladder allowed the angels to climb from heaven to
earth and back. The story is in Genesis 28.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Jacob</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Jacob was a ‘real piece of work’.
He lied and cheated his way through life, even cheating his older
twin brother, Esau, out of his inheritance. Now, I’m assuming that
you all understood the phrase I used - ‘real piece of work’. In
my head at least it means disreputable and to be avoided where ever
possible. </p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Under the fig tree</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Well, there is a similar type of
phrase in verses 48 & 50 – ‘under the fig tree’. It
apparently means that the person it refers to is meditating on the
word of God. At the point where he meets Jesus, Nathanael has been
meditating on the word we now know as Genesis 28. So he is greeted
by Jesus effectively saying “Here is a true Israelite, nothing like
Jacob at all.”</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That’s why the greeting gets such a
reaction from Nathanael. It’s his light bulb moment (there’s
another phrase, that I hope we all understand). He doesn’t need
any more convincing, if the person he’s being introduced to as the
messiah, can tell him his own thoughts, then he must be the Messiah.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Miraculous Call</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So, Nathanael’s call is one where
he is on the receiving end of a very personal miracle.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus call’s the Woman at the well
to belief in a similar way – by telling her ‘everything she ever
did’ (John 4:29). That was Jacob’s well, an interesting link,
but not for today.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Other call’s to belief</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">As I’ve said, everyone’s call
from God is different. Here are a couple of others just to
illustrate how different they can be.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">C. S. Lewis</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">After a long struggle to remain an
atheist, C. S. Lewis reports that he said this to his friend:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">"You must picture me
alone in that room at Magdalen (pronounced Maudlin), night after
night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my
work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly
desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come
upon me. In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God
was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected
and reluctant convert in all England"</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">J Hudson Taylor</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">James Hudson Taylor, the founder of
the China Inland Mission, denounced the faith of his parents as a
very young man. At 16, after reading an evangelistic tract pamphlet
entitled "Poor Richard", he professed faith in Christ.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Reluctant convert</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Both these men had an enormous impact
on Christianity, yet both were reluctant converts and the way they
were called to faith was very different.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Different Call</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">My story, and yours will be very
different, but each of us was chosen and called to faith by God. Our response to that call has changed our lives. There may have been lots of steps, both forward and backward on the
way, but the actual call is always “Follow me”, just as it was to
Philip. And just as it was for Philip, we were sought out. You, like
me and a lot of others, may not have realised at the time that the
messiah was calling you.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Who’s next?</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">He is still calling, both to us, to
come closer, but also to others to ‘Follow Him’.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">You may well know people who you
think God might be calling, I expect you know people who He is
calling. They may not be the same people. One day, maybe soon, they
will hear the call and take that final step into the Christian faith.
It might come through a conversation, a pamphlet, a visit to church,
through watching a live stream, or even something you, or I say or do
– but it will come.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">I’m just happy to have the
opportunity to play some small part in that process for anyone that I
can.</p><h2 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">References </h2><p align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.42cm; margin-top: 0.42cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/second-sunday-after-epiphany-2/commentary-on-john-143-51-3"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/second-sunday-after-epiphany-2/commentary-on-john-143-51-3</u></span></a></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.42cm; margin-top: 0.42cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://sermonwriter.com/sermons/new-testament-john-143-51-gods-dream-team-mclarty/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://sermonwriter.com/sermons/new-testament-john-143-51-gods-dream-team-mclarty/</u></span></a></p>
<p align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.42cm; margin-top: 0.42cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2021-01-11/john-143-51-3/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2021-01-11/john-143-51-3/</u></span></a></p>
<p align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.42cm; margin-top: 0.42cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/mission-to-galilee-christopher-holdsworth-sermon-on-galilee-180507"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/mission-to-galilee-christopher-holdsworth-sermon-on-galilee-180507</u></span></a></p>
<p align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.42cm; margin-top: 0.42cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-continual-call-of-disciples-ron-tuit-sermon-on-discipleship-191229"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-continual-call-of-disciples-ron-tuit-sermon-on-discipleship-191229</u></span></a></p>
<p align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.42cm; margin-top: 0.42cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/jesus-knows-shawn-drake-sermon-on-disciples-244610"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/jesus-knows-shawn-drake-sermon-on-disciples-244610</u></span></a></p>
<p align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.42cm; margin-top: 0.42cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
</p><p align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.42cm; margin-top: 0.42cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/conversion-story-of-c-s-lewis-9821"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/conversion-story-of-c-s-lewis-9821</u></span></a></p><p align="left" style="background: transparent; border: none; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; padding: 0cm; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2019/december/dikkon-eberhart-reform-orthodox-jew-cross-road-christ.html"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2019/december/dikkon-eberhart-reform-orthodox-jew-cross-road-christ.html</u></span></a></p><p align="left" style="background: transparent; border: none; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; padding: 0cm; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Taylor"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Taylor</u></span></a></p><p align="left" style="background: transparent; border: none; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; padding: 0cm; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://www.oneindia.com/india/how-india-is-battling-the-dirty-game-of-christian-conversions-3504569.html"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.oneindia.com/india/how-india-is-battling-the-dirty-game-of-christian-conversions-3504569.html</u></span></a></p><h2 style="background: transparent; border: medium; break-after: auto; break-before: auto; break-inside: auto; line-height: 115%; padding: 0cm; text-align: left;">Preached <u><br /></u></h2><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJL62kb2fJo">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJL62kb2fJo</a> Start 18:26–32:25<br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;"></h2>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-14252146287006288102023-12-25T10:45:00.000+00:002023-12-25T10:45:19.952+00:00THIS Baby<p>Preached at Christ Church, Billericay on 24 December 2023 at 23:15</p><p>Readings: Micah 5:2-5a, Luke 2:1-14</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Why did you come tonight?</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">I wonder why you came to
church tonight? To get out of the cold? To have a sit down? Because
you enjoy singing carols? Maybe you came because you always do – it's a tradition. Perhaps you even came reluctantly and would have
preferred to stay at home, watch some telly, have an early night –
after all it's a busy day tomorrow. You couldn't, because it's Christmas Eve, and on Christmas Eve we always go to church. Or was
there some other reason?</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Why did I come?</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">I've been coming to this
service for more than 40 years and for a variety of different
reasons:</p>
<ul>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">at first, it was
just a late night out with friends</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">later it was to
meet with friends and exchange gifts</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">when the children
were young, I'd wake them up and bring them, so that Father
Christmas could sleep in late</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">more recently, it
is back to seeing old friends</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">but tonight it’s
because I have the privilege of sharing some thoughts on the bible
readings.</p>
</ul>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Start of
Christmas – do it ASAP</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">It's the start of
Christmas, and we want to get the celebration going as soon as
possible. That's what this service is supposed to represent. Get
here for 11:15, and you will be able to take communion as early on
Christmas day as is physically possible – so long as the preacher
doesn't go on all night! We can sing the last verse of O Come all ye
faithful too, because that can only be sung on Christmas day, when
Jesus has been born.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Reminder of the story</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Let’s outline the story before we
look closer at these readings. Jesus born in <span style="font-weight: normal;">Bethlehem,
</span>in Judea, (not the one in Caesarea, or Wales), because this
Bethlehem is David's Town. He was born to the Virgin Mary and her
betrothed Joseph, who is descended from David. They have come to
Bethlehem because of a census and the town is full, so they are in a
stable.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Announced to
shepherds</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">The birth is announced
to shepherds, out on the hills around Bethlehem:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“Do not be afraid. I bring
you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in
the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the
Lord. This will be a sign a to you: You will find a baby wrapped in
cloths and lying in a manger.”</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Shepherds</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Shepherds
were the lowest of the low. They were not allowed in the temple
because they were ritually unclean (from dealing with dead sheep).
They were out in all weathers, wind, rain, and cold. Most people
thought of them as thieves. To look after the sheep they would have
to face the dangers of bears and wolves, so they would be armed, with a sling and a club, or a crook.</span></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
shepherds got their things together, tied them up in their goats
skins, picked up their crooks, wrapped their cloaks around them and,
leaving the sheep, went off to look for the sign that the angel had
promised.</span></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Now
you might think wandering around town looking for a newborn baby was
quite a challenge, but the town would have been dark, with very few
lights. The commotion around the birth would have been quite
noticeable. </span>
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">A new Baby</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Of course, anyone will go and visit a new baby. Even as a young single
adult, I went to</span> visit my Sister and new baby in hospital.
As I bent over the cot, he formed a fist, and reached sharply
upwards. I just got out of the way in time – imagine explaining
that black eye!</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Even
if the baby doesn't give you a great welcome, there's still a sense
of joy, anticipation, and hope that comes from hearing of a newborn.
That's one of the reasons we have to go to see them, to be sure it's
real — “I have seen it with my own eyes”. </span>
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">What has a baby got more of
than the rest of us?</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">What has a baby got more of than the
rest of us?</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Bones – yes, 300 compared to 260 in
an adult, but that's not what I was thinking about.<span style="font-weight: normal;">
A baby has more time left on this earth than we do,</span> or at
least that is always the hope that we have. <span style="font-weight: normal;">The
next generation is here,</span> the future of our family, the next
layer in the family tree is created, or is starting to fill up. We
can somehow look further into the future than we once did. What will
the world be like when he or she is grown? — and has children of
their own?
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Every
baby brings hope to its parents and their families for these reasons,
but THIS baby …</span></p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Birth Announcement – normal</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Most
babies arrival is announced by the parents, probably on social media,
or possibly in the local paper. If you're born into royalty, you'll
get an announcement on the TV news – explaining what your position
is in the line of succession. As we heard in 2021, with our latest
royal birth “</span>Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor”, now
Princess Lilibet who was eighth in line when she was born on 4 June.
But in this announcement there is more fascination with the name than
the position in the line of succession.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Well, it was an impressive way to
enter the world, I'm sure she is destined for greatness, but it's not
quite a choir of angels like THIS baby.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus’s announcement</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-weight: normal;">THIS
baby comes,</span> not just with lots of expectation and joy from its
parents, but <span style="font-weight: normal;">with a message from
God.</span> There's all the prophecies about His birth, and the sort
of person he will be. There's the angels visit to Mary and then to
Joseph. Then, when He arrives, the angels delivered a message about
Him to the shepherds, and all heaven celebrates.</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“<span style="font-weight: normal;">Do
not be afraid … I bring you good news of great joy that will be for
all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born
to you; he is Christ the Lord.”</span></blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">There’s even a new star, but we’re
not going to cover that tonight.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Expectations for the Christ</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Jews had been waiting, hoping for the Christ (or Messiah) to arrive,
for hundreds of years. God had been silent for about 400 years.
Many of them were hoping that the Christ would re-establish Israel to
its golden age when David was king, and conqueror of the surrounding
lands. That would have to be a military solution – to kick out the
Roman occupiers. THIS baby comes with a different promise, and
causes a different hope. THIS baby brings hope to everyone – all
the people.</span> It must be all the people, otherwise why tell the
shepherds? That's hope for the Shepherds, the Jews, the wise men,
the hated Romans, all the other human beings living in the world that
the Jews had no idea about, and all their descendants all the way
down their family trees to you and me.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Prophecies → military
leader?</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Many of the prophecies can give the
impression that a great military leader is expected – particularly
if that’s what you want and believe. Even the Micah reading we had
could be interpreted that way. In reality, though, if you put aside
your own pre-conceptions and desires and let the text speak to you,
the emphasis of the prophecies is on character traits like
‘shepherd’, from our Micah reading and ‘counsellor’ from
Isaiah 9:6:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">And he will be called
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace.</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Kenny Richey</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Let me tell the story of Kenny
Richey. He was on death row for 20 year because he started a fire in
an act of revenge on his ex-girlfriend. It killed a two-year-old
girl. Eventually, because of a plea bargain, he had a hearing that
might lead to his release.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-weight: normal;">That's
like the position each of us finds ourselves in with God. We are
effectively on death row. The apostle Paul says in his letter to
Titus:</span></p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“we too were foolish,
disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and
pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one
another.”</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-weight: normal;">It
was hate that drove Kenny, the two-year-old was what the American's
call 'collateral damage'.</span></p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Our Hatred</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Most
of us won't act out our hatred to that extent, but it's there inside
each of us. </span> You can see it. Just catch the eye of the driver
you've just beaten into a parking space, or the person who can't get
a seat on the train because you're ahead of them, or the person in
the supermarket queue, when something you do causes them to be
delayed – there are hundreds of other examples. <span style="font-weight: normal;">We've
all been that person too.</span> Think back to the events of last
week, or yesterday, or perhaps tonight in the church car park.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">No contest</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Kenny entered a <span style="font-weight: normal;">'no
contest'</span> plea – neither <span style="font-weight: normal;">'guilty'
nor 'not guilty'</span> – at his hearing. That fudge would <span style="font-weight: normal;">not
be good enough for God,</span> but it served for Kenny in the
American justice system, and he was released.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-weight: normal;">With God, </span>there can be no plea bargains, only a plea of <span style="font-weight: normal;">'guilty'.</span>
God already knows that we are, but he needs to know that we know,
that we have admitted it to ourselves. That we <span style="font-weight: normal;">no
longer want to live your life as one who is “disobedient, deceived
and enslaved.”</span> If that's the case <span style="font-weight: normal;">then
God</span> because of His mercy and graciousness and because of what
THIS baby achieved when he was a man, will not apply the ultimate
penalty to us.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Hope</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-weight: normal;">THIS
baby is the source of our hope. </span> His birth, His life, His death, and His Life show us what God is like. He is merciful,
gracious, and is prepared to release us from the sentence we are
facing and accept us back into his family, so that we will no longer
have to live in hatred.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
wonder if anyone will ever tell Kenny? Who has spent two further
terms in jail for various less serious crimes.</span></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
wonder if anyone will tell </span>those who are busy cooking the
turkey, or watching the television, or tucked up in their beds,
preparing to celebrate a festival they don't know the real meaning
of?</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">For those of us who do know what the
celebration is about, let us proclaim:</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">“<span style="font-weight: normal;">Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour
rests.”</span></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Amen.</span></p><h3 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> Link</span></h3><h3 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The service was not live-streamed, so there is no recording. <br /></span></h3><h3 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">References</h3>
<p align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: navy;"><u><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Richey</span></span></span></span></u></span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: navy;"><u><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Lilibet_of_Sussex</span></span></span></span></u></span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: navy;"><u><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/religion/bulletins/religionenglandandwales/census2021</span></span></span></span></u></span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</p>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-53352277001628635302023-12-24T17:33:00.011+00:002023-12-24T17:35:26.260+00:00God’s promises – A king and a son<p>Preached at Christ Church, Billericay at 10am on 24 Dec 2023</p><p>Reading 2 Samuel 7:1-11,16; Luke 1:26-38<br /></p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">What the boss wants</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Have you ever tried to
second guess what the boss wants? When someone asks you to do
something, or if they can change something, and you say “Yes, of
course, no problem” – thinking you know what’s happening. I’ve
done things like that often, and it rarely works out.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">That’s where Nathan
the prophet is in our Old Testament passage today. His job is to be
a prophet – to pass on messages from God. It is not to just assume
that someone else, even the king, knows God better than he does.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">So, I suppose you could
say he’s having a bad day, that he should be paying more attention
and looking at the big picture. God is not happy with his casual
assumption and has different ideas.
</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Good from it –
Davidic covenant</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">This is one of those
occasions where God can bring something good from our failure, or
more specifically, Nathan’s failure.
</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">In Acts 13 we are
reminded what God thinks of David:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">‘I
have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do
everything I want him to do.’</blockquote>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">And he has. He has
fought the surrounding tribes and won the battles, with God’s help.
Now, though, it is time to run the kingdom, to settle down a bit, to
do what kings do – to build palaces.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">To Davids credit</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It is to David’s credit that he has
not only thought about himself here; he has also thought about the
God that has been protecting him and his people. He has thought a
bit about how the kingdom should work now that they have occupied the
land that was promised to them. (Well, most of it, anyway.)</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">God has seen that, because he knows
our deepest desires, and in David’s case approves of his intent.
But the practice will have to be different, the temple must be built
by someone whose hands are not covered in blood. So, that will be
David’s successor.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Davidic covenant</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That leads to the covenant with
David, the promise to establish his throne forever.</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">2Sa 7:16 Your house and your
kingdom will endure forever before me your throne will be established
forever.</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">2nd King & before (and
what a king means)</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">David is only the second king of the
Israelites. Before him was Saul, who failed in God’s eyes and was
replaced. Before Saul the kingdom was ruled, if you can call it
that, by the judges. In that time it required every man among the
Israelites to maintain loyalty to God in order to merit his
protection. Now with a king, the king can stand as a proxy between
God and the people. God sees and judges the king. There were some
good kings, and quite a few bad kings.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">A. G. Herbert</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">A.G. Herbert wrote a book that he
subtitled “A Study of the Fulfilment of the Old Testament in Jesus
Christ and His Church”, he gave it the title “The Throne of
David”. He says: “The failure of the kings generally leads not to
disillusion with kingship but to the hope of a future king who will
fulfil the kingship ideal—a hope which provides the most familiar
way to understanding the significance of Jesus of Nazareth, the
Christ coming in his kingdom”</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">History of Kings</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Before the coming of Jesus, the land
had many kings, after it was conquered the king may no longer have
been in charge, but the line of succession still exists. Just as it
does for the countries in Europe that are now republics – the line
of succession is still there.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So it is always possible to restore
the king. That is one of the promises to Mary in the surprising
reading from the New Testament.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Luke Reading</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So let’s take a look at how God
restored Israel's king and what it means for us. Some of that is in
the New Testament reading we had this morning, but we should start
with Zechariah and Elizabeth in the verses immediately before that
reading.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Zechariah and Elizabeth</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Zechariah received a visit from an
angel, later identified as Gabriel, while he was the priest at the
temple. The angel told him that his prayers had been answered; that
his wife was expecting a baby, and they should call him John. This is
the person we know as John the Baptist.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Betrothal</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">When Elizabeth is in her sixth month,
the angel visits a girl named Mary. She is betrothed to Joseph.
Betrothal was part of the marriage contract, once agreed – probably
not by the couple, but by their families – any separation is the
same as a divorce. In those days, it was normal for a girl to be
married in her teens – possibly as young as twelve.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Angel’s message</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">This young girl handles the
appearance of an angel far better than the priest Zechariah, and
easily, it seems to us, accepts what the angel says.
</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“I am the Lord’s
servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.”</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Mary’s question</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Her only question had been how?</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">This is after being told about the
baby’s destiny:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><sup>31</sup>You will be
with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name
Jesus.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><sup>32</sup> He will be
great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will
give him the throne of his father David,
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><sup>33</sup> and he will
reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Not only has she been given a name to
call him – Jesus – which is normally the father’s choice.
Well, it was the father’s choice – but somehow she would have to
convince Joseph. Then she will somehow have to deal with her baby
becoming king. That was an unlikely prospect for her, as there is no
evidence she had any connection to royalty.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Tell Joseph</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">She will also have to tell Joseph
about the pregnancy. That would be an ‘interesting’
conversation. One of the reasons given for marrying off girls so young, is that it protects them from illicit liaisons that might
result in pregnancy. Even in a culture so steeped in religion, the
story that ‘an angel told me that God would make me pregnant’ is
still an impossibly hard sell. Fortunately, God provides an answer
to Joseph separately.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">The how?</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The angel’s answer to the ‘how’
question gives us, and Mary, some additional information:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“The Holy Spirit will come
upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the
holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So, not just king now but son of God
too. I would have thought that that might be even more frightening,
but it doesn’t seem to disturb Mary at all.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">The when?</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So, when did the overshadowing occur,
some say that it happened immediately, but that doesn’t really fit
the text. Mary may have, quite reasonably, kept that process to her
self when she was telling the story years later. What we know is
that when Mary went to stay with Elizabeth, the baby was already
growing. She has moved to be with family so that the locals don’t
get the gossip – and to avoid all the problems that would probably
cause. Unmarried mothers could end up being stoned, although that
was rare by this time.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Elizabeth’s response is only
positive:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“Blessed are you among
women, and blessed is the child you will bear!”</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That visit had to happen before John the Baptist was born -because he too reacted to Mary’s presence, or
was it Jesus’s presence he responded to?</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Either way, Mary is in a safe place
while the baby grows.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Genealogies</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We should mention the genealogies for
a minute, as they are what really established Jesus as king. It is
important to note that it is not Mary’s family that we are
tracking, as some will say, but Joseph’s. If Jesus is to be
recognisable as king, it is his earthly parentage that is important.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The fact that He is adopted by Joseph
is not an issue for anyone – least of all the genealogies. And
especially not God, it is part of His plan.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">The basic gospel</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So, what have we learned, and how
does it all apply to us?</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The good news – the gospel, is that
God sent His son to earth to experience what it is to live in a
sinful world and show us that living a sinless life is possible. He
also came to die for our sins. He was then resurrected to prove to us
that our relationship with God can be re-established, and we can
inherit eternal life.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Now we know a little more about how
that works. We are often told that when God looks on our sins, he
sees Jesus. This is because Jesus is the king, and God is looking at
the king and not at the individual people’s sins. Jesus has
already died for our sins, and has taken the punishment that was our
due. As king, that is a part of His role.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Birthday of the King</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So, as we come to celebrate the
official birthday of our heavenly king, let us remember not just the
things that happened at his birth, but also His crowning achievement,
which is vital to us, our spiritual well-being and our chance of
eternal life.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Amen.</p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p><p class="western" lang="en-GB">Recording:<br /></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvpOzrCh7x4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvpOzrCh7x4</a> from 22:20 </p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"><br /></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB">References</p><p align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.42cm; margin-top: 0.42cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_of_Israel_and_Judah"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_of_Israel_and_Judah</u></span></a> <br /></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.42cm; margin-top: 0.42cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://sermonwriter.com/sermons/new-testament-luke-126-38-when-the-angel-leaves-the-room-hyde/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://sermonwriter.com/sermons/new-testament-luke-126-38-when-the-angel-leaves-the-room-hyde/</u></span></a></p>
<p align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.42cm; margin-top: 0.42cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://sermonwriter.com/sermons/luke-126-38-a-faithful-response-mclarty/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://sermonwriter.com/sermons/luke-126-38-a-faithful-response-mclarty/</u></span></a></p><p align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.42cm; margin-top: 0.42cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://revcollins.com/2017/12/19/sermon-on-luke-126-38/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://revcollins.com/2017/12/19/sermon-on-luke-126-38/</u></span></a></p>
<p align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.42cm; margin-top: 0.42cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary/new-testament-luke-126-38/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary/new-testament-luke-126-38/</u></span></a></p>
<p align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.42cm; margin-top: 0.42cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br />
<br />
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"></p>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-22512417761407194662023-12-04T13:57:00.005+00:002023-12-04T14:14:17.939+00:00Hope and Watch!<p>Preached 3 December 2023 10:00 at Christ Church, Billericay</p><p></p>Reading Isaiah 64v1-9; Mark 13v24-37
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Old Testament</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Like the writer of
Isaiah, do you long for God to come?</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Do you want Him to sort
out the world?</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">To put an end to the
wars, the violence, the destruction, the oppression, the greed, the
selfishness?</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Do you remember when God
did awesome things?</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Our Sin</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Think about it, as
Isaiah did. God won’t come – because of our sin – it makes Him
angry. Everything we do is like filthy rags (only good for throwing
away – being burnt in the fire?)</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">No one strives to lay
hold of Him, no-one calls on His name. So He stays away.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">What are we?</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Thinks about us, what
are we that we could do something about our failures, our sins are a
part of us, as much as our heart and lungs. We can’t rip them out
and expect to live. We can’t re-model ourselves and start again.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Only God can ...</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">We are just the clay in
the potters hands. If this version of us doesn’t work properly, it
can just be turned into something else – something better,
something that will function the way that God wants it to.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Isaiah recognises that
ONLY God can do anything about the situation.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Only God can re-make us,
improve us, so that we can be His people, so that our sins will not
stay with us, so that He will no longer have cause to be angry with
us, so that we can do His bidding, and constantly remember His ways.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Hope</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That is our hope, although hope is a
word with a watered down meaning, so perhaps we should say, that is
our expectation. That is where we are at the start of Advent.
</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Advent</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Advent is a time when we
remember that God and His promises that He will do something about
the problems we have caused. It is 4 weeks of preparation, but it
used to be 40 days, like lent. It's a time for us to get ourselves
ready for the big event – which, when it happened about 2000 years
ago, would go unnoticed by all but a very few.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Today (Advent 1) we look
at our hope (our expectation) that God will finally bring an end to
this mess. Not just by being born as a baby, which is just the start
of the process, but by returning in all His glory and majesty to finally finish of the redemption of mankind.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Get ready</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">If we hope for
something, we get ready for it, depending on what we hope for there
are different things we need to do.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">- the supermarket
delivery – clear space in the freezer.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">- we look for signs</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">– back in my day, if
you were planning a holiday, you would receive tickets, or booking
confirmations and instructions in the post - waiting for the postman
– running down the stairs to see if they’ve come yet.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">- delivery man is on his
5<sup>th</sup> delivery, you are number 86, he will be with you
between 15:03 and 16:03.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">-Man standing in the
road to greet his visitors – goes back in, comes out again.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Olivet discourse</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Let's turn to the New Testament
reading.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Mark chapter 13 is known
as the Olivet discourse and is the longest discourse in the book.
The first half deals with the destruction of the temple. That
occurred in AD 70. The second half is about the return of Jesus,
this is where our reading starts today.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">First half</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The destruction of the temple put an
end to the temple worship. In many ways, it changed the Jewish faith
forever. Their life and worship was built around the temple, and it
had been that way for generations. The destruction and the ferocity
with which it was delivered have few parallels. There was starvation
and even cannibalism amongst the survivors. For in its day it was
worse than what is happening in Gazza today, partly because there
were no outside agencies providing any sort of assistance.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">After the destruction, the Jews
re-built their faith around the Law, but that contains many
references to the temple and became a constant reminder of the
disaster.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Let's have a look at the
passage that was read today. It splits into 3 parts:</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">vv24-27 – Signs
in the heavens</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">“In those days”, for us, means “In these days”, because the distress of the destruction
of the temple that I have already spoken about has happened.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus is letting us know
that there will be signs in the heavens. This does not have to be
the literal destruction of the universe. Remember, He is describing
something that will happen that his hearers cannot possibly visualise
with their limited understanding of how the cosmos works. He may
also be describing something that maybe we cannot possibly visualise
with our limited understanding of the cosmos. But something will
happen in the heavens that will be the final sign that Jesus is
returning. We are given a bit of a picture of how it might look.</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Return is the reverse of leaving</h3>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">After those signs, the
Son of Man will appear, returning in the same way he left after the
ascension. (That is in Acts chapter 1) It will be unmistakeable and
will show great power and glory – just the thing that Isaiah longed
for. At this stage, I’m sure there will still be a few arguing
that God does not exist – after all, there are still people who
believe the earth is flat, despite video of it spinning in space.
Their denials of God will not be sustainable.
</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Gathering the elect</h3>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Somehow, and you can try
to use your imagination to work out how this might happen, the angels
will gather the elect – the true believers – from the ends of the
earth to the ends of the heavens. This is, for me, the most
difficult part of the passage when I try to think about how it will
happen.
</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Like ‘Close Encounter
of the third kind’ ?</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">‘How’ is not what
Jesus is about at the moment. He is just giving them the facts –
telling them what will happen.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">28-31 – The fig tree</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">In the next 4 verses
(28-31) Jesus talks about the fig tree. My commentary tells me, it is
one of the very few trees in Israel that drops its leaves in the
winter and grows them again when the weather, and the daylight hours
improve. It is also a tree that provides food, so it would have been
familiar to the disciples – and everyone else. As the new leaves
start to grow, it provides a sign that summer is on its way. It
doesn’t tell you what exactly will happen, the summer may be good
or bad, but it is definitely coming.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Verse 30 which says</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“I tell you the truth,
this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things
have happened.|”</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">causes endless debate. Some believe
that Jesus got it wrong, and that He really had no clue at all about
the timings as it says in Matthew 24:36, and in verse 32, which we
will look at in a minute.</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“But about that day or
hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but
only the Father.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus getting it wrong is not likely.
There are two other possibilities, one is that Jesus is referring
back to the destruction of Jerusalem. Some of the disciples were
still alive when that took place. - possible, but the more likely
possibility is that our translation of the word that became
‘generation’ is flawed. An alternative translation is mentioned
in the footnotes – where it says it can also mean ‘race’. That
could easily be Jesus’ meaning. So, “The Jews will not pass away
until these things have happened.” That sounds more likely.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Then in verse 31 we find out how
fragile the universe is. All material things – heaven and earth,
will pass away. But God’s words, which are not fragile at all,
will never pass away.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">vv32-37</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In the final section of the reading,
we get to the main point that Jesus is trying to teach the disciples.
First he tells them that he cannot give them a date, that it is
withheld. That is for the very good reason that we and they are to
live by faith. How many would have been living for God in the 1<sup>st</sup>
century, if he’d told them 31 December 2023 (No, that’s not my
guess – I don’t have a guess!)</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Faithfully wait</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So, while we faithfully wait we must
be on our Guard, we must be alert. All sorts of things are going to
come at us between now and then. So, just like a doorkeeper of a
big house, we must stay awake – you can never know when the Lord
will arrive.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Apparently, evening, midnight,
rooster crows, and dawn are the four nighttime watches of the Roman
army, so as usual Jesus is speaking to them in language they will
easily understand.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Watch!</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The simple message of this passage is
watch, as in keep watch.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Watch yourselves, so that we do not
drift from the faith, so that we do not follow the latest trendy
ideas, but we stay true to the message that we are given in
scripture. Peter, when he’s talking about the end times, tells his
readers in his second letter:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><sup>11b </sup>You ought to
live holy and godly lives <sup>12</sup> as you look forward to the
day of God and speed its coming.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Our watchfulness can speed God’s
return, so if that is what you long for, keep watching.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Watch the society around us. So that
we may see their needs, speak the truth to them and show them the
love of God that rescues us from sin and death – and speeds His
return.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Watch the signs, and know that some
things must happen, like the destruction of the temple, but those
things are not signs of the imminent end. Watch the signs, so that
when the signs of the imminent end arrive, we know what to expect.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Preparing for Christmas</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">As we prepare for Christmas, we must
do so as we do everything else – by staying watchful of our
behaviour – that we are still living Godly and holy lives.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That is my prayer this morning, that
we may all stay alert and watchful, looking forward to the second
coming, while we enjoy the celebration of the first coming.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Amen.</p><p class="western" lang="en-GB">Recording is available here at 24:20 – 41:56<br /></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"><a href="https://youtu.be/lAm4dk6lutI">https://youtu.be/lAm4dk6lutI</a></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-size: medium;">References </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/first-sunday-of-advent-2/commentary-on-mark-1324-37-4"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/first-sunday-of-advent-2/commentary-on-mark-1324-37-4</span></span></span></span></a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://sermonwriter.com/sermons/mark-13-24-37-preparing-for-his-coming-mclarty/"><span style="background: transparent;">https://sermonwriter.com/sermons/mark-13-24-37-preparing-for-his-coming-mclarty/</span></a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.fbcthomson.org/post/promises-jesus-is-coming-back-a-study-of-mark-13-24-37"><span style="background: transparent;">https://www.fbcthomson.org/post/promises-jesus-is-coming-back-a-study-of-mark-13-24-37</span></a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/first-sunday-of-advent-2/commentary-on-mark-1324-37-4"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/first-sunday-of-advent-2/commentary-on-mark-1324-37-4</span></span></span></span></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2020-11-23/mark-1324-37-3/"><span style="background: transparent;">https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2020-11-23/mark-1324-37-3/</span></a></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span></span></span></p>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-73174558424722142302023-11-19T15:16:00.001+00:002023-11-19T15:24:28.527+00:00A thief in the nightPreached at Christ Church, Billericay, 19 November 2023 8:00<br /><h1 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Reading <span style="font-size: 11pt;">1 Thessalonians 5v1-11; Matthew 25v14-30</span></h1>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Prayer</h2>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Thief –
Break-in</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Getting a visit from a thief is a scary thing to
contemplate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of us wants that to
happen, but it is all too common, with 1.27% of households experiencing a
break-in in the year ending June 2023, according to government statistics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of them were expecting it (well, you can
never say none, but the vast majority weren’t).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>None of them were adequately prepared either (and I do mean none).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s partly because it’s not really an
expected event, but also in our world, people don’t have a clue how to be
prepared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">That was certainly true for us, when we were burgled back
in 2017.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had I known before it happened,
just where the weaknesses were in my preparations, it would not have happened.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Now, I have different security in place, which I hope is
good enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve learnt a little from
the experience.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Only once</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Some things only happen once, and I really hope that the
2017 incident was the one and only occurrence, but you never know. </p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">We can be sure, of course, that the 2<sup>nd</sup> coming
of Jesus will only happen once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can’t
learn from experience about that, as it will be a one-off that can never be
repeated.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Jesus in
Luke</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">In this part of the letter to the Thessalonians, Paul is
echoing what Jesus told His followers in Luke 12:35-40, when Jesus is
encouraging them to be ready for the return of the Son of Man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus’ words are also recorded in Matthew and
Mark.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Not for us</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">The warning though is, in a way, not for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In verse 3 Paul says:</p>
<p class="BlockQuotation">While people are saying, “Peace and safety,”
destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman,
and they will not escape.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">But there is no reason for us to need to escape.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Pax Romana</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">The phrase “peace and safety”, refers to the propaganda of
the Roman Empire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was the promise
the Empire made to its subjects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that
time it was largely true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the period
from 27 BC to 180 AD, there were few serious wars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing threatened the centre of the empire
at all, there were only skirmishes on the edges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The period is known as the Pax Romana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The empire was at the height of its
powers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even this says Paul is an
illusion, because if the Day of the Lord arrives any protection the Empire
provides will be useless.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Christians
in the light</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">We, as Christians, are not in the dark about such things,
so when the Day of the Lord arrives, it should not be a surprise for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should not be like others who are
asleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should be awake and sober.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">The analogy has changed a little, as Paul’s focus changes
to the Christians, rather than the rest of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Since Christians are children of the light and children of
the day, they must behave that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Preparedness means there are things we must do – put on faith and love
as a breastplate and hope of salvation as a helmet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul expands on this in his letter to the Ephesians, Chapter 6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s worth noting
that the breastplate and the helmet are defensive armour, they are designed to
protect you from the attack of the enemy.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">If you are well protected, you will be ready for anything
that comes at you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Faith, Love
and Hope</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Faith, love and hope are the basic characteristics of any
Christian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are mentioned throughout
the New Testament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are a few verses
that highlight each.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">For Faith:</h2>
<p class="BlockQuotation">Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please
God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he
rewards those who earnestly seek him.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Faith to
Love</h2>
<p class="BlockQuotation">2Pe 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add
to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; <sup>6</sup> and to
knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to
perseverance, godliness;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><sup>7</sup>
and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Hope</h2>
<p class="BlockQuotation">1 Peter 1:3 According to his great mercy, he has caused
us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">V9</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">In verse 9 he reminds the Thessalonians (and us) that God
does not intend them (or us) to suffer the coming wrath, but that they (and we)
have salvation because of faith in Jesus.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">v10</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">And in verse 10 that Jesus died for us, so that whether we
are awake or asleep, we will live with Him.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Awake, not
asleep</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Well, I’d rather be awake than asleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we are to be awake, we must stay watchful,
so that we know what’s coming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are
plenty of signs that the 2<sup>nd</sup> coming of Jesus, The Day of the Lord,
is near.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">The signs</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Some of the signs might be:</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-left: 17pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -17pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>easy global communication, because Jesus will be
seen everywhere at the same time when He returns.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-left: 17pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -17pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>increase in wars and unrest across the globe</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-left: 17pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -17pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>possible war in Israel, if the surrounding
powers can get their act together, it is possible that the war with Gaza will
spread into the surrounding area, and especially into Israel.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-left: 17pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -17pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Individualism, as everyone has their own beliefs
and goes their own way.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Final Story</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Let me leave you with a story that illustrates the way
constant readiness might work.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Shackleton</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">During one of his expeditions to the Antarctic, Sir Ernest
Shackleton left some of his men on Elephant Island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did this with the intent of returning for
them and carrying them back to England.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But he was delayed.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">By the time he could go back for them, the sea had frozen, and he had no access to the island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Three times he tried to reach them but was prevented by the ice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, on his fourth try, he broke through
and found a narrow channel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much to his
surprise, he found the crewmen waiting for him, supplies packed and ready to
board.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">They were soon on their way back to England.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He asked them how they knew to be ready for
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They told him they did not know
when he would return, but they were sure that he would.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">So every morning, the group leader rolled up his bag, and
packed his gear and told the crew to do the same thing, get your things ready,
boys. The boss may come today.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">For us, it ‘The Lord may come today’</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Amen</p><p class="MsoBodyText"> </p><p class="MsoBodyText"><u>References: </u></p><p align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: navy;"><u><a href="https://shortpowerfulsermons.com/1-thessalonians-51-11-the-not-so-secret-rapture/" target="_blank">https://shortpowerfulsermons.com/1-thessalonians-51-11-the-not-so-secret-rapture/</a></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"></p><p align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: navy;"><u><a href="https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/1-thessalonians-5-1-11-rev-randy-barker-sermon-on-second-coming-190820" target="_blank">https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/1-thessalonians-5-1-11-rev-randy-barker-sermon-on-second-coming-190820</a></u></span></p><p align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: navy;"><u><a href="https://drjustinimelsr.com/sermon-on-1-thessalonians-51-11-waiting-on-jesus/" target="_blank">https://drjustinimelsr.com/sermon-on-1-thessalonians-51-11-waiting-on-jesus/</a></u></span></p><p align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: navy;"><u> <a href="https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/13935/what-is-the-difference-between-hope-and-faith">1
corinthians - What is the difference between hope and faith? -
Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange</a></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"></p>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-80693985605361733422023-11-05T12:11:00.005+00:002023-11-05T12:11:56.927+00:00Revolution<p>Preached at Christ Church, Billericay 5 Nov 2023</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">Reading: 1
Thessalonians 2:9-13</h3>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Revolution</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Last time I spoke, I
started with a pop song. So, I thought I’d try again, as that one
wasn’t really loved by many of us.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">The Beatles sang:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
You say you want a revolution</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
Well, you know</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
We all wanna change the world</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
You tell me that it's evolution</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
Well, you know</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
We all wanna change the world</blockquote>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">The song is called
Revolution, and it was the ‘B’ side to “Hey Jude”. It’s a
protest about violent revolution, and particularly Chairman Mao.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Guy Fawkes</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Today, we remember
another violent revolutionary – Guy Fawkes. He was caught under
the House of Lords with a lot of gunpowder. While I was on holiday
in Sussex the other week, I learned that the gunpowder was made in
the town of Battle. That’s where the abbey was built to atone for
the deaths caused in the 1066 incident. But back to Guy. You may
see effigies of him today, on the bonfire, as we remember his
failure.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Gunpowder Plot</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Guy Fawkes, and his
co-conspirators had rented an undercroft, and filled it with
gunpowder, after failing to get help from the Spanish government.
Their aim was to remove the protestants (particularly James I) and
make England a Catholic nation once again.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">After an anonymous
tip-off, the building was searched, and Guy was the unlucky man who
had been left minding the gunpowder.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Bonfire
celebrations</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">The lighting of
bonfires, and the burning of effigies, was started the following year
as an official celebration. Fireworks were added later.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Violent
Revolution</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">An attempt by one group
of Christians to kill another group of Christians always seems to me
especially sad, as they both should know that God doesn’t work that
way. Violent revolution rarely has any real effect anyway, when you
look back on it. Mostly, one despot is replaced with another, and
the common people are just as oppressed as they ever were.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Personal
Revolution</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">There is another way,
and it is the way that Paul is trying. His approach takes much more
planning and much more hard work. It is also genuinely effective in
the long term. It delivers real change for people. Paul is trying
for a personal revolution. A revolution in the lives of each of the
people he meets, similar to the one he, himself, had experienced.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Paul’s Ministry
in Thessalonica</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">In the chapter that we
read from today, Paul is reminding the Thessalonians of his ministry
amongst them. He was there with two others, Silvanus (or Silas) and
Timothy. At the beginning of the chapter, he reminds them that they
spoke to them despite strong opposition. The evangelists had come
from Philippi, where they had also suffered insults. He tells them
that their motives were not to please men, but to please God. They
have not used flattery, or tried to hide greed. They have been
gentle with them, and Paul compares the three of them to a mother
caring for her small children. The missionaries shared with them,
not only the gospel – which of course is why they are there – but
also their life.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Work and mission</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Now, we arrive at verse
9, where Paul reminds the Thessalonians that they worked ‘night and
day’. This way they cannot be accused of living off, or even
getting rich off, the people they are ministering to.
</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Paul is not against
ministers being paid for their work, as we can read in
</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">1
Timothy 5:17-18</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;"><sup>17</sup>
The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of
double honour, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.
<sup>18</sup> For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while
it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his
wages.”</blockquote>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Not sure if I’ve ever
been compared to an ox before.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Anyway, so ministers are
due their wages, but for his mission, as an apostle and evangelist,
it is not appropriate.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Hard Labour</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">In Paul’s day, all
Jewish youngsters were taught a trade. We know that from Acts
18:2b-3, where he got together with other tent makers in Corinth.
Paul was not afraid of hard physical work. His skill would provide a
basic income, the materials – leather, rope, twine, could be bought
locally, and the tools were easy to pack up and transport.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">He would effectively set
up a business, rent a workshop, and somewhere to live. Then he could
start trading and finding customers. Here his integrity would be
under constant scrutiny by the towns folk, and all he did business
with.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">The evangelism would
take place on the Sabbath, or in the evenings, if time permitted.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Greeks and Physical Labour</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">The Greeks despised hard
physical work, and saw it as something to be done only by slaves.
So, this in itself meant that Paul and his companions were like
nothing the Thessalonians had seen before. They would have known
about the Jews, and other roaming religious speakers, but judging
from what we hear, these all expected payments for their so-called
wisdom.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Reflect on God’s
planning?</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">It’s worth stopping
for a moment and looking back at how God’s plan has worked for
Paul.
</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Everything he needs to
be the Apostle to the gentiles has been provided. His parents even
taught him a trade that would be compatible with the role and allow
him to work while travelling around the empire.</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Verse 10</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Verse 10 is a strong reminder for
them of how he behaved. If it wasn’t the case, there would be no
point whatsoever writing it in the letter, they would see the
falsehood and ignore everything else he said. So Paul is clearly
telling them the truth.</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">You are witnesses, and so is
God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who
believed.</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Challenge 1</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">I wonder how many in the church today
can honestly claim to be “holy, righteous and blameless” in all
their dealings with the believers. In a world where there is so much
factionalism and disagreement about almost any little thing, we still
have to maintain our integrity – our holiness, our righteousness
and we need to ensure we are blameless, not just when out there
evangelising, but with all that we do with and for the believers.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That’s the first challenge these
verses have for us.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Verses 11 & 12</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In verses 11 and 12 Paul reminds the
Thessalonians how he behaved to them – like a father. Someone who
is always encouraging and comforting, and urging them to live lives
that are worth of the God who calls them into His kingdom and His
glory.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Most of the gods the Thessalonians
knew would require specific religious observances at specific times.
The Roman emperor Caesar, the latest god to be proclaimed, required
loyalty at all times. Caesar already had a kingdom and a glory, that
extended to the edges of the empire. Beyond those requirements the
people could live as they chose, there was no call to honesty or
fairness. Paul’s God requires even more of them, not just loyalty,
but a whole lifestyle that is worthy of Him and His glory, that
extends across the whole of the world (known or not in Paul’s
time).</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Challenge 2</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That is the second challenge that
these verses have for us. Do we live our lives in such a way that we
are ALWAYS honouring God, in every aspect of our lives?</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Outcome</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The final verse of our reading (verse
12) shows the outcome of Paul’s work, his tent making and his
evangelism, because they go hand in hand. His words and his argument
are backed<font face="Verdana, serif">‑</font>up by how he
lives, so that the truth and love of God can shine through him.
Here’s what it says:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">And we also thank God
continually because, when you received the word of God, which you
heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it
actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Personal Revolution</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">And there it is, the personal
revolution that has come to each of the Thessalonian believers.
God’s word – who we know as Jesus Christ – is at work in each
one who believes.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It’s the word that they heard from
Paul, who made it possibly for them to hear it by being there, and
being a role model for them. He rose to the two challenges. He was
holy, righteous and blameless, and everything he did was honouring to
God and His Glory.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">As a result, the Thessalonians were
able to listen to him and hear God’s words through him. So, they
could answer God’s call on their lives. They experienced the
personal revolution that is accepting Christ Jesus into their lives, just as we have.</p><p class="western" lang="en-GB">That's how you change the world!<br /></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Amen.</p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p><p class="western" lang="en-GB">Youtube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RaiQ807O9I">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RaiQ807O9I</a> from 19:26 to 32:27<br /></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB">References</p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://genius.com/The-beatles-revolution-lyrics">https://genius.com/The-beatles-revolution-lyrics</a></p><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><a href="https://sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary/new-testament-1-thessalonians-29-13/">https://sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary/new-testament-1-thessalonians-29-13/</a></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><a href="https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-31/commentary-on-1-thessalonians-29-13-2">https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-31/commentary-on-1-thessalonians-29-13-2</a></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><a href="https://sermoncentral.com/sermons/how-to-be-a-blessing-instead-of-a-burden-guy-glass-sermon-on-character-113462">https://sermoncentral.com/sermons/how-to-be-a-blessing-instead-of-a-burden-guy-glass-sermon-on-character-113462</a></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><a href="https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2020-10-26/1-thessalonians-29-13-2/">https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2020-10-26/1-thessalonians-29-13-2/</a></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br />
</p>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-26702367261939971982023-10-12T15:32:00.002+01:002023-10-12T15:42:14.998+01:00Wannabe<div style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-align: left; text-indent: 0cm;">Preached at Christ Church, Billericay on 8 October 2023 <br /></div><h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Prayer<br /></h2>
<div style="text-align: left;"><h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Wannabe</h2></div><div style="text-align: left;">In June 1996 the Spice Girls released their first single
Wannabe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It became a huge hit and is a
memorable track – even if you don’t like it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They ask and answer the question, “Tell me what you want, what you really
really want?”</div>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Paul provides his answer in the verses we had read today,
and as you would expect, it’s nothing like the Spice Girls answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So let’s have a look at what Paul said –
because it’s more interesting.</p><h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Background
- Philippi</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Let’s start with a quick re-cap on Philippi, you will have
heard this last week in Catherine’s sermon, but you may not remember it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philippi was a proud and rich Roman town,
situated on the coast, it was ideal for traders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There had also been a couple of Gold rushes
in its history.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Background
– Philippian church</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Paul had founded the church there about 10 years before
this letter was written. When writing this letter he is under house arrest, so
cannot visit any of his churches, but there are people who keep him in touch
with what is going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul is
particularly close to this church.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Background
– Early Christian Judaizers</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">The early church, which includes the church at Philippi,
had many arguments and disagreements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The most prominent of these were those who saw Christianity as part of
Judaism and wanted the new gentile converts to undergo the correct Jewish
conversion rituals – notably circumcision. They are known as Judaizers.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">In verse 2 Paul writes:</p>
<p class="BlockQuotation">Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those
mutilators of the flesh.</p>
<h3 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l1 level3 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Dogs</h3>
<p class="MsoBodyText">‘Dogs’ was a common insult in Paul's day and referred to packs of feral dogs that roamed cities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They could be dangerous when they were starving, and would
occasionally attack people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">It’s these people’s beliefs that Paul is responding to in
today’s reading.</p><p class="MsoBodyText">As we go through this part of the letter, I will try to
put the images he provides into a modern context where that needs to be done,
as we don’t have any Judaizers in our church.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">3 sections</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">The reading splits into 3 sections:</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>4b-6</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>7-10</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; margin: 0cm 0cm 0cm 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>12-14</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">You might like to follow the
text in your Bible, it’s on page ____, if you do.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">4b-6 ‘I am
the greatest’</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">When Paul talks about confidence in the flesh, he is
talking about confidence in his Jewish heritage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He and his family have followed the rituals
impeccably. The first of these is circumcision on the eighth day – a basic
requirement for all male Jewish babies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This establishes him as a Jew.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">More than that, he is an Israelite from the tribe of
Benjamin, the same tribe the first king (Saul) came from you can read about
that in 1 Samuel 9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tribe is renowned for its military valour and successes. </p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Hebrew of Hebrews seems to be a claim to purity in the bloodline, and to be a boast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
meant to distinguish him from the Hellenistic (Greek) Jews.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">As a Pharisee, he has studied the law, and is devoted to its practice, so much so that he was a leading light is the persecution of the
new ‘sect’ – the Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, he
claims that he follows the law faultlessly.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">There is no Jew who could make greater claims.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">For us, in our time, as gentiles, we would have to be able
to claim that we could trace our lineage back to a Saxon noble family, that we
have graduated with a first class degree from Oxford or Cambridge, have at
least one PhD and work in an Industry that provides us with a very generous
income, or no need to work at all.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">In other words, we can rely on ourselves, nothing that
happens can affect us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is our flesh
that we rely on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">7-10
Strange Accounting</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">In vv7-10, Paul pushes that all aside, not just to forget
it and say it was worthless, but to say that it was a detriment to what he
really wants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">So here are the verses where Paul tells us what he wants,
what he really really wants.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">All his life he had been moving towards a role as a
Pharisee – a comfortable life working for the purity of his religion and
encouraging others to join in with the careful and very legalistic way he had
chosen to live his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure his
mother would have been proud of him too.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Now he has given that up and become a travelling preacher,
with little prestige and a lot of suffering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He had done that because he has found something immeasurably better.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">His righteousness is perhaps the most important thing to
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He now wants to find that through
his faith in Jesus Christ, because he’s realised that the Law cannot make him
righteous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can see even here in
these few words that faith in Christ is all that is needed to put us right with
God.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Paul wants more than a straight forward faith, he wants a
share in the power of the resurrection, to join with Christ in his sufferings,
and become like him in his death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can
see from many of the stories in the book of Acts, how much Paul suffered.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Paul, it is believed, was beheaded during the Neronian
persecution.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">A true faith so often leads to imprisonment and death
because the world simply cannot tolerate God and his followers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">I looked at three of my Christian heroes to see how they
died:</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-left: 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Dietrich Bonhoeffer was hung by the Nazis just
before the end of WWII</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-left: 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Eric Liddle died of overwork and insufficient
food, while imprisoned in China</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-left: 36pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>James Hudson Taylor died of old age, so an
active faith does not always lead to martyrdom.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">12-14
Pressing On</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Paul knows that he hasn’t already attained what he is
seeking, so even now he must keep going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He is deliberately forgetting past failures and successes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, he can’t actually forget, that’s not
something anyone can wilfully do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
forget loads of things that I should remember, but am unable to forget a few
things that I would really like to forget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">What Paul means by this is that he is not dwelling on the
past, he does not care about past failures, except perhaps what they have
taught him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His concern is only to
achieve his goal, which, let me remind you, is to attain the resurrection from
the dead.</p>
<h3 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l1 level3 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">The race</h3>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Paul uses the analogy of a race, let’s look at a modern
example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the 2011 F1 Canadian Grand
Prix, Jenson Button started from 7<sup>th</sup> on the grid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a rain affected race, with a very long
stoppage after an accident, he found himself last.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had been involved in two incidents, one
with his teammate, and had plenty that he would like to forget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that stage, it was probably the whole
race, but he was focussed forward and not concerned about previous errors by
him or by other drivers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that second
stint he overtook every other driver on the track, and on the last lap with the
final overtake, found himself in first position to win the race.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">That is the type of focus and attitude that Paul is
talking about in these last 3 verses.</p>
<h3 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l1 level3 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Paul’s
suffering</h3>
<p class="MsoBodyText">He has been through much suffering – his life has been
threatened many times, he had been beaten up, flogged and otherwise assaulted,
but none of that matters, only the prize – only the resurrection is worth any focus
at all.</p>
<h3 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l1 level3 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Followers
suffer</h3>
<p class="MsoBodyText">For a follower of Jesus, the world can be a nasty
place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are fortunate, in some ways,
that we are rarely, if ever threatened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But the ridicule and the rejection can be painful too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, it is not only the secular world that
can cause us to be troubled, the church can do that too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That can be either intentional, such as the
many unresolved sexual abuse cases we hear about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or it can be caused by thoughtlessness or
selfishness from those around us.</p>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Whatever set backs we suffer, how ever serious they may
be, and however hard dealing with them may become, we must remember that the
main prize is the attainment of the resurrection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That does not mean that we simply let bad
things happen to ourselves or others, there are processes to follow and actions
to take, that may be difficult in themselves, but the prize is the prize, and
should not be lost sight of.</p>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Tell me
what you want</h2>
<p class="MsoBodyText">Paul’s calling was to be the Apostle to the gentiles, that
is not our calling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of all of us here, I
only know of one calling in great detail – that is mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have some idea of some others, but not a
detailed understanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each of our
callings come with a prize, and the prize is the same – to be raised from death
and accepted by God at the final judgement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We – all of us – attain the prize by faith in Jesus Christ and his death
and resurrection – and in the power that brings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what we do with it on the journey, is
between each of us and God.</p>
<h3 style="margin-left: 0cm; mso-list: l1 level3 lfo1; text-indent: 0cm;">Question
for us</h3>
<p class="MsoBodyText">So, each of us should ask ourselves today, “What do I
really really want?”</p><p class="MsoBodyText"> </p><p class="MsoBodyText">References</p><p align="left" style="background: transparent; break-after: auto; break-before: auto; break-inside: auto; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: navy;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">https://mypastoralponderings.com/2022/04/02/pressing-on-toward-the-goal-my-sermon-on-philippians-34-14-and-john-121-8/</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" style="background: transparent; break-after: auto; break-before: auto; break-inside: auto; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary/new-testament-philippians-34b-14/"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">https://sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary/new-testament-philippians-34b-14/</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></a></span></p>
<p align="left" style="background: transparent; break-after: auto; break-before: auto; break-inside: auto; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/straining-till-the-end-dan-bentz-sermon-on-faith-39480?page=1&wc=800"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/straining-till-the-end-dan-bentz-sermon-on-faith-39480?page=1&wc=800</u></span></a></span></p>
<p align="left" style="background: transparent; break-after: auto; break-before: auto; break-inside: auto; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_martyrs"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_martyrs</u></span></a></span></p>
<p align="left" style="background: transparent; break-after: auto; break-before: auto; break-inside: auto; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Taylor"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Taylor</u></span></a></span></p>
<p align="left" style="background: transparent; break-after: auto; break-before: auto; break-inside: auto; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Liddell"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Liddell</u></span></a></span></p>
<ul><li><p align="left" style="background: transparent; break-after: auto; break-before: auto; break-inside: auto; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: navy; font-size: x-small;"><u>Died of overwork and undernourishment </u></span>
</p></li></ul>
<p align="left" style="background: transparent; break-after: auto; break-before: auto; break-inside: auto; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_Bonhoeffer"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_Bonhoeffer</u></span></a></span></p>
<ul><li><p align="left" style="background: transparent; break-after: auto; break-before: auto; break-inside: auto; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: navy; font-size: x-small;"><u> Hung by Nazis </u></span>
</p></li></ul>
<p align="left" style="background: transparent; break-after: auto; break-before: auto; break-inside: auto; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_Apostle"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_Apostle</u></span></a></span></p>
<p align="left" style="background: transparent; break-after: auto; break-before: auto; break-inside: auto; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Canadian_Grand_Prix"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Canadian_Grand_Prix</u></span></a></span></p>
<p align="left" style="background: transparent; break-after: auto; break-before: auto; break-inside: auto; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: navy; font-size: x-small;"><u><span style="color: navy;">https://www.learnreligions.com/book-of-philippians-701040</span></u></span></p>
<p align="left" style="background: transparent; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: navy; font-size: x-small;"><u><span style="color: navy;">https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/463971/jewish/Saul-First-King-of-Israel.htm</span></u></span></p>
<p align="left" style="background: transparent; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: navy; font-size: x-small;"><u><span style="color: navy;">https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/why-was-the-tribe-of-benjamin-important.html</span></u></span></p>
<p align="left" style="background: transparent; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: navy; font-size: x-small;"><u><span style="color: navy;">https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/34825/the-phrase-hebrew-of-hebrews-in-philippians-35</span></u></span></p>
<p align="left" style="background: transparent; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: navy; font-size: x-small;"><u><span style="color: navy;">https://www.learnreligions.com/book-of-philippians-701040</span></u></span></p>
<p align="left" style="background: transparent; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: navy; font-size: x-small;"><u>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wannabe</u></span></p>
<p align="left" style="background: transparent; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Recording <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-_EsOFsuPk">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-_EsOFsuPk</a> from 18:56 - 33:05</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><u><br /></u></span></p><p align="left" style="background: transparent; line-height: 115%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: navy; font-size: x-small;"><u> <br /></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"></p>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-81319991503706123242023-08-13T16:46:00.006+01:002023-08-13T16:46:53.135+01:00"Goodness" from the fruits of the Spirit, for Pensioners Praise.<p>Preached 7 August 2023 at 14:00 at Christ Church, Billericay</p>
<div title="header"><p align="left" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.9cm;">
<font face="Trebuchet MS, serif"><font size="3" style="font-size: 12pt;">Matthew
25:31-46; Luke 18:18-19</font></font></p>
</div>
<h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Title:
‘Goodness’</h3>
<h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Purpose:
Pensioners Praise look at the fruit ‘goodness’</h3>
<h1 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Reading Matthew
25:31-46; Luke 18:18-19</h1>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Young Boy</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">A young boy had been
sent to his room for bad behaviour. After a while, he emerged and told
his mother he had thought it over and prayed about it.
</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">"That's wonderful",
said the mother. "If you ask God, He will help you to be good."
</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">The boy responded, "But
I didn't ask God to help me be good, I asked Him to help you put up
with me."</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">The boy had discovered
the path of least resistance. He realized life would be easier if
others would just change in relation to him. Let's face it, life
would be easier for all of us if people would just tolerate our
weaknesses, and put up with our shortcomings. In other words, if
everybody else had the fruit of the Spirit, we would not have to
bother being good. We could continue being a pain, to give others an
opportunity to exercise their fruits.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Fantasy</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">But that's not going to happen, is it? It’s just a fantasy, a dream, perhaps. The reality
is that we all need to be able to be good, to show goodness.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Perhaps unsurprisingly,
there is an enormous amount about ‘good’ in the Bible. It’s
impossible for me to cover it all in just one sermon, so today will
just be an overview.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">The start of Good and Evil</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Let’s start at the
beginning, before human beings were aware of good and evil. In those
days God told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree at the centre of
the garden.
</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><a name="en-NIV-40"></a>
Genesis 2:9b In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
2:17b you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil</blockquote>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">But the serpent deceived
them, and persuaded them that the fruit was good for them, and would
make them like God. So, they ate, in direct dis-obedience and their
eyes were opened, and their lives were ended (that is an end was put
on their lives).</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">The fall as a good deed</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">I can hear this story
spun as a good deed. Would you follow a God who kept His creation in
ignorance, unable to make important decisions for themselves. Surely
the serpent did the right thing in taking the action He took, and
giving human beings the ability to manage their own lives.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Relationship with God</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The only reason that there is still
the possibility of a relationship with God, is because God is good.
We are all stained with evil.</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">Psalm 25:7 Remember not the
sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love
remember me, for you are good, O LORD.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The sins of my youth are a long time
ago now, I can barely remember them, but God could, if He chose to.
It’s God’s goodness that makes Him care for us, He wants us to
know Him and His truth. While we are evil, we cannot see God’s
goodness, that’s why we need Jesus as our saviour.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Taste and see</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Psalm 34:8 says, "Taste and see
that the Lord is good." Here’s an extract from a book called
“The Christian's Secret Of A Happy Life”, by Hannah Whitall
Smith.</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">"I shall never forget
the hour when I first discovered that God was really good. I had, of
course, always known that the Bible said He was good, but I had
thought it only meant He was religiously good; and it had never
dawned on me that it meant He was actually and practically good, with
the same kind of goodness He has commanded us to have.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">I came in my reading of the
Bible across the words, "O taste and see that the Lord is good,
" and suddenly they meant something. The Lord is good, I
repeated to myself. What does it mean to be good? What but this, the
living up to the best and highest that one knows. To be good is
exactly the opposite of being bad. To be bad is to know the right and
not to do it, but to be good is to do the best we know. And I saw
that, since God is omniscient, He must know what is the best and
highest good of all, and that therefore His goodness must necessarily
be beyond question.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">I have been brought up short
by the words, ‘The Lord is good’; and I have seen that it was
simply unthinkable that a God who was good could have done the bad
things I had imagined.”</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Luke 18</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Ad Jesus said in our reading from
Luke, only God is good, and here we see from Hannah that God is only
good. All and any good that we do or experience comes from God.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Bad things</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Even so, bad things still happen to
good people. That is NOT because it is the will of God, In fact, God
forbids anyone doing bad things to their neighbour.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Pharisees (Saul-->Paul)</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The Pharisees were highly religious
and carefully followed their hundreds of rules, but you could hardly
call them good. Paul, before he met Jesus, is a perfect example. He
was cruel, hard-hearted and extremely violent, promoting stonings of
those he didn’t approve of, in his promotion of the Jewish faith
and it’s ways. After he met Jesus, however, there is no record of
any coercive activity, no threats, instead, just simple, but serious
argument and debate. Indeed, he became the one who was suffering for
his faith. Paul had converted to follow Christ and also to goodness.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Evil Christians</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It is not like that for everyone,
conversion, accepting Jesus into your life, does not automatically
mean you become good.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The greatest failure in Christendom,
is believers who do not show the fruits of the spirit, particularly
love and goodness. Our lack of goodness had led to factions and
splits, which in turn have led to wars, with one Christian killing
another in the name of Christ.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It has been so since the earliest
days, and from what we can see in our world today, it shows no sign
of changing in the immediate future.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">However, we should always try to
follow God, and do the Good that He intends. The best we know as
Hannah put it.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Effect of doing Good</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That does not guarantee that we will
make converts. Jesus healed the sick, fed the hungry, and did many
good things for all sorts of people. It did not mean that they
followed him or believed the rest of his message. If we are trying
to convert people, goodness is not any guarantee of success. The
social gospel that we see today, with things like foodbanks, and debt relief, seek to do good for people, but they do not necessarily bring
in converts. Our social action (our doing good) is not an
alternative to speaking God’s word, but a necessary addition to it.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">The best we know</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">All we can do is the best we know.
Do you know the saying, “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for
a day. If you teach a man to fish …”. Do you know how it ends?</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The root of the saying comes from a
novel called “Mrs Dymond” by Anne Isabella Thackeray Ritchie.
The idea, though, is much older and can be found in the writings of the
12th-century philosopher Maimonides. It can be summed up as "The
most meritorious act of charity is to anticipate poverty and prevent
it, this can be done by teaching a trade, or putting a person in
business."
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Many organisations take this
approach, and I remember one birthday receiving a certificate for a
goat, that had been purchased for someone in need in my name. So,
today you not only hear about goodness, but get some great gift
ideas too.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Wider concerns</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">There are wider concerns, today, and
I hear the ‘give a man a fish’ saying expressed differently.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">“If you give a man a fish, you feed
him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you deplete the oceans.”</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That comes directly out of what we
know, and, if I’m being charitable, a genuine concern for the
environment.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It can also be seen as putting a
negative spin on a positive idea, just as I tried earlier to put a
positive spin on the serpents work in the garden of Eden earlier.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">I mention it, to emphasise the idea
that we can only do the good that we know, it is impossible for us to
know some things that later may mean that the good we try to do is
flawed. That will always be the case, living in a fallen world, and
should not stop us in our efforts to do good.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Sheep and Goats</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The story of the sheep and the goats,
reminds us that it is God’s assumption that real faith leads to
good works. Just as James says, faith without works is dead, because
the lack of works, which we could call doing good, shows that the
professed faith means nothing.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Our Judgement</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We cannot judge people, but we can
learn to distinguish good from evil, as Hebrews 5:14 tells us.</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">Solid food is for the
mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish
good from evil.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In this way we will be able to see
quite clearly that the boy I talked about at the start had not made a
good choice in his prayer, it was him that needed to change, not his
mother.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Conclusion</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">There is much more to say, but, now I
must finish, so in conclusion let me read Hebrews 13:20-21
</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">May the God of peace, who
through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead
our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with
everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is
pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and
ever. Amen.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><a name="docs-internal-guid-74331fc1-7fff-3e9a-c9"></a>
Or, perhaps put more simply, this is apparently engraved on a
tombstone in Shrewsbury, England:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
For the Lord Jesus Christ's sake<br />
Do all the good you can<br />
To all the people you can<br />
In all the ways you can<br />
As long as ever you can.</blockquote>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Amen.</p><p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p><p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">References</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/6fruit-of-spirit-goodness-wade-martin-hughes-sr-sermon-on-christian-love-47073"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/6fruit-of-spirit-goodness-wade-martin-hughes-sr-sermon-on-christian-love-47073</u></span></a></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><a href="https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-fruit-of-goodness-glenn-pease-sermon-on-spiritual-fruit-254062"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-fruit-of-goodness-glenn-pease-sermon-on-spiritual-fruit-254062</u></span></a></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/give-a-man-a-fish.html">https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/give-a-man-a-fish.html</a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://quoteinvestigator.com/2015/08/28/fish/">https://quoteinvestigator.com/2015/08/28/fish/</a></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB"> <br /></p>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-7917314563423950402023-08-13T16:34:00.003+01:002023-08-13T16:34:52.729+01:00Pathway to Prayer (Summer Series 2023) – Introduction<p>Preached 6 August 2023 at Christ church, Billericay</p><h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Title:
Pathway to Prayer – Introduction</h3>
<h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Purpose: Intro
session for series – Why?, Who?</h3>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">Reading: Ephesians
6:18-20; Matthew 6:5-8</h3>
<h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Intro –
Pathway to Prayer (Summer Series)</h3>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Today we start our
summer series for 2023. We have given it the title ‘Pathway to
Prayer’, and we will be looking at various aspects of prayer in
each of our sessions. As usual, there are craft activities to enjoy,
if you would like to.</p>
<h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">What is Prayer?</h3>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">It is interesting to
note that the Bible speaks of prayer a lot, that shouldn’t surprise
you, and it is full of prayers. It often says things like ‘when
you pray ...’, but I couldn’t find a line that started ‘if you
pray ...’. So, the assumption is that everybody prays.
</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">We should, therefore,
start our introduction by trying to define prayer.
</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Do I have any
suggestions?</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">- Asking for things?</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Well,
yes, that’s intercessory prayer, that’s what we do in each of the
services we hold, and I’m sure that’s what we do at home as well.
Many times the Bible reminds us to pray for those in any sort of
need, for example:</span></p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">James 5:14 Is any sick among
you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray
over him</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">- Talking with God?</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Well,
yes, prayer should be two-way, not only us telling God what we want,
or our hurts and pains, but us also listening for His replies. This
is part of what it means to ‘pray in the spirit’ on all
occasions.</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">God
is there ready to listen to us at any and at all times. Even when we
are at our lowest, He is keen to hear from us. Even when we are at
our worst, and don’t know what to say, or how to say it. The
Israelites prayed some awful prayers when they were defeated by the
Babylonians and exiled.</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="break-after: avoid; page-break-after: avoid;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Psalm 137 verses 8&9 says:</span></p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><a name="en-NIV-16231"></a><a name="en-NIV-16232"></a>
<sup>8</sup> Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,<br />
happy
is the one who repays you<br />
according to
what you have done to us.<br />
<sup>9</sup> Happy is the one who
seizes your infants<br />
and dashes them
against the rocks.
</blockquote>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">We
may pray like this, if we need to, God wants to hear from us even in
our worst times. Sometimes, though, we will not have the words for
the prayers we want to make, and in those times, God himself, through
His Holy Spirit, is there to help us. Romans 8 tells us:</span></p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><a name="en-NIV-28143"></a><a name="en-NIV-28144"></a>
<sup>26</sup> 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 through wordless groans. <sup>27</sup> And
he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the
Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of
God.</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Who? / Why?</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Now
it seems I’ve begun to move on to answering the other questions set
for this session – Why? And Who?</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Let’s
start with ‘Why?’, because we’ve sort of answered the ‘Who?’</span></p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Why?</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Well, the first two answers to ‘Why?’
are easy, they are found in Philippians chapter 4. They are:</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">- because God commands us to,
because we learn from God that way</h2>
<ul>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">because God commands us to</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">because we learn from God that
way</p>
</ul>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB" style="break-after: avoid; page-break-after: avoid;">and
here’s what Paul writes to the Philippians in chapter 4:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><a name="en-NIV-29449"></a><a name="en-NIV-29450"></a>
<sup>6</sup> Do not be anxious about anything, but in every
situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God. <sup>7</sup> And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus.</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Anxiety</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We all get anxious about things from
time to time, it seems to me that people are more anxious now than
they used to be, but that could just be my impression. Either way,
God tells us that we do not need to be anxious, instead we should
take our concerns, our worries and our fears to Him.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Thanksgiving</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We bring these things to God with
<b>thanksgiving</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">, for all the
incredible things He has already done for us. The experience of
praying and petitioning God will give us peace – because we will
know better than we did when we started that God is in control and
has everything in hand. Truly, being in His presence means that the
problems of the world are just that little bit more removed from our
immediate worries. That does not mean, of course, that we can simply
pray and that is all. There will still be things we need to do, and
sometimes they will be difficult or dangerous. Our attitude, though,
will be changed, our assurance that our actions are necessary and
correct in whatever situation will be clearer.</span></p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">- because we are now friends,
not servants</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The next reason is that we are now
friends with god, not His servants. Jesus says...</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">John 15:15 I no longer call
you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s
business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I
learned from my Father I have made known to you.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The final reason I have today,
although, I’m sure there are others, comes from the few verses that
led into our reading from Ephesians.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">- because we are in a war</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That is because we are in a war.
This is what Paul said:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><a name="en-NIVUK-29349"></a><a name="en-NIVUK-29350"></a><a name="en-NIVUK-29351"></a><a name="en-NIVUK-29352"></a><a name="en-NIVUK-29353"></a><a name="en-NIVUK-29354"></a><a name="en-NIVUK-29355"></a>
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your
stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not
against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore
put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes,
you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done
everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth
buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in
place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that
comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take
up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming
arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">Then
he says “ … and pray in the spirit …” because prayer is
spiritual warfare. It’s a way of fighting off the devil and all
his temptations and all his evil in the world. If more of us took
this approach, I’m sure the world would be a better place, because
God has chosen to work through His people, their prayer and their
acts.</span></p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Matthew 6:5-8</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><a name="en-NIVUK-23291"></a>Our
other reading has a little to say about how we pray, that is not
really my topic, but right at the end it tells us that ‘your Father
knows what you need before you ask him’.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Just like us, with a toddler, it’s
easy to see what’s needed, you can often know exactly what they
want and need, but we still like to be asked, and we know that it is
good for them to ask. And our Father in heaven is just like that
with us too.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So, I’ll end with a slight
variation on one of my other answers to Why pray?</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">- Because God likes to be
asked</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That’s because God likes to be
asked and learning to ask, as I’ve already said, is part of our
training as we seek to become mature Christians.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Amen.</p>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-15246185229259911802023-05-15T20:45:00.003+01:002023-05-15T20:46:07.724+01:00Paul at the Areopagus<p>Preached at Christ church, Billericay at 10.00 on 14 May 2023</p><p>Reading Acts 17:22-31<br /></p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">At Stratford
Station</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">A few days ago we were
outside Stratford station. It was quite busy, but I’ve seen it
busier. People going in all directions, most of them seemed to be in
a hurry. There, in the middle of it all, was a guy preaching. Just
like a busker, he had a small amplifier – you wouldn’t have heard
a word he was saying otherwise. I am in awe of people who can do
that. But I also have a problem with it in this instance. Publicly
preaching the gospel is great, don’t get me wrong, but here he is
not engaging with anyone. People are just walking past, not even
turning their heads. Perhaps he’s there a lot and people know he
will be there, but I think that’s rather unlikely. People are just
busy, so they’re not listening. He’s a minor nuisance. If
you’re going to tell them about Jesus you have to pick your time
more carefully. Look for the opportunity.
</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Opposition</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">You’ll know if you’re
getting through to people, because you will come up against
opposition.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">In our reading from Acts
this morning we find Paul preaching the good news in a very public
place.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">How Paul get here</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">He has been to a few
Greek cities already, if you look back a bit before the reading. He
was chased out of Thessalonica, then spent a few days in Berea,
before the Thessalonians found out where he was and chased him from
there also.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Now he’s found his way
to Athens, or rather been taken there.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">The synagogue</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0.21cm; margin-top: 0.42cm;">
Paul does his usual thing. Whenever he arrives in a new place, he
first goes to the synagogue. There he reasons with the Jews, and the
God fearing Greeks (those we might call converts).
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Market Place</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0.21cm; margin-top: 0.42cm;">
Here, in Athens, he also goes to the market place and debates with
people who happen to be there. I suppose that’s his nearest
equivalent to being outside Stratford Station. I think the preacher
there would have done better in the Westfield food court. There
people might have listened and even debated, but I’m also pretty
sure security would have evicted him quickly.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Athens</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0.21cm; margin-top: 0.42cm;">
Athens, at the time, was probably the cultural capital of the Roman
Empire. Although it had been conquered by Rome, they left it alone
and it managed itself. I’ve seen it described as like a freeport,
but I’m not sure whether that really covers the sort of independence the
Athenians had. Verse 21 tells us:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">All the Athenians and the
foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking
about and listening to the latest ideas.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So, it was an ideal place for Paul to
be. There are two main groups of philosophers, the Epicureans and the
Stoics. They are more than happy to dispute with Paul. Here’s a
quick summary of their beliefs.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Epicureans</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The Epicureans believe that the world
and the gods are a long way away from each other, with little or no
communication. So believers should get on with life as best as they
can, discovering how to gain maximum pleasure from a quiet, sedate
existence.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Stoics</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The Stoics believed that divinity lay
within the world and within each human being. The divine force could
be discovered and harnessed. Virtue consisted of getting in touch
with and living according to this inner divine rationality.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Babbler - preaching foreign
divinities</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">After Paul’s debate in the market
place, he is accused of being a babbler. Tom Wright translates the
word ‘word-scatterer’, which in that place is a term of contempt.
He is accused of being like a Jackdaw, picking up shiny ideas and
dropping half of them before he gets back to the nest.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">They think he may be ‘preaching
foreign divinities’, which was the charge on which Socrates had
been tried and condemned. They are worried about a mystery cult,
where only initiates are allowed to know the philosophy being taught.
So they take him to the Areopagus. It is not a friendly invite.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Areopagus</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The Areopagus is a rocky out crop to north-west of the Acropolis. It is also the place where the city
fathers met, and that council had inherited the name of the rock.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Now, Paul has a challenge. He has to
speak to them and explain the Christian faith. But, they have no
Jewish background, and most of the people he debated with did.
There’s also the problem, that he may be found guilt of some crime,
and ejected from the city, or worse.</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">Luke 12:11-12 promises
us that ‘When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and
authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or
what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time
what you should say.’</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Before the Areopagus – Make
a connection</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">He starts in verse 22 with:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">Men of Athens! I see that in
every way you are very religious.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">He’s trying straight away to make a
connection with them. If we want to get our message across to someone, it helps a lot if we have some things in common, and can
share some mutual understanding.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Before the Areopagus – Be
prepared</h2>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><sup>23</sup> For as I
walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even
found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you
worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Paul has done his research, he’s
looked around the city and found it full of idol worship. That would
have been upsetting for Paul, but he’s found something that he can
use to hook his message on. This is not a foreign God he’s talking
about, just a God they don’t know yet. Now he will show both the
groups of philosophers that God can be known.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Before the Areopagus –
Creator God</h2>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><sup>24 </sup>The God who
made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth
and does not live in temples built by hands.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><sup>25</sup> And he is not
served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself
gives all men life and breath and everything else.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Now Paul begins to explain God to
them, still picking up on ideas that were common at the time. There
were plenty of gods that created or formed the world. The idea God
cannot be served by us and that God does not need anything from us
was also common.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Before the Areopagus –
Involved God</h2>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><sup>26</sup> From one man
he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole
earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places
where they should live.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">And the Judeo-Christian belief in one
original created being is introduced, and how that led to the nations
and that God was in charge of determining were people live – God is
involved in their lives. But we haven’t got to the God that Paul
knows in much detail yet.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Before the Areopagus – God
wants to be found</h2>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><sup>27</sup> God did this
so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find
him, though he is not far from each one of us.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><sup>28</sup> ‘For in him
we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets
have said, ‘We are his offspring.’</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Now, Paul introduces the idea that
God wants to be known and has designed things so that people will try
to find Him. This will split his audience, but that is also one of
Paul’s strategies. Before we move too far, there’s another piece
of common ground – Paul quotes from their own poets. The audience
will be back with him again. Give a little, take a little.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Before the Areopagus – God
is not an idol</h2>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><sup>29</sup> “Therefore
since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine
being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s
design and skill.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Now Paul is getting to the point of
what he is trying to say. He is clearly against all the idols he has
seen and that part of his message must be given.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Before the Areopagus –
Repent</h2>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><sup>30</sup> In the past
God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people
everywhere to repent.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We might recognise this message, but
for his hearers this is new, now, if he has engaged them, they should
be all ears. Repent and turn away from idols is a key part of the
Christian message.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Before the Areopagus –
Judgement</h2>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><sup>31</sup> For he has set
a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has
appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from
the dead.”</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">At the climax of his sermon, Paul has
introduced judgement, and resurrection, but there is no promise here
of eternal life for them.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">No Scripture</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Paul has done all this without a
single reference to his beloved scriptures. If we ever need to
explain the gospel to people who are sceptical of the Bible, or just
dead set against it, Paul’s sermon at the Areopagus is a great
example of how to do it.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The result of the sermon is, in the
next few verses, a few men became followers. Dionysius, a member of
the Areopagus is mentioned, and also a woman named Damaris.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">He has succeeded in gaining converts
in one of the most difficult places that he has been called to speak.
Which shows us the power of the Holy Spirit when someone is called
to a particular mission.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Our mission</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">What does all this teach us for our
particular mission?
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It will soon be Ascension day. Thy
Kingdom Come challenges us to pray for five people to come to know
the God who is, at the moment, unknown to them. Many of the principles that Paul used in his ministry, and in particular at the
Areopagus might prove useful to us as we engage with those we are
praying for, or others that we have the opportunity to speak to, from
time to time.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Our Mission – Strategy and
Planning</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Perhaps we can go a little further
than “God loves you”, and really engage with them.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Perhaps we could pray, not just for
the people on our list, but also for the strategy to reach them. We
could ask the Holy Spirit to help us to be more intentional – to
help us to see the common ground, and the big difficulties. So that
we can speak the right truths at the right time.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">At least we won’t be preaching into
thin air, to a crowd that barely knows we exist.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Amen.</p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-18da9201-7fff-ab24-5e1b-44eda262c236" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">References </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/sixth-sunday-of-easter/commentary-on-acts-1722-31-5" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/sixth-sunday-of-easter/commentary-on-acts-1722-31-5</span></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Paul does not quote scripture </span></span></p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2020-05-11/acts-1722-31-2/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2020-05-11/acts-1722-31-2/</span></a></span></p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://sermoncentral.com/sermons/preaching-to-a-postmodern-culture-derek-geldart-sermon-on-post-226348" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://sermoncentral.com/sermons/preaching-to-a-postmodern-culture-derek-geldart-sermon-on-post-226348</span></a></span></p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areopagus" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areopagus</span></a></span></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-24639305622702626392023-04-23T11:00:00.015+01:002023-04-23T11:00:00.368+01:00R&B (Repentance & Baptism)<h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Title: R&B
(Repentance & Baptism)</h3>
<h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Purpose: To look
at repentance, baptism and the Holy Spirit</h3>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">Reading: Acts
2v14a&36-41</h3>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Prayer</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Father, may these spoken
words be true to the written word and lead us to the living word –
Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Scary Movie</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Anyone a fan of the
Scary Movie Franchise?</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Picture the scene.
There’s a young woman running through dark streets (it always a
young woman). Every so often she sees a bright sign, it says
something like:</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Go back<br />
Turn
around,<br />
Don’t go on<br />
Return<br />
run the other way</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">She couldn’t possibly
miss them, but she ignores them and runs straight on into the even
darker night. Maybe it starts to rain, or becomes a little foggy,
but she runs on. Eventually, she is in front of a creepy house. She
pauses, looks back, and you think just for a minute she won’t
approach the house. Of course, she does, and goes up the steps to
the heavy blackened wooden door. On the door, there is a flashing
neon sign that says “Certain death to all who enter”. The door
is ajar. Ignoring the sign, she pushes the door, that creaks, long
and low and moves just enough for her to squeeze through. Making
absolutely no attempt to switch on the lights, she starts to look
around, although it’s way too dark to really see anything.
Suddenly there is a bang, now she turns around to see the large
wooden door is firmly closed, and try as she might, it will not
budge. Her only hope, if there is any, is to be rescued.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Well, what do you think?
Has it been done, or would it make a good opening for "Scary Movie 6"?</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Fantasy</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">That’s a little piece
of fantasy, but it illustrates where the Israelites have got to in
our reading today. In the Gospel of Luke, and in the preceding Old
Testament, there has been warning after warning (sign after sign)
that the Israelites are headed in the wrong direction. They do not
look after the poor, they do not look after those with other needs,
they do not readily admit foreigners, and they are not proclaiming the
word of God to the surrounding nations. Worse, they regularly
mistreat God’s messengers, the prophets. They have kept God for
themselves, and refuse to let others near.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">All hope is gone</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Now, in their misguided
zeal – accusing Jesus of blasphemy – they have killed the son of
God – the longed for Messiah, who was going to save the nation.
The door is firmly closed, but they are locked out of God’s
presence. Their hope is gone, and they have just realised it. They
have been listening to Peter’s sermon (Which I suspect was a lot
longer than the record we have of it.), and suddenly it is all clear
to them. They were “cut to the heart”. Now comes the question –
“Brothers, what should we do?”</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">The answer is quite
straight forward – “repent and be baptized”. It’s not simple,
though. The Hebrew word for repent originally meant “an
afterthought, a change of mind”. We change our minds all the time
– about what we will do and when we will do it. That’s not quite
what repent is getting at. In Jewish thought the person is
considered as a single entity, whereas in Greek thought, our inner
life is separated from how we behave in front of others. The Greek
word for repent means to turn around, just as our young lady needed
to do before she entered the house.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Change of Actions</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Perhaps we should say that repent
means a change of actions. That we regret our former actions and are
intent on not repeating what we now see as a mistake. That would
certainly include turning back in many situations.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Here, Peter is asking them to accept
the one who they have so recently decided was a blasphemer, and
deserved the death penalty. He asks each one of them to:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“Repent and be baptized,
... in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And
you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That means joining the Apostles –
Peter and his crew. It’s a real turn around.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Baptism</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Baptism was usually reserved for
proselytes (converts to Judaism), and would have been seen as
unnecessary because those born into a Jewish family were by nature
Jewish and therefore loved and protected by God. But now, having
killed His son, they can see that they are completely separated from
God.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Christ’s Baptism</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Some of them will have heard the
message “repent and be baptized” before, that is what John’s
baptism was all about. Baptism is a sign of repentance. This
baptism though is different, this baptism is in the name of Jesus,
who forgives our sin, once and for all, and puts us right with God –
it is also a sign of our repentance.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Promise of the Holy Spirit</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The other difference about this
baptism is that it comes with a promise of the Holy Spirit. It’s
the Holy Spirit which connects us to God and lives in us. This is
what Paul says when he writes to Timothy:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">2Tim 1:13 What you heard
from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love
in Christ Jesus. <sup>14</sup> Guard the good deposit that was
entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who
lives in us.</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Normal Order of conversion</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Peter has described the normal order
of events when someone accepts Jesus as their saviour.</p>
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 103%; margin-bottom: 0.05cm;">
Repent</li><li>
Be baptized</li><li>
Receive the Holy Spirit</li></ol>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Of course, God can and does do it in
other orders, but all three elements are always present.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">3000</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 115%;">What an
amazing offer the 3000 accepted. A way back to God, not only that
but a permanent connection with God, and, of course, an escape from
certain death.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Whose Offer?</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It is not Peter’s offer. It’s a
promise that comes from God via the Holy Spirit. Indeed, the whole
story can be viewed as a work of the Holy Spirit, but that’s
another sermon. Peter is just the messenger.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Offer to all</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The offer (the promise) isn’t just
to those Israelites either, it is made to their children, so
their descendants and those who are far away, geographically or
spiritually.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Christians</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The offer has been accepted by many
here. We now rely on that promise, it becomes an important part of
our lives, perhaps the most important part. Even so, we are still
capable of running away, ignoring all the signs, and entering the
creepy house, but now the door can never lock us inside.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So, I thought I would end with a
prayer of repentance. Yes, I know we’ve already said the
confession, but sometimes our liturgy just becomes one of those signs
that gets ignored.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">I’d like you to join with me in
saying this prayer, I’ll read it through first.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">[The prayer]</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><a name="docs-internal-guid-1ff94e44-7fff-612a-93"></a>
Heavenly Father, thank you for everything you do for me. I come
before You to repent of my sins. Please help me turn away from my
sins and turn toward you, Through your Holy Spirit, give me the power
and strength to follow you faithfully. I pray this in Jesus' name,
Amen
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">If you think that this is something
you’d like to join in with, please say it together with me now.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><i><b>[Say prayer together]</b></i></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Amen. </p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p><p class="western" lang="en-GB">YouTube: <a href="https://youtu.be/6JkFGRc1bW0">https://youtu.be/6JkFGRc1bW0</a></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">References</span></b></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-e2b55e69-7fff-6ada-64d5-33b987011c3a" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/now-what-responding-to-the-holy-spirit-rev-matthew-parker-sermon-on-repentance-193729" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/now-what-responding-to-the-holy-spirit-rev-matthew-parker-sermon-on-repentance-193729</span></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-e2b55e69-7fff-6ada-64d5-33b987011c3a" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-0cdf0d67-7fff-aa54-82fa-ac7b1fe1da68" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/third-sunday-of-easter/commentary-on-acts-214a-36-41-2" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/third-sunday-of-easter/commentary-on-acts-214a-36-41-2</span></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-0cdf0d67-7fff-aa54-82fa-ac7b1fe1da68" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-0cdf0d67-7fff-aa54-82fa-ac7b1fe1da68" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://prayforeverything.com/repentance-prayers/" id="docs-internal-guid-bb1e2a94-7fff-da24-d0a6-28ab1a45302e" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://prayforeverything.com/repentance-prayers/</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></b> </p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> <br /></p>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-60809019666375464462023-04-15T16:36:00.001+01:002023-04-15T16:36:34.623+01:00Failures in the Crucifixion
<div title="header"><p align="left" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.9cm;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, serif"><font size="3" style="font-size: 12pt;">Preached on Good Friday, 2023</font></font></p></div><h4 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">Reading Psalm 22v1-11; John 18v1-19v37</h4><h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Introduction</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULPmVni1MoS_qQc0PtLqWO02YC7eDHuj7m1lvCF8jg80y78B7s7CpYSavbMing5AFEFKcshFdOoXRwwPKnrjoMitsTZQSf55p0zeli0IhAG29397ZGF6BTEXhbJdj5_aykfdKl8uzH3hvdwTyyAJXKQhl3fGj6rndy4P7BAGzm9f5IyxD2g8/s400/th-3623835584.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="260" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULPmVni1MoS_qQc0PtLqWO02YC7eDHuj7m1lvCF8jg80y78B7s7CpYSavbMing5AFEFKcshFdOoXRwwPKnrjoMitsTZQSf55p0zeli0IhAG29397ZGF6BTEXhbJdj5_aykfdKl8uzH3hvdwTyyAJXKQhl3fGj6rndy4P7BAGzm9f5IyxD2g8/s320/th-3623835584.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div>At the lent course this
year we looked at the Archbishops Lent book – Failure by Emma
Ineson, bishop of Penrith (and now Kensington). Failure, we said, is
when things don’t go to plan – and that happens to all of us all
the time (well, nearly all the time).<p></p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">God uses our
failures</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">God uses our failures as
well as our occasional successes to make things happen in the world.
So I thought this morning I would look through this very long reading
and examine a few of the failures that occurred.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus, by John</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">John’s report of the
crucifixion, presents Jesus as totally in control. He knows what
needs to happen, and he knows how to get to the next step. The other
gospels do not present Jesus quite like this. So Jesus, in John,
provides a great contrast to the failing human beings around Him.
John shows God doing His work with our failures or despite our
failures.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Limited
Highlights</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Obviously, this is just a
small selection, as we don’t have sufficient time to cover things
in great depth.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Peter
[18:1-18:11]</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Let’s start with Simon
Peter’s first failure at the betrayal, that’s in 18:1-18:11. At
the betrayal, Judas comes with about 50 people to arrest Jesus.
Knowing what to expect, Jesus takes them by surprise and acts to
protect His disciples. Despite all of Jesus’ teaching about what
must happen, and the fact that they are outnumbered by at least 4 to
1, Peter decides to start a fight. He’s a fisherman, not a
soldier, so he misses, and only manages to cut off an ear – that
must have been a relief for him looking back on it later. His intent
– to prevent the arrest, is wrong. His assessment of the situation
is clearly completely bonkers, and his execution (poor choice of
word?) is way off. Peter has failed miserably, maybe he was panicked
by events, or maybe he just misunderstood the situation. But look
what it does. Apart from requiring Jesus to heal Malchus, it also
provides Him with the opportunity to tell all those present, most
importantly the disciples, that His way is different, and that He
will go through the painful death that He is facing.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Peter [John 18:16-18]</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Let’s skip ahead now to Peter’s
second failure. That’s in 18:16-18. When we come across phrases
like ‘another disciple’ in John, it often means he is talking
about himself, so I’ll make that assumption here. So Peter and
John arrive at the high priest's courtyard. John is known to the high
priest, perhaps because he’s sold them fish in the past, so he is
let in and Peter has to wait. The bouncer, sorry, the girl on duty,
asks Peter “You are not one of his disciples, are you?”.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">With John</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It’s a strange way to pose the
question. Surely she can see that they’re together, so why not ask
“are you with those two?” or something like that. Perhaps this
is Satans ploy to trick Peter, but somehow, I don’t think he needed
any help. So he replies, “I am not”. There’s that little lie,
not much at all really, can’t be any serious consequences of
that.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Why lie?</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">What was he thinking? Was he afraid
she was making a list and that he would be next? If she was, she
would already have John on the list, so Peter would easily be found.
It doesn’t make any sense – if you think it through. But that is
the problem, Peter doesn’t do his thinking BEFORE his talking. We
are all put in that situation sometimes, and it’s very easy to give
a stupid answer. Peter has failed, already Jesus’ prediction has
come true. Once you’re there, you kind of have to stick with it.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Peter’s 2<sup>nd</sup> &
3<sup>rd</sup> denials [18:25-27]</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The lie is the lie, and it must be
defended, or he will look stupid (in his own mind, at least). So
let’s move on to verses 25-27. It’s cold and those standing
outside, where Peter is, are warming themselves by a fire. One of
them asks that question again, phrased in exactly the same way, “You
are not one of his disciples, are you?” to which he provides the
same answer. As I said, the lie has to be defended, some of them may
have heard what he said before, so even if he’s had a chance to
think about it, he’s never going to say “err, well, yes, actually
I am” – even if that’s exactly what he should have said. So
there it is, the second denial, the second failure.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Another challenge</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">You can never tell who has seen what
and who knows who amongst a group of people. There is a relative of
Malchus there amongst the crowd around the fire. He hears what Peter
says, and perhaps recognises an out of town accent, and thinks “Yes,
this is the man I saw attack Malchus”, so he asks “Didn’t I see
you with him in the olive grove?” If we read Luke’s report of
the incident, Peter’s response is, “Man, I don’t know what
you’re talking about!”. That sounds like he is starting to get
angry because his lies are being tested, and he can’t defend
himself.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Cock crow</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Then the cock crows, and Peter is
instantly transported back to his conversation with Jesus, and the
prediction Jesus made has come true. It is too much for Peter. All
his promises that he will never leave Jesus, no matter what, have
come to nothing. His failure is final, or so it seems to him. There
will not be an opportunity for an apology, because Jesus will be
crucified before he has the chance to speak to him again.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Because we know the end of the story,
we know that there is a way. That is always the case with God –
there is always a way back, even if we don’t have the opportunity
to reconcile with those we have offended.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Pilate [18:29-40]</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">I think I just about
have time to look at Pilate’s failure. Whereas Peter doesn’t
think, you might say that Pilate overthinks. His failure is
political, and as carefully constructed as he can get it, but it is
still a failure, because his plan was clearly to release Jesus.
</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">He is in a no-win
situation. The high priest wants Jesus dead, because he claimed to
be the Son of God. That’s not a charge that will stick with Pilate, so
after a conversation with Jesus, he tries to set Jesus free.
</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">He starts out trying to
do the right thing (for himself, for his governorship, and for Rome).
He does not want to be involved in the Jewish law, that is not his
concern, and it will not benefit him in any way to become involved in
debate about their laws. But there is one punishment that is banned
by Roman law, the death penalty. If that is to be imposed, only
Pilate can do it.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus is a King</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Pilate is willing to believe that
Jesus is a king, but like so many today, he is not prepared to
acknowledge an objective truth. He wants to release Jesus, maybe so
that he is not seen as giving in to the high priest, so he appeals to
the crowd.</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“But it is your custom for
me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you
want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">They shout for crucifixion, so Jesus
is flogged and mocked, and one last attempt is made to free him. But
the chief priest has out manoeuvred the politician that is Pilate,
and he gives up.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Pilate answered, “You take him and
crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That’s a rather simplified account,
but it shows up Pilates failures – he denied the existence of
Truth, and he failed to stand up for what he knew was right in the
face of political pressure, a man died as a result.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">What about Jesus, did he experience
any failures. Certainly not the way John reports it. But he did
experience the result of failure and sin.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus, the lamb of God, is completing
the sacrifice that saves us from separation from God. His blood,
like that of the blood of the passover lamb, saves us from death.
God looks at him, for our sin, instead of us. At that moment Jesus
feels the separation from God and cries out “My God, my God, why
have you forsaken me?”</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Amen.</p>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-75284604208330754672023-03-25T15:15:00.001+00:002023-03-25T15:15:13.487+00:00God cares like a mother (10am)<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Reading Exodus
2:1-10</h2>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Paddington</h2>
<p class="slidenum-western" lang="en-GB"><font color="#0211d0"><i>[Slide
1 – Paddington Bear]</i></font></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Introduce Paddington Bear</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Tell the story (with
questions?)
</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">From – Darkest, Peru.
After their Marmalade factory is destroyed in an earthquake and his
uncle killed, he is put in a lifeboat on a ship headed to London, by
his Aunt Lucy.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Parent (Mother) – Aunt
Lucy</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Sent – Put on a boat
to London for a better life</p>
<p class="slidenum-western" lang="en-GB"><font color="#0211d0"><i>[Slide 2 – London Skyline]</i></font></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Does Aunt Lucy love
Paddington when she puts him on a boat?</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB"><font color="#0211d0"><i>- Get answers</i></font></p>
<p class="slidenum-western" lang="en-GB"><font color="#0211d0"><i>[Slide 3 – Paddington
Station]</i></font></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Found – By the Brown family
at Paddington Station</p>
<h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Slaves in Egypt</h3>
<p class="slidenum-western" lang="en-GB"><font color="#0211d0"><i>[Slide 4 – Moses in the
river]</i></font></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">The Israelites were
slaves in Egypt at the time, Moses was born. They were having more
babies than the Egyptians, so there would soon be more of them than
there were Egyptians. If that happened, the Egyptians feared it
would be too difficult to keep them under control and there would be
a revolution. So, pharaoh had taken a decision that all the young
boys should be killed as soon as they were born.</p>
<h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Kill Order</h3>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">He ordered the midwives
that if the woman gives birth to a boy, kill him, if she gives birth
to a girl, let her live. But they didn’t obey the order, because
they love God more than they fear the Egyptians.</p>
<h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Moses Mother</h3>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Jochebed, Moses mother,
(Numbers 26:59) already had at least two children when Moses was
born. His big brother Aaron was just a few years older and had not
been subject to this order. And his sister, Miriam, who was quite a
lot older. She would help out with the saving of Moses. </p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Baby Noticeable</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Moses is now 3 months
old, and Jochebed and the family have so far succeeded in keeping him
hidden, but that’s now becoming impossible. Something has to be
done. I’d love to know how much of what follows is the plan that
was discussed by the family. If it was their plan, it is certainly
high risk. If it wasn’t, what were they expecting to happen?</p>
<h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Crocodiles</h3>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">So, his mother gets a
basket, and makes it waterproof, puts him in it, and puts it in the
reeds at the edge of the river.</p>
<p class="slidenum-western" lang="en-GB"><font color="#0211d0"><i>[Get the crocodile]</i></font></p>
<p class="slidenum-western" lang="en-GB"><font color="#0211d0"><i>[Slide 5 - Crocodile]</i></font></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">In those days, it is
believed that there were crocodiles along much of the river, covering
a much greater area than they do today. There’s the first risk –
the baby is eaten by a crocodile. There’s not much that the
watching Miriam could have done about that. Crocodiles are not known
for being easily shooed away.</p>
<h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Pharaoh’s
daughter</h3>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Pharaoh’s daughter
came down to the river to bathe, probably not to wash herself, most
likely some sort of religious cleansing ceremony. We must assume
that this was something she did regularly and Jochebed knew roughly
when she would arrive. There is still the risk that she might not
notice the basket, or might not take any interest in it.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Her attendants stay on
the bank, perhaps keeping an eye out for crocodiles, and to ensure
she remains safe and undisturbed by the Israelite slaves.
</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">At least one of the
attendants (all probably slaves, but probably not Israelites) gets
wet retrieving the basket, Pharaoh’s daughter is immediately in
love with the child. Even though she knows he is a slave baby, she
decides to keep him.</p>
<h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Back with his
Mother</h3>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Then Miriam plays her
part, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby
for you?”. He is not on solid food yet, and there was no baby
formula milk in those days, so someone had to be found who could feed
the baby, and the obvious choice, is his mother.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">But there is still the
risk that Pharaoh’s daughter could have decided to take him to the
palace and find someone who could feed him there.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Now, as a bonus,
Jochebed is being paid for a few months to look after her own son. He
is protected from the Egyptian order to kill the baby boys, because
he belongs to Pharaoh’s daughter. Now he will get an Egyptian
education, which will be of great use later on.</p>
<h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Parallels</h3>
<p class="slidenum-western" lang="en-GB" style="break-after: avoid; page-break-after: avoid;">
Question – What are the parallels in the two stories?</p>
<ul>
<p class="list-continue" lang="en-GB">There’s a boat in each story and a baby or child is sent away by a mother, in order to keep them safe.</p>
<p class="list-continue" lang="en-GB">There’s a new chance at life, safety.</p>
<p class="list-continue" lang="en-GB">A mother acts out of love.</p>
<p class="list-continue" lang="en-GB">There’s a new family
caring for a child – who remembers their roots.</p>
</ul>
<p class="slidenum-western" lang="en-GB" style="break-after: avoid; page-break-after: avoid;"><font color="#0211d0">
<i>[Slide 6 – Parallels]</i></font></p>
<h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Where is God?</h3>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">You
may have noticed that God is not mentioned in this passage. Maybe we
would expect a prophet, or at least a warning, or even a plan for the
baby’s rescue. There is no evidence of a direct word from God to
Jochebed, which surely would have been recorded if it had happened.
So where is God? Is He just an observer, watching and waiting?</span></p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">What God is doing</h3>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">That’s
not the God I know. The God I know, has his eye on the baby, and is
looking after him. We know that Moses frees his people from the
slavery they are experiencing in Egypt. He will be the man that
future generations look back to, and the model for how to be a good
Israelite. God will have been there, working to ensure that the
right things happen at the right time. Making sure that Pharaoh’s
daughter goes to bathe just as the baby is put in the water. Making
sure that she notices the basket and is curious enough to look
inside. Making sure that the baby is crying at just the right time.
Maybe making sure that the local crocodiles, if there were any, are
well-fed and sleepy.</span></p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">How God works</h3>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">When
we look back on things, that is how we see God working in our own
time. We rarely get a message from a prophet or a vision of angels,
but somehow the things God wants to happen just seem to work out. He
shows his love for us in many ways, sometimes that is by providing us
with a loving mother like Jochebed, or someone who takes the place of
a mother, like Aunt Lucy, or pharaohs daughter. </span>
</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Mother God</h3>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">We
see in this story that God can be mother for us just as well as he
can father for us. (Why not? He created both mothers and fathers). We
see His provision of motherly care for Moses, not only by his birth
mother, but also by pharaoh's daughter, who became his adoptive mother.</span></p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Moses didn’t forget</h3>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">We
are not told any more about Moses’ upbringing, but we know that he
knew he was a Hebrew (an Israelite), and worked with Aaron to free
the Israelites from slavery.</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB"><span style="font-style: normal;">We
also know that Paddington remembered Aunt Lucy, and in the second
film was trying to bring her to London. When he couldn’t, he
bought a book to send to her.</span></p>
<p class="slidenum-western" lang="en-GB"><font color="#0211d0"><i>[Show copy of book]</i></font></p>
<p class="slidenum-western" lang="en-GB"><font color="#0211d0"><i>[Slide 7 – Paddington
pop-up London]</i></font></p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">God in Control</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The Egyptians wanted to reduce the
numbers of the Israelites, and make them easier to manage, but God
had other ideas, other plans for his people and especially for this
family. Out of their number, from the tribe of Levi – the priestly
tribe – God chose new leaders in a way that showed His supremacy
over the Egyptians. So much so, that He even made them pay for the
baby’s care for a few months.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That’s the God that I know!</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 115%;">Amen.</p><p class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"> </p><p class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 115%;">For references, see <a href="https://3cephas-notes.blogspot.com/2023/03/god-cares-like-mother-8am.html">https://3cephas-notes.blogspot.com/2023/03/god-cares-like-mother-8am.html</a></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></p>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-9635836881807240022023-03-25T14:59:00.007+00:002023-03-25T16:42:56.629+00:00God cares like a mother (8am)Preached at Christ Church, Billericay on 19 March 2023 at 08:00 <br /><div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">Reading Exodus 2v1-10; Luke
2v33-35</div>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Prayer</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Father, may these spoken words be
true to the written word and lead us all to the living Word, Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Mothering Sunday</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Today, as we have already heard, is
mothering Sunday. A time when, traditionally, we return to our
mother church, and so get to visit our mothers. In our Old Testament reading, we heard about the early days of Moses’ life. But the
story concentrates on the desperate actions of his mother. Why would
any mother give up her child?</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Well, it depends on the
circumstances. We have seen in our time that when there is a threat,
a mother will do whatever it takes to keep her child safe.</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Kindertransport</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In 1938, the UK government allowed
10,000 unaccompanied children to enter the UK, to save them from
almost certain death under the Nazis. It was known as the
kindertransport. Each one of those children was sent here by their
parents, who were willing to give up their children, in the hope that
they would survive. While at the same time being fairly sure that
they themselves wouldn’t.</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Evacuations</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">A short time later, British children
were being evacuated from major cities to save them from bombing
raids. There are plenty of records from the children's point of view
– some loved it, and some hated it. But there doesn’t seem to be
much from the parent's point of view. I suspect the parents mainly
hated it. Nevertheless, the children were prepared and sent to stay
with unknown families, sometimes hundreds of miles away. Anything to
keep them safe.</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Slaves in Egypt</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The Israelites were slaves in Egypt
at the time, Moses was born. Despite this, their birth rate was
significantly higher than that of the Egyptians, so they were in
danger of becoming too numerous. If that happened, the Egyptians
feared it would be too difficult to keep them under control and there
would be a revolution. So, the pharaoh had taken a decision that all
the young boys should be killed as soon as they were born.</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Kill Order</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">As with all oppressive regimes, this
order was given and the slaves were expected to carry it out
themselves. The midwives were the chosen operatives – their
orders: if the woman gives birth to a boy, kill him, if she gives
birth to a girl, let her live. But they didn’t obey the order,
because they love God more than they fear the Egyptians.</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Moses Mother</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Jochebed, Moses mother, (Numbers
26:59) already had at least two children when Moses was born. His
brother Aaron, just a few years older, who had not been subject to
this order, and his sister – Miriam – quite a lot older, who
would help out with the saving of Moses.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Baby Noticeable</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Moses is now 3 months old, and
Jochebed and the family have, so far, succeeded in keeping him
hidden, but that’s now becoming impossible. Something has to be
done. So a plan is made. I’d love to know how much of it was
discussed by the family. I like to imagine them around the dinning
table discussing what they will do. If it was their plan, it is
certainly high risk. If it wasn’t, what were they expecting to
happen?</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Crocodiles</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So, his mother gets a basket, and
makes it waterproof, puts him in it, and puts it in the reeds at the
edge of the river. In those days, it is believed that there were
crocodiles along much of the river, covering a much greater area than
they do today. There’s the first risk – the baby is eaten by a
crocodile. There’s not much that the watching Miriam could have
done about that. Crocodiles are not known for being easily shooed
away.</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Pharaoh’s daughter</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Pharaoh’s daughter came down to the
river to bath, probably not to wash herself, but most likely some
sort of religious cleansing ceremony. We must assume that this was a
regular occurrence and Jochebed knew roughly when she would arrive.
There is still the risk that she might not notice the basket, or
might not take any interest in it.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Her attendants stay on the bank,
perhaps keeping an eye out for crocodiles, and to ensure she remains
safe and undisturbed by the Israelite slaves.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">At least one of the attendants (all
probably slaves, but probably not Israelites) gets wet retrieving the
basket, Pharaoh’s daughter is immediately smitten with the child.
Even though she knows he is a slave baby, she decides to keep him.</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Back with his Mother</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Then Miriam plays her part, “Shall
I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”.
He is not yet weaned, and there was no baby formula milk in those
days, so someone had to be found who could feed the baby, and the
obvious choice is his mother.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">But there is still the risk that
Pharaoh’s daughter could have decided to take him to the palace and
find a wet nurse there.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Now, as a bonus, Jochebed is being
paid for a few months to look after her own son, and he is protected
from the Egyptian order to kill the baby boys, because he belongs to
Pharaoh’s daughter.</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Happy Ending?</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">This is not the happy ending that
Jochebed might have hoped for, because as we see from the last verse
of the reading, the boy is adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter when he is
old enough and so is lost to his mother, but at least she knows he is
still alive.</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Alternative View</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">There’s an alternative view to this
narrative, and that is that all that happened was the result of some
sort of emergency and it was the only thing could do in the short
time she had before the baby was discovered.</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Where is God?</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Either way, you may have noticed that
God is not mentioned in this passage. Unlike in our NT reading, there
is no prophet delivering the bad news, or a warning, or even a plan
for the baby’s rescue. There is no evidence of a direct word from
God to Jochebed, which surely would have been recorded if it had
happened. So where is God? Is He just an observer, watching and
waiting?</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">What God is doing</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That’s not the God I know. The God
I know, has his eye on the baby, and is looking after him. We know
that Moses will be instrumental in freeing his people from the
oppression they are experiencing in Egypt. He will be the man that
future generations look back to, and the model for how to be a good
Israelite. God will have been there, working to ensure that the
right things happen at the right time. Making sure that Pharaoh’s
daughter goes to bathe just as the baby is put in the water. Making
sure that she notices the basket and is curious enough to look
inside. Making sure that the baby is crying at just the right time.
Maybe making sure that the local crocodiles are well-fed and sleepy.</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">How God works</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">When we look back on things, that is
how we see God working in our own time. We rarely get a message from
a prophet or a vision of angels as Mary had, but somehow the things
God wants to happen, just seem to work out. He shows his love for us
in many ways, sometimes that is by providing us with a loving mother
like Jochebed, or someone who takes the place of a mother, like pharaoh's daughter.
</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Mother God</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We see in this story that God can be
mother for us just as well as he can father for us. (Why not? He
created both mothers and fathers). We see His provision of motherly
care for Moses, not only by his birth mother but also by pharaoh's
daughter, who became his adoptive mother.
</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Moses didn’t forget</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We are not told any more about Moses’
upbringing, but we know that he knew he was a Hebrew (an Israelite),
so he is aware of his heritage. At the right time, God will introduce
Himself to Moses and the work of redemption will begin.
</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">“but God …”</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The Egyptians wanted to reduce the
numbers of the Israelites, and make them easier to manage, but God
had other ideas, other plans for his people and especially for this
family. Out of their number, from the tribe of Levi – the priestly
tribe – God chose new leaders in a way that showed His supremacy
over the Egyptians. So much so, that He even made them pay for the
baby’s care for a few months.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That’s the God that I know!</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 115%;">Amen.</p><p class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"> The sermon was recorded for the video service, my recording is on Youtube: <a href="https://youtu.be/XDFcPrr7MfI">https://youtu.be/XDFcPrr7MfI</a><br /></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 115%;">References</p><p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/exodus-2-1-10-rev-randy-barker-sermon-on-moses-birth-190823"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/exodus-2-1-10-rev-randy-barker-sermon-on-moses-birth-190823</u></span></a></p>
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><a href="http://www.stlukemoulsham.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/St_Lukes_Church_Sermon_2020-03-22.pdf"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>http://www.stlukemoulsham.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/St_Lukes_Church_Sermon_2020-03-22.pdf</u></span></a></p>
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><a href="https://minorprophetssermons.wordpress.com/2014/04/23/exodus-21-10/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://minorprophetssermons.wordpress.com/2014/04/23/exodus-21-10/</u></span></a></p>
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/mar/12/children-evacuation-london-second-world-war"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/mar/12/children-evacuation-london-second-world-war</u></span></a></p>
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><a href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-evacuated-children-of-the-second-world-war"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-evacuated-children-of-the-second-world-war</u></span></a></p>
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron</u></span></a></p><p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindertransport"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindertransport</u></span></a></p>
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u> </u></span></p>
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br />
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"> </p>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-26753372274112736052023-02-26T19:25:00.004+00:002023-02-26T19:55:23.378+00:00Run Away?<p>Preached at St Mary the Virgin, Little Burstead on 26 February 2023 @ 10:30</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Introduction</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Have you ever run away
from anything? There were plenty of times at school when I literally
ran away from things. But these days, the running away tends to take
less physical forms.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">There are things that we
should be running away from, and we’ll look briefly at those later.
God, of course, is not one of them.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Jonah, why run
away</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">So, when the word of the
Lord came to Jonah, why would he run away? Have you ever had to go to
speak to someone that you don’t like, don’t trust, and are
generally quite sure that they have your worst interests at heart?
How would you feel about doing that, perhaps you would prefer to go
in another direction?
</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">How about if the person
you were going to see was likely to cause you physical harm? How
about going in a different direction now?
</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">And if you think it is
likely that they will kill you? What then?</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Nineveh</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">At the time of Jonah,
Nineveh was the capital of Assyria. Assyria was Israel's great
enemy, its competitor for territory in the region. It was not in the
ascendency at the time, but was still a dangerous place to go. They
had a reputation for cruelty and violence, here’s what Nahum said:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0.2cm;">
Na 3 <sup>1</sup> Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of
plunder, never without victims!
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0.2cm;">
<sup>2</sup> The crack of whips, the clatter of wheels, galloping
horses and jolting chariots!
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0.2cm;">
<sup>3</sup> Charging cavalry, flashing swords and glittering spears!
Many casualties, piles of dead, bodies without number, people
stumbling over the corpses —
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><sup>4</sup> all because of
the wanton lust of a harlot, alluring, the mistress of sorceries, who
enslaved nations by her prostitution and peoples by her witchcraft.</blockquote>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">So, to summarise – not
a nice place, and they saw Israel as an enemy.</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">For us, those places are
Russia, North Korea, or any of the list of countries who think that
Christians should be killed.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Jonah the successful prophet</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Jonah is a successful
prophet, here’s what we know about him from 2 Kings, where it is
recording the acts of Jeroboam II:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
2Ki 14:25 He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from
Lebo Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, in accordance with the word of
the LORD, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of
Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.</blockquote>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Gath Hepher was in the
region known as Galilee in Jesus’ time.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Another prophets</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">It is highly unlikely he
was the only prophet, so when the word of the Lord came to him, maybe
his immediate thought was that there are plenty of people God could
use, why does it have to be me?</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">God will achieve His aims</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Well, it does have to be
Jonah this time, but normally it is not the case that only one person
can do it. If God wants something done, and one of His servants
decides not to serve, God will find someone who will do what He
wants. We should never think that our failures somehow ruin God’s
almighty plan for the universe – it just isn’t like that. There
are multiple ways to get things done, and there are hundreds of
servants willing to do things, sometimes even very dangerous things.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Jonah’s reasons</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Now, I’m not intending
to paint Jonah as some sort of coward, though that’s the way it’s
beginning to look. Jonah’s reasons for running away are alluded to
in the last chapter, so in case you’re having a series on Jonah,
I’m not going to release any spoilers. - But, you can, of course,
read the book for yourself. It won’t take very long.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">What happened?</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So let’s see how the fleeing Jonah
got on, and how he served the Lord on his journey.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Tarshish</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Jonah went to the port town of Joppa,
and looked for a ship that would take him as far from Nineveh as
possible. He found a ship headed for Tarshish, which is thought to
be the city of Tartessus in southern Spain, it was a Phoenician
mining colony near Gibraltar. That would take him to the western
edge of the known world, exactly the opposite direction of Nineveh,
in the east.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Jonah at sea - storm</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">This was likely Jonah’s first time
at sea. So, while he might have been concerned when the storm
started, he would only have become scared when he saw how the sailors
were acting. He wouldn’t see that until the captain woke him,
because he was in the bottom of the ship – sound asleep.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Disastrous storm</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">For the sailors, it was a disastrous
storm. They were afraid the ship would break up, so each was praying
to his own God. Phoenicia was a poly-theistic society, so each of
them would have chosen a different god to serve. Now they needed the
help of their god.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Cargo overboard</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Throwing the cargo overboard was a
last resort, it meant that they would not be paid for the journey.
It was something they would only do, if they really thought that
their lives were in imminent danger.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Help from Jonah’s God</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">They need all the help they can get.
None of the gods have been able to calm the storm, so Jonah is woken
and told to pray to his God. We are not told whether the disobedient
servant prayed or not. The storm did not diminish.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Lots</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Believing that the storm must be
happening because someone had upset their god, intentionally or
otherwise, the sailors draw lots to see who it is. And the lot
points to Jonah.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Questions</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So, immediately there are loads of
questions, the sailors need to know who’s threatening their ship,
and their lives:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“Tell us, who is
responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where
do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Answers (the sea!)</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Now, it's time for Jonah to be
truthful and to witness to his God.</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">I am a Hebrew and I worship
the LORD, the God of heaven</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Nothing contentious there for the
sailors, there were plenty of gods of the skies and the land. But
the next part of the answer frightens them even more.
</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“who made the sea and the
land.”</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The sea was thought of as being the leftovers from the primordial chaos when the gods made the land, the
sky and all the life on earth, but Jonah’s God also made the sea –
the very thing that was threatening their lives.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Control of the sea</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Now, if God has control of the sea,
and Jonah is His servant, even if he is a bad one at the moment, the
next question is the most logical they could ask:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“What should we do to you
to make the sea calm down for us?”</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Throw me in</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">But the answer “throw me in” is
more than they can take, and to ensure that they do, God intensifies
the storm. Now the sailors must take the action that Jonah suggests.
They are now frightened of his God, because to kill a servant of a
god will just bring them more trouble – worse trouble.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Innocent man</h2>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“Do not hold us
accountable for killing an innocent man”</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">does not mean that they have
proclaimed Jonah innocent of his crimes, it simply means that they
understood that they don’t have the right to make that judgement,
so Jonah must remain innocent.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Last Jonah knows</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So, in he goes, and being completely
unable to swim, in the stormy waters he will immediately drown. He
will not know that the sea calms, and the sailors are in awe of his
god.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Sacrifices</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Each of them will make sacrifices to
Jonah’s God when they finally return to shore as a way of giving
thanks for their deliverance, but also because the power of this God
has them scared, and they have just killed one of His servants.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">What Jonah has done</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So Jonah has been a witness to his
God despite his disobedience. He is then swallowed by a big fish,
and is inside the fish for about 3 days.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That’s as far as we go with this
story, today.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Should you run away?</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So, as a servant of God, should you
run away?</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">From God – No, but from the world,
there are times when it’s legitimate, here are a couple of
examples:</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">2 Tim 2:3-5</h2>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">People will be lovers of
themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to
their parents, ungrateful, unholy, <sup>3</sup> without love,
unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of
the good, <br />
<sup>4</sup> treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of
pleasure rather than lovers of God— <sup>5</sup> having a form of
godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB"><a name="_n6qzehbqjax4">1
Corinthians 10:13</a></h2>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">No temptation has overtaken
you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let
you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will
also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">… and the quickest way is simple, to
leave (run away from) the situation where the temptation is happening
– there will always be an exit.</p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p><p class="western" lang="en-GB">Amen. </p><h4 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">Youtube <br /></h4><p class="western" lang="en-GB">A link to the youtube video (sound only) from the practice read through:<a href="https://youtu.be/3MDBsqANilE">https://youtu.be/3MDBsqANilE</a><br /></p><h4 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">References</h4><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.42cm; margin-top: 0.42cm;">
<a href="https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/how-a-runaway-prays-dean-o-bryan-sermon-on-prayer-general-126635"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/how-a-runaway-prays-dean-o-bryan-sermon-on-prayer-general-126635</u></span></a></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.42cm; margin-top: 0.42cm;">
<a href="https://redeeminggod.com/sermons/jonah/jonah_1/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://redeeminggod.com/sermons/jonah/jonah_1/</u></span></a></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.42cm; margin-top: 0.42cm;">
<a href="https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/jonah-1/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/jonah-1/</u></span></a></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.42cm; margin-top: 0.42cm;">
<a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/can-god-use-the-seasons-where-we-run-away.html"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/can-god-use-the-seasons-where-we-run-away.html</u></span></a></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.42cm; margin-top: 0.42cm;">
<br />
<br />
</p>
<h4 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;"></h4>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-73628276685626014372023-02-19T16:10:00.006+00:002023-03-25T14:49:53.771+00:00‘Seeing’ God<p> Preached at Christ Church, Billericay for the youtube video service only</p><h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Title: ‘Seeing’
God</h3>
<h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Purpose: How we ‘see’
God, and the effect that has.</h3>
<h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Reading: <font size="4" style="font-size: 16pt;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Exodus
12v24-50; Matthew 17v1-9</span></span></font></h3>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Introduction</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">How do you see God? Well, you can't – right? Because Paul says in Colossians 1 that
Jesus is the image of the invisible God. But when we talk about God,
what sort of image goes through your mind? The classic very old man
on a throne in the heavens? A youngish long haired bearded man in
flowing robes? Are either of them wearing a crown? Is it something
more sophisticated, perhaps?</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">My Image of God</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">I don’t have an image
of a person in my head when I think about God. It’s more the sense
of a presence, a connection, a power, than it is a person. Of
course, when we talk about Jesus, I have an image of a man, but not
with any specific features.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">What follows</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">As I look at these two
passages this morning, I am going to consider how each of the
characters that we meet sees God, and how that affects what they
believe, and therefore what they do.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Exodus 12:24-50 (Moses)</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">We’ll start with the
Old Testament reading, Exodus 12:24-50. I’ll treat Moses and Aaron
as one person for the purposes of this discussion. So, Moses is
issuing God’s instructions to the elders of Israel. They are
probably the most important instructions that could possibly be given
– how to avoid the angel of death – the destroyer in verse 23.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Ten plagues</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">You will, I hope,
remember that Egypt, where the Israelites were slaves, had suffered 9
plagues:</p>
<ol>
<li><p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm;">
Water turning to blood</p>
</li><li><p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm;">
Frogs</p>
</li><li><p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm;">
Lice</p>
</li><li><p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm;">
Flies</p>
</li><li><p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm;">
Pestilence</p>
</li><li><p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm;">
Boils</p>
</li><li><p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm;">
Thunderstorms of Hail</p>
</li><li><p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm;">
Locusts</p>
</li><li><p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.1cm;">
Darkness</p>
</li></ol>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">and the tenth is about
to arrive – death of the firstborn. In all of this Moses had been
the person that God worked through, so despite his initial doubts
about his ability and the crimes he committed, he is now a faithful
servant of God. He sees God as his master, and the saviour of his
people. He will do what God tells him to, even when the Israelites
are less than happy to obey. Putting blood on the doorposts would
not seem as awful to them as it might to us.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">The Israelites</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 115%;">
The Israelites see God as a great power, they have seen the plagues
come, and they now have enough experience of God to be ready to obey –
even when the commands seem a little odd. Then we get to a phrase
that occurs only a couple of times in the whole Old Testament, “The
Israelites did just what the LORD commanded”. Now, I’ll bet that
a lot of them were afraid. They had seen the plagues escalate and
realised that this was the final one, so best do as you’re told. Sadly, their complete obedience would not last.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Pharaoh</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Pharaoh thinks of
himself as a god, and the owner of the Israelite slaves. He,
therefore, sees Israel’s God as a rival -a competitor. Someone who
will steal his slaves. He is not convinced at all by the plagues so
far, indeed they have largely served to strengthen his resolve (the
Bible calls it hardening his heart). But the final plague strikes
closer to home than any of the others. He loses his own son. That
pushes him over the edge, and now he’s determined to get rid of the
whole troublesome lot of them and hopefully their invisible God too.
Not just letting them go, but evicting them.
</p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB" style="line-height: 115%;">
His change of heart doesn’t end there, though. Look at the end of
verse 32. “And also bless me”. Pharaoh is asking for a blessing
from Moses, which will, of course, come from the competitor God.</p>
<h2 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Egyptians</h2>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Some of the Egyptians
saw the Israelites and their God as something more, something
different, something better, and decided to leave with them – and
took their livestock – their whole way of life with them. It’s
hard to know whether they cared for God, or just decided to follow
the winner. This led to a whole raft of laws about who may or may
not celebrate the passover. They are designed to ensure that only
those truly committed to God can partake of the most important
remembrance ceremony of the time.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="break-after: avoid; line-height: 100%; page-break-after: avoid;">
Matthew 17:1-9</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In the New Testament reading, Peter,
James and John see Jesus in an entirely new light (sorry, for the
rather obvious pun). Have you ever tried to picture the scene? I
found an episode of Star Trek TNG, called ‘Transfiguration’ that
is clearly inspired by this event. Here’s what the special effects
crew made of it.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><i>[video]</i></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That’s a pretty good attempt, I
think, and it helped me to imagine the scene a little more clearly.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="break-after: avoid; line-height: 100%; page-break-after: avoid;">
Peter</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">More important to us this morning is
what Peter, James and John made of it. Peter is his usual self, a
man of action, trying to do the best thing in any situation he finds
himself in. When Moses and Elijah appear he wants to put up shelters
for them. Mark tells us he did not know what to say because he was
frightened. That is probably an understatement – they had only
gone up the mountain to pray.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">James and John</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We have no record of what James and
John thought, but I would expect they were as frightened as Peter
was. Maybe they were stunned into silence.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Moses and Elijah</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Luke tells us that Moses and Elijah
were talking to Jesus about his departure, which he was about to
bring to fulfilment at Jerusalem. So this would have happened after
the disciples had been with Jesus a long time.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="break-after: avoid; line-height: 100%; page-break-after: avoid;">
Voice</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It’s the voice that really makes a
difference to them, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am
well pleased. Listen to him!”</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">If they were afraid before, now they
are all terrified and fall to the ground face down to worship God.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus tells them to “Get up”, and
to not be afraid, and the event is over.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="break-after: avoid; line-height: 100%; page-break-after: avoid;">
‘Proof’</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">If they were having any doubts at all
about who Jesus was, this was an important event for them. It can
only have helped to convince them that there was something very
special about Jesus. After all, Moses and Elijah are the two most
important people in their scriptures (our Old Testament). They have
seen something of the amazing power of God, and yet there is Jesus,
gently telling them not to be afraid.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="break-after: avoid; line-height: 100%; page-break-after: avoid;">
Don’t Tell</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">On the way down the mountain, they are
told not to tell the others what they have seen. This story must be
kept until after Jesus’ death and resurrection. It is too close to
a proof of who Jesus really is.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="break-after: avoid; line-height: 100%; page-break-after: avoid;">
Changed</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Because of what they have seen, Peter,
James and John, now have a different view of Jesus, who He is and
what He is about to do. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, they
still find it hard to accept that He has to die and be raised from
the dead.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="break-after: avoid; line-height: 100%; page-break-after: avoid;">
Aspects of God</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We have seen quite a few different
views of God this morning.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="break-after: avoid; line-height: 100%; page-break-after: avoid;">
Power</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">His power has been shown to us
through the plagues in Egypt, where he controlled events to bring
about a particular outcome. His power has been shown through the
change in his son, from looking like any other man you might meet to
being something quite different – that’s a power over the
physical being, not just people’s actions.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="break-after: avoid; line-height: 100%; page-break-after: avoid;">
Love</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">His love is shown in His plans for
the Passover feast to happen every year in remembrance. It will not
only teach his people about their heritage, but will bring them
together.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">His love has been shown to his
Disciples too, as he prepares them for events to come that they will
struggle to deal with and as always He assures them that they never
need to be afraid in His presence.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB" style="break-after: avoid; line-height: 100%; page-break-after: avoid;">
Initiative & leading</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In both readings, we see God taking
the initiative and leading His people forward. The plagues show us
that God has a plan, He set out to rescue the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, and the plan succeeded. He set out to redeem the
world through His son, coming as a man and dying on the cross to pay for
our sins. We only saw a small part of that plan this morning with
the transfiguration, but unlike the Exodus, this plan is still in
progress, and we are part of it.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Amen.</p>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-56276825282810316032023-02-19T16:01:00.002+00:002023-02-19T16:02:57.873+00:00Mountain top experiences<p>Preached at Christ Church, Billericay at 8am on 19 February 2023 (based on a similar sermon from 2017)</p>
<div title="header"><p lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0.9cm;"><font face="Trebuchet MS, serif"><font size="3" style="font-size: 12pt;">Exodus
24v12-18,Matthew 17v1-9, Genesis 22v1-19</font></font></p></div>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Introduction</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We are looking at mountain top
experiences this morning as we look forward to the start of Lent on
Wednesday. The phrase is really a metaphor for the type of
experience, but in both our readings it is also the geographical
location.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Mountain top experience –
what you get</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">When we talk about a mountain top experience, we usually mean something that is an amazing revelation,
something that gives you an understanding that you have not had
before. It gives you the sense of the presence of God in a new and
exiting way. It may change your whole approach to life and set you
off in a different direction, or it may bolster your faith years
later. It may have been a scary experience, or a joyful,
exhilarating one. It will certainly have been a memorable one. It
may even have been your conversion.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Scary experience – Abraham</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">As we will see later, Peter, James and
John had a scary experience, but there is an even more scary mountain
top experience recorded in Genesis. In Chapter 22 Abraham is tested.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In verse 2 God says to Abraham:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">God said, “Take your son,
your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah.
Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I
will tell you about.”</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Isaac was the son that God had
promised Abraham he would build a nation through, so what is God up
to in asking Abraham to sacrifice him? It is a test of his faith, of
course, does the boy belong to Abraham, or does he belong to God.
Who does Abraham really think is in charge?</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Outcome for Abraham</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">If you don’t know the story, let me
tell you that God provides a ram at the very last minute, and Isaac’s
life is spared. God, of course, keeps his promise to Abraham and
Isaac’s descendants become the great nation of the Israelites.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That was a mountain top experience
that neither Abraham nor Isaac ever forgot.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Have you had one?</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Maybe you have had a mountain top
experience, if so think about it - remember it, spend some time
today reflecting on what you learnt, and what it means to you now.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Mountain top experience –
what you need</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Sometimes these experiences can be
triggered by nature, so I am not surprised that we also like to have the
literal experience. Going up a mountain to see what you can see.
Being up a mountain usually means that you are on your own with God
(or with just a few others). It’s also helpful if there is nothing
that might interrupt you – so that you can concentrate on God, and
listen to him in a very special way.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Exodus 24:12-18</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In our Old Testament reading, it is
not Moses we’re really following. He’s off up the mountain to
get the 10 commandments from God, and he will be gone a long time.
First he has to wait a week before he is called further up the
mountain, then he is up there for forty days.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Forty</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The number forty represents testing
in the bible – so the forty days in the wilderness for Jesus that
we remember during Lent is a time when He tested his faith and
prepared Himself for the ministry to come. Forty days up the
mountain for Moses, is not so much a test for Moses, but a test for
the Israelites – can they remain faithful to the Lord when their
leader is gone? It’s a test that the Israelites spectacularly
failed – even before they were properly established as a people.
If we skip on a bit to chapter 32 we can read the story of the golden
calf.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Mysterious God, their guide</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">God appears mysterious, remote and
rather frightening in this passage as only Moses and Joshua are
allowed on the mountain, and then only Moses is called to be closer
to God. God had been guiding them through the wilderness in the form
of a pillar cloud of during the day and a pillar of fire during the
night. (13:21) He had been feeding them on Manna and Quail (16) and
providing water from rocks. Now the pillar of fire is on top of the
mountain and is described as the Glory of the Lord. It was the way
that God showed his presence with the Israelites.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Volcano?</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Mount Sinai, in case you were wondering, is not a volcano, so this is not a mythical tale of
primitive people worshipping what they do not know, and have no way
to understand. This is the Living God making the Israelites into a
people, and demonstrating any number of times how much He loves and
cares for them.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The laws He gave them are remarkable
for their fairness, their concern for the poor and the foreigner,
they proved an incredible challenge to the Israelites then, and they
still do – even in our supposedly more enlightened times.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Transfiguration</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In the transfiguration story, we see a
number of similarities and a number of differences, which we will
look at now.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Where</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Both are on mountains, but are they
the same mountain?</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Mount Tabor</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">There are three candidates for the
location of the ‘high mountain’. The most likely appears to be
mount Tabor, which was suggested as the location by Origen in the
third century.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Mount Tabor is located in Lower
Galilee, Israel, at the eastern end of the Jezreel Valley, 11 miles
west of the Sea of Galilee.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Mount Hermon</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Another good alternative is Mount
Hermon.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It is much higher and also closer to
where Jesus and His disciples were said to be, so it might qualify as
the ‘high’ mountain.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Of course, some people would love it
to be Mount Sinai and go out of their way to make the case. So I
checked how long it would take and Google tells me it is 124 hours to
walk to Sinai. If they had walked 21 hours a day, they might have
just made it in six days. Even if we allow the 8 days mentioned in
Luke’s Gospel, they would still have to walk 15.5 hours a day –
and ignore the Sabbath! Everyone has to eat and sleep, and that takes
more than three hours a day, so I think we can safely say that it was
not mount Sinai.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Transfiguration Background</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Which ever mountain they were
climbing six days had passed, and we do not know what happened during
that time, but we do know that before the six days Jesus had been
teaching his disciples about his death and resurrection. It is
difficult to know how much of this the disciples understood, so
perhaps they needed to see things from a different perspective.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Glory</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">God’s Glory, of course, is present
in both episodes, but in a very different way. Moses does not see
the Glory of God directly, instead it is the Israelites who are
treated to that vision – the “consuming fire” on top of the
mountain. Remember, it is the Israelites being tested. Moses did not
need to see it, he was doing business with God to get the nation set
up.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus Shines</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">For Peter, James and John, the Glory
of God shines out through Jesus. “His face shone like the sun, and
his clothes became as white as light.” What the disciples are
seeing is a demonstration that Jesus is God. God’s glory is no
longer a separate entity, no longer something detached and scary, it
is here inside the friend and teacher they have been following for a
while. Moses and Elijah are there too, because this is about
continuity – Moses represents the law and Elijah the prophets.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Peter</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">When Mark is telling this story he
says that Peter was afraid, so perhaps his rather strange reaction -
offering to put up shelters for each of them, is explained by that.
The word used is Tabernacles, and refers back to the ways of
worshipping before the temple was built by Solomon. Before he can
finish making his plans, a bright fog came down, and God spoke.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">The Voice</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><a name="en-NIV-23210"></a>The voice
from the cloud says, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am
well pleased. Listen to him!” The disciples have heard this
message before, at Jesus’ baptism the voice from heaven said “This
is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased.”, just the
command “Listen to Him” was missing.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Maybe it's the place – the
surroundings, - the situation, maybe it's the command, maybe they’re
just a lot closer to God now than they had been last time they heard
those words, whatever it is they are terrified and throw themselves
to the ground face down – that was not how they responded at his
baptism (3:17) – indeed no response is recorded. Now, the posture
is one of worship.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus supersedes Moses</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus comes to them and tells them to
get up and not be afraid. When they do, everything has returned to
normal – Moses and Elijah are gone, only Jesus is there. They
start back down the mountain – the experience is over. You cannot
stay on the mountain top forever, as good as it is to be there.
Jesus is already focussed on how they will use the experience and says, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man
has been raised from the dead.” The experience was meant for them
– Peter, James and John. It was meant to be remembered, it was
meant to strengthen their faith – so that when, after Jesus’
death and resurrection, they were questioning what happened, when they
were questioning who Jesus was, they will have that memory to look
back on. What they had seen will remind them that God’s love for
all of us is so strong that he sent His only son Jesus came to die
for their sins and bring them to eternal life, but also that Jesus is
the fulfilment of all that has gone before – of all that Moses did,
of all that Elijah and the prophets did and said. All of it points
to Jesus and Jesus, their Messiah and ours, supersedes all of it.
Salvation is found in Him alone.</p>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-21454840516122558332023-02-19T15:52:00.002+00:002023-02-19T15:52:08.349+00:00<br />Preached at Christ Church, Billericay at 10.00<br />
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<tr><td>We are looking at mountain top experiences this morning as we look
forward to the start of Lent on Wednesday. The phrase is really a
metaphor for the type of experience, but in both these cases it is also
the geographical location.
When we talk about a mountain top experience, we usually mean something
that is an amazing revelation, something that gives you an understanding
that you have not had before. It gives you the sense of the presence
of God in a new and exiting way. It may change your whole approach to
life and set you off in a different direction, or it may bolster your
faith years later. It may have been a scary experience, or a joyful,
exhilarating one. It will certainly have been a memorable one. It may
even have been your conversion.
Maybe you have had a mountain top experience, if so think about it -
remember it, spend some time today reflecting on what you learnt, and
what it means to you now.
Sometimes these experiences can be triggered by nature, so I am not surprised that we also like to have the literal experience. Going up a
mountain to see what you can see.
Many years ago we were holidaying on the Isle of Man and decided to take
the train up Snaefell, because we wanted to see the view from the top.</td>
<td>
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</td>
</tr>
<tr><td><p class="western" lang="en-GB">
Snaefell doesn’t look too difficult a climb, and it isn’t very
high, but the children were young, and the railway is a very special
type – designed specifically for getting trains up hills. We were
looking forward to the view from the top. This is what we saw.</p>
</td>
<td>
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</td>
</tr>
<tr><td><p class="western" lang="en-GB">
I have something in common with Moses, except that the only voices I
heard were other families trying to ensure they all stayed together,
and working out how long they had before the train returned. It was
a mountain top experience to forget (but I haven’t). We like
pretty much everyone else were on the next train down. We got back
in the car and drove away going round part of the mountain at one
point we looked up, and this is what we saw:</p>
</td>
<td>
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</td>
</tr>
<tr><td><p class="western" lang="en-GB">
While we were at the top of the mountain for only fifteen minutes or
so, Moses was there for six days before anything happened –
altogether he was there for forty days. In that time he received
instructions on a number of things to be made, and also the tablets
with the commandments and the law.</p>
</td>
<td>
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</td>
</tr>
<tr><td>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Forty</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The number forty represents testing
in the bible – so the forty days in the wilderness for Jesus that
we remember during Lent is a time when He tested his faith and
prepared Himself for the ministry to come. Forty days up the
mountain for Moses, is not so much a test for Moses, but a test for
the Israelites – can they remain faithful to the Lord when their
leader is gone? It’s a test that the Israelites spectacularly
failed – even before they were properly established as a people.
If we skip on a bit to chapter 32 we can read the story of the golden
calf.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">God appears mysterious, remote and
rather frightening in this passage as only Moses and Joshua are
allowed on the mountain, and then only Moses is called to be closer
to God. God had been guiding them through the wilderness in the form
of a pillar cloud of during the day and a pillar of fire during the
night. (13:21) He had been feeding them on Manna and Quail (16) and
providing water from rocks. Now the pillar of fire is on top of the
mountain and is described as the Glory of the Lord. It was the way
that God showed his presence with the Israelites.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Volcano?</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Mount Sinai, in case you were wondering, is not a volcano, so this is not a mythical tale of
primitive people worshipping what they do not know, and have no way
to understand. This is the Living God making the Israelites into a
people, and demonstrating any number of times how much He loves and
cares for them.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The laws He gave them are remarkable
for their fairness, their concern for the poor and the foreigner,
they proved an incredible challenge to the Israelites then, and they
still do – even in our supposedly more enlightened times.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Transfiguration</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In the transfiguration story, we see a
number of similarities and a number of differences, which we will
look at now.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Where</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Both are on mountains, but are they
the same mountain?</p>
</td>
<td>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eYxQoST6fHZylE8WC9bIO2MvBF4aCxZgdy7xsYTx579075ZfSuvkOh0HbHnkpsBfPnf_SnBtPXTTW1oOr6ss09HFvq-Ds-THXmqF3u_0Lkt_LUarGnvuVhaSijEgBbDhbPOSuxyANYqti9PuZiwlAhtLLmy9KelErWGvUrvI8CRuQ_-7L5s/s1058/Slide10.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1058" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eYxQoST6fHZylE8WC9bIO2MvBF4aCxZgdy7xsYTx579075ZfSuvkOh0HbHnkpsBfPnf_SnBtPXTTW1oOr6ss09HFvq-Ds-THXmqF3u_0Lkt_LUarGnvuVhaSijEgBbDhbPOSuxyANYqti9PuZiwlAhtLLmy9KelErWGvUrvI8CRuQ_-7L5s/s320/Slide10.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td><p class="western" lang="en-GB">
There are three candidates for the location of the ‘high mountain’.
The most likely appears to be mount Tabor, which was suggested as
the location by Origen in the third century.
</p>
</td>
<td>
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</td>
</tr>
<tr><td><p class="western" lang="en-GB">
Mount Tabor is located in Lower Galilee, Israel, at the eastern end
of the Jezreel Valley, 11 miles west of the Sea of Galilee.</p>
</td>
<td>
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</td>
</tr>
<tr><td><p class="western" lang="en-GB">
Another good alternative is Mount Hermon.</p>
</td>
<td>
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</td>
</tr>
<tr><td><p class="western" lang="en-GB">
It is much higher and also closer to where Jesus and His disciples
were said to be, so it might qualify as the ‘high’ mountain.</p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p><p class="western" lang="en-GB">
Of course, some people would love it to be Mount Sinai and go out of
their way to make the case. So I checked how long it would take and
Google tells me it is 124 hours to walk to Sinai. If they had walked
21 hours a day, they might have just made it in six days. Even if we
allow the 8 days mentioned in Luke’s Gospel, they would still have
to walk 15.5 hours a day – and ignore the Sabbath! Everyone has to
eat and sleep, and that takes more than three hours a day, so I think
we can safely say that it was not mount Sinai.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p>
</td>
<td>
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</td>
</tr>
<tr><td><p class="western" lang="en-GB">
Which ever mountain they were climbing six days had passed, and we do
not know what happened during that time, but we do know that before
the six days Jesus had been teaching his disciples about his death
and resurrection. It is difficult to know how much of this the
disciples understood, so perhaps they needed to see things from a
different perspective.</p><p class="western" lang="en-GB">
</p><h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Glory</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">God’s Glory, of course, is present
in both episodes, but in a very different way. Moses does not see
the Glory of God directly, instead it is the Israelites who are
treated to that vision – the “consuming fire” on top of the
mountain. Remember, it is the Israelites being tested. Moses did not
need to see it, he was doing business with God to get the nation set
up.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus Shines</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">For Peter, James and John, the Glory
of God shines out through Jesus. “His face shone like the sun, and
his clothes became as white as light.” What the disciples are
seeing is a demonstration that Jesus is God. God’s glory is no
longer a separate entity, no longer something detached and scary, it
is here inside the friend and teacher they have been following for a
while. Moses and Elijah are there too, because this is about
continuity – Moses represents the law and Elijah the prophets.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">All this has happened in plain sight,
so Peter failing to understand as he so often does, or maybe just
being terrified, tries to be helpful and offers to put up shelters
for each of them. The word used is Tabernacles, and refers back to
the ways of worshipping before the temple was built by Solomon.
Before he can finish making his plans the fog came down, not a grey
fog like on the top of Snaefell, but a white fog, and God spoke.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">The Voice</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><a name="en-NIV-23210"></a>The voice
from the cloud says, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am
well pleased. Listen to him!” The disciples have heard this
message before, at Jesus’ baptism the voice from heaven said “This
is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased.”, just the
command “Listen to Him” is missing.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Maybe it's the place – the
surroundings, - the situation, maybe it's the command, maybe they’re
just a lot closer to God now than they had been last time they heard
those words, whatever it is they are terrified and throw themselves
to the ground – that was not how they responded at his baptism
(3:17) – indeed no response is recorded.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p>
</td>
<td>
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</tr>
<tr><td><p class="western" lang="en-GB">
Jesus comes to them and tells them to get up. When they do, everything has returned to normal – Moses and Elijah are gone, only
Jesus is there. They start back down the mountain – the experience
is over. You cannot stay on the mountain top forever, as good as it
is to be there. Jesus is already focussed on how they will use the
experience and says, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until
the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” The experience was
meant for them – Peter, James and John. It was meant to be
remembered, it was meant to strengthen their faith – so that when,
after Jesus’ death and resurrection, they were questioning what
happened, when they were questioning who Jesus was, they will have
that memory to look back on. What they had seen will remind them
that God’s love for all of us is so strong that he sent His only
son Jesus came to die for their sins and bring them to eternal life,
but also that Jesus is the fulfilment of all that has gone before –
of all that Moses did, of all that Elijah and the prophets did and
said. All of it points to Jesus and Jesus, their Messiah and ours,
supersedes all of it. Salvation is found in Him alone.</p>
</td>
<td>
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Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-31302989884394568462023-02-05T18:02:00.005+00:002023-02-05T18:02:59.588+00:00Salt & Light<p>Preached 5 Feb 2023 @ Christ church, Billericay at 10:00 Morning Worship</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Isaiah’s Time</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It seems that the world in Isaiah’s
time was not so different in some ways than the world is now. They
look like they followed God, they did all the right things on the
surface, but underneath they we just being selfish. Then they
wondered why their prayers were not answered.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">God said about Israel</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">“For day after day they seek me
out” (well, perhaps that’s a bit different) “they seem eager to
know my ways as if they were a nation that does what is right and has
not forsaken the commands of its God.”</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Israel Replied</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">‘Why have we fasted, and you have
not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not
noticed?’</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Our reply</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB" style="break-inside: avoid; page-break-inside: avoid;">‘We
come to church week by week, you have not seen us? Why have we
humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">but God says to Israel</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">“Yet on the day of your fasting,
you do as you please and exploit all your workers.<br />
Your fasting
ends in quarrelling and strife, and in striking each other with
wicked fists.”</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">but God says to us</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">“Yet every Sunday, you go home and
treat the rest of the day like any other. You expect people to serve
you, to entertain you, and to sell you things.” … and no doubt,
sometimes there is quarrelling and strife, even here amongst
Billericians.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Religion must make a
difference</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Isaiah is saying that their religion
must make a difference to their lives. The people show some evidence
of wanting to do God’s will, they are even prepared to put up with
the minor inconvenience of fasting. But it doesn’t make a real
difference to how they live their lives, to how they behave on a day
to day basis.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">My commentary call this ‘empty
externalism’ - religion on the outside which has no meaning to the
person on the inside.</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">God’s requirement</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">God’s requirement is in verses 6
and 7.</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“Is not this the kind of
fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the
cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? <sup>7</sup>
Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor
wanderer with shelter — when you see the naked, to clothe him, and
not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It is a common theme running through
the Old Testament. In our communion prayer we sometimes have these
words from Micah 6:8:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“And what does the LORD
require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly
with your God.”</blockquote>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">NT</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus has a different way of putting
it to the crowds he is speaking to in the sermon on the mount. “You
are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world”.
</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Salt & Light - Pliny</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Pliny said, “<b>Nothing is more
useful than salt and sunshine</b>”. So Jesus has used the two most
important elements of life to teach the people. I’m going to look
at each of these in more detail so that we can understand a little
better how these sayings might have been received.</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Salt</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">You won’t be surprised to learn
that salt in the first century did not come out of a plastic tub. Instead, it was collected from around the Dead Sea. That means it is
impure, it is a mixture of all sorts of things. When it gets damp,
the real salt – the sodium chloride – is dissolved little by
little. The salt still looks the same but is beginning to lose its
saltiness.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Non-salty salt - uses</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">This non-salty salt was used on the
flat roofs and when combined with the soil on the roof it produces a
hard and waterproof covering for the house. The flat roofs are also
used, children were allowed to play on them, Peter used to pray on
the roof (Acts 10:9). In some places it is also used on roads, so
that’s where the ‘trampled by men’ phrase come from.</p>
<h3 class="western" lang="en-GB">Worth his salt (salary)</h3>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Salt was very important, as we have
already heard from Pliny. It is where we get the phrase “He is
worth his salt” - which means he is worth his pay. Sal, the Latin
for salt is also the root of our word salary, which was an allowance
paid to Roman soldiers so that they could buy salt.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Flavouring & Preservative</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Salt was important for two reasons.
It was used for flavouring food, as it still is today, but more
importantly it was used as a preservative before the invention of
refrigeration.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Preservative</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It is this preservative property of
salt that Jesus is getting at. “The salt of the earth” means that
we are the preservative of the world. We are a sort of moral
disinfectant, our purpose is to keep the world from becoming
rotten.<br />
<b>Do you think we are doing a good job?</b></p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Light</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The other thing that Pliny reckoned
was most useful was sunshine. In the days before electric lights
real work could only take place in the daytime when the sun provided
light to see by. The lamps in Jesus’ time gave off little more
light than our candles. If you were outside on a moonless night it
was impossible to travel. You might though have been able to see a
city on a hill.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Billericay – town on a hill</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">I live on the top of the hill that
Billericay stands on. There is never real darkness at any time of
day or night. I can walk around the garden at 3am when I’m having
a bad night without fear of tripping over or walking into the bushes.
I can even see enough to navigate around the house if I open the
curtains. That’s because of the street lighting outside bouncing
off the atmosphere - it's called back scatter. Once, there was a
permanent orange glow, now it’s just never exactly properly dark.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Points of light visible</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Without street lighting, though, it is
still possible to see points of light on a clear night that are miles
away. Even with only candles, there would still be something that
would be visible, and our eyes would be drawn to it – it catches our
attention.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Limestone at dawn</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">At dawn, as the first light of the
sun gets scattered around the atmosphere a city on a hill –
especially one built of limestones houses, as many were, would soon
begin to reflect light and become visible. At sunrise, it would
become a beacon as the direct sunlight reflected off the houses.
Think of the white cliffs of Dover in bright sunlight. We should
also remember that the sun rises much more quickly in Israel, because
it is nearer to the equator.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">We are the light of the world</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In the same way, we are the light of
the world, reflecting the glory of Christ Jesus, we can become a
beacon of truth and love. Light is good news as the sun brings light
and heat and life can get underway again after the darkness and chill
of the night. We are good news as we spread God’s word to those
still in darkness, and they too realise that life can properly get
underway now their darkness has been eradicated.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Cost</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">For the Christian there is a cost to
all this. Here are a couple of examples.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB"><a name="firstHeading"></a>West
Nickel Mines School shooting</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In Bart Township, Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania, on October, 2<sup>nd</sup> 2006, Charles Carl Roberts
IV entered the school house. He lined the girls up against the
blackboard. He let the boys and the adults go. Eventually, the girls
were shot, but not before they had time to understand what was
happening. He then committed suicide.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It is just one of an unfathomable
number of school massacres that have occurred in the United States.
Forgotten now by a world that tires of hearing about them, but still
remembered by families and the communities affected.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Bart township is an Amish community.
The Amish are a protestant denomination.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><a name="cite_ref-RNS_20-0"></a>What
makes this shooting stand out from the others is that there was no
call for revenge, only for forgiveness. One of the fathers said, “He
had a mother and a wife and a soul, and now he's standing before a
just God.” Members of the community visited and comforted Charles
Robert’s widow and his parents.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">They are being salt and light. They
are doing what they can to preserve the family of Charles Roberts,
and point them to a better future.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Gordon Wilson</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">My other example is Gordon Wilson,
who you may remember. On 8<sup>th</sup> November 1987 the
provisional IRA blew up the Remembrance Day parade in Enniskillen.
Gordon was injured, and his daughter was killed. His response was “I
bear no ill will, I bear no grudge”. He begged the loyalists not
to take revenge for the bombing. All this was reported along with
the bombing in news reports across the world. The cost to Gordon was
not just the loss of his daughter and his injuries, but the hatred of
loyalists and a continued bombing campaign by the provisional IRA.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Much later though, this bombing, and
especially Gordon’s reaction, has been seen as a turning point in
the troubles.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Gordon Wilson was salt and light in
his community because he forgave those who planted the bomb, because
he effectively prevented a retaliation, and because for years
afterwards he worked for peace in Northern Ireland.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">And us</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In both my examples, an act of evil
spurred people to action. Their actions would not have been possible
without the solid long term grounding of their faith in Jesus. I
pray that none of us ever suffer those kinds of evils, but we all
suffer evils of some sort, and we also see evils suffered by others.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Our calling means ...</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Our calling is to be salt and light
in all circumstances. That means:</p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">to be an influence in our
culture against further insensitivity and cruelty;</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">to season the bitter,
dog-eat-dog world with grace and mercy;</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">to be that light shining in the
darkest corner;</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">to be a beacon of truth and love.</p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p><p class="western" lang="en-GB">
</p></ul>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">How</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">How can we be salt and light for them
and for the surrounding community?</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">By being there, by being active,
sometimes by opposing, but mainly by helping and being available. By
acting where others in society won’t. By being forgiving, by being
always ready to give account of the hope that is in us. By being
gentle and respectful and keeping a clear conscience.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Change Society</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">This is how we change society, not by
joining in with the increasingly shrill shouting match that passes
for debate, but by actions that are consistent with the gospel we
preach. In other words by being salt and light in every situation.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><br />
<br />
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Amen.</p>
<ul><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p>
</ul>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-14510598851875011252023-01-22T15:51:00.003+00:002023-01-22T15:52:55.467+00:00The effect of the Light of Christ at the start of Jesus' ministry <h3 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Title: The
effect of the Light of Christ</h3>
<h1 align="left" class="western" lang="en-GB">Reading Is 9v1-4;
Mt 4v12-23</h1>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Prayer</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Father,</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">I pray that through these words, we
may come closer to the Light of Christ, and be better reflectors in
our world.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Background – Zebulun</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><i>[Slide 1 - Map]</i></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHS0BaqEVcpQqzDLEKTySJXJfEC3CN2Xjih397H4cSfpJZf5URoqrGMraSpqUmZMKxPi2GHlwn5MslH3EYSy2wAJr5gRxyexbpWJN-Bx781KHDoB0AUXwJ-Sl11Qt09a3IJEpB4A5ni4ffmMFgWxUjzZ5t5oDOXDRfaYMZ5yFlAMnYNti2fIA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="1058" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHS0BaqEVcpQqzDLEKTySJXJfEC3CN2Xjih397H4cSfpJZf5URoqrGMraSpqUmZMKxPi2GHlwn5MslH3EYSy2wAJr5gRxyexbpWJN-Bx781KHDoB0AUXwJ-Sl11Qt09a3IJEpB4A5ni4ffmMFgWxUjzZ5t5oDOXDRfaYMZ5yFlAMnYNti2fIA" width="320" /></a></i></div><i><br /> </i><p></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">First, a little geographical
background. Zebulun and Naphtali, along with Asher are the northern
territories of the promised land. Asher is on the coast. Naphtali
borders the sea of Galilee, and is on the route for invading forces
from Assyria to get south towards Judah and ultimately the other
large power in the region – Egypt. Zebulun would also be a target.
They have been invaded or under threat of invasion for years,
decades even. Neither tribal area is a nice place to live, with those sorts of threats hanging over them.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Background – Galilee</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In Jesus’ day, they roughly match
to Galilee. Galilee, now a Roman province, was a mixed area, with
Israelites and Gentiles living side by side. After the Assyrian
invasion it had been sparsely populated for many years, but about a
century before Jesus, Israelites had moved from the south,
repopulating the area.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Darkness</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><i>[Slide 2 – Dark Skies]</i></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAzIo1AR-wx-BN-b6e-5sw8u_-S3bgP-a21dCJmx84aNZt3JyDn1DmvPsRy6c8s-WuMceoD2TkNoywLwpUP4pLtHVHVhJEKSmefJ8nLg4DE5g6m_S9S4IW-FBZ91avxiTPP1s_JiihHJT_7VZyvTG3UdlywG3vGILGcbtucjEcgoux6D1UueA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="1058" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAzIo1AR-wx-BN-b6e-5sw8u_-S3bgP-a21dCJmx84aNZt3JyDn1DmvPsRy6c8s-WuMceoD2TkNoywLwpUP4pLtHVHVhJEKSmefJ8nLg4DE5g6m_S9S4IW-FBZ91avxiTPP1s_JiihHJT_7VZyvTG3UdlywG3vGILGcbtucjEcgoux6D1UueA" width="320" /></a></i></div><i><br /> </i><p></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Have you ever experienced true
darkness? In our country, there are only a few places that you can
get away from the street lighting. Even in areas known for dark
skies, such as the Suffolk coast, we still didn’t really need the
torches we took with us to walk from the B&B to the pub. The only
time I have known true darkness was in Tanzania in 2002. We left a
meeting and had to get back to our dormitory. I have a poor sense of
direction at the best of times, and struggled to find my way.
Listening for voices and trying to follow paths, when you can’t see
the bushes they go around, is not a great experience.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It’s not surprising then that we
use darkness as a metaphor when we are confused and don’t know what
to do next, or when circumstances make planning the future next to
impossible.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Promise of Light</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Light is what we need, and is exactly
what’s promise to the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali. You might
think that just being part of the Roman Empire was enough – and it
certainly brought a kind of stability – but there is still
oppression. An occupying force is not the promise, though, the
promise is in verse 6.
</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given …</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That’s how light will be bought to
the lands, through the child.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We, of course, understand that this
prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus, born as a child in Bethlehem.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Nazareth and Capernaum</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">When Joseph and Mary returned from
Egypt, they did not go back to their home town of Bethlehem, but
instead settled in Nazareth.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><i>[Slide 3 - Map]</i></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKJCpP4i-dg00anOC_2ICisq0GSKDPux3wM11so0Ek_n0JY7izLKxFLSymgvO2wqxzY8LUCRjzcRV4Hg-dgSO3UUFhr9z4bzHsXsxKO7zXOKxy16QEp_Y6hu9WYdrZTdr-2BRShhplyAlFtSCfqGIavZAcwJRQctWVMw98F8edeeETWgoGvDg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="1058" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKJCpP4i-dg00anOC_2ICisq0GSKDPux3wM11so0Ek_n0JY7izLKxFLSymgvO2wqxzY8LUCRjzcRV4Hg-dgSO3UUFhr9z4bzHsXsxKO7zXOKxy16QEp_Y6hu9WYdrZTdr-2BRShhplyAlFtSCfqGIavZAcwJRQctWVMw98F8edeeETWgoGvDg" width="320" /></a></i></div><i> </i><p></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">This is where Jesus grew up. His
baptism took place in Bethany, on the opposite side of the Jordan
from Jericho, (way off the bottom of the map) from there he was
tempted in the desert and then returned to Nazareth.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Then He hears that John has been put
in prison, that seems to act as a prompt for Him to start His
preaching ministry. It is probable that Jesus chose to move to
Capernaum specifically to fulfil the prophecy in Isaiah.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So, the light has dawned for those
living in darkness, in the shadow of death.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Kingdom of Heaven</h2><p class="western" lang="en-GB">Then see what he preaches:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“Repent, for the kingdom
of heaven is near.”</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We should not assume that the phrase
‘kingdom of heaven’ is any different to the phrase ‘kingdom of
God’ used in the other gospels. Matthew was writing primarily for
a Jewish audience, and ‘kingdom of heaven’ is just a mechanism
for him to avoid using God’s name. We can see that by looking at
the Gospel of Mark, 1:15, which is telling the same story:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“The time has come,”
Jesus said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the
good news!”</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Good News for them</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The good news at this stage, for
Jesus’s hearers, is that God is with them in a way they could not
have imagined in their wildest dreams or at any point in their history. Matthew tells us in
verse 23 that:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus went throughout
Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the
kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Disease (body and spirit)</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In a time when there were no
antibiotics, little understanding of how the human body worked and no
vaccinations, Jesus’s healing ministry was what drew large crowds
to follow him. He does not discriminate, healing Samaritans and
Gentiles as willingly as Israelites.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">He knew, though, that more than just
physical healing was required, and began to teach them about how God
intended them to live with one another. We have examples of that in
the sermon on the mount and the sermon on the plain.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Light has dawned</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So the light had dawned in Zebulun
and Naphtali. But light can be dangerous when you’ve been in the
dark for a long time.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"><i>[Slide 6 - bugs life video]</i></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"><i> </i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzF4oEYUtEmAAuGVW9fW7UEBJJWZ5-Jrq94iiuX_apC7MLXRaqqFACP6NAQgc4NfPda-D1Jn15Sb9Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></i></div><i><br /></i><p></p><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This
light is beautiful too, but it will not kill, of course, but it could
ruin your reputation, it could even put you in jail, if some of the
things you have been doing warrant that sort of punishment.</span></span>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That’s why Jesus needs to teach.
They do not know how to live their lives. They have a lot to learn,
as the light will expose all their wrong doing, all their evil plans,
all their careless disregard for the people around them.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Tunnel</h2><p class="western" lang="en-GB">Imagine another scenario. You have
been walking through a tunnel for a long time. You begin to see
light at the other end. If it is not the exit, you are in trouble.
If it’s getting noticeably bigger, you are in trouble. There’s a
train coming. Now’s the time to repent and move back in the
direction you came from as quickly as it is safe to do so.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Repent</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">‘Repent’ is a military term in
the Roman army. It means turn around, so that you can start heading
in the opposite direction. That’s what Jesus is saying in verse
17.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The Israelites have been headed in
the wrong direction, and they’ve been going that way for a long
time. Now God is here, it’s time for a change – a very
noticeable change.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Also Gentiles</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It is not just the Israelites, it’s
also the Gentiles, and some of them will hear Jesus’s message, but
the main mission to the Gentiles happens later, after Jesus has
completed his work and died for our sins, and risen again as ‘proof’ that He's God.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Repentance forever</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The message that Jesus is giving
comes through time to us too. Before we knew Jesus, our lives were going in the
wrong direction. When we accepted Jesus into our lives, we should
have also repented of our old life.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">As Paul says when he writes to the
Corinthians</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">“Therefore, if anyone is
in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">If the old has gone, our old way of
life has gone with it, if the new has come we live our life under the
direction of Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Light of Christ</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The light of Christ is still there,
showing up all the deliberate failings and errors that we keep on
making.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Children in the Church</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We can see that in our national life,
as the church (the followers of Christ) all have to repent of the
poor way we have treated children under our care.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We have turned around, instead of
being careless and allowing all sorts of nasty things to happen, we
are now very careful, and make a huge effort to ensure that we all
remain very careful. If you don’t know, it’s called
safeguarding, it may seem over the top, and it probably is, but going
in the other direction, into the light, out of the darkness requires
effort.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Personal Life</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We should see the effect of the light
of Christ in our personal lives too. Each Sunday, when we attend
church, we say some sort of confession together. Some of them carry
real meaning, and some less so, but each of them is designed so that
we can at least be sorry for our failings.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">If we are genuinely sorry, then we
will try to do better in the future.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Christianity has a reputation in some
places for being a religion of prohibition, so instead of leaving you
with a list of don’ts, I will leave you with a list of do’s.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Jesus said: (Matthew 22)</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><sup>37</sup> “ ‘Love
the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with
all your mind.’ <sup>38</sup> This is the greatest and most
important commandment. <sup>39</sup> The second is like it:
‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’
</blockquote>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">and Paul expanded what love means in
his first letter to the Corinthians:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB"><sup>4</sup> Love is
patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not
proud. <sup>5</sup> It does not dishonour others, it is not
self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
<sup>6</sup> Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the
truth. <sup>7</sup> It always protects, always trusts, always
hopes, always perseveres.</blockquote><h2 style="text-align: left;">Conclusion</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So, as we live with the light of
Christ showing us the way, and making us open to our own failings,
let’s make sure that we repent and turn towards the light, and as
always try to be more focussed on God and others than our own selfish
desires.</p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p><p class="western" lang="en-GB">Here it is on youtube, before so script changes and corrections. <span class="video-url-fadeable style-scope ytcp-video-info"><a class="style-scope ytcp-video-info" href="https://youtu.be/LohOeOI72cs" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/LohOeOI72cs </a></span></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span class="video-url-fadeable style-scope ytcp-video-info"> </span></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span class="video-url-fadeable style-scope ytcp-video-info">References</span></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span class="video-url-fadeable style-scope ytcp-video-info"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-c5ce588a-7fff-377d-aa2b-a618b143792f" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://sermonsfrommyheart.blogspot.com/2017/01/isaiah-91-4-light-of-christ.html?m=1" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://sermonsfrommyheart.blogspot.com/2017/01/isaiah-91-4-light-of-christ.html?m=1</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/third-sunday-after-epiphany/commentary-on-isaiah-91-4-6" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/third-sunday-after-epiphany/commentary-on-isaiah-91-4-6</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.jesuswalk.com/isaiah/maps/galilee-of-the-gentiles-936x1000x300.jpg" id="docs-internal-guid-68448229-7fff-721e-dafa-87db7ef4bfb7" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://www.jesuswalk.com/isaiah/maps/galilee-of-the-gentiles-936x1000x300.jpg</span></a><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TTUQyEr-sg0" id="docs-internal-guid-3f66034f-7fff-a881-3f11-64310335e331" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TTUQyEr-sg0</span></a><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-26124a43-7fff-d74d-acbe-a8c556f8343c" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/what-is-the-history-of-galilee-and-why-was-it-important-to-jesus.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/what-is-the-history-of-galilee-and-why-was-it-important-to-jesus.html</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIdqxVrYjsg" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIdqxVrYjsg</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"><span class="video-url-fadeable style-scope ytcp-video-info"> </span> </p>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12256341.post-24742811378752983652022-12-18T11:00:00.030+00:002022-12-18T11:00:00.222+00:00Difficult Decisions<p>Preached on 18 December 2022 in Christ Church, Billericay @ 8:00</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB" style="text-align: left;">Readings: Isaiah 7:10-16; Matthew
1:18-25</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Introduction</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">This morning we are looking at the
prophecy that a virgin will give birth to a child. Both our readings
are the subject of some controversies. That’s partly because
of the subjects they cover, but also because the language that the
Isaiah reading is written in has words that do not easily translate
into either Greek, or English.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">I am going to look at both passages,
to see what they mean individually and when they are taken together.
There is a common theme between the two reading that’s only
loosely related to the prophecy.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Ahaz’s problem</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">First, let’s start with the Old
Testament. Ahaz has a problem. The two countries to the north of
him have got together. That’s Aram and Israel (or Ephraim), in
what we would now see as Sameria. They have joined forces, to help
protect themselves against Assyria. Assyria is the regional power,
and is constantly threatening the borders of its neighbours.
Rezin of Aram and Pekin of Ephraim want Ahaz to join forces with
them. If he won’t, they plan to take Judah by force, thus
expanding their territory. Hopefully that will make them less of a
target for Assyria.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">In the time of King David, Ephraim
and Judah had been one nation, so this alliance seems like the
ultimate betrayal. No wonder, Ahaz was shaken.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Now he has an important decision to
make. What is he to do?</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Isaiah’s message</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Isaiah has already been given a
message for Ahaz, telling him not to be afraid, because the invasion
he is expecting will not happen. Apparently this has not quelled his
fear, so at verse 10 the Lord has another go at speaking to Ahaz.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Signs</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">He is offered a sign – any
sign. This is a very unusual offer. When Hezekiah was offered a
sign, he was given a choice, should the sun go forward or backward 10
steps. He chose backward because he though that was harder to do,
and the Lord did it. Hezekiah had been a faithful king. Signs, when
they are provided, are usually just given and no choice involved.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Ahaz refused</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Ahaz has not been a faithful king.
He is supposed to listen to the prophets and ensure that the people
worship correctly, but he has not done that. His response to God’s
amazing offer is “No, I will not ask; I will not put the Lord
to the test”.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Do not test God</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">You will probably remember Jesus
saying something similar during His temptation in the wilderness.
They are both quoting Deuteronomy 6:16 “Do not put the Lord
your God to the test as you did at Massah.” The context is
very different. Jesus was speaking to Satan. The Israelites had
tested God at Massah by getting ready to stone Moses because there
was no water. (ex 17:1-7)</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Here, though, Ahaz is being offered
the sign by God. It seems that he knows just enough of the
scriptures to try to deflect Isaiah from what God is saying.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">The Prophecy</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">God will not be deflected from his
purpose, neither will Isaiah. God will provide a sign. He will try
to convince Ahaz to follow His instruction.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">“The virgin will be with child
and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Immanuel means either “God is
with us”, or “God with us”. It’s meant to
tell Ahaz that God is with him, protecting him and the rest of Judah
from the threat they are so worried about.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">To set a time frame to this, the
following is given:</p>
<blockquote class="western" lang="en-GB">He will eat curds and honey
when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right. But
before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right,
the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.</blockquote>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">How the prophecy worked</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">We cannot be certain how the prophecy
worked in detail. There are debates about every aspect. This
prophecy does not require a virgin birth, normal conception is
possible for a current virgin. The virgin could be Isaiah’s
second wife, or a recently married woman in the king's entourage, the
name Immanuel being chosen as a way of expressing disapproval with
Ahaz’s leadership. Either way, a son is born.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">“Curds and honey” may
refer to the good things that the boy will have – from the
promised land – ‘a land flowing with milk and honey’
or the exact opposite – the only food available when the nation
is devastated.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">‘Reject the wrong and choose
the right’ is undoubtedly the key, as children must be a
certain age to do this. Commentators vary from two, twelve, or in
the twenties.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">It doesn’t matter that much,
what we know is that within a few years, before they had time to
overrun Judah and Jerusalem, Aram and Ephraim had been overrun
themselves by Assyria. So the prophecy is fulfilled, at least for
Ahaz.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Joseph’s decision</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Now let’s move on to the New
Testament reading. Joseph’s difficult decision comes as a
surprise to him, rather than an escalating threat. Joseph either
hears about the pregnancy, or sees evidence of it for himself, we are
not told. It’s possible he went to collect his bride for the
wedding, and spotted the problem then.
</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Now he has an important decision to
make. What is he to do?</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Righteous Man</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Joseph is described as a righteous
man, that being the case, to continue with the marriage is out of the
question. According to scripture, Mary should be punished for her
indiscretion. This could be a stoning, but that was rare in the 1<sup>st</sup>
century, or a divorce – either publicly or privately. This is
Joseph’s preferred option. He is certainly a kind man. He
wants to cause Mary as little trouble as possible while still doing
the right thing for God and himself. So he decides on a quiet divorce,
that way they can both get on with their lives sooner rather than
later.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">The Dream</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Maybe he decided to sleep on it and
see how he felt in the morning. While he was asleep, an angel of the
Lord appeared to him. The angel told him not to be afraid to take
Mary home as his wife. The social stigma of having a new wife
already pregnant would be considerable, the assumption would be that
the baby was his and that he wasn’t a very self-disciplined
person. He would be seen as a sinner, and shunned by those claiming
righteousness.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">The decision</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">So, unlike Ahaz, Joseph is swayed by
the message the angel delivered, and agrees to take Mary as his Wife.
This makes him Jesus’s legal father on earth. So, Jesus is
born of the house of David, just as required by various other
prophecies. He then had no union with her until after Jesus was born
– so maybe the pregnancy was quite advanced at this stage, or
Joseph, being a righteous man, had a greater understanding of what
was going on than was reported. After Jesus was born, though, they seem to have lived a normal life, the rest of the family being
conceived by the usual method.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">The problem with Prophecies</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Matthew tells us that this took place
to fulfil the prophecy that we read about in Isaiah. From a straight
forward reading of Isaiah, it is easy to tick this prophecy off as
fulfilled and done with. Judah was not defeated by Aram and Ephraim,
but they were later defeated by Assyria.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">That’s the problem with
prophecies, not only are they sometimes difficult to understand, but
it is also possible that they refer to things other than those that
are being directly addressed when they are given. Matthew clearly
sees something more in Isaiah than a straight forward reading
provides.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Debate</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">As I mentioned before, there is huge
debate about the prophecy in Isaiah, and about this report of the
birth of Jesus. Does the word for virgin, really mean virgin in our
sense, does it mean young woman. Most agree that it does not
translate easily to either. The Greek word used ‘parthenos’
does directly translate to virgin – I’ve checked. So
there is no doubt what Matthew thought.
</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">God and Man</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Anyway, it would be difficult to
accept that Jesus was the son of God, if God had no involvement in
His conception. So Matthew has set us up nicely for the next
difficult theological debate – understanding the trinity.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Connection</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">I mentioned at the beginning that
there is another connection between the two passages. It is related
to the prophecy, and in particular to God speaking to us directly
when we have difficult decisions to make, as was the case in both our
readings.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Connection- Ahaz</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Ahaz was approached by the prophet
and offered a sign – any sign that would convince Ahaz that God
knew what He was doing and was in control. Ahaz rejected the offer
and moved his kingdom – the house of David, away from God’s
rule. Judah was ultimately defeated by controlled by Assyria.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Connection- Joseph</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Joseph, on the other hand, when
finding his betrothed was expecting a baby, listened to what God had
to say and accepted Mary as his wife. Jesus the son of God would be
born anyway, that process was unstoppable. Joseph’s acceptance
led him to all sorts of difficulties – the flight to Egypt and
the return to settle in a strange town, come to mind.</p>
<h2 class="western" lang="en-GB">Us</h2>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">When we have big decisions to make,
they often become turning points in our lives. It is important for
us to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying at that time. That may be
through someone filling the role of a prophet, through a sign,
(although I doubt you’ll get a choice!) through a dream,
through a scripture reading holding a new meaning to us, through a
sudden change in circumstance, or even a dream. It may also come
through a discernment process that leads to selection, or not, for
some sort of ministry.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">The important thing for us is to
listen and accept the advice or direction that the Holy Spirit is
providing.</p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB">Amen.</p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p><p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>References</b></span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><a href="https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-sunday-of-advent/commentary-on-isaiah-710-16-3"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-sunday-of-advent/commentary-on-isaiah-710-16-3"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-sunday-of-advent/commentary-on-isaiah-710-16-3</u></span></a></span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><a href="https://sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary/old-testament-isaiah-710-16-commentary/"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary/old-testament-isaiah-710-16-commentary/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary/old-testament-isaiah-710-16-commentary/</u></span></a></span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><a href="https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-sunday-of-advent/commentary-on-isaiah-710-16"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-sunday-of-advent/commentary-on-isaiah-710-16"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><u>https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-sunday-of-advent/commentary-on-isaiah-710-16</u></span></a></span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span></span><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><a href="https://translate.yandex.com/?source_lang=el&target_lang=en&text=%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%B8%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%82"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: navy; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zxx"><u>https://translate.yandex.com/?source_lang=el&target_lang=en&text=%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%B8%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%82</u></span></span></span></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: navy; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zxx"> </span></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: navy; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="zxx">Youtube: <a href="https://youtu.be/vaxxvyLJLzs">https://youtu.be/vaxxvyLJLzs</a><u><br /></u></span></span></span></p>
<p class="western" lang="en-GB"> </p>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405503420441350657noreply@blogger.com0