Summer Series 3 – Biblical Teaching

Preached 11 August 2024 at Christ Church, Billericay. It is based on Holy Habits in Messy Church.  I will add the slides later, so that it will make better sense.

The recording can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX8AAlUgffM from 28:15

I did go a bit off script at the end.

[Slide 1 – Title]

Prayer

Introduction

[Slide 2 – Mealtime cards]

 

Favourite story about Jesus?

What is your favourite story about Jesus?

[get answers]

My favourite story about Jesus is: His conversation with Pilate in John 18. Jesus is under extreme pressure, and being sentenced to death, but He has the presence of mind to have a conversation with Pilate that really unsettles him and makes him think about who Jesus is.

Bible at home? Would you like one?

If you haven’t got a Bible at home, would you like one?

[get answers]

Most (all?) of us have – I have loads – many different translations and different sizes – small ones that are difficult to read now, and larger ones with embedded cross-references. I also, have access to multiple versions on my phone.

If you have got a Bible, where is it kept?

[get answers]

My main one is next to my bed.

Activity 1 – Minute to Win it

[Slide 3 – Books of the Bible]

 

Time for an activity. Hopefully you haven’t opened your envelopes yet – because if you have, that would be cheating! We’re going to have a look at how much you know about the Bible. There are 66 books in the Bible. In your envelopes you will find the names of 14 of those books on slips of coloured paper. Your task is to put them in the correct order. The colours of the paper are not significant. If you are fortunate, you will have two slips with the same names on them, although I hope not. If you aren’t fortunate you will have an extra slip, but again, I hope not.

If you’re doing this from home, and don’t have a pack, try working out those on the screen.

So when the next slide comes up, you have one minute to get as many of them as you can.

[Slide 4 – Minute to win it video autoplay and auto advance to 5]

How did you do, check your list with the index page of a Bible?

[get answers]

 

What is the Bible?

So, what is the Bible? And Why is it so important to Christians?

It is a collection of writings (or books), from around 3200 years ago, to about 2000 years ago. In many cases, the writings are recording events that have come to their hearers by being told and re-told over many generations. The writings record peoples interactions with God, and how they behaved because of, or despite, those interactions. It tells us of their ups and downs, their successes and failures. They recorded songs, poetry, prophecy, biography, letters, and philosophical thoughts as well as a little history. All aspects of their lives are covered. All the writings are focussed on God and His people. We can see how His promises are fulfilled, and most importantly, how His plan for the redemption of the world is progressing.

Sequence

The writings are kept in a particular sequence, as we have seen. This is not a historical sequence, even though the first book deals with creation and the last with the end of this world and the establishment of the next. Rather, Jewish writing that make up our Old Testament are first, and the Christian writings that make up the New Testament are second, after that the sequence loosely categorises the writings by type.

Important

The Bible is important because it is the word of God. Each of the books is inspired by God, and eventually, written down and then copied and copied again by people who recognised its importance. The Bible stories we read, both the historical ones, and the made up ones, like the parables, tell us something about ourselves and how we relate to God. They also tell us something about God and how He relates to us. The Bible itself says that these writings are sufficient for us, so during the reformation, in 1561, this confession was written:

[Slide 6 – Belgic Confession]

“We believe that those Holy Scriptures fully contain the will of God, and that whatsoever man ought to believe unto salvation is sufficiently taught therein.”

and in the following century the Westminster Assembly said:

[Slide 7 – Westminster Assembly]

“The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men [Gal. 1:8–9; 2 Thess. 2:2; 2 Tim. 3:15–17].”

So our Bible has everything we need to live our lives as God wants us to. We just have to work out the what and the how.

Activity – What’s Missing

Slide 8 – What’s Missing

One of the ways we can use the Bible is for guidance. In the following activity, the guidance the items provide will help us get from one place to another.

Watch the screen carefully. You will have only 30 seconds to study it’s contents and store them in your short term memory. Then, the picture will change and one of the things will be missing. Now, normally this game would be played with a tray and a cloth covering it, I would them take an item and uncover it. But it’s almost impossible to show a tray of items to those who worship from home, so I’ve created a video.

Right, here goes:

[Slide 9 – 9 items that give direction
Slide 10, slide 11 follow automatically]

What was missing?

 

Did you manage to see what was missing?

[get answers]

[Slide 12 The Missing Item]

So, there it is, a small black arrow, I hope you spotted it.>

 

Life as a Journey

[Slide 13 What does the Bible say about]

It’s a bit of a cliché these days to say life is a journey, but that is still a valid way of looking at life. Often we find ourselves lost and don’t know what to do next, or how to respond to a certain situation.

Many years ago, as a young Christian, I was given a book, simply called ‘Help’. Each chapter, consisted of a page or two of Bible verses that answered some question about life, or gave indications of how to pray and respond. These days we simply have to do an internet search “What does the Bible say about …?”. But we have to be careful when we look at the results and only read results that list Bible verses. If the Bible is to give direction, we don’t necessarily want other peoples interpretations. Read the verses, and perhaps check to see if there are any other references that relate to those verses. It’s rarely a good idea just to read one or two when there are about 31,100 to choose from.

Road to Emmaus

[Slide 14 Road to Emmaus pictures]

In our reading today, the disciples on the road to Emmaus were lost and confused, because the man they thought was the Messiah was dead. Then an apparent stranger comes along and speaks to them about their scriptures, and shows them how all the scriptures point to Jesus, and His death and resurrection. They didn’t recognise Him until he broke bread with them, then they understood.

It can work in similar ways for us, if we are prepared to listen to and absorb the contents of the Bible, and to learn from it, not just remember it. Then, when we have need the words and their meening will come back to us and provide us with clarity and understanding.

Amen

Luke 24:13-35 - 6:30pm Communion by Extension

Our reading today describes an incident where a couple of people were walking home to the village of Emmaus. The Crucifixion was a few days ago. We don’t know if it was two men or a man and his son or perhaps a man and wife. We know they were followers of Jesus, but not how closely they were involved – they were not counted in the disciples. We do know one was named Cleopas, a man’s name.

They had left the dispirited and confused band of disciples with the events of Good Friday fresh in their memories. They can only just have heard the news that the body was missing. We can sympathize with their bewilderment. They had left without even waiting to find out what had happened to the body.

The reading tells us they were discussing all that happened, when Jesus joins them. It adds that they were kept from recognizing Jesus.

Why were they kept from recognizing him? Why wouldn't Jesus want them to know who he was? Perhaps we guess that it was to be a teaching experience. He wanted to teach the scriptures and not have them distracted by that amazing fact that he was alive.

Jesus asked, “What are you discussing?” That question surprised them. They stop and look depressed and ask Jesus if he is just passing through and not heard all the news…

What news?

They tell him about Jesus of Nazareth, how he was a great a prophet, and how the authorities had arranged his death. They had thought he was to be the one who would redeemed Israel. Then they shared how the women found an empty tomb and others verified it. They did not have any idea what was going on. They have finished with it all. Jesus was a prophet, we expected great things of him, but now he's dead. Time to go home. Time to put that behind us and move on.

Jesus calls them foolish because they don’t understand or expect the descriptions of the messiah to come true. How slow they are to believe. And then over the next few miles he explains from Moses through all the prophets and how they relate to Jesus the Christ.

Jesus reminds them about the scripture related to the prophecies of the messiah. If Jesus was recognized or had revealed who he was he would have been explaining scriptures with his personal authority. He would have been speaking as the son of God, which would be pretty powerful, but his identity would carry weight in their eyes, and that is not His purpose. So He could not let them know who he was.

When he reminds them of the scriptures He is allowing the scriptures to speak with their own authority. His identity does not influence the hearers; in fact how they see him now may even be a negative influence since he seems to be a person that is out of touch with what has happened.

This reading is an important illustration of the relevance and authority of scripture and how we should weight it’s use in our relationship with God. Scripture contains the information we all need to understand God and his purposes. If we have trouble reading and understanding the bible we need to continue to read and pray that the Holy Spirit will aid our understanding like Jesus did for the travellers that day.

The scripture that Jesus is talking about would have been much better known to travellers than they are to us. Each of the stories that he told them they would recognise, they'd heard them hundreds of times before. Most of them they could re-tell from memory, but here they had a new twist. They all lead to Jesus. They all relate in some way to His mission and ministry.

These would not be just the familiar prophesies,

• Isaiah 53:3-7 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. By oppression and judgement he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

or the verses that Jesus spoke from the cross

• Ps 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

• Ps 22:16-18 Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

This would cover the whole story, from Moses onward. Let me read you a short paper which gives some of the flavour of the things that Jesus might have been talking about.

Read: Jesus: The new Moses.

After Jesus has expounded the scriptures for a while they come to the end of their journey.

The travellers have not had enough though, they invite him to stay with them. Have they perhaps started to recognise him through all that he has been saying. Certainly something has gone in, something of what he has been saying has stuck. Their hearts are burning, they have seen some truths that they had missed before. They cannot leave it at this. They must hear more. This is no polite request for an encore, although it is issued politely.

Jesus agrees to stay and eat with them. The food is brought, and Jesus does a remarkable thing. He takes the bread and breaks it. In that action they suddenly realise who it is.

That's because it is time for Jesus to reveal Himself. He has performed at least part of the last supper ceremony that He has passed on to them. Their eyes are opened.

Its the same ceremony that we are here to celebrate today.

Do you remember the first time you took part in the Holy Communion ritual? For me it was at Spring Harvest. I had been coming to church for a while by then, and was already on the list of those due to be confirmed. I had so far refused to say the words “Though we are many we are one body because we all share in one bread”. How can you say those words when you cannot share in the one bread? - I don't know, and I couldn't.

At Spring Harvest they welcomed all to communion who were regular members in good standing with their churches – no mention of needing to be confirmed. I decided that I would receive the elements when it was my turn. So when the bread was offered, I accepted, and likewise with the wine. After the service someone said “That meant a lot to you didn't it Pete”. I could only agree. Through partaking in the ritual I had met Jesus in a way that I had not met him before. There was something new in our relationship. I had a new experience of the presence of God. We were closer, because I had obey this command. I could see Jesus more clearly.

There have been other times when communion has been special – but none have yet been like the first time. Perhaps you have similar recollections of particular services where you found that communion meant something extra special. Perhaps it was your first communion that was special.

Tonight as we approach the table, try to recall, or if there have not been any special times, consider that through this act you will meet with Jesus, perhaps more closely than you do on a daily basis, perhaps more closely than you ever have before. At least be prepared for it to happen.

Through the word, and through the meal we meet with Jesus.

Through the word, and through the meal we meet with the Risen Christ.

Meeting with Jesus is a good thing to do, but it is not enough. When the two travellers realised who it was he immediately disappeared from their sight.

Why did Jesus have to leave at that point?

He left because the lesson that he is trying to teach is the same lesson that was spoken to Thomas.

Jn 20:24-29

^{Jn 20:24} Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.
^{Jn 20:25} So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”
^{Jn 20:26} A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
^{Jn 20:27} Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
^{Jn 20:28} Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
^{Jn 20:29} Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The disciples have got to learn the lesson that Jesus is not going to be with them physically any more. It's a lesson that He has tried to teach before “Jn 16:7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”

Now, of course the lesson is a practical one, rather than simply a spoken one. He has shown them that they do not need him there. At last they believe! At last they have started to understand.

When I spoke about meeting with Jesus earlier, I was not expecting him to be there in the flesh, saying “The peace of the Lord be with you”, but I knew nonetheless that I had met with him.

Theses two followers who were so caught up in his words as he walked along have finally got it.

Their reaction is to return to Jerusalem, to tell the disciples what they have seen, what they have experienced. The journey back is a lot quicker than the journey out had been, but I bet it seemed longer. When they arrive back, they find that their exciting story is old news. Jesus has appeared to Peter.

In reality, of course, the appearance to the two travellers is a very important event. There are two of them, and as such this is a valid testimony in Jewish eyes. There must be two witnesses for the testimony to be up-held – and here they are. They are telling their story to the disciples, who will later pass it on to others and eventually to us.

Their story, their witness, because that's what they have become – witnesses, will help to convince many that Jesus has indeed risen from the dead. The report of their journey will be written down, and will become part of the scriptures for us. Part of the amazing story of the God's plan to redeem the whole world, not just the city of Jerusalem, the home of the Jews.

For us this is now an important part of scripture as we seek to obey the Lords final command

^{Mt 28:19} Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
^{Mt 28:20} and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Luke 24:13-35 - 10am Service of the Word

Alleluia Christ is Risen!

He is risen indeed Alleluia.

We are still looking at the events of Easter Day. This one of the last of Luke's stories about Jesus and his disciples.. He uses it to summaries many of the messages in his book, but most importantly as a 'proof' of the resurrection. This morning we are going to take a closer look at how we understand the story. What the story means for us. How each of us thinks about it. Lets take a quick tour of the story, because we must have the story clearly in our minds for the next part.

Two 'volunteers' mime the story, to my direction.

As I was preparing for today's talk I came across a series of pictures inspired by the story. They are interpretations from the great artists in our past. Some of them depict scenes that are nothing like what I imagined – and of course what I imagined may not be anything like the reality that existed when these two friends travelled on their 7 mile journey. We've already seen one interpretation in the re-enactment, and, I have no doubt, that some of you will have seen things in the story differently because of that. I'm now going to run the sequence of pictures, they should continue to cycle through as I move on with the sermon.

Run Picture sequence through once

The question I was left with was “How do I see the events of the journey?” and “What impact does that have on my relationship with Jesus?”

Now we are going to look at the story again, and try to imagine it in your own way. I will take us through the events, and make some suggestions and ask us some questions on route.

At the end we will be back here together.

Imagine it - The following is read slowly, with sufficient gaps for people to think.

You're in a busy city

Something happens – a disaster of some sort – your friend is arrested and put to death.

• What had you been expecting?

• What had he promised?

Your group of friends is in disarray. No-one can agree on anything.

You just want to go home. Two of you decide to leave together.

• It takes some careful planning to get out of the city unnoticed, and avoid being arrested yourself.

• Maybe the route is not direct, perhaps you have to walk through some narrow back streets.

• Are people watching, or are you left alone?

• Is there any sign of the temple police, do you have to avoid them.

It's a long walk home, but there is no other way – there is nothing to go back for. Everything you had there has come to an end.

You're depressed, and despairing.

What are you talking about?

• The strange things that have happened

• The expectations you had –

  • What were you expecting as you entered the city – not the welcome you got?

  • Were you expecting a revolution?

  • What were you expecting when you were in the olive groves? When your leader just wanted to pray.

• Are you talking about the way you reacted?

  • How did you react when he was arrested?

  • Did you get involved in the fight? - Are you proud of that?

  • Did you follow the temple police into the city?

  • Did you see where your leader was put, how he was treated?

  • Would you have preferred not to come into the city at all, would it have been safer to stay outside?

  • After all that's happened what could you have done differently?

Two of you leave the city at last, and onto the road to your village.

• Take a look back at the city

• Think again of all that has happened in the last few days

What is the road like?

• Maybe its dusty and deserted, is it hot, can you see the heat haze in the distance

• What can you see to either side?

• Are there other travellers in the distance?

• Is it a difficult walk, up-hill, or down hill?

• Is the road in a good condition?

Now in about two hours you'll be home – it may take longer today – there's not much enthusiasm for anything, not even getting where you want to be.

• Does the scenery change as you walk?

• Will you have to pass through any villages on the way?

While you're walking, someone comes along and walks in the same direction. Perhaps they join from another path, or catch you up.

• Somehow you strike up a conversation.

• The stranger seems unaware of your disaster

• The stranger doesn't even seem to know what's been happening

• but they have a listening ear.

Tell them about all that has happened to you, to your friends, describe your situation.

• From the highs of the entry in Jerusalem to the lows of the arrest and crucifixion

• Does it sound different now you're telling someone else?

Then the stranger starts to respond – they seem to know your whole life story. They know more about your past than even you do!

But when they speak about the scriptures, they speak with wisdom, authority and with real insight.

• Ps 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

• Ps 22:16-18 Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

• Isaiah 53:3-6 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

You're caught up in what they are saying – YES – you do know all of this

This is really how it should be -but is this really how it IS?

You come to your village. Are we really here already, it seems like we only started out a few minutes ago.

The stranger says good bye, but you ask them to stay and eat with you.

Why do you ask him to stay?

• For his well being? - It's dangerous out there at night

• Out of politeness?

• Because there is something about what he is saying, and you really want the conversation to go on forever.

Who is in your house when you get there?

Who will serve you food?

What sort of greeting do you get?

You sit to eat, perhaps at a table, perhaps somewhere else

It's a simple meal – perhaps bread and soup,

The food is brought, and placed on the table

Your guest takes on the role of host and begins to share out the food.

What is it that you see that you haven't seen before?

• Is it his actions, the way he does things

• The way he holds the bread, the particular way he breaks it

• Is it his hands and his arms – do you see his wounds?

• Is it just in the fact that he has taken over, taken charge, as you have relied on him to do for the last few years

It's Jesus, Its Jesus, Its Jesus

• What happens now?

  • Are you literally dancing with joy?

  • Are there tears of joy?

• What are the thoughts in your head? Which ones come through above the emotion?

  • The women were right?

  • The resurrection is true?

  • Salvation?

Where's Jesus?

• Where did he go?

• How could he have left us so soon

• It was really Him – wasn't it?

• Yes, of course, of course, who else could speak like that, who else could make us hang on His every word?

• Who else would break bread like that?

We MUST tell the others

We must go back to Jerusalem.

Its colder outside now, it may even be dark.

Retrace your footsteps urgently

Soon you will see lights in the distance – Jerusalem is minutes away

You burst into the room that you had left a little over four hours ago. The disciples and some others are still there.

They have their own exciting news. - It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.

Tell your story to the disciples

How do they react?

What is the mood of the meeting now?

Conclusion

Cleopas and his friend were not in Jesus inner circle. They are not listed in the 12 (now the 11). Nevertheless Jesus chose these two to make one of his final appearances to. This is the final lesson that Jesus has to teach. There are two important things that his followers have to learn:

He taught them how to find him in the Old Testament – the Jewish Scriptures. Starting with Moses – the person the Jews look back to as the founder in many ways of their beliefs, and the person God used to rescue Israel for the first time. Then using ALL the prophets He taught them about the prophecies, not that he hadn't before, but in that hour or two that he was with then he put it all together in a way they had not heard before.

He emphasised the new ceremony that he had created, he showed them by His actions that he was to be found in the breaking of the break. A reminder to them of the last supper, the meal they had shared together just a few days ago.

Both of those are lessons that we too should learn, but there is another lesson for us too, and its from the reaction of the two followers when they saw the risen Jesus for the first time. The realization that Jesus has risen from the dead – that it is really true – not just a story, but a real event, something that happened in history, as certain as the fact that you were born, that realization is a powerful thing – it changes peoples lives forever. You may not understand all the implications, I certainly didn't, but it is life changing. It is exciting, and exciting news leaks out – you MUST tell someone – maybe you just must tell anyone. As a last piece of imagination – remember back to the first time that you recognised Jesus as a living (living NOW) person.

How did you react?

What did you do next?