Acts 11:1-18 - God at Work

Introduction

Good morning everyone, and welcome to this extraordinary general meeting of the Jerusalem Church Council. As I'm sure you're aware there have been a number of rumours circulating about one of our founders, who has just returned from Caesarea after a long absence.

These rumours are serious, and indicate that our founder has broken the laws of our church. Such actions should they prove to be true would have serious consequences, both for our founder, and for the church as a whole. We have already experienced issues with the Sanhedrin, and a number of our people have moved away from the areas they control. If we are to continue to spread the word it is essential that we do not find ourselves in disagreement with the governors of this district, and the temple authorities in particular. There is no point in alienating these people as they will simply make it impossible for us to complete our mission.

Now to the allegations that we are here to discuss. Firstly, I should underline the seriousness of not staying with our people when you are on your travels. We all know that the laws of association are there for our protection and the maintenance of our church as a whole. Flouting these laws just causes some of our people (you know who I'm talking about) who are already taking a very liberal attitude to our beliefs to think that what they are doing has support from our leaders. The rules are there so that we may travel safely, we should not be encouraging our people to take unnecessary risks.

The first allegation then is that you entered the house of a gentile. That in its own right is serious enough, but there are other allegations to follow. Upon speaking with this gentile, you remained on his premises, and partook of a meal with him and his household.

How do you plead?

Is this our Church?

Is that a church you recognise? Has anything like this happened here. It's certainly the sort of welcome that Peter received on his return to Jerusalem, although I suspect in reality there was a good deal more shouting, and a lot less organization.

Real Objection

Maybe its verse 1 that contains the real objection. The Gentiles have received the word of God. It had never been God's intention to limit his kingdom to the Jews, they were supposed to be the ones who would be a beacon to the world and bring people to Him. To some extent they had succeeded. There were a number of converts to Judaism – called proselytes, but they had hardly reached the whole world. When God had asked his prophet Jonah to go to the gentile city of Ninevah and tell them all about his dis-pleasure at the way they were behaving, and the disaster that would befall them if they didn't repent, Jonah ran away. This was partly because they were the enemy, but also partly because they were not Jews and Jonah could not understand how God could love them too.

How did Peter respond?

How did Peter answer the accusations?

He told them his story. Starting from the beginning, with the vision from God, and the fact that it was repeated 3 times. Saying something three times is a Jewish way of emphasising its importance, and you will remember that Peter had been on the receiving end of this when Jesus re-instated him. Then he tells them that when the three men arrived, the Spirit told him to go with them, without hesitation. He tells them that the Men who came to fetch him had been given his name and location by God. When he got there they were already assembled, and eager to hear what he had to say. He'd hardly got started on his sermon, before the holy spirit came upon the people he was visiting. ( How annoying that must be for a preacher to be interrupted by God) [wait] He then goes on to describe a second pentecost experience.

Do you notice that all the way through the story it's God who's leading what happens:

God prepares Peter for what he is to be doing with a vision while he is praying

God tells the people in Caesarea that they need to talk to Simon who is called Peter, and that he's staying with Simon the tanner who lives by the sea in Joppa.

As they arrive God tells Peter that some people have come to talk to him and that he should go with them

Before Peter has the chance to finish his sermon, God baptises them with the holy spirit.

Recognizing God at work

How did Peter recognize that God was at work?

Peter was now becoming an expert at recognising God at work. As God established and expanded his church, Peter was one of His main agents. He would be acutely aware of the things that God was doing. He had learnt through many failures and difficulties - remember his denial of Jesus (Luke 22), and the "Get behind me Satan" episode. (Mark 8:33)

Peter has had an amazing vision. One that contradicted much of what he thought he knew about God. He did not try to interpret it - He did not go to his fellow disciples, or bring it to the church council., he wasn't allowed time for that. Acts 10:17: "While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate." Peter now has to listen for God's voice - the Holy Spirit speaks to him. "Go with the men who have come for you without hesitation." There is no reason given. The spirit doesn't say Here's your chance to spread the word to the gentiles";, the spirit just says "go with them", and Peter obeys. At this point there are preparations to be made. He's going on a journey, and it will take some time. This is not just collect your keys and your wallet and jump in the car. Peter is not expecting to be back in time for tea. He will be gone for days. The first thing Peter does is to get some companions to go with him.

I wonder what it took to convince the 6 friends who went with him?

Imagine it. These men have come to take me to see a Captain in the Roman army. He's stationed in Caesarea, (the regional capital). God has told me to go without hesitation. Will you come with me? What would you're answer have been? What extra 'proof' would you have needed that this is God at work.

What about Cornelius?

Cornelius prays regularly, and gives to the poor. He is clearly in touch with God, although he probably doesn't have such a clear understanding of God as Peter. Understanding is not important here. All that's important is that Cornelius is prepared to listen, and to take notice of what he hears. The important thing for us today is to note the level of detail that is provided for Cornelius. The holy angel that appeared to Cornelius told him:

• who to look for, by name - "Simon, who is called Peter"

• where to find him - "He's staying with Simon the tanner in Joppa, by the sea."

• that Peter has a message by which he and his household would be saved

So Cornelius send some of his men to find Peter. Then he prepares his household to be ready to receive Peter and listen to what he has to say.

So we can see from the passage today that God prepares the way for us. Peter was prepared by a vision. Cornelius was prepared by an Angel. The events that were to take place had been carefully planned by God. All Peter, Cornelius and the others have to do is play their part.

Am I doing Gods work?

How do we tell that God is at work?

While looking around for answers to this question, I mainly found answers to another similar question: “Am I doing Gods work?”. This perhaps puts the question more succinctly, but I think that it is actually a different question. Most of the answers I found centred around the general principle of scripture – justice, or fairness, peace and love for our fellow man. Now we know that God is involved in all of that, and is working through His church to mend many of the broken situations in the world. The question though has implications that I am somehow taking over from God.

Surely God should be doing God's work, and man should be doing man's work. I should not be taking over the things that God is doing. For example as I prepared to speak to you today, I am doing a number of things. I read various Bible passages – not just the set passage, but the verses before and after. I find and read the cross references to the various passages like Leviticus 11, where I learn that the rabbit chews the cud, which I didn't know before. I search my books and the internet for articles that are relevant to the passage. Most of all though I pray and listen to see if I can hear what God is saying through the passage. Which of the many messages that can be found in this piece of scripture does God want presented today? Should I use that recipe for Crocodile Gumbo, or will it just put you all off your lunch? My work then is to find things, and to listen to the Holy Spirits prompting for what to use, and how to use it. If it was up to me we would be looking at that recipe, but God said there are more important things to cover.

Am I doing Gods work? is a very masculine question. I learnt very early on in my 'Good news down the Street' baptism visits that it was important still to find out what the man of the house does for a living, and to talk about what I do also. The truth of the matter makes it even harder of us men than it appears at first. We are not allowed to be in control. We have to look, listen and understand, and then play our part. Its more like being in a team, or perhaps, part of an army, each of us must play his part.

So how do we recognise when God is at work?

Close to God

The most important thing is to be Close to God. God will only very rarely shout his commands, mostly he prefers to whisper, or work through your instincts and feelings. If you're going to be able to hear God you will have to stay close to Him, as both Peter and Cornelius did. They both prayed regularly, and received their instructions through visions, while praying. It's not always that dramatic though. There are some other ways.

Instincts and Feelings

Sometimes you will have the sense that you really should go and talk to a particular person. Maybe you will also have the sense of what to talk about, or maybe not. During mission '89, after all the prayer that went on in our street, I had a strong sense that I should speak to a particular neighbour. He is not the easiest of people to engage in a conversation, and I'm not the sort of person who can walk up to someone's front door, knock on it and ask if I can have a few minutes of their time. How was I to do this, I prayed. I had a couple of ideas, perhaps I could time my journey to work, so that we could talk as we walked to the station. We had left at the same time once or twice, but it was a pretty unusual happening. God had already prepared the answer for me. The day after the tents were erected on Sun Corner, he caught me up walking home from the station through the High Street, and asked me if I knew what was going on, why tents had been put up.

Coincidence

Now, you may see that as a co-incidence, but I saw it as an answer to pray, and more particularly God at work in our town. Coincidence is another way that God can be seen at work. You find yourself in the right place at the right time, with the right thing to say, all you have to do is say it. You may have prepared for the situation without realising it, or you may have seen something like it coming, but be surprised at the circumstances. Whatever it is, you will find it difficult to understand how it occurred just the way it did.

Hindsight

Sometimes we will not see God at work, we will only see the evidence that he has been at work. The disciples who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24) had thought that they were witnessing a powerful work of God, but now following the death of Jesus, they had begun to think that they were just imagining it. They were trying to make sense of what really happened. Then they met the risen Jesus walking on the road, and after quite a long conversation with Him, they suddenly understood what was happening. When Jesus broke bread they recognised him, and ran all the way back Jerusalem to tell the others what God had done.

This is a similar situation that the disciples that were questioning Peter now found themselves in. All they had in front of them was the evidence of what had happened. As Peter had started to speak to Cornelius and his family they had been baptised with the Holy Spirit. Peter says "as I began to speak the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning".

Let me remind you of what happened:

Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Back in Acts 10:45 it says “The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, Can anyone keep these people from being baptised with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”

This demonstration – the ability to speak in tongues – was provided by God, so that not only Peter, but also the Jews who had travelled with him would recognise that what was happening was of God. This was their proof that God was at work. Here was the proof that God was expanding his kingdom. The second pentecost finally showed the infant church that God put no limits on who was to receive His gifts, no limits on who was allowed to join His church.

On that day God expanded his church, more than he had done when three thousand converts were added, more than he had done when the church reached five thousand. On that day the potential membership of the church topped six thousand million. Now everyone, throughout time, is a potential citizen of God's kingdom.

This is God at work.

There are times and circumstances where it is easier for us to see when God is at work, because we have seen it before, and we are familiar with the part we have to play. You may have been involved in:

• Baptism Visits
• Alpha Courses
• Home Groups
• Church Services
• Prayer groups
• Church committees, or councils

this is not an exhaustive list, just a few examples.

In today's reading God was at work in the unfamiliar, and for Peter and the other Jewish followers of Jesus, very uncomfortable world outside of the Jewish nation. There will be times when we are caught up in Gods work, and it will take us to places where we are both uncomfortable, and in unfamiliar surroundings Like Jeremy and Kate, and Peter and Alison, we have to simply play our part.

To go where God sends us, whether that's to the supermarket, to the workplace, or to the other side of the world. To do the job that God asks us to do, whether that's what we've been doing all our lives, or whether it breaks some of our deepest held reservations and taboos.

What is our response to God's work?

We cannot finish without looking at the response to Gods work in the passage, and asking if we respond in the same way. The response is in verse 18 "When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life."

Now that they understand that all that has happened is from God, they accept it and get behind it. There will be other issues later - how should the gentiles behave in the church, should they like the proselytes be required to perform certain rituals?, but that is for later. The theology can wait. God has done something amazing in their presence, and their response can only be to praise Him.

Four Challenges from Acts 4:32-37

This is the text of a sermon delivered on 5 August 2007.

Introduction

Today we are going to look at the situation that the first Christians found themselves in and how they dealt with it. Then we will look at four challenges that the passage throws up for us.

Background

This passage is really just and introduction to the story of Ananias and Sapphira which follows in Acts 5. If you've never read it – do so after lunch today. If you don't you'll miss out, because our series moves straight to Acts 6 next week. If you've never read Acts as a book, perhaps you should start at chapter one. It certainly rivals Harry Potter for excitement AND its a true story.

Back in Acts 4, let us take a look at what we can learn from the passage. First lets see what has happened so far.

The story so far ...

Back in Acts 2, the church was born on the day of Pentecost, or more accurately the Jewish celebration Shavuot, or the Day of First fruits (Numbers 28:26). On that day Peter preached to the crowd, who had come from all over the place (Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome, Cretans and Arabs). About 3000 of them accepted Peter's message that day, and joined the new Jewish sect – because that's all it is, until we get to Acts 11. Now many of them were just visiting for the celebrations and would have to return to their country of origin, but there would be quite a few who stayed on – because they had no pressing need to return and wanted to hear more of what Peter had to say. By the time we get to 2:42 we hear that the believers “devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”.

In that same section we read “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.” which is very similar to the passage we are looking at today.

Then in Acts 3 there is the healing of a lame man, and another sermon from Peter, after which he and John get arrested. This doesn't seems to bother the crowd, as we are told that the number of MEN grew to about five thousand at the start of Acts 4. Peter and John get the chance to tell the Sanhedrin that it is impossible for them to stop talking about Jesus, and are let off with a stern warning. The disciples pray some more, their building is shaken and they continue their witness about Jesus.

The baby church was beginning to grow, and so was the opposition to it. First century Jerusalem was not a peaceful place to live, it was under occupation by a foreign enemy, its political and religious leaders were weak, indecisive, and ineffective. We have already seen how they dealt with the first leader of Christianity (from their point of view), but crucifixion on trumped-up charges had not worked, and here were new leaders – doing the same things. The Roman leaders were also weak. The Jewish territories were considered a place to send leaders as a reprimand. Right now Jerusalem was still full of visitors from all over them empire. There was constant political tension, and point scoring. To gain favour with the current leader you might be expected not to trade with the people who have joined the new sect, or you might be sacked from your job if you follow what Peter and John are saying.

Everything in the city would have been under strain, supplies of food are likely to be short, there was famine in some regions. There were just so many people, and they were not going home as quickly as usual.

In Billericay

Try to imagine such a situation in Billericay. Suddenly there are 5000 more people to look after. They have travelled here for a festival, but something remarkable has happened, and most of them have decided to stay. We – Christchurch – are the centre of events, the other churches have disowned us, and will not offer help, in some cases, they will no longer even be friendly. There is uproar in the town, our counsellors are demanding that something is done. The police are under pressure to disperse the crowds, maybe they will prevent us from entering Lake Meadows. The people who are leading the events have already been arrested and warned about illegal assembly. Where will all these people they stay? Where will they sleep? How will they be fed? Will there be enough water for them? Will the sewerage system cope? How will they move around – what transport is available? That's were you and I come in. They are our guests, as they get thrown out of their hotels, and turned away from their hosts in the other churches, it's our job to find them somewhere to stay, to eat, sleep, and live there lives. Many of them are young and are running out of cash, some of them were poor to start with. How will we cope?

[Children – house illustration]

For the Jews in Jerusalem hospitality was considered a good deed. They would have been Very Very reluctant to turn anyone away. Somehow they would find a way, or would this be too much even for them?

We jokingly say that this is a nice problem to have – that we'd like to see the church grow massively and quickly. The reality is that it isn't a nice problem to have.

Four Challenges

As I read through this passage, I found four challenges, we are going to take a look at them now, they will help us to understand what God was doing with His church, and how the peoples responses in Acts can challenge the way we do things now.

1 Claiming Ownership

[Envelope]

“No-one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had”. The first thing to note here is that they had very little compared to us. It is sometimes easier to give up things when you don't have too much in the first place. The Jews had a principle of hospitality, so would always be prepared to share with a stranger.

Tanzanian Hospitality

When I was in Tanzania, staying in the village of Chibelela, we were the guests of the pastor and his family. There were occasions when we were treated to a lavish meal, and ate with the men of the family, the women served us and went outside. I wondered what they ate. The leftovers?, or perhaps even less. There seemed no limit to their hospitality.

When I was a child and was fighting with my sister over something, my Mum would always say “share and share alike”. A good principle, but there were some of my sister's things I didn't want to share, and it was a demand based on sharing out of joint riches – I was never arguing about something that would affect my survival.

We, in our sophisticated, advanced society have lost some of the basics of human community. What would it take for us to be able to say that we did not claim ownership of our goods? To answer that question we must first address the last challenge.

2 Use of capital

[Envelope]

Joseph A.K.A Barnabus was a Cypriot, a member of the Jewish family of Levi from the dispersion. As a Levite he was associated with the priesthood. We do not know for sure that he was living in Jerusalem permanently, but it seems likely that he had been there for some time. It is possible that the field he sold may even have been in Cyprus.

The sharing of everything was not so literal that Barnabus allowed others to determine that his field should be sold. This passage is often seen as a kind of Christian communism. That is not the case. Communism is based on compulsion – you have no choice but to give up you wealth, your property, your belongings – for the good of everyone. That is most definitely not happening here. Barnabus is responding to God, and the needs of God's people he sees around him. Sale of a field is the sale of an asset that allows you to make money. The field is used to grow food, or raise cattle, without it there will be a reduction in income, but the capital raised will keep God's people from becoming needy – starving in this case. This is sacrificial giving – Barnabus will be worse off from now on – his income has been reduced.

What do you have that you could sell if the need arose?

I don't own a field. I doubt that many of us do. What is the modern equivalent? Perhaps a shop, a factory or an office. I don't own any of those either. So what have I got that I could use to raise capital? Well I do have some investments. They don't provide a great deal of income, some insurance policies, a few shares, an ISA, but they do provide a little. If the circumstances required they could certainly be cashed in and the money provided for the needy.

What do you have?

3 Where does you giving go?

[Envelope]

This is not about how much you give. “Each of us should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.“ 2 Cor 9:7. As time passes its always a good idea to review your giving, to ensure that its at the level that you are happy with. You may decide to change it, or you may have to make adjustments to keep it at the same level!

My question is where do you put the money that you set aside to give? I've heard all sorts of ideas as to exactly what counts towards giving to God.

Some people will tell you that giving to Greenpeace counts towards their giving to God. Yes, we are supposed to look after the environment, but Really? What connection has Greenpeace got with the church of God?

Others will tell you that Amnesty International counts towards their giving to God. Well I can see the justice connection, but what has Amnesty International got to do with the Christian Church. Some will tell you that Christian Aid counts towards their giving to God? Well maybe it does, but lets take a look at this passage. When Barnabus sold his field, he put the money at the disciples feet. That may be literal, or it may be symbolic, whichever it is, Barnabus brought his money, and gave up all control over how it was used when he put at the disciples feet. The Jews had a religious tax of 10% which defined how much they should give, some Christians have a similar system. We have a guideline in the church of 12%, in case you were wondering. The tax was known as a tithe. Malachi 3:10 “Bring the whole tithe into the store house”. Which means that the tithe was to be given to the temple for the use of its official. God is consistent in his approach between the old and the new testament. However much you decide to give God, must be given in total to God, for those He has appointed to use as He directs.

Now don't let that stop you giving to Greenpeace, Amnesty International, Christian Aid, or any other organisation. Don't let me stop you from starting to give to any of these organisations. Just please don't tell God that you're giving it to Him. Which brings me back to the story of Ananias and Sapphira.

4 Testifying to the resurrection

[Envelope]

This may possible be the greatest challenge for us all.

What was the priority of the very first believers? [Straw Poll]

Church?
Worship?
Preaching?
Eschatology?
Prophecy?
Writing a bible – so that posterity would be able to follow in their footsteps?
or something different?

NO – they are just about one man – a new type of man – the resurrected Jesus WHO IS coming back.

Peter and John have already told the Sanhedrin – the Jewish supreme council, that they cannot stop talking about Jesus. Every time Peter speaks he mentions the resurrection.

Acts 2:32 “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.”

Acts 3:15 To the onlookers at the healing of the lame man “You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.”

Acts 4:10 to the Sanhedrin “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.”

How often do we tell people who don't know, that God has raised Jesus from the dead?

There is a consequence to the willingness of the disciples to talk to everyone they meet about Jesus. “much grace was upon them all”. It is the grace of God that has allowed the few to share what they have, to not claim ownership of their belongings. It is grace of God that has allowed them to meet the challenges to turn what riches they have into capital, and provide support for the poor – the needy – amongst them. It is grace of God that allows them to trust the disciples implicitly, to bring what they have and to trust that the disciple will distribute it wisely.

Conclusion

The baby church was growing under Gods care, already they had 5000 plus members. The people involved were filled with the spirit, and had God's grace to help them overcome the unique problems that they faced. The miracles that Jesus started are continuing, and it can only be a matter of time before all these changed people start to have a dramatic effect on their society. Here we see the enormous excitement that a work of God brings – hugh crowds, dramatic miracles, run-ins with earthly authorities. Its a great story, and we know that our God was in control of everything that happened, but there were also great sacrifices.

Whenever God is at work there are things to do, things to learn, and blessings to be received. There is much to make us think about how we live our lives in this passage, so I leave you with the four challenges:

Claiming ownership – how ready are you to share ALL that you have with others when the NEED arises?

Use of capital – What do you have that you could sell to support an urgent NEED in the Christian community?

Where does your giving go? - Is everything that you have promised to give to God brought into the church, or are you keeping control of the funds by directing them to certain organisations?

Testifying to the resurrection – How often do you explain the central basis of your faith to those who don't understand.

Amen.

Scilly 2007 - Monday 9 July

Bristol Airport Terminal Building

This is our travel day. We drove across England to Stoke Gifford, where our daughter is working on a year out. Having made contact and enjoyed a coffee and a piece of cake, we proceeded to Bristol Airport. We arrived massively early. We gave our car to the car park people to look after and were taken to the airport, less than a mile up the hill. We'd been there a while, waiting for check-in to open, when I discovered I'd left my phone in the car! They were kind enough to retrieve it and bring it to the airport.
Is that three hours before or two hours before? Anyway, we checked in and after waiting around some more went through security. We were eventually called, and watched the safety video on the ground. I should have realised what that meant, but I didn't. A large airport bendy-bus picked up the 12 or so of us and drove out on the apron. We passed a jet, and a turboprop, and then parked in front of our plane.
In our party there was one trio of note, a mother, here grown up daughter, and her small grandson. It's only worthy of note because it annoys me so much. Why will modern parents only whine at their children, instead of speak to them intelligently? I really believe they would behave better if things were EXPLAINED. We got on the plane, and she asked if there should be such a smell of petrol. They had just filled the plane with fuel, so I was rather glad of the smell - it's reassuring to know you have enough fuel.
I sat on the front row, and watch the pilots all through the one and a quarter-hour flight. It was fascinating trying to guess what all the controls were for, watching them constantly balancing the plan, dealing with the icing up as we flew through clouds, and pumping fuel from one tank to another. Landing on St Marys on a short runway that runs up hill and then on to grass was also a surprise. Apparently this is one of the harder airports to land at in the UK.
We had not planned onward travel from the airport, but I was pleased to see that the airline had, and we were transported in a mini-bus to our accommodation. There are no road name signs on St Mary's, so It's just as well the drivers know where all the guest houses are. We stayed at Colossus. After we'd unpacked, we rushed into the town because it was getting late, and all the restaurants would be full. We ate take-away fish and chips in a small park, and started to get acquainted with the sparrows.

The Puzzle of Evil

The Puzzle of Evil
Peter Vardy
Harper Collins
ISBN 0-00-627638-5

Why does the good God of Christian belief let evil exist?

That's the question this book sets out to answer. If God really is omnipotent, omniscient, and all loving, how is it possible that there is so much evil? Well that's the simple version of the question, Peter takes the first chapter to examine exactly what the question is really, and the understanding of God we need to make it a valid question. We then take a look at the beliefs of Augustine and Aquinas. In the first few hundred year of the church the understanding of who God is developed quickly, and the core ideas settled. These two church fathers played an important part in establishing our tradition, and their ideas rightly receive careful examination. Then there are a few chapters discussing the free will defence – God had to give us free will, so that we could love Him. Love cannot be 'programmed in' – a robot cannot love. It really isn't that simple though.. Then natural evil – disease and disasters are examined – what effect do they have on the view of why there is evil in the world – they can't be caused by humans – or can they? Finally, in the first half of the book the questions “Is it all worth it?” is examined.

The second half of the book concentrates on the type of world we live in, the type of creatures we are, the type of God we have, Job, the devil, and how the moral framework and the beliefs we have hold all these things together.

This is not an easy subject, the greatest minds in history have puzzled over it, and have not come to a straight forward conclusion, let alone one that satisfies many of us in today's world, with the holocaust, the killing fields, and the tsunami all still fresh in our corporate consciousness. There are others too – the abduction and molestation of small children, and suicide bombings to name just two.

If you have the time, and the space for a relatively short book (205 pages), to set the scene and outline the arguments, then this will prove a good investment. For me it required some serious thought, and the arguments are still challenging. No doubt they will be for you as well. Peter Vardy has made a good attempt to help us into this difficult subject.

Reader training sermon 3 - Jesus and the Miraculous catch of Fish (John 21:1-14)

Reading [John 21:1-14 – reader]

Jesus and the Miraculous catch of Fish

Introduction

The author & the process

John, probably the youngest disciple, has finally, in his old age been persuaded to write down the story of his Life with Jesus. I have a picture of an old man dictating to a scribe, who is writing the story, not perhaps word for word, but in a way that makes it easier for reading. The scribe believes that John is finished with his reminiscences, and perhaps John does too, so at the end of the previous chapter we have:

John 20:30-31

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

That sounds like the end, but there's more ...

In this last chapter John does three things,

1. he tells the story of a miraculous catch of fish – which we will be looking at in more detail in a minute,

2. he tells the story of Peters reinstatement, and

3. he corrects a misunderstanding that was common at the time. His contemporaries believed that Jesus had said he (John) would not die before Jesus returned.

Perhaps the last chapter was written solely to put an end to this rumour, or perhaps it was written to reinforce Peters leadership, or perhaps the scribe just didn't realise that John had not really finished. We can never know for sure.

Why tell this story?

So why did John tell this story of the miraculous catch of fish? Maybe it is just the setting for the reinstatement of Peter, or maybe there are other things that John is telling his readers. As we look through this passage we will look at what the disciples are learning, and how that might also be applied to us.

Memories & and a hard fruitless night

Sightings of Jesus

Seven of the disciples were together, by the sea of Galilee, or the sea of Tiberius as it was also known. Its a couple of weeks after the resurrection. They have left Jerusalem and returned home. There have already been two sightings of Jesus according to John, or two that he found worthy of reporting anyway, according to some calculations there have been six sightings by now, and there may well have been more.

Disciples expectations

What were the disciples expecting to happen? They were obviously waiting for something, or they would have returned to their fishing earlier, perhaps they were starting to loose hope, or perhaps they just needed the money. Whatever it was they had not completely abandoned their boats, and had obviously maintained them and their nets in good working order throughout the time they had been with Jesus. Peter may have been impetuous, even hot headed, but he was also a skilled fisherman, and would not have put to sea in a dilapidated boat.

A Hard night's Day

Fishing was a nocturnal activity. Once out to sea the net was thrown over the side, and then as it was pulled in would trap any fish in the water near the nets. Without our modern ability to track the shoals of fish this was a very random activity, and would have resulted in only a few fish per throw at best, sometime nothing, sometimes one, or two, sometimes five or six. There would be many nights when the catch was barely enough to feed their families, but mostly they would have just enough to sell a few, so that they could buy bread and the other things they needed to survive. The sun begins to rise, they have been working hard all night and NOTHING.

They turn towards the shore, and begin the trip home. On the shore there is a figure, He calls out to them “Hey, Boys!, Don't you have any fish?” “No” they shout back.

“Throw your net on the other side of the boat, you'll find some” There must have been an air of authority in the command, because they don't argue, they just do it. And there are the fish. Right over a shoal. The net is full – too full to pull back over the side of the boat.

Something clicks (at last) in the depths of John's brain. Groundhog Day! Deja vue? or perhaps he was given a nudge by the Holy Spirit. Perhaps John remembered a similar incident, right after he first met Jesus. John hasn't told us that story, but Luke has. Lets take a look at that story now.

Luke 5:1-11

“One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding round him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch. Simon answered, Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets. When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man! For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men. So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”

The disciples have learnt

They have learnt a lot since that night maybe three year ago, when they had also caught nothing. When I first read the story in Luke, I thought how good of Jesus that he had paid them for them for borrowing their boat, but as I got to know Jesus better I realised that payment was the last thing on his mind. Yes, the miraculous catches provide food, and money - if the excess is sold, but it is much more of a lesson about the bountifulness of God, and gives an insight into who Jesus is, as we can see that from Peters reaction
“Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

We can see that the disciples have learnt a lot about landing a really big catch too. They don't try to haul the nets into the boat, they already know that if they do they will sink the boats and tear the nets. Instead the haul the nets ashore, behind the boat, with the fish still in the water. Having the fish on the shore gives them the chance to count how many they have caught – and that's probably the only significance of the number 153.

The disciples have learnt about Jesus

In Luke they have Jesus in the boat with them. They clearly have a respect for Jesus – He is addressed as “Master”, but after the catch of fish they have learnt something much more important about him. In our story today in John, they take the instruction from an apparent stranger, and only when the repeat of the previous miracle occurs do they realise who they are talking to. Now Jesus has directed them to the fish without them being aware of who he is, or even being in close proximity. Another lesson for them to learn, and perhaps Jesus' main theme during these days between the resurrection and ascension. “You do not need my physical presence in order for me to be with you”.

Last week we heard of Thomas and his need for proof, and Jesus said “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”. He is teaching his disciples that they will very soon have to get along without His presence.

In one of Johns previous reported sightings Jesus “breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."” Now he is beginning to demonstrate how the Holy Spirit will work in their lives.

The command of a stranger that seems the obvious thing to do. The event that reminds you of something, and leads you to recognise God in a new way. I like to think that John, of all of the disciples would have been thinking about these thing – perhaps as he helped the others pull the fish onto the shore.

Breakfast is served

When the boats are moored and the fish brought on shore, there is Jesus – with breakfast ready for them. The fire is built, there is fresh bread and the fish are already cooking. Jesus invites them to bring some of the fish they have caught, and adds them to the breakfast. I love the smell of Kippers for breakfast, and I can just imaging the smells that would have greeted the hungry men. They had been tired and dejected after a long nights work with nothing to show for it, but now they had a good catch, and a free breakfast.

For all their work, the effort they have put in throughout the night nothing has been gained. The Jesus turns up and they have little extra to do to have the most amazing catch. At the end of the Luke story Jesus promises that they will now catch men rather than fish. Jesus has used the fish again to remind them that they have to have him there , if they are to have any success in catching anything. The same is true for us as we go about catching men for God. Without Jesus there to guide us to those who are ready to be caught we will not have any success. We may work hard, and exhaust ourselves in the process, but we will catch no-one, until we let Jesus tell us were to look. Then we will catch the men he has prepared for us to catch.

At the edge of the lake, its an idyllic scene. The eight men sitting on the ground at the edge of the lake, enjoying their breakfast. The early morning sun still rising over the hills, the mists starting to clear, the day is beginning to warm up, it was still and peaceful, and the men begin to relax and enjoy their food.

The resurrected Jesus

BUT There was something not quite right. The disciples are uneasy. Who is this stranger they are having breakfast with. Its Jesus! Yet somehow it isn't. He's doing the things that Jesus does – He's feeding them. How many times have they seen Him distribute food? From the feeding of the five thousand, to the last supper. It's what He does. There's the fish as well, they all remember that now. Who else would know where the fish are? Who else would tell them exactly when and where to cast their nets? It's Jesus, of course it is, and yet somehow He's different. They are afraid to ask. They'd like to say “Who are you?”, but it isn't the right question. Peter in particular will be wary of what he says. He knows he has failed Jesus. He knows he has said things and not lived up to them. They all have, to some extent, perhaps only John does not feel completely ashamed of the way he has behaved. All of them are used to waiting for Peters lead, and are not prepared to break the silence. So they sit quietly and eat their breakfast.

Trauma changes people

Meeting Jesus between the resurrection and ascension is of course a unique experience. No-one has ever met a resurrected man before. Jesus has been through a terrible experience in the last few weeks. At a human level traumatic experiences change people. The television presenter Richard Hammond, who works on Top Gear, and Braniac, had an accident in a dragster that very nearly killed him. Its a fairly unique accident because most of the injuries he suffered are internal. He recovered remarkably quickly too. He still looks like Richard Hammod, yet if you watch repeats of his programs from before and after the accident its easy to tell which is which. There's something different about him. Its difficult to say exactly what those differences are. A different look in his eyes, slight changes in the way he says things, and in his body language. Now Richard did not really die. The difference are not enough to make you question whether it's really Richard or not.

Jesus did really die. The body that he has during this time is clearly quite different from the one that was nailed to the cross, and yet it isn't. It's still Jesus.

He looks the same – he even retains the scars, the injuries don't stop his body working. Its still Jesus

He has a few neat tricks as well, and can enter rooms through locked doors. Its still Jesus. The disciple knew that.

Who are you?

Who are you?

Throughout the New Testament its a question that is asked by all those who come into contact with Jesus. Often expressed with incredulity and awe. “"Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" ? Its asked (or not actually asked) by the disciples a number of times.

Whether we see Jesus as a man in his earthly ministry, or as a resurrected man as in our passage for today, or through the Holy Spirit, and his followers in the book of acts and the history of the Christian church, the question is is always the same. Who are you?, Who is this man?

Perhaps the disciples didn't ask because they didn't want to hear the answer. They knew it well enough, but in their frame of mind, it was not something they wanted to hear. Perhaps it was too hard to take in in the early hours of the morning after a failed nights fishing, with the man they had left alone to face an undignified and brutal death sitting cooking them breakfast.

The question for us

Who are you?

I wonder if you're prepared to ask the question, or are you like the disciples too afraid to ask?

I wonder what answer you're thinking of? Does it spring easily to mind? How well do you know Jesus?

The disciples had been with him and followed him for three years, and yet he can still surprise them, and make them afraid. The Jesus we know expresses him self through the scriptures, through the Holy Spirit within each of us, and through the life of the church.

For me at least he is sometimes difficult to recognise, and often springs uncomfortable surprises, and asks me to fish in unfamiliar waters, but then, like the disciples, I'm just a trainee fisherman.

Training sermon 2 - 18 March 2007 (Mothering Sunday) Colossians 3:12-17

Part 1 – Introduction

[NT reading – Colossians .3:12-17]

The reading is from a very long letter from the Apostle Paul to a group of Christians who lived in Collose. The small part of the letter that was read for us by Catherine is from a chapter about how Christians should behave. Paul has already explained a lot of the things that Christian shouldn't do, and here he is starting to explain the things that Christian should do.

He starts by saying that we should do these things because we are God's chosen people.

He says “always do these things, show mercy to others, be kind, humble, gentle and patient.”

For me to talk about all of these things, would take much more time than I have, and you would get bored listening to me, so I'm going to concentrate on talking to you about just two of the things that Paul is telling us Christians should do.

The talk is split into three parts, this is just an introduction, in the second part I will be talking about Forgiveness. In verse 13 Paul says “Get along with each other and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you forgive that person because the Lord forgave you.”

That piece will be next, and after that in the last part I will talk about peace. I'm going to ask some of you to help me as I talk about these things. So please be ready to volunteer.

Part 2 – Forgiveness

Can I have a volunteer please. I have two things I would like you to do. [Name] can you please now pick seven other volunteers.

[Get the volunteers seated at the front and choose one. Give him/her the instructions. The intent here is for the one person to commit an offense – stealing all the sweets, and see if the others can forgive]

What do you think it means to forgive?

[get some suggestions and comment on them]

To forgive someone means that we no longer consider that they have hurt us, or upset us. You may not be able to forget what was done, but you will not take it into account in future dealings with that person. In our example, if the group had really forgiven the [boy/girl/name] who had acted as the thief, they would not in future, in the same situation, do anything that would limit [boy/girl/name]'s chance of repeating the crime.

More even than that, when they get to school tomorrow, they will not use the events of today to in any way affect how they get along with [boy/girl/name]. In other words they will not hold a grudge against [boy/girl/name]. That means that what's happened cannot be part of the conversation you will have with your friends. There must be no whispering “Guess what [boy/girl/name] did to me yesterday”. No comments “ There goes [boy/girl/name] the well known criminal!”. There must be no discussion at all What's happened has happened, and its behind you. So far behind you that when you turn around you can't see it. You may remember what happened, but if you've really forgiven them, then you should start to trust them again. In our illustration that means that if sweets are given out, you won't do anything that would prevent [boy/girl/name] from repeating the same crime. If you do, then you haven't really forgiven them.

That's hard isn't it? [get a response].

Suppose [boy/girl/name] does the same thing next time round? What are you going to do then? Can you forgive them again? And again, and again? How many times do you think you should forgive someone? [get a response]

Do you remember what Paul says “Get along with each other and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you forgive that person because the Lord forgave you.” By the Lord he means Jesus, and in another part of the Bible Jesus was asked this question by his friend Peter.

"Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, you must forgive him more than seven times, You must forgive him even if he does wrong to you 77 times.”

Lets have a look at the scale of the problem. [tape measure, and large numbers] As we move along the scale does it get easier or harder to forgive? That will depend on the sort of person you are. When Peter spoke to Jesus he asked about seven times, because that's what the people who lived in his time and place had as their rules. They are supposed to forgive someone seven times. Jesus's reply in our bible is 77 times, in some other translations it is 70 times 7 times.

What is 70 time 7? - if you don't know we will soon find out. Can we have the first cartoon please.

[Slide 1]

http://www.reverendfun.com/?date=20020328

[Slide 2]

http://www.reverendfun.com/?date=20060512

The point of the number is Jesus is not intending for Peter to be able to keep count! Could you? Like the man with the ledger really keep count up to 490, or even 77. If you are keeping a count, is that really even forgiveness.

And remember what Paul said . “Get along with each other and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you forgive that person because the Lord forgave you.”. We forgive people because Jesus has forgiven us.

[Slide 3]

http://www.reverendfun.com/?date=19980522

No-one in the 12 or less things to be forgiven for. None of us would even get into the 490 or less things to be forgiven for queue I'm sure. We forgive people because Jesus has forgiven us, so the process we have to follow is simple.

[Envelopes]

[Ask for volunteers to open and read the contents of an envelope]

“Get Jesus”

Remember that Paul is writing to Christians, they have all accepted Jesus as their Lord. Its the crucial first step.

“Get Forgiven”

When you accept Jesus he forgives you all the thing that you have done wrong in your life. You no longer have to worry about them, they are in the past, and God will not be looking back to them.

“Forgive Others”

Now you have been forgiven its time tom start forgiving others.

Part 3 – Peace & Conclusion

[After Gospel Reading – John 19:25-27]

Do you remember that I said I would talk about only two of the long list of things that Paul mentions in the first reading that we had? Can you remind me what the second one was? [get response]

Peace

The second of the long list of things that Christians should do is live in Peace. Pauls says “Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking, because you were all called together in one body to have peace.” He's asking the Christians in Colosse to live in peace with one another. What does he mean do you think?

[get response- if you can]

• not war

• no arguments and fights

Sometimes its easier to start by thinking what something isn't, before we can work out what it is. So here are some of the things that peace isn't:

[Slide 4]

http://www.reverendfun.com/?date=20031103

Peace isn't chaos. It isn't a complete absence of chaos either

Peace is often seen as the absence of war. Ask you Mum and Dad when the last war happened in this country – it was over sixty years ago, so most of them won't remember it. Our country, and our immediate neighbours have been at peace for all that time, but as I sure you've realised a lot has still happened in that time.

Has your Mum or Dad ever said “Will you give me a bit of peace and quiet”? - when you've interrupted then or asked them for something? I know mine use to. The are asking not to be disturbed

Peace isn't Sleep or rest

[Slide 5]

http://www.reverendfun.com/?date=20060706

He may be peaceful, but that's not true peace.

Lets get our eight volunteers to help us out again.

[The game is a race to distribute sweets to the congregation as quickly as possible. The whole team are involved, and its against the clock. They are expected to divide the church up into four and distribute from each side of each row.]

The team have shown us that they can work together to achieve a goal. In their own way they are demonstrating a kind of peace. There was (or should not have been) any arguing or fighting, they worked together.

Here's a statement of what peace is that I've simplified so that we can all understand it – especially me.

Peace is a state of well-being that is characterized by trust, kindness, and justice. In this state, we can be encouraged to explore as well as celebrate our differences, and search for the good in each other without the concern for personal pain and sacrifice. ... It provides us a chance to look at ourselves and others as part of the human family, part of one world.

[repeat]

Its a good attempt to describe peace, but the peace that God gives goes deeper than this. Lets take a look at our second reading – Jesus is on the cross and is dying. He does not have very long left, and must be in considerable pain.

Evening Service sermon for Environment Sunday (3rd June)

God is in Control

Job 38:22-30

Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail, which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle? What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth? Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm, to water a land where no man lives, a desert with no-one in it, to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass? Does the rain have a father? Who fathers the drops of dew? From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen?

Part of God's Response to Job: Job has spent that last 30 or so Chapters defending himself against his 'comforters'. He has said a number of times that he would like to question God about his suffering. Then he finally gets the opportunity. Our reading today is part of Gods response. God's response takes all of chapters 38 & 39.

Job's Response: We’re very small, alongside creation’s mysteries, and the God who controls them. Job’s reaction after his encounter with the creator God is to say: “I am unworthy— how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more.” (Job 40.4-5). Today we need to rediscover something of Job’s humility. This world is amazingly complex, and we are not its masters. We need to take great care in how we deal with creation.

God is creator and Sustainer of our Universe. What does this mean for climate change? Can we trust that God will avert a disaster?

God controls the Environment: Ultimately, however badly out of control things may seem on the earth, we are promised that God is in control. He is not only Creator – the one who made it all, but Sustainer – the one who keeps it going (Heb 1:3 " ...sustaining all things by his powerful word ...")… and so ‘sustainability’ – which everybody seems to be talking about today, is ultimately down to God.

Sin is the problem

Climate systems are for all creation, not just for people (v.25-27): We have a tendency to be self-centred, to think the world is simply there for us. Actually, it’s God’s world – including the oil, gas and coal, the forests, mountains and seas, and the Climate Systems too are not just for human benefit. Listen to Job 38:25-27 from The Message: “Who do you suppose carves canyons for the downpours of rain, and charts the route of thunderstorms that bring water to unvisited fields, deserts no one ever lays eyes on, drenching the ‘useless’ wastelands so they're carpeted with wildflowers and grass?”. God waters these areas, which may be useless to humanity, and gives them beauty and variety – because ultimately they are made not for us, but for Jesus – the One ‘by whom and for whom all things were made’ (Colossians 1.16).

In Hosea 4:1-3, the prophet laments how “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgement of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery”. It is a fairly familiar list of human moral failure. What is surprising is what comes next, as a clear link is drawn between human sin and the whole eco-system being affected – “Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying.”

What we see here is that:

Human sin affects the climate and also how

Human behaviour causes suffering throughout creation. The bare fact is this: Climate Change is caused by sin. As humans fail to keep God’s ways, the whole creation is infected and damaged. Sometimes our failure is moral – Hosea mentions cursing, lying, murder, stealing and adultery; sometimes it is our failure to uphold justice for the poor; sometimes it is our failure to live within the limits God has put in our relationship with the rest of creation. All of these contribute to a breakdown in our relationship with God, that is reflected in a breakdown of natural systems – the skies are polluted and ‘the birds of the air’ die, forests disappear and deserts encroach killing ‘the beasts of the field’, and the oceans warm destroying ‘the fish of the sea’.

The most shocking thing is that the species causing all this destruction is the one which, right at the start, God had trusted with creation’s care:

Human beings are entrusted with creation’s care (Genesis 1.26-28 & Genesis 2.15)

Gen 1:26-28 Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.

A word play associates the summons to "multiply" (rabah) and to "rule" (radah). Lowery reminds us that these metaphors arise out of early Israel's "highly localized subsistence-oriented household agriculture," in which the primary task was to conserve the fertility of the land for the next generation - not to plunder it for short-term gain. Yet because the early Israelites were eking out a living on marginal and drought-plagued land, this task often felt like a wrestling match with the elements. It is in this sense that we should interpret the phrase "fill the land and subdue it," which has fuelled modern theologies of domination

Gen 2:15: The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

The very first command God gave to human beings was an environmental one – to rule over the fish, the birds, and the beasts as God’s deputy – his image – here on earth. We are entrusted with caring for this amazing, precious, diverse world … and we have, by and large, failed.

Gen 3:17b-19 Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.

After the fall creation is also spoilt ...

God says "Cursed is the ground because of you" – not "I have cursed the ground because of you". The ground is cursed as a result of the action of man, not out of some spiteful re-action from God. God has never promised to remove the consequences of Sin. Expectations are that the poor will suffer, as the areas worst affected are likely to be equatorial, and low-lying (below 1 metre above sea level).

That’s why an act of repentance is so important. Unless we admit to each other, to ourselves, and to God that we’ve failed – that we are the problem, we cannot hope to see things improve. Somebody once said, ‘It’s not so much that we have an environmental crisis. It’s more that the environment has a human crisis.’ It’s a problem that’s too big for us to solve alone. We need help.

Jesus and the Storm

The story of Jesus in the boat with his disciples on Lake Galilee is a very familiar one, and today it takes on a new relevance. Down the centuries, preachers have often interpreted it allegorically, talking of all the ‘storms of life’ we face, and how Jesus can be with us and help us. Today, faced with Climate Change, perhaps we need a more literal interpretation.

Jesus gives us hope amidst the Climate’s storms

Jesus calming the storm is more than anything else about Jesus as Lord over creation. Even the forces of nature respond when he speaks gently and firmly to them “Quiet! Be Still!” There is no force of nature beyond his control … because he is the one who shaped this world in the beginning, and has sustained it throughout history. If Jesus could calm the forces of nature; if Jesus through his life could show that it is possible to live well on the earth; if Jesus in his death on the cross and his resurrection could also defeat death and give humanity the chance of a new start, then it is surely Jesus who can give us hope today in a time of Climate Change?

Our Response

We need to turn to Jesus, in repentance, prayer, and obedient lifestyles

As we will see later on, there are lots of actions we can take in response to Climate Change. However, our first response must be to come to Jesus in humble repentance. The bible’s word for this is metanoia – a fundamental turn-around in attitudes, beliefs and lifestyles. Without repentance and a renewed relationship with God, we are likely to react to Climate Change with either despair or panic. However, if we have truly made a new start in our relationship with God, then that will flow out into every other area of our lives.

We are to be Jesus’ hands and feet in today’s world

There is a danger that, because God is Creator and Sustainer, we leave it all up to him. However, the bible is clear that Jesus expects his followers to carry on his work for him today. Christians have no excuse for sitting back and saying ‘God will sort it out’. Just as in the time of Noah, God chooses to use human beings to achieve his saving purposes. We are to be Jesus’ hands and feet in today’s world.

10 Things

As Gods people, what can we do that will make a practical difference?

John Stott has said, “Christians should be in the vanguard of those who are seeking to arrest Climate Change, and seeking also to protect habitats where wildlife lives.”

(Rev. Dr. John R. W. Stott, from video interview on A Rocha’s ‘Environment Sunday Pack: The Heat is On’)

1. Turning your thermostat down by 1ºC could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent and save you around £40 per year. Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat shouldn't need to be set higher than 60ºC/140ºF.

2. Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows.

3. Always turn off the lights when you leave a room; don't leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave appliances on charge unnecessarily.

4. If you're not filling up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher, use the half-load or economy programme.

5. Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover the elements if you're using an electric kettle).

6. A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix leaking taps and make sure they're fully turned off!

7. Replace your light bulbs with energy saving ones: just one can reduce your lighting costs by up to £100 over the lifetime of the bulb.

8. Drive less, walk more

9. Ensure you car tyres are pumped up to the correct pressure

10. Do a home energy check. Just answer some simple questions about your home and get a free, impartial report telling you how you can save up to £300 a year on your energy bills. Visit www.est.org.uk for more details.

Matthew 10:16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

Turning your thermostat down by 1ºC could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent and save you around £40 per year. Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat shouldn't need to be set higher than 60ºC/140ºF.

But watch for it being too cold, follow the guidelines for temperature, rather than just turning the thermostat down, particularly if there a vulnerable people in the house. 21 Centigrade

Always turn off the lights when you leave a room. Don't leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave appliances on charge unnecessarily.

- But must be balanced against the need to constantly switch on and off. Some lights do not respond well to constant switching, and may suffer a radically shorter life.

Replace your light bulbs with energy saving ones: just one can reduce your lighting costs by up to £100 over the lifetime of the bulb.

	Regular Bulb	Energy Saving Bulb
Energy Use (lifetime)
Manufacturing Energy use
Components
Glass		More, and more complex shapes
Filament	tungsten	tungsten
Glass coating		phosphor powder
Base	Metal, Ceramics	Metal, Ceramics, Plastics
Starter?		Complex electronics. PCB's etc
Filling - Gas	Argon (inert)	Argon and Mercury
Light produced	15 lumens per watt	between 50 and 100 lumens per watt

Drive less, walk more

There are health benefits here too. Again take care to make it reasonable.

Ensure you car tyres are pumped up to the correct pressure

Its the law! Its the safe option, you get better contact with the road this way.

Recycling

Sometimes recycling is reuse – like milk bottles. Other time the use the recycled material is put to is radically different, for example M&S make clothes from re-cycled plastic bottles. Much re-cycled glass goes into making road surfaces.

My sister bring her plastic bottles to us, when she comes to visit, as her council don't recycle plastic.

My personal favourite for recycling is Aluminium, because the extraction of aluminium from bauxite use a huge amount of energy.

A better way

To get bogged down with all the science, the advantages and disadvantages is impossible. No one of us can keep up with all the developments in all the many areas. So often we are asked to 'upgrade' to the latest and greatest energy saving device.

The reality is that we need to 'live lighter' - to take less from the environment in living out lives. We can only do this by asking ourselves what we NEED – which God has promised to provides against what we WANT – which God has not promised to provide. So ask God what you need for your life in this society, and don't take more from the environment even if you can afford it.

Encouragement

Sir John Theodore Houghton FRS CBE is the co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) working group.

Reading: A reading from Colossians Chapter 1, beginning at verse 15:

Christ is the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

I am often asked if I am optimistic for the future. I reply Yes for three reasons. First, as I chaired the UN’s scientific panel from 1988-2002, I experienced the commitment of the world’s scientists from a wide range of backgrounds to understanding climate change and tackling it responsibly. Secondly I know the necessary technology is available. Thirdly, I believe God is committed to his creation. The passage from Colossians we have just heard, tells us that in Jesus all things hold together. This commitment by God, means that we don’t have to work on our own. God is there to help us with it. In the Genesis creation story God walked with Adam in the garden in the late afternoon. I imagine they talked about the garden and how well Adam was coping with it. Jesus also talked to his disciples about the partnership that comes through his continued presence with us. I can personally pay tribute to the strength that God provides as people pray. There is a tremendous challenge to churches and to the Christian community to provide the leadership for which the world is waiting - in service, in sharing, in caring for the whole of His world.

References:

http://www.gregpope.co.uk/story.asp?storyID=106

http://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/wcc-programmes/justice-diakonia-and-responsibility-for-creation/climate-change-water/01-06-03-waters-of-life-enough-for-all.html

http://en.arocha.org/ukconsunday/index3.html

http://en.arocha.org/ukconsunday/index4.html

http://www.creationcare.org/resources/sunday/sermon.php

http://en.arocha.org/ukconsunday/index6.html

http://cca.org.hk/resources/liturgy/misc/eco20602.htm

http://www.pcusa.org/environment/eds-sermonaids.htm

http://www.pcusa.org/environment/eds-sermonnotes.htm

http://www.united-church.ca/gathering/2005/sa/june5.shtm

http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/petereco/Sermons/Day1990.html

http://www.nccecojustice.org/EarthDay/index.html

http://www.dailycatholic.org/issue/2003Jul/pent7qui.htm

http://www.christian-ecology.org.uk/conservation-sunday.htm

http://home.howstuffworks.com/light-bulb.htm