Facing the Cannon: Jackie Pullinger

J.John is doing a series for UCB (channel 586 on Sky) called Facing the Cannon.  Warner found this event and got the tickets so on St. Valentines day we travelled to St Andrews Chorleywood.  J.John is a very entertaining and Godly speaker.  We have recently run his 'Just 10' series at Christ Church and it was very well supported.  This series interviews a number of well known Christians.  Today it was Jackie Pullinger.   Wikipedia has an outline article.  To get a better idea of why she's famous read her book Chasing the Dragon.  It was one of the first books I read as a young Christian.  Jo and I have seen Jackie once before, and looked forward to hearing from her again.

She told some her story, mainly the beginning.   At the age of five she had already decided to be a missionary, not that she had any idea what a missionary did.  She was advised by a vicar to get on a boat and see where God told her to get off.  That was Hong Kong, which she'd seen in a dream.  She started work among the poor and eventually among the drug addicts in the Walled City.  She has seen many addicts freed of their addiction.  They pray and are prayed for and do not suffer withdrawal.  She tells of her early attempts at speaking in tongues saying she just felt silly and didn't feel any different afterwards.  It helps you to get more in tune with God and you don't really notice that happening. She speaks constantly about God's kindness.  After loosing her husband of seven years she speaks of Gods kindness to them both, and to her for allowing her to have seven years with him.  By God's kindness she has been shown that this is not a lost generation of Christians. There are young people out there quietly doing mission away from the spotlight and the Christian press.  That is the tone of her conversation.

I'm naturally a sceptic, I struggle to believe in the hype, the latest greatest invention or discovery, miracles that people say have happened.  I'm always looking for the alternative explanation.  It's hard to remain sceptical when there's a lady sitting talking about it in a matter-of-fact way.  There's no hype with Jackie, seemingly no agenda, although she does love telling people about Jesus by her own admission.  She just sits there and talks about her experiences like I talk about my bus journeys.  Except with Jackie God's kindness shows.   In Sunday's sermon I asked "if God is bigger than us and inside us does he show through?"  (see the previous blog entry).  I had no idea that I would be given such a clear demonstration of just how God shows through.

If, like me, you've ever thought there must be more to the Christian life than you're experiencing right now, here is a superb example of what that more may look like.  There is more - lots more, always lots more.  I know that because it's in scripture - the reading I've just preached on (Ephesians 3:14-21).  I have seen it too because I have seen Jackie and listened to her story.  Of course, I'm not five and I've never felt called to be a missionary.  In my life it will look different - but not that different.

After the show was recorded there was a word in tongues, and an interpretation.  Somewhere in that I heard the words "Its not too late".  It's never too late - that's the exiting news for me as I prepare to pass five for the eleventh time.

Ephesians 3:14-21

Introduction

The passage this week starts with 'For this reason …'. Just like last weeks reading, but this time Paul has nothing else to distract him. So we have to look back to two weeks ago when Warner spoke to us on chapter 2:11-22. In that section of the letter Paul is describing his amazement that He can see God bringing together the former enemies – Jews and Gentiles. The fact that it happening in Ephesus, the centre of the cult of Diana is even more amazing.

Paul knows that this is all part of Gods plan. The fact that he can see it happening he finds humbling, so rather than pray as he normally would, standing and looking up to God, he is on his knees.

We've heard a lot recently about the pressure on and persecution of the Coptic church. I wonder if we are seeing God's plan for strengthening them as we witness the amazing scenes in Egypt this week.

Living for Christ

Paul did not found the Ephesian church but he has spent a couple of years building it up, so he knows it well. He knows that it is not all goodness and light and is encouraging the Christians there to think about what it means to follow Christ. He wants them to think about what Christ has done for them, who Christ is and how they should live in response to that.

In our reading today he prays specifically for two things for them.

I'm going to look at the two parts of Paul's prayer separately, although there are significant overlaps.

1^st Prayer

.^{Eph 3:16} I pray that out of his glorious riches ^e he may strengthen you with power ^f through his Spirit in your inner being, ^g

^{Eph 3:17} so that Christ may dwell in your hearts ^h through faith.

Paul has already spoken of the riches of Christ in verses 8, 9. In Romans he explains a little more of what he means:

^{Ro 2:4} Do you show contempt for the riches ⁿ of his kindness, ^o tolerance ^p and patience, ^q not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? ^r

So Paul is talking about God's grace and asking that the Ephesians may receive power through the holy spirit that is in them.

What is the power for? - “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith”.

After Jesus had cursed the fig tree and the disciples had seen it die, Jesus said in Mark 11:22-24

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.

“I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

If Christ is to dwell in our hearts then, it is something that we must be continually praying for – then we will get the power of God.

Connected to the Power?

Sometimes I get up in the morning and wander bleary eyed down stairs to get a cup of tea. The kettle is filled with water, the cups are taken from the cupboard and have tea bags put in them. I let the dog out and watch him stretch and smell the fresh morning air. I go back into the kitchen and all is quiet, the kettle is still cold. Then I realise – it's not plugged in. It's not connected to the power, so it will never heat up.

Continue to Pray

If we do not continue to pray we will not stay connected to God and the power to have Jesus dwell in our hearts will not be there. We must stay connected – not by a cord but by prayer.

My Heart Christ’s Home

What does Paul mean by Dwell?

In his book “My Heart Christ’s Home”, Robert Munger pictures the Christian life as a house.

(http://www.gtpres.org/My%20Heart%20Christ%27s%20home.pdf) Jesus comes into the house and goes from room to room. He goes into the library of the mind and begins to clean up the trash found there. He replaces it with His Word. He enters the dining room of the appetite and finds many sinful desires listed on a worldly menu. He replaces things like materialism, pride, envy and lust with humility, love and purity. When he finally comes to the closet, the owner of the house hesitates to open the door to all his dark and secret sins. He can’t bear to have Jesus look inside. But Jesus does come inside, but only after He’s invited, and cleans it up. Jesus then settles down and feels at home.

Do you have some rooms in your life that you haven’t allowed Jesus into? Let Him come into every area of your life and do some cleaning with his penetrating holiness and matchless grace.

Jesus dwells in our hearts through faith. Our faith in Him means that we invite Him to do some housecleaning. We put our faith in Him so that He can do the needed renovations in our life.

So Christ is in us, but Paul normally talks about us being 'in Christ'. There are about 90 references to 'in Christ' in Paul's letters.

Does God show through - Story

A little girl turned to her mother after church and said, “Mummy, the sermon was confusing today.”

The mother asked, “Why is that?”

The little girl answered, “Well, he said that God is bigger than we are. Is that true?”

“Yes, that’s true,” the mother replied.

“He also said that God lives within us. Is that true, too?”

Again the mother replied, “Yes, that’s true.”

“Well,” said the little girl, “If God is bigger than us and He lives in us, wouldn’t He show through?”

Does God show through your life?

It's a good question, one that I will leave you with as I move to looking at the second part of Paul's prayer for the Ephesians.

2^nd Prayer

Carrying on in verse 17: And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

Eph 3:18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

Eph 3:19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now the Ephesians are firmly rooted in the love of Christ, Paul goes on to pray that they may know just how big the love of Christ is. We sang 'God is so Big' at the start of the service this morning. God is big, strong and mighty, and so much so that we need his power within us just to be able to get a sense of how big, strong and mighty God is. I'm not talking about the size of the universe -awesome though it may be, it can be seen 'easily' with a few telescopes and a bit of technology. I'm talking about the love of Christ – you can't see it, you can only see its effects.

I loved those boys

In his book Chicken Soup for the Soul, Eric Butterworth tells of a college sociology class that was sent into the Baltimore slums to take case histories of 200 young boys. The students were required to write an evaluation of each boy's projected future, and in virtually every case, they wrote, "He hasn't got a chance."

Some twenty-five years later, another professor came across the earlier study and decided to do a follow-up study. With the exception of twenty boys who had died or moved, the study revealed that 176 of the remaining 180 boys had gone on to surprising success, with many becoming lawyers, doctors, and leading businessmen.

When the men were asked for the reasons that contributed to their successes, they all pointed to one particular teacher who had influenced them. The teacher was still alive, so the professor went to visit her to ask how she had influenced boys seemingly destined for poverty and crime to become such success stories.

"It's really very simple," she responded. "I loved those boys."

That's the effect of the love of a teacher.

Love is ...

Paul says

Love is patient, ^v love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ^w

^{1Co 13:5} It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, ^x it is not easily angered, ^y it keeps no record of wrongs. ^z

^{1Co 13:6} Love does not delight in evil ^a but rejoices with the truth. ^b

^{1Co 13:7} It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ^c

^{1Co 13:8} Love never fails.

This is the love that has a long term effect on people. You can know about this love, you can listen to my words and hear the stories. But you will never really know it until you experience it. That's what Paul means when he say that the love of Christ surpasses knowledge. Christ's love can be understood, but only by receiving it, by being rooted and established in it, not by reading case studies.

Full measure of God

Only then can we be filled to the full measure of God.

[Fullness demonstration fill a jarv with stones, get people to agree its full (it isn't).  Top up with water, and add a little too much]

In Psalm 23 we read: You prepare a table ^g before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; ^h my cup ⁱ overflows.

Jesus says in John 10:10 that we should have 'life to the full'. Life, of course that can only be had by following him.

Does the fullness of God in your life overflow?

Benediction

The prayer ends with a benediction

Eph 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, Eph 3:21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

What would you ask of God? What situation would you ask him to resolve?

In Acts 3 a lame man asked Peter & John for money as they went to pray in the temple. They didn't have money, so they said, “In the name of Christ – WALK” and he did.

What he got was beyond his dreams or his imagination.

The words translated in the NIV as Immeasurably more are more literally translated Super abundance. God's riches, His grace, His power, His willingness to love us are all given to us in super abundance, more than we could ever dream of or imagine.

Conclusion

I started this morning by saying Paul wanted the Ephesians to think about what Christ has done for them, who Christ is and how they should live in response to that. That is also something we should think about. So as I finish this morning I will remind you of the questions I have asked.

If God is bigger than ua and inside of us does he show through?

Does the fullness of God in your life overflow into the people around you?

With all of Christ's riches available to us, what are we going to imagine that He could do, so that He can surpass our dreams?

[repeat questions]

Let's finish by saying the words of verses 20 and 21 together.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

I'm assuming that you all know the story, so if you don't see the film (or better, read the book) then return.

My recent experiences of Cinema attendance meant that it was quite a long time since I was last at a Film Theatre.  We again attended the 'Empire' in Basildon.  It was not quite as bad, still popcorn on the floor. How about not filling the buckets to overflowing?  Being boxing day there were not that many people there.  No box office either, so if you went without credit/debit cards you would not have got in!  We had deliberately avoided the 3D option.  Screen 8 is an odd shaped theatre.  I must have been in it before but I don't remember the screen seeming to be set at an angle, so the right side is further away than the left side - a very strange experience, especially during the sailing scenes.

The film itself was better than the cinema experience.  A long time ago I read the book and my memories of the story are not that clear. Eustace I remember, and the general plot, but Eustace as a dragon I don't.  However, Will Poulter who plays Eustace is undoubtedly the star of the show.  I began to dis-like him almost immediately. Watching his transformation from a horrid little boy always relying on his doting parents to someone of more mature character, indeed even courageous was the best part of the film.  The cause of the change is 'the annoying glass is always half full person', as he is described by Eustace, of Reepicheep.  An animated mouse, voiced by Simon Pegg, whose tail was given to him by Aslan.  Which brings me to the special effects.  Always unobtrusive they, in many ways, bring the film to life, but that is what they are for - magic can only occur this way.  I'd like to know how real the Dawn Treader was.  If it was part of the special effects it was VERY good.  Some were a little tired though.  When the invisible mansion appears, it seems to build itself, like so many reconstructions of the Colosseum or similar ancient building you may watch a documentary on.

The story is better, on film, than Prince Caspian - much better.  It moves at a constant pace, sometimes forgetting to pause for thought as we move from island to island and closer to the source of all evil.  It does though slow for the final (well until the last book) goodbye to Narnia for the Pevensy Children, and also the parting of Reepicheep and Eustace.

The story has a clear Christian basis and this is not eroded by the film.  The morals are still there, some easier to see than others, but all still intact.

My verdict: Well worth a visit to the cinema to see it.

Joseph, an obedient servant

Joseph @ the school Nativity - illustration
At the school nativity play a boy desperately wanted to play the role of Joseph. He didn't get the part – he was to be the inn keeper. Instead the part of Joseph went to his greatest rival in the class. He was very upset. All through rehearsals he was planning what he would do. On the first night of the play when Joseph knocked on the door, the Inn keeper opened it. Joseph asked if they had any room. The Inn keeper said “Of course, there's plenty of room, come in.”. There was a bit of a silence and you could see the confusion on Joseph's face. Finally he moved forward, looked in the Inn and said to the Inn keeper “Never mind, no wife of mine is staying in a dump like this!” Turning to Mary he said “Let's see what's round the back”. The nativity was back on track.
Introduction to Joseph
It seems that there's something special about playing Joseph. Sure, Joseph's part is probably seen as the staring role for boys in the Nativity play. Although he is in many of the scenes, his only lines are with the Inn keeper – who has a similar number of lines.
Perhaps there is something deeper going on. Could it be that playing the role of the father is still seen as important. Perhaps it is something about being the father of God that makes the role attractive.
Last week Jo and I went to the Baptists Church to see Star Wise – the story of the Visit of the Magi set in a science fiction genre. There the star ship captain, who represented the modern sceptic, got to play hide and seek with the baby Jesus. Quite a lot was made of it, as it was the point in the play where the Captain began to change his mind. What was it like to play with Jesus as a toddler?
I'm sure Joseph enjoyed playing with the young Jesus as much as any father enjoys playing with his son. The reality though is that in the Bible Joseph has a bit part. The focus is on Jesus – exactly where it should be, of course. Joseph doesn't have a single word recorded. He is a silent witness but we do have a record of his actions. As my mother constantly reminded me “Actions speak louder than words”. Lets take a look through Joseph's story to see what he did, to see what we can learn about him and from him.
1st Century BC marriage
When we meet Joseph he is already being described as Mary's husband. In the first century BC the Jewish marriage process was nothing like ours. The system was based on arranged marriages. Joseph's parents and Mary's parents would have made an arrangement between them. When Joseph was old enough and established enough to support a wife the wedding would take place. This would probably have been the first time the couple met. After the wedding celebration the couple would return to their own homes. The period known as betrothal had started. During this time Joseph and Mary would get to know each other and begin the process of learning to live together. From the point of view of the Jewish law they were married. If anything happened – such as the death of one of them the other would be a widow, or widower. The divorce law also applied.
One of the most serious sins a woman could commit was to be involved with another man during the time of betrothal. The penalty was death by stoning.
Deuteronomy 22:23-24
If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death—the girl because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man’s wife. You must purge the evil from among you.
We have no idea what Joseph thought of Mary – we cannot tell whether he was in love, or whether he even liked her, but the reading tells us that he was a righteous man (v19). So when it became clear to him that his wife was pregnant and he knew that he couldn't be the father, he knew he must end the marriage.
Joseph righteous
Joseph was righteous – meaning that he kept the Law as best he could. So he could not complete the betrothal. He could not be married to someone who did not start out a virgin, and especially someone in a relationship with another man.
By Jesus time the practice of stoning was not so common, although it was still an option. He could have called for the full force of the law to be applied and made a public denouncement of Mary. Being righteous does not mean you lack compassion. Psalm 112:4 links the characteristics together:
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.
Well Joseph was certainly in a time of darkness – perhaps as dark as it gets. His decision was a compassionate one. He will just get Mary out of his life by getting a certificate of divorce and then start again on finding a wife. After all there was plenty of evidence.
The plan is made, but before it can be put into action God intervenes.
V20 “... an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”
Is this one of the things we can learn from Joseph – always act on your dreams? Does God still guide through dreams?
There are some significant differences of opinion. One preacher says “If you remember your dreams then God is trying to speak to you” I can't agree with that. Most of the dreams I remember are nightmares that wake me up and make getting back to sleep difficult. They are disjointed and frightening and do not seems as though God is there in any way.
Others will tell you that the promise in Joel 2:28-29 that Peter quotes in Acts 2:17-18, is not for our time, but for the time of the apostles or the time after Jesus return.
Here's what Joel says:
“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.”
Neither position really makes sense to me. It's true, of course that God will not and cannot act in ways that He has said He will not act in. It's also true that the prophesies are hard to understand, and can be looked at in several ways.
All I can say is that in the one or two cases where my dreams may have come from God the message has not contradicted my understanding of scripture and has reminded me to help people or pray for them.
Joseph clearly knew the difference between a dream sent by God and an ordinary nightmare. To him this message is clearly from God – it fits with prophecy:
Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Remember the words from the dream:
“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Who is the father?
OK, the baby is God's and that's very important, but there is still an earthly cost to consider. Families with bastard children were considered to be evil. They had broken the law and would be shunned. It would affect Mary as she brought up the family, and it would affect Joseph and his business. People may have thought that they just couldn't wait. People may have asked who the real father was. Channel 4 made a whole program on a rumour that starts around 150 AD that a Roman soldier called Panthera was the real father. There was speculation even before Jesus was born, and there has been ever since.
If Joseph had heard and believed the rumours things would be very different. Mary would have been divorced and unmarryable. Jesus could not have been David's descendant and the prophesies would not have been fulfilled. If Joseph heard the gossip he certainly didn't give it any value.
Joseph is not only a believer, but he is also faithful and obedient. Once he knows that the message is from God, he obeys. I'm sure he considered the cost. Righteousness goes deeper than simply following instructions. For Joseph righteousness means being open to follow God's commands as they arrive, it means knowing God's voice and following what it says.
Jesus says in John 10:3-5
“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
I wonder if he got that idea from Joseph?
We see how obedient Joseph is after the visit of the Magi, where another dream tells him to take his family to Egypt. In Matthew 2:13-14 Joseph wakes from his dream and the family leave immediately.
If you are to know someone’s voice then you must spend time with them. Dogs are generally reckoned to be more intelligent than sheep. Some of you will know we got a dog in June. He was about 18 months old, and it took him a few weeks to get used to our voices. Even a couple of months ago he wasn't entirely sure and went chasing after someone else whistling for their dog. If it takes the dog months, how long will it take the sheep.
Conclusion
Joseph is an excellent example of the character God is trying to develop in each of us.
If we are to be obedient to God, in the way that Joseph was obedient we must get close to God and listen to the Holy Spirit speaking to us. We will then be prepared to understand not just the message, but the urgency of it too. That way we can respond accordingly. We also learn from Joseph that our response to situations in the world must be loving and compassionate, just as God is loving and compassionate with us.
Joseph has a lot to teach us, not bad for the Bibles Silent Witness, Joseph son of David, the man who taught God.

Star Wise @ Billericay Baptist Church

Billed as a modern musical for Christmas 'Star Wise' follows the story of the Magi (Wise Men, Astrologers) on their journey to find the baby born to be King.  As the title and especially the picture suggests it is set in the Star Wars / Star Trek science fiction genre.  The Magi must hire a star ship to get from their planet to the Judean system, through the occupying armies of the Augustinian Empire. The captain, known as 'Skip' Tickle, of the star ship provides the sceptical voice of the non-believer of the present day, to balance the story and fit it to modern times.  The Judean system is ruled by a megalomaniac Herod to whom the Magi take an instant dislike.  There they must find the right planet so that they can worship the King. On Beth 3M they find the Baby with his mother Mary, and Father Joseph, and we hear some of the prophecies from Daniel and from Simeon in the temple. They return by another route and witness the prelude to the slaughter that Herod initiates.
The whole performance is backed by video clips, showing the controls of the ship, recorded messages (captains log ..) from the chief of Magi - Melchior, and outer space.  The programme contains a list of the films and TV series that the ideas came from, and there are a few tributes to shows whose ideas have not been used - 'Blakes Seven' even gets a mention.  The songs are mostly very clever.  One I particularly likes was about faster than light travel and contains a line something like 'go out in the morning, come back the night before'.  Scientific rubbish, of course, but entirely true to the genre.
Remembering that the cast are complete amateurs and most (if not all) are not regularly involved in drama they did a very good job.  The few minor glitches and hesitations are easily forgiven.  The show is quite long at around 2 hours, but there is an intermission when refreshments are served.  The baptist church itself was really too small as a venue, but I doubt they had much option.
Star Wise was put on to raise money for "Door of Hope".
Jo and I had an enjoyable evening.  Our thanks go to Peter White, the author, the cast and crew and the Baptist Church down the road.

I hope that this was a very successful outreach activity.  It had all the main points of the story, and the script showed some attempt to explain who the Magi were and where their beliefs came from.  God is referred to as 'The Uncreated Creator' most of the time and our captain gets to play hide and seek with the son of God.  Even the captain has the dream warning of the danger of returning to Herod.  At least it should certainly produce lots of questions for any who saw it and were not believers.

Keep Calm and Carry On - a sermon for Remembrance Sunday 2010

“Keep Calm and Carry On” This poster was initially produced by the Ministry of Information in 1939. It was intended to strengthen morale in the event of a wartime disaster – an invasion. Two-and-a-half million copies were printed, although the poster was distributed only in limited numbers. Quite what the reaction to it was in 1939 I have no idea. It was rediscovered in Barter Books, a second-hand bookshop in Alnwick, Northumberland in 2000. While never intended for this age it seems to have captured the imagination of the British people. Perhaps they have recognised something in their character.
[Slide 5 – Keep Calm and Carry On Products]
There are T-Shirts, mugs and posters and much more. I don't believe this is all marketing, after all if you make these things and don't sell them they soon disappear.
Its pretty much the same message that Jesus is giving his disciples as he talks about the End Times. He is saying that nothing much has changed in the world as we moved from BC to AD. There are still going to be Wars and revolutions, just as there had been in the past. Nations will fight and try to destroy each other. It was not new then and it is not new now. There are still going to be earthquakes. There are still going to be famines, There are still going to be epidemics or even pandemics.
[Slide 6 – Shoemakerlevy hits Jupiter]
There are still going to be great signs in the heavens. This picture shows the comet Shoemakerlevy as it collides with Jupiter. In Jesus time the interpretation of comets and other events in the night sky was very different from the interpretations we have now. Something like this would have been seen as a sign of something important happening on earth. Just like the star (whatever it was) that led the wise men to the new king of the earth shortly after his birth. In the mind set of the people of the time you could not have such an important person born without there being a sign in the sky.
All these things must happen before the end comes. Jesus' disciples are not to be frightened by any of this, but are to accept it calmly as inevitable and part of the process that God is going through in order to complete His redemption plan.
Perhaps we could put it another way:
[Video – Corporal Jones – Don't Panic]
Jones, of course is talking to himself as much as those around him. The message remains the same from popular culture whether you are in the seventies or the eighties.
[Slide 7 – Hitchhikers Guide – Don't Panic]
“Don't Panic”
Its an important message for for people to receive in times of disaster. When a bomb lands on the bank during the war, or when your world is being destroyed panic will only cause things to get worse.
I'm sure there have been many times throughout your life when it has looked as though your world is falling apart. Sometimes that has been at a personal level – when you loose someone important and don't know how you can continue to cope without them. Sometimes that will have been at a national level, when you see a threat to your whole nation.
Some of you here will remember and have been involved in WWII. You will have been through the times when it looked like the Germans might bomb London to a pile of rubble.
[Slide 8 – St Pauls, Blitz]
You will remember the heroic efforts to keep St Pauls from being burnt down. You will remember the famine that resulted from the war, rationing and the fears that you might starve to death. You will remember friends and family who gave their lives in the fight, or who were killed by enemy action over our heads. These were no doubt some of the low points of the war for you.
I've recently finished a book called 'Bomber Boys' about the young men who volunteered to fly in the RAF bombers that bombed Germany. The statistics are appalling:
2/3 of Allied bomber crews were lost for each plane destroyed, it was higher for the RAF, who flew the more dangerous missions.
6 bomber crewmen were killed for each one wounded
Tour Of Duty% KIA or MIA
Fighters (300 combat hours) 24%
Medium bombers (50 missions) 48%
Heavy bombers (30 missions) 71%
Many of them, whose writings are recorded, believed in what they were doing, and believed in the ultimate success of the whole venture.
There have been other wars since, of course. Most notably for me the Falklands war. I remember thinking at the time that it was nothing more than a skirmish and would be over in a few days. How could a country like Argentina defeat Britain – with its professional, well trained and equipped military services. So imagine my shock when I heard on the radio of the sinking of the HNS Sheffield by an Exocet missile.
[Slide 9 – HMS Sheffield, burning]
It took me a while after that to regain my composure, to calm down and to carry on. There was a real chance that the task force could be defeated and I had to come to terms with that.
It was the low point of the conflict for me.
There have been other wars since, and I know that I am very fortunate. I have not been involved in a war in my life time. I sincerely hope that I never am, and the same goes for my children.
[Slide 10 – Black]
We must remember though that although we are not involved in a physical war, we are most definitely involved in a spiritual one. When Jesus is talking about the end times He did not start by saying that war is a normal state of affairs on the earth. He started by warning us not to be deceived by the many who will come in his name claiming to be the Messiah. Many have come, here just a few that are recent:
David Koresh - Born Vernon Wayne Howell, was the leader of a Branch Davidian religious sect, proclaimed that he was "the Son of God, the Lamb."
Ariffin Mohamed – Also known as "Ayah Pin", the founder of the banned Sky Kingdom in Malaysia. He claims to be the incarnation of Jesus, as well as Muhammad, Shiva, and Buddha.[1]
Laszlo Toth – Hungarian-born Australian who vandalised Michelangelo's Pietà in 1972.
Arnold Potter - Schismatic Latter Day Saint leader; called himself "Potter Christ".
Thomas Harrison Provenzano[4] – convicted murderer who possibly was mentally ill. Provenzano compared his execution with Jesus Christ's crucifixion.
Georges-Ernest Roux – Founder of the Universal Alliance, claimed to be Jesus, then God, called the "Christ of Montfavet" or "Georges-Christ".
Ahn Sahng-hong – South Korean man worshipped by World Mission Society Church of God
John Nichols Thom - Cornish-man who claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and his body temple of the Holy Ghost. He was killed by British soldiers at the Battle of Bossenden Wood, on May 31, 1838 in Kent, England.
Sergei Torop – a Russian who claims to be "reborn" as Vissarion, the returned Jesus Christ. He founded the Church of the Last Testament and the spiritual community Ecopolis Tiberkul in Southern Siberia.
Ernest Norman, founder of the Unarius Academy of Science, was allegedly Jesus in a past life.
And that takes no account of the Moonies and other such sects. People are easily deceived and there are plenty of people ready to deceive them. Jesus tells his disciples not to be one of them. Whatever they say, Jesus' instructions are “Do not follow them”.
How not to be deceived?
That's the first and perhaps the most important thing. Then at the end of today's reading is a section where Jesus talks to his followers about what their life will be like. He starts in v12 with “But before all this”. Before there are wars, natural disasters, pandemics and famines there are more immediate problems that you will have to overcome.
Persecution.
Persecution can be very minor, like the rather ridiculous attack on Ian Duncan Smith for using the word 'sin' in a speech. Mostly though it is far from minor, and as Jesus says here it often involves the courts. In many countries courts are not involved at all, the targets of persecution are beaten up, and their churches or houses burned. None of the persecutors cares if some of them die as a result – there is no justice.
How many Christian Martyrs do you think there are in a year?
[Slide 11 – The Christian Martyrs last prayer]
[get some answers]
Perhaps your view of Christian martyrs is shaped by stories from Nero's Rome, and that leaves you with the impression that it doesn't happen today.
According to one estimate it is about 171,000 per year world wide.
[Slide 12 – Christian Martyrs of the 20th century]
In 1998, 10 Statues were added to Westminster Abbey. (Yes, I know there are only six in the picture!) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/129587.stm)They commemorate 10 Christian Martyrs from the 20th century. You may recognise some of the names and know their stories. Some you may not have heard of – neither had I. Each lost their life because of their faith in Jesus Christ. They are only 10. There are thousands that we will never know anything about who have made the same sacrifice. Jesus predicted as much in His words to the disciples (v 16).
Today, as we remember those who have given their lives to fight for our country, let us also remember those who have given their lives to fight for our faith. They died so that we may live our lives in peace and in freedom.
Perhaps the most shocking persecution of Christians that is happening today is causing Christians to leave the middle eastern countries in droves. It is being described as a new exodus. Christians in the past few years have left Iraq, Palestine, Egypt, and The Lebanon. In the case of The Lebanon they were not that long ago the majority population, now they are down to under a third. Islamic fundamentalism often gets the blame but the causes of this are unclear. The disruption and hardship caused to the thousands of families forced to leave their homes is obvious.
Will you or I end our lives as martyrs? - It's possible. I have no idea where Jesus will take me next, and I doubt that you do either.
If we do have to face the ultimate sacrifice, or any kind of persecution Jesus says that we should not worry about what we will say beforehand. His promise is that the Holy Spirit will give us the right words when the time comes. Verse 15 “For I will give you words of wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict”.
Keep Calm and Cary On.
We know that many awful things must happen before the end comes. We are not allowed to know when that will be, but we are given some clues and told to watch for signs. Jesus warned his disciples to leave Jerusalem and head for the hills when they saw the armies advancing. In AD 66 Titus Flavius Vespasianus led the Roman army against Jerusalem. By AD 70 the seige of Jerusalem was broken and the vast majority of it's inhabitants slaughtered by angry Roman soldiers. Josephus estimates that 1.1 million were killed, while only 97,000 survived. If only they had followed Jesus' advice and fled. Instead they followed the common wisdom of the time – that it was safer inside the walls of the city than outside.
Keep calm and Carry on does not mean that you ignore the signs that are so carefully put there as a warning for you.
Peter, one of Jesus' three closest disciples says in chapter 4 of his first letter “7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” and in Chapter 5 “8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
Our reading today ends with the line “but not a hair on your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life”. He says this immediately after telling the disciples that some of them will be put to death. This ONLY makes sense if you are expecting another life after this one. Jesus had not demonstrated Eternal Life when he said this. Now he has!
Now we have so much more than the disciples had, but like the people Peter is writing to we must be alert to the signs and stand firm in the faith.
[Slide 13 – Keep Calm and Carry On]
Keep Calm and Carry On
Carry On deepening your faith, be alert look carefully for signs, be sure you know how to read them. Some of them will be awful and may disrupt life as we know it. Some of us may end our lives as martyrs. We cannot correctly interpret and respond to signs – even if they are as clear as an unexploded bomb, if we are in a state of panic.
Carry On standing firm and you will gain life.

Praying for the Kingdom - Luke 18:1-8

Introduction

What is this passage really about? It seems straight forward enough until you get to that last verse. Until then its simply an illustration of Praying – and never giving up until you get what you're asking for. That's easy – right?

But then we get the last part of verse 8 where Jesus says “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

What does Jesus mean, and how does it relate to the parable?

Looking back to the Chapter before our reading today, Jesus is responding to a question about the Kingdom of God. He uses that question to talk about his return. From chapter 17 verse 30.

“It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.”

The widow in the parable wants justice. We must ask ourselves why there would be a call for justice at the second coming. Christians across the world are hated by those they live among. As a result they are treated badly – persecuted. Sometimes that is simply a form of discrimination but at other times and in other places it is much worse. We are fortunate because we can worship without threat at the moment. There are many places in the world where just going to a Christian meeting would endanger your life. So we can see that there is a great need for justice.

Revelation 6:10 tells us why. 'They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”' That is the same prayer as the prayer of the widow.

In the parable Jesus is saying that we should be praying for the Kingdom of God – for its establishment, its growth, and finally for justice for its members. He teaches the same thing in Matthew 6, where there is an outline for prayer. Its one of the scriptures that make up the “Lord's Prayer”.

Mt 6:9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “ 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

Mt 6:10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Mt 6:11 Give us today our daily bread.

Notice that praying for the Kingdom is something that is to be done before even asking God to provide for our most basic needs – our daily bread.'

Praying for the Kingdom includes anything that helps to build Gods Kingdom on Earth:

• For people to come to Christ
• For people to grow closer to Christ
• For strengthening and healing those who are already engaged in spreading the gospel.

Ernest Persistent Prayer

For these things we should pray and never give up. I was trying to think of an example of a time when Christ Church has prayed together for the same thing. A time when we had prayed with a similar sense of persistence as shown by the widow in the parable. That was when Warner was off work in 2008. We met together in the church room each week to pray. Not that many of us, it is true, but enough of us to make a difference. Perhaps, if I had held those times in the church, more people would have come. We prayed like this for about three months, if I remember correctly. Then one night we met for a half night of prayer, and stayed in church praying until midnight.

And it worked!

Looking back now, though, we weren't that committed to what we were doing.

Kefa Sempangi lead a church in Uganda during the Amin dictatorship. His church would call the leadership together to pray whenever there was a serious need in the church. They would pray right through the whole night, expecting an answer in the morning.

When was the last time that the leaders of our church were called together to pray?

A look at Prayer

Request

Lets take a look at what these prayers might be like.

First we must remember that we do not make demands of God.

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

C. S. Lewis wrote: “Prayer is request. The essence of a request, as distinct from a demand, is that it may or may not be granted. And if an infinitely wise Being listens to the requests of finite and foolish creatures, of course He will sometimes grant them and sometimes refuse them.”

Sometimes we are not praying for the right thing, as Ruth Bell Graham, the wife of Billy Graham once said, “If God answered every prayer of mine, I would have married the wrong man seven times!”

Our prayers may not always be the best things for us, or for those we are praying for. We must be sure that we are close to God, so that we do not waste our efforts praying for things that are never going to happen.

John 15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

We may have to wait what seems a very long time to us. Patience and faith are important.

Patience

2Pe 3:8-9 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

In a German prison camp in WWII, unknown to the guards, the American prisoners managed to build a makeshift radio. One day news came that the German high command had surrendered, ending the war—a fact that, because of a communications breakdown, the German guards did not yet know. As word spread, a loud celebration broke out. For three days, the prisoners were hardly recognizable. They sang, waved at guards, laughed at the German shepherd dogs, and shared jokes over meals. On the fourth day, they awoke to find that all the Germans had fled, leaving the gates unlocked.

God, of course doesn't suffer communications breakdowns, but has His reasons for not answering our prayers immediately. Our patience is required.

Faith

Faith is required too.

English preacher George Mueller wrote these words about praying: “The great point is never to give up until the answer comes. I have been praying for 63 years and 8 months for one man’s conversion. He is not saved yet, but he will be. How can it be otherwise? I am praying.” George Mueller died in 1897 and the man was still not saved. But as they lowered Muller’s casket into the ground, the man repented of his sins and trusted Jesus as his Saviour.

George was famous for his prayer life, and is reputed to have read through the Bible 4 times every year.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Sometimes though our certainty in the things we do not see fails us and doubts begin. This is especially the case when we have been praying the same prayer for a long time, and the person that we are praying for seems completely unaffected by our prayers.

Doubt

When you walk into a room and switch on the light an nothing happens you don't say “Oh, that Thomas Edison had no idea what he was talking about. This electricity thing just doesn't work.”. No, you check that there isn't a power cut, then replace the bulb or the switch.

When doubts occur, don't assume that God isn't listening or isn't going to answer your prayer. There are many reasons why God hasn't answered the prayer right NOW.

Closeness to God

If we can stay close to God it will help us to trust Him, then we will be less likely to doubt. Regularly reading the Bible, (4 times through every year is great, but I don't think I will ever manage that!) and spending time just talking to God about your day will help. John 15:5 says “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” We have to stay connected to God if our prayers are to be any use in building the Kingdom.

Faith on Earth

The parable was told to encourage the followers of Jesus to pray and to keep on praying for the Kingdom of God, and in this case for justice for each of its members. This call for justice is echoed John's vision in Revelation 6:10 where the martyrs question God about how long they have to wait for justice. They have been working for the Kingdom of God against the powers of the world and have made the ultimate sacrifice.

At the end of the parable Jesus wonders whether He will find any faithful followers on earth when he returns. Will He find anyone who can stand up the threats of the world and continue to pray for the Kingdom until it comes, or until their time on earth is complete.

Will that be us, or will we succumb to the world and its enchantments?