Forgiveness: What It Is and What It Is Not

The sermon was preached on 13 September 2026 at Christ Church, Billericay. Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9zfzuYtfuQ. From 27:40 to 44:09

Prayer

Introduction - Scale Let’s get the values in this parable into units we can understand. A talent, called a bag of gold here, was a measure of weight. Estimates vary, as did the weight over time, but in Jesus’ time the weight was roughly equivalent to 41 Kilograms. At today’s gold prices, more than £100,000/kg, one talent is worth over £4 million. So 10,000 talents is over £40 billion (US). No one, not even Elon Musk could pay that easily. The point that Jesus is making is that the debt is not repayable. The smaller debt, a hundred silver coins, is estimated would be a hundred days wages. That is repayable, it may take some time, but it is possible.

Peter’s Question The parable though is not about debt, it is about forgiveness. The point is that as we are forgiven more than we could ever have to forgive, so we should forgive others. Jesus is responding to Peters question asking how many times he should forgive. It follows directly on from Jesus' instructions for dispute resolution that we heard Catherine talk to us about last week. Peter comes to Jesus and asks “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?” And then adds “Up to seven times?”. Peter is Learning It was the common teaching of the rabbis that you should forgive three times. Peter, knowing that Jesus extends things and expects more of His disciples than the religious leaders expect of the people, has already extended the limit to the number of times he should forgive. Seven is not enough though. Jesus says try 70 times 7. So start counting. See how far you get. You may get to 7, 10, 12, but soon you will lose count, and by then the habit will be established.

Message of the Parable As I have already said, the message of the parable is very simple: Forgive, because you have been forgiven something much greater. Fail to forgive and be set up for judgement. There was a man who really loved dogs. He devoted his life to them, he read about them, studied them, and even gave talks about them to other dog lovers. One day he decided to lay a new path in front of his house. His neighbour watched from his window as he smoothed out the last square foot of cement. Just then, a large dog appeared and walked through the fresh cement, leaving paw prints behind. The man muttered something under his breath and smoothed out the damage. He then went inside to get some rope so he could put up a fence around the path. But, when he got back outside, he discovered some more dog tracks in his fresh cement. He smoothed out the cement and put up the fence. He then went into the house. Five minutes later he looked outside and saw some more paw prints. He was really mad now. He got out his trowel and smoothed the cement one more time. As he got back to his porch, the dog reappeared and sat right in the middle of the path. He went inside, grabbed his gun and shot the dog dead. The neighbour rushed over and said, “Why did you do that? I thought you loved dogs.” The man thought for a minute and said, “I do, I do like dogs. But that’s in the abstract. I hate dogs in the concrete.” Forgiveness is a great idea in the abstract, but this morning we are looking at it in the concrete.

It is clear that Jesus says we should forgive and continue to forgive. It's easy to say that you've forgiven someone, but true forgiveness is difficult and costly. If you have truly forgiven someone – let’s say it is a close friend, or family member – then the relationship may be restored, but it will rarely be exactly the way it was before the hurt occurred. But remember: “Forgiveness is given; reconciliation is negotiated.”

True Forgiveness There is a test we can use to see if we have really forgiven someone. If you find out that the person who wronged you is in need, will you proactively go out to help them? If this person requires a plate of food, will you give it to them? Proverbs 25:21 says: "If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink." Take a minute to think about a time when you have been hurt by someone you love – really hurt. [Pause] How is that relationship now – does it work the same way it did before? If not, if you found out they were in need would you go out of your way to help?

We are forgiven by our Father God. Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. Micah 7:19 You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. And 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. When we first decided to follow Jesus we were probably asked to say a prayer confessing our sins something like this: Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Saviour. In Your Name. Amen. If it is said sincerely, then our offences before God are forgiven, and we can become part of the family of God. It doesn't stop us sinning – which is offending God – so we continually have to return to that prayer, or something similar – and confess our sins. That is the reason that we say the confession near the start of each service. God's forgiveness is greater than ours – He can choose not to recall our sins, that is something that we cannot do when we are sinned against.

Cost of Forgiveness God's forgiveness is costly, it cost Jesus his life, as it says in 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. Our forgiveness also has a cost. Aside from the efforts of reconciliation that we must make to put things right – the things we heard about last week – there is also the hurt that must be put to one side.

Dangers of Unforgiveness Whatever has happened cannot be changed. If we are to forgive and move on we must avoid the three 'R's Revenge ­ “I’m going to get even!” Revenge says “I'm going to get even”. Far from making things better this is an escalation. Getting even rarely ends in even, in fact it rarely ends. Your attempts to repay in kind for your hurt will always cause greater hurt than you received. The likely outcome is that further revenge will be visited on you, and so the cycle of escalation will continue. This is where blood feuds come from, as the hurt is passed from parent to child and so on down the years. Resentment ­ “I’m going to stay angry!” Resentment says “I'm going to stay angry”. Prolonged anger is bad for you physically, mentally and spiritually. The only person who suffers with this approach is you. Your anger becomes the focus of your life, to the exclusion of all else. Everyone else in the world has moved on, soon no-one will understand why you are angry – even if you spend a lot of time telling them. You will end up as bitter and resentful – and nothing will have changed. Remembering ­ “I’ll never forget!” Remembering says “I'll never forget”. It is not the occasional memory that pops up, it is a process of keeping the memory of the hurt fresh. Hillary Clinton said “In the Bible it says they asked Jesus how many times you should forgive, and he said 70 times 7. Well, I want you all to know that I'm keeping a chart.” I have no idea of the context, whether it was about Bill, or whether it was meant as a joke – I hope it was. For a while forgetting is hard, and refreshing the memory is easy, but it should soon become less so – otherwise you will end up living in the past and today will become irrelevant.

Benefits for Forgiveness Avoiding the three R's means that the hurt we have suffered is not amplified and reinforced by our own attitudes. Falling for the three R's – Revenge, Resentment, Remembering leads us away from peace and damages our life. Lewis Smedes said “When I genuinely forgive, I set a prisoner free and then discover that the prisoner I set free was me.” When I fail to forgive it is me that suffers, it follows that when I genuinely forgive, it is me that benefits.

There is nothing that should not be forgiven C.S. Lewis has said, “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” Not only are there no limits to the number of times we are forgiven, there are no limits to the things we should forgive.

Jesus’ Warning Jesus has given the disciples this message before, back in Matthew 6:15, after teaching them how to pray He says: “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Many times when I speak to you, it is difficult to understand exactly what the scripture is trying to say, this morning it is crystal clear. If we call ourselves Christian there is no excuse not to forgive, and that is the only way we will continue to be forgiven by our Father. Paul has the same message for the Colossians. 3:13 “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Final Challenge Who do you need to forgive? What hurt are you still carrying? What would freedom look like? Forgive because you have been forgiven. Amen.

 Based on:

https://3cephas-notes.blogspot.com/2014/11/forgive-and-forgive-again-matthew-1821.html 

References:

https://mypastoralponderings.com/2020/09/12/ten-thousand-reasons-to-forgive-my-sermon-on-matthew-1821-35/

https://sermoncentral.com/sermons/learning-to-forgive-ian-johnson-sermon-on-forgiveness-for-others-58947

https://www.threads.com/share/_nO7VlnY_/

https://www.newstartdiscipleship.com/post/42-sermon-illustrations-on-forgiving-others

https://sabbathprograms.com/forgiveness-you-reconciliation-takes-two-bonus-sermon

https://sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-standard-of-grace-brian-bill-sermon-on-salvation-57667

https://www.bullionbypost.co.uk/silver-price/silver-price-today/

https://www.bullionbypost.co.uk/gold-price/live/kilograms/GBP/ 

https://scripturestudio.org/measures.html

 

Who do you think you are?

Father God, You are the One who formed us, knew us, and called us by name. As we gather today, open our hearts to hear Your voice and to understand who we truly are in Christ. Amen. Introduction / Background Part of “Staycation: Mission at Home” What God said to the exiles – Make family. Harsh Question Sometimes the question “Who do you think you are?” can be a harsh question. It can be asked in outrage that you would dare to do something, or dare to question something. That’s not the sort of question we are looking at today. Today, we are looking at identity. What is it that makes you who you are?

TV Show The TV show, “Who do you think you are?” is all about family history. Interesting though it is, there are some occasions when the discovered history has no obvious relationship to the persons current life. On other occasions you can see the consistency of the family characteristics or particular set of skills, through the generations. These only represent a part of each of us, in much the same way that our medical history is not defined by our parents medical history, although there is a strong link. Unlikely Birth In the film “The Meaning of Life” there is a song, the Galaxy Song, which tells us all about our galaxy, but also includes the line: So remember, when you're feeling very small and insecure How amazingly unlikely is your birth There are all sorts of things that make your birth unlikely. Supposing your parents had never got together? Or their parents … and so on. You would not be here. Supposing they had for some non-medical reason, been unable to have children around the time you were born – perhaps they were forced apart by war, or economic circumstances. You would not be here. But you are – all of those apparently random circumstances have led to you and I. You are a product of the genetic material of your father and mother, this combines in ways that science says is largely unpredictable. Some scientists estimate the number of possible viable human genetic combinations to be around 10^1024. So, you are not 1 in a billion, you are 1 in 10 with 1024 zeros. That makes you pretty unique. That’s the number of different ways you can be knit together in your mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13-14) Identical Twins – Different People Even if your DNA does not make you unique, your circumstances most certainly do. I have twin girls, we are pretty sure that they are identical, that they share the same DNA, but one was born first and one second. When they were babies, they had different birth weights, and freckles in different places, or we’d never have been able to work out who’s who. The circumstances of our family life, the community we grew up in, our friendships, our work environments and many other things also make us who we are.

What does the Bible say The Bible tells us who we are in quite a different way – who we are from God’s point of view. Ephesians 2:10, that was part of our reading today, tells us that we are God’s workmanship, saved by His grace, which is His gift to each of us, so that we can do the work prepared for us. Hebrews 13:14 “For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.” So here on Earth in this life, we are the same as the exiles from Israel when they arrived in Babylon. We do not really belong here. 1 Peter 2:9, tells us that we are chosen, all of us, as a holy nation.

Colossians 3:12, tells us that we are chosen and dearly loved and that we should behave with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Jeremiah 29:4–7, tells us that we are put in a particular place by God, and that we should build our families in that place. John 20:21, tells us that we are sent to where we are.

Acts 1:8, tells us that we are powered by the Holy Spirit. Matthew 5:14, tells us that we are a light to the world. 2 Corinthians 5:20, tells us that we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We carry His message, we deliver it carefully, so as not to upset the people whose country we live in. We make our message relevant to them, as though we were a native. These are just a few verses that give us a little idea of who God says we are.

So, here’s a summary of our mission – Mission Impossible style, because without the Holy Spirit, it IS impossible: Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to live with unwavering faithfulness in the exact place God has deployed you. Your objectives are as follows: Build and bless — establish roots, strengthen families, and bring peace to your community. Pray and serve — operate with spiritual intelligence, responding to God’s guidance at every turn. Shine and witness — illuminate the darkness with the light of Christ, revealing hope where others see none. Reconcile — act as an agent of restoration, repairing what is broken and healing what is wounded. Walk in the good works — complete the assignments God has already prepared, each one tailored to your calling. Point toward the city to come — keep your eyes fixed on the ultimate destination, reminding others of the Kingdom that awaits. As always, should you or any member of this Kingdom Force be misunderstood, opposed, or rejected by the world, know this: your Commander will never disavow you. He claims you, equips you, and stands with you—even when the world does not recognise who you are or whose mission you serve. This message will never self‑destruct. Your mission is ongoing, Spirit‑powered, and already authorised by the King. Because of that it becomes possible, and gives us hope.

For our activity, we are going to build something that represents the hope we offer. The building bricks can be turned into whatever might inspire you to remember this message. I’d suggest, a house – somewhere that offers a family connection. A tower, that provides the protection that God offers. Proverbs 18:10 says “The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” A wall, like a sea wall, that prevents the chaos of the sea reaching the land, and preserves the homes of those living near by. Or whatever, but please be ready to explain your thoughts.

So, who do you think you are? You are not: a random accident, a product of chance. merely the sum of your genetics, your upbringing, and your circumstances. We are God’s workmanship, so we are: chosen, loved, placed, sent, empowered, and illuminated by His Spirit. an ambassador of Christ, carrying His message into the exact place He has deployed you. Our mission is not theoretical, distant, or optional, it is already authorised by the King of Kings. So as you built your small creation today, whatever it was, let it remind you of the hope you carry, the peace you bring, and the identity you live out. Closing Prayer Father God, May we walk in the good works You have prepared for us. May we shine with the light of Christ. May we bless the place where You have planted us. And may we remember, always, who we are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Pray for workers

Preached on 14 June 2026 @ Christ Church, Billericay.  Recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjpozCozY1s from 26:10 to 43:04

Prayer

Father God, guide us as followers of Jesus, shaping our lives in His way and His wisdom. Help us grow as faithful disciples who reflect Your compassion in our daily walk.

Ordinary People

Jesus and his disciples have been travelling through the towns and villages of Galilee. We can read some of the things that have been happening in the previous chapters. He is proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.

Kingdom of God.

The promise of Daniel 2:44 is coming to pass.

“In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.”

The expectation would be high, but anyone can say the Kingdom of God is near. It’s easy to say, but what does it mean. In our time we have plenty of people who are willing to stand up and tell us all how they would magically improve society, but what are any of them actually doing?

Jesus isn’t trying to raise a mob, He is demonstrating to the people what the Kingdom of God means by healing every disease and sickness. In a time when there was almost NO meaningful medical practise, this was truly something they needed, it was truly something revolutionary.

Harassed and helpless

Jesus notices the people suffer harassment and feel helpless. We still have those people today. Go into any town centre and watch the people for a while. Many may look like they have their lives under control, but most of them probably don’t. For a few, it’s obvious that they’re struggling, and I’m not only talking about the homeless.

They are like sheep without a shepherd.

Not about them

In this passage, Matthew is not really talking the people, he is really talking about Jesus’s disciples, the 12 who were with Jesus then. It is for them to look after the harassed and helpless. What he says also applies to Jesus’s disciples now – the millions, including You and I who follow Him in our daily lives.

Too few workers

Jesus calls the 12 together and tells them “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” All those people they are looking at, all those people Jesus has healed – many of them are ready to be claimed for the Kingdom of God.

Instruction to Pray

Then we hear Jesus say something really unusual “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Hardly ever do we hear Jesus give instructions to pray for something specific. He does plenty of teaching about how to pray. Some encouragement to always pray and not give up. The other instances of direct instructions to pray relate to very specific short term situations. For example, in the Garden of Gethsemane, he tells his disciple to pray that they do not fall into temptation. When He’s talking about the destruction of Jerusalem, He says pray that it will not happen in winter, or on a Sabbath.

This instruction to pray for workers in the field to collect the harvest doesn’t seem to only apply to this occasion, but for all time. That makes it a unique command.

How often do we pray for workers in the field to come and collect the harvest in our town? When was the last time I heard that in any of our intercessions? – I can’t remember.

How God answers prayer

Maybe we don’t pray this prayer because of what happens next. Jesus immediately gets them in to teams and sends them off to be workers in the field. They become the answer to the prayer they haven’t yet had time to pray. Our God answers our prayers, and maybe we don’t want to be that answer.

Training

For the disciples it’s time to put into practice what they have been watching Jesus do. If we look back at chapter 8 and just reading the headings we will see what’s been happening:

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

Jesus Heals Many

Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralysed Man

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman

Jesus Heals the Blind and the Mute

Now, it’s their turn! We might consider this a training exercise.

The disciples - pairs

It is interesting how the disciples are listed in 10 verse 2. Simon and Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, The other James and Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot.

If you want to check the names here against the names in the other gospels there are plenty of places that will help you with that, I’m not talking about the names. I’m seeing that they are paired up. He sends the twelve out in pairs, not as individuals. If you’ve ever had the JWs knock at your door, you’ll know there are always at least two. Yet so often we have ONE evangelist. I think we may have missed something important here.

The disciples – take nothing

Then they are given some instructions. They are in a mixed area, there are Gentiles, Samaritans, and Jews living there. Jesus tells them to only go to the Jews, they are the people who will be best able to understand the message. They are the people who have the greatest expectation, and they are the people whose leaders are letting them down so badly.

The message they are to take is the same one Jesus has been proclaiming – ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Then they are to do what they have seen Jesus doing – heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.

Nothing difficult really!!!

There are more instructions in the following verses, that seem to make it even harder:

⁹ Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— ¹⁰ no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.

So, leave your jackets and coats on the chairs, put your wallet and bank cards with them, and off you go to Basildon, or Pitsea, or Vange perhaps, to bring the message that the Kingdom of God is near. You’ll have to walk, or perhaps hitchhiking might be allowed.

You should have a lovely Sunday Afternoon.

My Experience

I remember doing some Evangelism training. In 2011, Warner took me to a “Through Faith Missions” training weekend in Woking. In those days they were doing walks in the surrounding towns and villages, “The Walk of a Thousand Men” it was called. We slept on the church floor on the Friday night, and attended various classroom sessions, then did some practice.

Firstly we had a survey and were allocated a street. This is door-knocking in disguise. Then in the evening we were taken to the local Wetherspoons. The objective here was to engage the men in the pub in relevant conversation. We were given enough money to buy ourselves and someone else a pint. That was all we were allowed to have with us. For each of these things we were paired up with others on the training course.

Even with the training, to say that I was out of my comfort zone would have been a massive understatement. Doing the survey was not too bad, but the best conversations we had were with members of other churches. As for the pub, there were no conversations, except the one I had with my fellow novice. Near the end of the evening, I asked one of the leaders to show me how it was done. He was only marginally more successful and didn’t manage to establish a real conversation.

Reflection

After my licensing, at a reception in the church hall I answered a number of questions for our congregation. One of the things I said there, was that if I believed that God said “Go”, I would go. That promise has to be tested from time to time.

These experiences are never a waste of time, some of the classroom sessions had been really useful, and I learnt a little about myself and my mission too. If I were to undertake this type of evangelism, I would need a lot more training and a very specific call.

The disciples

So, how did the disciples get on? Annoyingly, Matthew doesn’t tell us, but fortunately Mark does:

6¹² They went out and preached that people should repent. ¹³ They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

Much, much better than the little group of trainees in Woking 15 years ago. I can think of four reasons why that might be:

• I was exploring my calling, as I suspect others were. The disciples were hand-picked by Jesus for this specific task.
• The disciples had seen a number of miracles first hand. If you talk to people who have seen or received miracles, you will see they have a different approach, a kind of enthusiasm and excitement you can’t get any other way.
• The disciples were offering to fulfil a real need – healing, we were only offering conversation, so far as the people we were speaking to were concerned.
• It’s possible the disciples were recognised in the towns and villages. We were most definitely not, coming from a town 30 miles away.

Conclusion

Jesus looked at the crowds with compassion—harassed, helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He still looks upon our towns, our neighbours, and our generation with the same compassion today.

His response was not simply to feel compassion; it was to call and send ordinary people. People with doubts, fears, limitations, and very little equipment—yet people who had been with Him.

The harvest is still plentiful. The workers are still few. And the command to pray for workers still stands, none of us should forget to pray this prayer regularly and repeatedly. And when we pray that prayer, we must be ready for God to place our own names among the answers, even if He has never done that before.

May we be willing to go where He sends, to speak as He leads, and to trust that the God who calls ordinary people also equips them with extraordinary grace.

Amen.

References 

https://sermoncentral.com/sermons/enter-into-his-gates-100-psalms-melvin-maughmer-jr-sermon-on-assurance-of-salvation-63700

Expositors Bible Commentary for both readings

Matthew for everyone - Tom Wright 

https://www.psephizo.com/biblical-studies/the-pattern-and-practice-of-ministry-in-matthew-9-to-10/

https://desperatepreacher.com/texts/mat9_35/mat9_35.htm

https://www.1517.org/articles/gospel-matthew-935-108-pentecost-3-series-a-2023

https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-11/commentary-on-matthew-935-108-9-23-3

https://biblehub.com/q/who_are_the_lost_sheep_of_israel.htm 

https://3cephas-notes.blogspot.com/search/label/evangelism 

gemini created the image and answered questions.  copilot suggested prayers, and some text.  

The World is Changed

Preached at Christ Church, Billericay on 1 March 2026 at 10:00

Recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nupbxKd6dbo from 33:50 to 48:08

Prayer Father God, speak into our shifting world. Open our hearts, steady our steps, and make us ready for the change Your Spirit brings. Amen. Introduction: The Shifting Soil "The world is changed," the ancient Treebeard says in Tolkien’s The Return of the King. "I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air." If you believe all the hype around the Gorton and Denton by-election, you may think I’m referring to that, after all there is a sort of plumbing connection. Things may have changed, but by-elections throw up strange results, so we have to wait and see. For the person of faith, those words carry a different weight. When God enters a life, the world doesn't just "shift"—it is fundamentally rearranged. The coordinates are reset. Today, we look at two biblical figures—Abram and Nicodemus—who saw their lives dramatically changed. One walked into the desert, and the other walked into the night, but both found that once God speaks, staying the same is the only impossible option. Others have experienced similar things over the centuries, so we will look at three of those stories, and then ask how God may be speaking to us.

Abram: The Courage of the Departure In Genesis 12, we meet Abram. We know little about him at that stage. We can work out that he is a Bronze Age herdsman, and we are told that he is seventy-five years old, (that’s even older than me!). He’s settled and established in Haran. There’s nothing special about Abram, he will make some bad mistakes later in his life. Then comes the voice: “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” The Radical "Went" The most staggering line in this text is verse 4: "So Abram went, as the Lord had told him." Just like that! In our modern world, we want a five-year plan, GPS coordinates, and a guaranteed pension. All Abram had was a command and a promise of blessing. Perhaps that’s what motivates him to leave. The Nature of the Blessing God promises to make him a "great nation," but notice the why. God says, "You will be a blessing... and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Abram’s change is geographical and will be generational. He had to move his body because God was moving the history of the world. Without Abram’s obedience, there are no Jews, so there can be no Christians, and no Muslims. With his move the world is changed.

Nicodemus: The Crisis of the Night Fast-forward to John 3. We meet Nicodemus, a man who has everything Abram’s descendants were promised: they are living in the land , they have status, knowledge, and religious authority. He’s heard things, seen things, that have challenged his understanding of God. So, he comes to Jesus under the cover of darkness. He knows the world is changing again, and he wants to be following God’s lead. But, he’s also afraid of those who are protecting the status quo. Born From Above Jesus meets Nicodemus’s polite flattery with a blunt response: “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” The Limit of Heritage For Nicodemus, or for any Pharisee, being a child of Abram was the ultimate "golden ticket." But Jesus explains that the blessing of Abram—the physical lineage—is not enough. To see the Kingdom, you need a spiritual change. The kingdom of God is not a country; to live there, you need a new nature. Snakes on Poles Jesus reminds him of the bronze serpent in the wilderness. When the people were dying of snakebites, they needed to look up at the snake on the pole, then they would live. It’s a forerunner of looking up at the crucified Jesus on the cross and accepting that His death has paid for our lives. Jesus tells this scholar: "Your degrees won't save you. Only looking to the One who will be lifted up—the Son of Man—can heal you." For Nicodemus, the world changed when he realized God doesn't want our "best efforts" or our "religious traditions." He wants our death and our rebirth. Result for Nicodemas We know that the conversation with Jesus changed Nicodemus’s world. After the crucifixion, Nicodemus provided about 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes to prepare Jesus’s body for burial.

Three Moments of Modern Rebirth God does not stop speaking. He continues to disrupt comfortable lives. Let’s look at how that "The world is Changed" moment looked for three people in the last couple of centuries. 1. Hudson Taylor: The Finished Work In 1849, teenage Hudson Taylor was bored in his father’s library. He picked up a gospel tract (a pamphlet), thinking he’d read the story at the start and skip the "sermon" at the end. But he was struck by one phrase: "The finished work of Christ." The Result He realized that if the work was finished, there was nothing left for him to do but accept it. That was the moment his World was changed. That realization eventually drove him to China. He didn't just go as a colonial missionary; his approach was revolutionary. He changed his clothes, his hairstyle, to look like a local, and lived as a Chinese man to reach the interior. Because of a pamphlet, the China Inland Mission was born.

2. Mother Teresa: The Thirst In 1946, Sister Teresa was already a nun, teaching comfortably in a school in Calcutta. On a train journey to Darjeeling, she heard a voice within her heart. It wasn't a call to become a nun—she already was one. It was a "call within a call." The word she heard was: "I thirst." The Result She realized Jesus was thirsty for the love of the poorest of the poor. She left the walls of the convent, traded her habit for a simple blue-bordered sari, and walked into the slums to care for the dying. Everything about her life, and the world's view of mercy, was changed on that train ride.

3. Brother Andrew: The Step of Yes In the 1950s, a young Dutchman named Andrew was recovering from a war wound. He picked up a Bible and began to read it like a man dying of thirst. In 1952, God spoke a simple invitation to his heart: "Yes." Andrew responded by saying, "Lord, as I take my first step forward, will you consider this a step towards complete obedience to you? I’ll call it the step of yes." The Result God then gave him a specific word from Revelation: "Awake, and strengthen what remains." (Rev 3:”) Then "God's Smuggler" began driving a Volkswagen Beetle full of Bibles behind the Iron Curtain. He changed the face of the persecuted church because he was willing to say "Yes" to a God who makes seeing eyes blind at border crossings.

4. Me Not all experiences that the Bible reports are for everyone, but this is one I can identify with. I didn’t warn you about this at the start, because I didn’t want you to leave. For me God’s word came through a “Gifts” survey, that Peter Sandberg ran. It was intended to help us, and the church, identify our gifts. The Result For me that came out as teaching. It set me on a path that led me to lead Explorers, then Pathfinders, and finally to offer myself to be trained as a Reader. Speaking to Us Today If the world is changed, and if God is still speaking, what does that mean for each of us? As an Individual You may be here today like Nicodemus—respected, "fine," but carrying a restless heart. Perhaps you’ve been relying on your "good person" resume. Jesus is whispering the same thing to you: It is not enough to be improved; you must be made new. What is the "pamphlet" or the "train ride" moment God is offering you today? Our world is changed when we stop asking God to bless our plans and start asking God to give us His life. Final Prayer Lord God, You who called Abram out of Haran and Nicodemus out of the dark, call us now. We confess that we often fear change more than we love You. Shake the foundations of our self-sufficiency. Give us the courage to go where You lead, the humility to be born anew by Your Spirit, and the heart to be a blessing to a world that so desperately needs Your light. May we leave this place knowing that because of Christ, the world—the whole world—is changed.

 References

https://desperatepreacher.com/texts/gen12_1/gen12_1.htm

https://www.preaching.lexiwiki.com/2025/03/sermon-on-nicodemus-let-us-seek-truth.html

https://www.quotes.net/mquote/120314

https://clip.cafe/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring-2001/the-world-changed/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Taylor

Commentry - expositor's bible Commentry vol 2 (Genesis)

Commentry - expositor's bible Commentry vol 9 (John)

 

Love on a Mountain Top (2)

The sermon was preached at St. Mary the Virgin, Little Burstead  on 15 February 2026 at 10:30.

It is referenced on their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=857263363934973 

and Instagram here:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVB-u0qikOY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== 

Abstract:  This sermon was made from a copilot re-write of https://3cephas-notes.blogspot.com/2023/02/mountain-top-experiences.html, which I asked it to make more 'punchy'.  The result, after some further edits is below.

Mount Hermon

Prayer

Lord God, meet us on the mountain of Your presence. Open our eyes to Your glory, steady our hearts with Your love, and prepare us to follow you in the journey ahead. Amen.

Introduction

As we approach Lent, we’re thinking about mountain‑top experiences—those moments when God breaks through with clarity, power, or love. The phrase is usually a metaphor, but in both our readings today, it’s also literal. God meets His people on mountains, and what happens there changes everything.

What a Mountain‑Top Experience Gives You

When we speak of a mountain‑top experience, we mean a moment of revelation—something that opens our eyes, strengthens our faith, or redirects our life. It might have been joyful, terrifying, or overwhelming, but it was unforgettable. For some, it was the moment of conversion. For others, it’s the memory that still carries them through dark valleys.

A Scary Mountain: Abraham and Isaac

Before we look at Peter, James, and John, remember that fear on the mountain is nothing new. In Genesis 22, Abraham faces the most disturbing command imaginable:

“Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love… and sacrifice him.”

Isaac was the child of promise—the one through whom God said He would build a nation. So what is God doing? He is revealing something Abraham needs to know: Does Abraham now trust God’s love more than his own plans? Because Abraham has tried to implement God’s prophecy in his own way. He had a son – Ishmael, by Sarah, the servant girl.

And at the last moment, on the mountain, God provides a ram. Isaac lives. God keeps His promise. Abraham learns that God’s love is not fragile, not fickle, not dependent on human understanding or effort. That mountain-top experience marked him forever.

Have You Had One?

If you’ve had a mountain‑top moment, revisit it. Let it speak again. Ask what God taught you then—and whether you’re still living from that truth now.

What You Need for a Mountain‑Top Moment

These moments often come when distractions fall away. Mountains—literal or metaphorical—strip life back to God and you. No noise. No crowds. Just space to listen. That’s why people still climb hills, walk in woods, or sit by the sea. We long for the clarity that comes when everything else is quiet.

Moses on the Mountain (Exodus 24)

Moses and Joshua climb Sinai to receive the commandments. They wait six days before God calls Moses higher, then he remains there for forty days.

Forty

Forty is the number of testing in the Bible. Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness tested and prepared Him. Moses’ forty days tested Israel. Could they remain faithful while their leader was gone? The answer, as chapter 32 shows, is that they spectacularly failed. Before Moses returns, they are worshipping a golden calf.

Mysterious God

God appears mysterious, distant, even frightening. Only Moses may approach. The cloud of fire rests on the mountain—the same presence that guided them, fed them, protected them. Mount Sinai is not a volcano, this isn’t the story of superstitious people worshipping what they don’t understand. God is forming a people, teaching them how to live, and giving laws remarkable for their justice, compassion and concern for the poor and the foreigner . This is love in a form we often forget: love that shapes, disciplines, and teaches.

The Transfiguration

Now we turn to another mountain. The location isn’t the point—Tabor, suggested by Origen and the closest, or possibly Hermon. Or Sinai, as some try to make it. What matters is not which one, but what happened there.

Six days after Jesus began speaking openly about His death and resurrection, He takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain. Perhaps they needed a different perspective. Perhaps they needed to see more than they could understand.

Glory Revealed

On Sinai, God’s glory was a consuming fire. Moses didn’t see it directly; the people did. But on this mountain, the glory shines from Jesus Himself:

“His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.”

This is not a separate pillar of fire. This is God’s glory dwelling in a person—someone they have walked with, eaten with, laughed with. Moses and Elijah appear, representing the Law and the Prophets. Everything God has done is converging here.

Peter’s Fear

Peter blurts out a plan to build shelters—tabernacles—perhaps trying to freeze the moment, perhaps simply terrified. Mark tells us he didn’t know what to say. Before he can finish, a bright cloud envelops them, and the voice speaks:

“This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

They heard those words at Jesus’ baptism, but this time the command is added: Listen to Him.

And this time, they fall on their faces in fear. They are closer to God than they have ever been.

Jesus Supersedes Moses

Then Jesus touches them. “Get up,” He says. “Don’t be afraid.”

The cloud lifts. Moses and Elijah are gone. Only Jesus remains.

We cannot stay on the mountain. The point is not the experience itself but what it prepares us for. As they descend, Jesus tells them to keep silent until after His resurrection. The moment was for them—to strengthen them when everything later seemed lost.

They would remember the glory when they saw the cross. They would remember the voice when they heard the crowds. They would remember the mountain when they walked through the valley.

And they would know:

Jesus is the fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets.

Jesus is the beloved Son.

Jesus is the one who reveals God’s love most clearly—on the mountain and on the cross.

The Challenge for Us

Mountain‑top moments are gifts, but they are not the goal. The goal is what happens after:

- Will we listen to Him?

- Will we trust His love when the cloud lifts?

- Will we follow Him into Lent—not chasing spiritual highs, but letting God test, shape, and strengthen us?

God’s love revealed on the mountain, is proved in the valley. Lent invites us to walk with Jesus there.

Amen.

References 

Age of Anxiety

 Preached at Christ Church, Billericay on 8 Feb 2026 @10:00

Recorded : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq2zMJ_vNnQ starting 32:20 to 48:56 

Prayer Father God, calm our restless hearts, grant wisdom, and fill us with Your peace as we explore anxiety's challenges together today. Introduction After looking through these verses that we read today, it seemed that the common thread was worry. I’ve heard that the present age is called the Age of Anxiety, especially for younger people. I thought that was just for the last few years, until I discovered that W. H. Auden wrote a long poem called “The Age of Anxiety”, which was published in 1947. I haven’t read it. It’s timing, more than anything else made me think that the title could probably cover all of the last century up to the present day.

Evidence & Causes Surveys by the World Health Organisation and others suggest that about a third of adults report symptoms of anxiety strong enough to affect their everyday lives. The world is an unstable place: 2 world wars took up much of the first half of the last century. Then came the Cold War, and the threat on nuclear annihilation which is still with us and perhaps more likely now that the ‘START’ Treaty has expired. Closely followed by terrorism threats from various parts of the world, and the wars that followed. In this century we’ve had the threat of climate collapse, which is still there, of course. Then there was a financial crisis, and the COVID pandemic. Now we have the world order becoming unstable, and the threat of a third world war. Economy & Technology If all these national and global things were not enough, we have a slow but steady loss of economic well-being, and a world where technological change happens much faster than we can adapt to it. That’s social media, information overload, and the rise of the always connected workforce. Personal Worries I don’t know about you, but for me, most of my worries come from more personal issues. Problems in my own life, and the lives of my family and friends. Some of those are related to some of the issues I have already mentioned, some are just the uneven progress of life.

The World’s Response The world’s response to worries seems to vary from tea and sympathy – which may make the worry worse; to the “problem shared is a problem halved” approach. Unless the person we are sharing with is willing to take some action on our behalf, nothing really changes. Another response is the “Hakuna matata” approach. It is a Swahili phrase made popular by Disney’s Lion King. It means “there are no worries”. It is literally just denial, and if we’re worried about something denial is not going to work. Bobby McFerrin’s song “Don’t Worry be Happy” seems to push the same idea. If you want to be in de-nile, visit Egypt. Ignoring or denying your worries will only make them worse.

Romans reading In the reading from Romans, Paul acknowledges our present sufferings, which, of course, include our worries. He says these sufferings are nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed in us. In other translations it says “revealed for us”, or “revealed to us”. While that is an interesting discussion, for our purposes today it is not important. The glory is there and we are involved. He ties the destiny of the whole of creation, to the destiny of human beings. The picture is that God put creation under our feet, and as a result, creation is groaning as in the pains of childbirth as it waits for its liberation from decay by the Children of God – that’s us. It’s also us, who have the first fruits of the spirit, and we groan inwardly as we wait for our adoption to sonship. This is our hope, this is the salvation that we are hoping for. Perhaps the way Paul puts it can be a little confusing, but he is trying to express the enormity of it. A view Tom Wright compares it to coming across a view. If I was to do that it would be the view from Symonds Yat rock. If you visit the rock, you will, after long climb, find yourself on top of a relatively small rock. There will probably be loads of people there. The view stretches for miles in many directions. It’s almost like looking at a map, but it’s real, and it will take your breath away, if you have any left from the climb. That’s the sort of view of salvation that Paul is aiming at. If we can grasp that view and really get hold of the meaning, our current troubles will also begin to hold less significance for us. Because the glory of the Lord will start to be revealed.

Hope This is our hope. “For in this hope we were saved.” Paul says. The 1991 Snyder study and others that followed say that hope reduces worry. There are mechanisms discussed in the studies, but for our purposes we are better to stick with Augustine who said: “Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.” Worry is reduced by a sense of purpose, a desire for something greater, better.

Matthew Reading Jesus has an altogether different approach. His message is much more personal. He is telling his audience not to worry about certain things. Before we have a closer look at that we must set some context. Plan your life. “Do not worry about your life” does not mean “Do not plan for the future”. Proverbs 21:5 tells us: “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” And in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, the master entrusts his servants with the money and expects them to put it to work. Those who succeed and return a profit are rewarded, those who don’t are punished. Eric Delve A long time ago, in a world that was so different from the one we live in now, and before I was Christian, I was taken to see an evangelist called Eric Delve. His passage for the night was this one from Matthew. He spent a long time trying to explain how birds build barns and store things in them. It was quite hilarious. That’s part of the point of this passage. It’s supposed to be humorous. We miss that partly because of the translations and partly because we are not stood in front of Jesus watching his mannerisms. I’m not going to try to repeat Eric’s performance, you’ve already had the best of my humour, and you know I’m in denial. Peer Pressure Jesus is talking about worries caused by peer pressure. What you will eat and drink, what you will wear – means will you look good to those around you? Will you fit in? Will you keep up with the Joneses? Birds of the air Jesus then cleverly begins to strip away the unnecessary worries of their (and our) lives. First, the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap, but God feeds them. So do some of us, because we enjoy watching them on our bird feeders. You can see that they do have to do work. Feeding on a bird feeder is easier than feeding in the wild, perhaps, but there is still work to do. They have to find the food, and peck away at it while watching for predators. In Jesus’ day there was only feeding in the wild, and in the wild, where no one is watching, your heavenly father is feeding the birds. In Matthew 10, Jesus says: 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. So we don’t have to worry, our heavenly father can be trusted to look after us even if we don’t sow or reap. Flowers of the field Now Jesus moves on to the flowers of the fields. Picture a meadow in summer, the grass is growing, there are all sorts of flowers providing a splash of colour, blues, yellows and reds, amongst the green grass. A glorious view, one you may be able to sit and appreciate while you eat your picnic. In just a few weeks it will be harvested, or thrown on a bonfire. The flowers do not even work, they do nothing, they simply exist on what is around them. Yet even Solomon, Israel's ever richest king, was not dressed as spectacularly as that field. Your heavenly father looks after them and gives them growth. So we don’t have to worry, we just have to have faith that our heavenly father will look after us, because if we are worth more than sparrows, we are definitely worth more that flowers. Kingdom / tomorrow Instead of worrying about all this trivia, we should seek mainly be seeking God’s kingdom. Everything else will follow from that. Even tomorrow. There are enough things to be dealt with today, without fretting about tomorrow. Paul’s Vision So, here we are back to Paul’s vision where everything will be “brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” We have that hope of being son’s and daughters of God, and living in His kingdom forever. It starts when we accept Jesus and acknowledge that his death and resurrection pave the way to God. That’s the time when the hope is established within us, and the seeking begins, because we are not completely redeemed yet. With this hope and the purpose of finding God’s kingdom, we have more important things to think about than the day-to-day worries, that we all have. Longer Well, I know I’ve taken a bit longer than usual, but don’t worry, our heavenly Father will still get us home in time for Sunday Lunch.

Close I’d like to close with the serenity prayer, perhaps we could say this together. The Serenity Prayer God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen.

References

https://www.rhynecats.com/notes/dougadams.html

https://www.pastorandpen.com/blog/2023/4/12/groaning-with-hope-romans-818-25

https://www.blog.desperatepreacher.com/sermonbuilder/Epiphany-A/8e/homily.htm

https://www.blog.desperatepreacher.com/sermonbuilder/newsermons/dealing_with_the_enemy_within.htm

https://www.praywithme.com/serenity-prayer.html

Expositor's Bible Commentary Volume 10 p93, 94, 95

Expositor's Bible Commentary Volume 8 pages 179,

 

https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/hope.html

https://www.careershodh.com/snyders-theory-of-hope/

https://genius.com/Bobby-mcferrin-dont-worry-be-happy-lyrics

 

 With thanks to Google's Gemini for the catroons