Just rediscovered this amazing song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yimGnqB2iIw&feature=related
Interesting to see different versions on youtube, Janis singing the song in her 20s, 40s, 50s...
I'm trying to learn to play it the way she does, tricky because its an altered tuning, but worth persevering I think. God bless you, Janis Ian.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Sermon - Micah 5.2-5a
Micah 5.2-5a
Advent 4 – 20th December 2009
Introduction – Prophet and Loss
Through this Advent season we’ve been reading some of the OT prophets. Perhaps we should have heeded the warning of Martin Luther, who famously wrote of the prophets:
They have a queer way of talking, like people who, instead of proceeding in an orderly manner, ramble off from one thing to the next, so that you cannot make head or tail of them or see what they are getting at.
Fair comment! But the prophets were also extraordinary visionaries and their books give us unique insights into the human condition and the trajectory of history, insights which point clearly towards later developments in the New Testament and beyond.
Today is the turn of Micah, another prophet who sees beyond the chaos, confusion and hopelessness of exile to a time of restoration and renewal. The passage we are looking at reads like a riddle and contains a remarkable triple movement with regard to hope.
1. Hope concentrated
In the first of these movements, there is a concentration of hope. What do I mean by this? The fears and dreams of any group of people are pretty diverse – take us for example - and Micah’s fellow Jews were no exception. Most people were deeply fearful of the military threat and aware of their nation’s weakness compared to its neighbours. But within this general sense of forboding there was a variety of explanations and concerns. There was a lack of strong political leadership, there was a morally bankrupt religious leadership, a broken relationship with God. There was also great inequality in society, with some living in extreme poverty and hunger, others exploiting the situation and living very comfortably.
For some, the answer would be in the formation of an alliance with a neighbouring country, for others the need was for a strong king in the line of David, for others only a religious revival and purification would do. What we find in Micah 5 is a pulling together of these fears and dreams, a concentration or focusing of hope; firstly into a single place and secondly a specific person.
The place in which hope is focused is Bethlehem (‘the house of bread’), a small and insignificant place and yet also the birthplace of King David. Verse 2 prophecies that Bethlehem will be the place from which rescue and salvation will come and this hope is focused in a greater ruler than David, also born in Bethlehem but someone whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. The birth of this ruler will be a signal that the abandonment of Israel is coming to end and will be the beginning of a dramatic change of fortune. He will have the qualities of king and shepherd and under his reign God’s people will live in peace and security.
The birth of a child and the election of a new political leader are always a reason for hope, but this individual will be unique. All the different hopes of Israel are to be concentrated in this one person and nothing will ever be the same again after his coming.
2. Hope widened
At the same time as hope is concentrated into the prophesied coming of a single person, it is also widened in a surprising way. In verse 3 we are told that his coming will bring about the return of the rest of his brothers to join the Israelites. And in verse 4 that his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.
This is a highly significant development because although the OT contains many hints of God’s wider concerns and plans, the OT writers for the most part seem to view the God of Israel as a tribal God, just a more powerful one than the tribal Gods of other nations.
In Micah 5 we have a universalizing of the hope of Israel to become the hope of the nations, the hope of all people and all peoples. The coming ruler, the shepherd-king, will not have a flock consisting only of Israel. He will bring home into his flock all of his brothers and sisters from around the world. This of course has implications for how they should treat their ‘enemies’, implications which will become clearer in the teaching of Jesus.
3. Hope deepened
As well as the concentration of hope into a prophecy of a single person from Bethlehem and the widening of that hope to include all people, Micah also encourages a deepening of hope. To pick this up, we have to pay careful attention to the language he uses.
We have already noticed in verse 2 that the origins of this coming Saviour are from of old, from ancient times, and in verse 4 we read that He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
This is the riddle which Micah presents to his readers, without knowing the answer himself. How can a human being have such ancient origins and how can he act with the strength of God and in the majesty of God’s name?
An even stronger signal comes at the end of our reading, verse 5:
And he will be their peace…
Not he will bring peace or secure peace for them, but he will be their peace. And this is a far deeper peace than the mere absence of conflict. The word translated ‘peace’ is actually the much richer Hebrew word ‘shalom’ – wholeness, security, wellbeing, completeness – these qualities will be embodied in this messiah, this shepherd king, this saviour of all the world. This shalom will be made available to all people through him, healing the deepest wounds of humanity, dispelling the deepest darkness with His perfect life.
4. Living in hope
In Micah we see the hope of Israel becoming concentrated into a single person, widened to include all people and deepened to deal with the deepest needs of humanity and of each individual person. As Christians it is easy to see this hope fulfilled in Jesus Christ, but we should also allow these verses to challenge our understanding of Jesus and our level of engagement with him. What God asks us to do may well run against what society expects and against our natural inclinations.
• When I studied Investment as part of my banking diploma one of the most important principles I learned was that you should spread your risk – don’t put all your eggs in one basket, as the saying goes. But this is precisely what the Bible teaches us to do – put all our hope in Christ alone. To do this may be against our instinct and against our personal interests, but it is what we need to do if we are to flourish as Christians, to experience ‘shalom’ and to share it with others.
• How wide is our vision of God’s mercy? Do we think it is just for a few or for everyone? What Micah and Isaiah and the other prophets prophesied, Jesus made a reality, blasting open the gates of the kingdom and inviting everyone in. In the book of Acts we see the apostles living out the implications of this and spreading the gospel far and wide. We need to share that vision and continue that work. How tragic it is when the church restricts the wideness of God’s mercy.
• How deep is the hope we have in Christ? Are we happy to keep it as a fairly superficial lifestyle choice or do we see and hope for the depth of transformation which is needed in ourselves and in our society?
Advent 4 – 20th December 2009
Introduction – Prophet and Loss
Through this Advent season we’ve been reading some of the OT prophets. Perhaps we should have heeded the warning of Martin Luther, who famously wrote of the prophets:
They have a queer way of talking, like people who, instead of proceeding in an orderly manner, ramble off from one thing to the next, so that you cannot make head or tail of them or see what they are getting at.
Fair comment! But the prophets were also extraordinary visionaries and their books give us unique insights into the human condition and the trajectory of history, insights which point clearly towards later developments in the New Testament and beyond.
Today is the turn of Micah, another prophet who sees beyond the chaos, confusion and hopelessness of exile to a time of restoration and renewal. The passage we are looking at reads like a riddle and contains a remarkable triple movement with regard to hope.
1. Hope concentrated
In the first of these movements, there is a concentration of hope. What do I mean by this? The fears and dreams of any group of people are pretty diverse – take us for example - and Micah’s fellow Jews were no exception. Most people were deeply fearful of the military threat and aware of their nation’s weakness compared to its neighbours. But within this general sense of forboding there was a variety of explanations and concerns. There was a lack of strong political leadership, there was a morally bankrupt religious leadership, a broken relationship with God. There was also great inequality in society, with some living in extreme poverty and hunger, others exploiting the situation and living very comfortably.
For some, the answer would be in the formation of an alliance with a neighbouring country, for others the need was for a strong king in the line of David, for others only a religious revival and purification would do. What we find in Micah 5 is a pulling together of these fears and dreams, a concentration or focusing of hope; firstly into a single place and secondly a specific person.
The place in which hope is focused is Bethlehem (‘the house of bread’), a small and insignificant place and yet also the birthplace of King David. Verse 2 prophecies that Bethlehem will be the place from which rescue and salvation will come and this hope is focused in a greater ruler than David, also born in Bethlehem but someone whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. The birth of this ruler will be a signal that the abandonment of Israel is coming to end and will be the beginning of a dramatic change of fortune. He will have the qualities of king and shepherd and under his reign God’s people will live in peace and security.
The birth of a child and the election of a new political leader are always a reason for hope, but this individual will be unique. All the different hopes of Israel are to be concentrated in this one person and nothing will ever be the same again after his coming.
2. Hope widened
At the same time as hope is concentrated into the prophesied coming of a single person, it is also widened in a surprising way. In verse 3 we are told that his coming will bring about the return of the rest of his brothers to join the Israelites. And in verse 4 that his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.
This is a highly significant development because although the OT contains many hints of God’s wider concerns and plans, the OT writers for the most part seem to view the God of Israel as a tribal God, just a more powerful one than the tribal Gods of other nations.
In Micah 5 we have a universalizing of the hope of Israel to become the hope of the nations, the hope of all people and all peoples. The coming ruler, the shepherd-king, will not have a flock consisting only of Israel. He will bring home into his flock all of his brothers and sisters from around the world. This of course has implications for how they should treat their ‘enemies’, implications which will become clearer in the teaching of Jesus.
3. Hope deepened
As well as the concentration of hope into a prophecy of a single person from Bethlehem and the widening of that hope to include all people, Micah also encourages a deepening of hope. To pick this up, we have to pay careful attention to the language he uses.
We have already noticed in verse 2 that the origins of this coming Saviour are from of old, from ancient times, and in verse 4 we read that He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
This is the riddle which Micah presents to his readers, without knowing the answer himself. How can a human being have such ancient origins and how can he act with the strength of God and in the majesty of God’s name?
An even stronger signal comes at the end of our reading, verse 5:
And he will be their peace…
Not he will bring peace or secure peace for them, but he will be their peace. And this is a far deeper peace than the mere absence of conflict. The word translated ‘peace’ is actually the much richer Hebrew word ‘shalom’ – wholeness, security, wellbeing, completeness – these qualities will be embodied in this messiah, this shepherd king, this saviour of all the world. This shalom will be made available to all people through him, healing the deepest wounds of humanity, dispelling the deepest darkness with His perfect life.
4. Living in hope
In Micah we see the hope of Israel becoming concentrated into a single person, widened to include all people and deepened to deal with the deepest needs of humanity and of each individual person. As Christians it is easy to see this hope fulfilled in Jesus Christ, but we should also allow these verses to challenge our understanding of Jesus and our level of engagement with him. What God asks us to do may well run against what society expects and against our natural inclinations.
• When I studied Investment as part of my banking diploma one of the most important principles I learned was that you should spread your risk – don’t put all your eggs in one basket, as the saying goes. But this is precisely what the Bible teaches us to do – put all our hope in Christ alone. To do this may be against our instinct and against our personal interests, but it is what we need to do if we are to flourish as Christians, to experience ‘shalom’ and to share it with others.
• How wide is our vision of God’s mercy? Do we think it is just for a few or for everyone? What Micah and Isaiah and the other prophets prophesied, Jesus made a reality, blasting open the gates of the kingdom and inviting everyone in. In the book of Acts we see the apostles living out the implications of this and spreading the gospel far and wide. We need to share that vision and continue that work. How tragic it is when the church restricts the wideness of God’s mercy.
• How deep is the hope we have in Christ? Are we happy to keep it as a fairly superficial lifestyle choice or do we see and hope for the depth of transformation which is needed in ourselves and in our society?
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Short Sermon - Philippians 4.4-7
Philippians 4.4-7
Advent 3 – Rejoice in the Lord always!
The season to be merry is almost upon us …
Our Bible reading catches the theme
Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: rejoice! (4.4)
None of us want to be party poopers, but all this celebrating and rejoicing can sometimes feel a bit hollow and shortlived and escapist. What do we actually have to rejoice about?
The teaching of the New Testament is that we have a great deal to rejoice about – summed up in four words at the end of verse 4 –
The Lord is near.
This is the GOOD NEWS in a nutshell. God is not non-existent, as many people think, nor is he some distant angry judge, stamping around above the clouds, getting madder and madder with what he sees until one day he’s going to destroy the whole sorry mess… No! God is near – in fact God is with us as we see through the Christmas story and beyond.
This is something to rejoice about, however bleak circumstances are, however long it seems we are having to wait for the coming of the Lord. The message is that we are not hated or forgotten by God, neither is the world out of control. The Lord is near, the Lord to whom one day ‘every knee will bow’ (2.10)
How should we respond?
Verses 5 and 6 show us how to respond to the nearness of the Lord – with gentleness (compassion might be a better translation), thankfulness and a lack of anxiety.
COMPASSION for others should be the hallmark of every Christian’s life because we are no different from anyone else, all of us are beneficiaries of God’s amazing grace.
THANKFULNESS means seeing life in the context of God’s loving care and provision; past, present and future.
ANXIETY may of course be perfectly reasonable at times, but it can also be unhealthy and destructive. The advertising industry, the press and the media all know what makes people tick and sometimes promote anxiety for their own ends.
Waiting
Paul promises that if we reject worldly anxiety and demonstrate in our prayers and our actions the qualities of thankfulness and compassion which reflect God’s heart and God’s priorities, our reward will be that the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.
It is in this attitude of thankful, prayerful, generous hope that we wait for the coming of our Lord and the fulfillment of his promises.
Advent 3 – Rejoice in the Lord always!
The season to be merry is almost upon us …
Our Bible reading catches the theme
Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: rejoice! (4.4)
None of us want to be party poopers, but all this celebrating and rejoicing can sometimes feel a bit hollow and shortlived and escapist. What do we actually have to rejoice about?
The teaching of the New Testament is that we have a great deal to rejoice about – summed up in four words at the end of verse 4 –
The Lord is near.
This is the GOOD NEWS in a nutshell. God is not non-existent, as many people think, nor is he some distant angry judge, stamping around above the clouds, getting madder and madder with what he sees until one day he’s going to destroy the whole sorry mess… No! God is near – in fact God is with us as we see through the Christmas story and beyond.
This is something to rejoice about, however bleak circumstances are, however long it seems we are having to wait for the coming of the Lord. The message is that we are not hated or forgotten by God, neither is the world out of control. The Lord is near, the Lord to whom one day ‘every knee will bow’ (2.10)
How should we respond?
Verses 5 and 6 show us how to respond to the nearness of the Lord – with gentleness (compassion might be a better translation), thankfulness and a lack of anxiety.
COMPASSION for others should be the hallmark of every Christian’s life because we are no different from anyone else, all of us are beneficiaries of God’s amazing grace.
THANKFULNESS means seeing life in the context of God’s loving care and provision; past, present and future.
ANXIETY may of course be perfectly reasonable at times, but it can also be unhealthy and destructive. The advertising industry, the press and the media all know what makes people tick and sometimes promote anxiety for their own ends.
Waiting
Paul promises that if we reject worldly anxiety and demonstrate in our prayers and our actions the qualities of thankfulness and compassion which reflect God’s heart and God’s priorities, our reward will be that the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.
It is in this attitude of thankful, prayerful, generous hope that we wait for the coming of our Lord and the fulfillment of his promises.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Malachi and John the Baptist - Advent Bible Study
Malachi 3.1-4 and Luke 3.2-20
This week’s readings focus on our preparations for the coming of the Lord. We think about the words of two prophets, who lived 400-500 years apart.
First we look at Malachi 3.1-4
Malachi was probably a contemporary of Ezra and Nehemiah and his prophecies are addressed to the Jewish people who had been allowed to return from exile in Babylon. From the focus of his prophecies it seems that although they were very religious, their religion was only skin deep. At heart they were self-centred and corrupt.
Q1 Why do people go through the motions of participating in a religion, without having any real commitment at heart? Have you ever been in this position yourself?
Q2 What two predictions does Malachi make in 3.1? What is the identity of the two people referred to in this prophecy?
Q3 Comparing verses 1 and 2, it seems the people wanted God to come to them but were quite unprepared for his coming. What do the images of refiner’s fire and launderer’s soap teach us to expect when we encounter God? Is this something we should desire or run away from?
Q4 What do you know about the Levites? Why does the prophet single them out here in verse 3? Who are the equivalent of the Levites today?
Now let’s turn to Luke’s gospel. The writer clearly sees John the Baptist as fulfilling Malachi’s (and Isaiah’s) prophecies of someone who would prepare the way for the incarnation, for the coming of God in human form (Luke 1.17, 1.76).
Now we read Luke 3.2-6
Q5 What prompted John to begin his ministry? The core of his message is in verse 3. How would you express this in your own words?
Now we read Luke 3.7-9
Q6 Why did John speak so harshly to these people who were coming to him seeking baptism?
Q7 What do you make of the references to Abraham’s children in verse 8?
Q8 How does verse 9 fit in with your understanding of judgement? Are we judged for our beliefs or our actions? Is this fire a destroying or a refining fire?
Next we look at verses 10 to 14
Q9 How do the examples John gives here relate to the biblical concept of justice, which we discussed in last week’s study on Jeremiah? What examples might he use if he were speaking today, to people like us?
Finally we read verses 15 to 20
Q10 Why did some people think John might be the Messiah?
Q11 What is ‘baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire’ all about? Who or what is to be burned with unquenchable fire? Is this ‘good news’ or bad news?
Q12 What was the result of John’s ministry of fearless truthtelling? Are there any particular lessons you can learn from him?
This week’s readings focus on our preparations for the coming of the Lord. We think about the words of two prophets, who lived 400-500 years apart.
First we look at Malachi 3.1-4
Malachi was probably a contemporary of Ezra and Nehemiah and his prophecies are addressed to the Jewish people who had been allowed to return from exile in Babylon. From the focus of his prophecies it seems that although they were very religious, their religion was only skin deep. At heart they were self-centred and corrupt.
Q1 Why do people go through the motions of participating in a religion, without having any real commitment at heart? Have you ever been in this position yourself?
Q2 What two predictions does Malachi make in 3.1? What is the identity of the two people referred to in this prophecy?
Q3 Comparing verses 1 and 2, it seems the people wanted God to come to them but were quite unprepared for his coming. What do the images of refiner’s fire and launderer’s soap teach us to expect when we encounter God? Is this something we should desire or run away from?
Q4 What do you know about the Levites? Why does the prophet single them out here in verse 3? Who are the equivalent of the Levites today?
Now let’s turn to Luke’s gospel. The writer clearly sees John the Baptist as fulfilling Malachi’s (and Isaiah’s) prophecies of someone who would prepare the way for the incarnation, for the coming of God in human form (Luke 1.17, 1.76).
Now we read Luke 3.2-6
Q5 What prompted John to begin his ministry? The core of his message is in verse 3. How would you express this in your own words?
Now we read Luke 3.7-9
Q6 Why did John speak so harshly to these people who were coming to him seeking baptism?
Q7 What do you make of the references to Abraham’s children in verse 8?
Q8 How does verse 9 fit in with your understanding of judgement? Are we judged for our beliefs or our actions? Is this fire a destroying or a refining fire?
Next we look at verses 10 to 14
Q9 How do the examples John gives here relate to the biblical concept of justice, which we discussed in last week’s study on Jeremiah? What examples might he use if he were speaking today, to people like us?
Finally we read verses 15 to 20
Q10 Why did some people think John might be the Messiah?
Q11 What is ‘baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire’ all about? Who or what is to be burned with unquenchable fire? Is this ‘good news’ or bad news?
Q12 What was the result of John’s ministry of fearless truthtelling? Are there any particular lessons you can learn from him?
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Sermon - Malachi and John the Baptist
Luke 3.2-20 and Malachi 3.1-4
Advent 2, December 6th 2009
Malachi
Last week we looked at Jeremiah, the great prophet of doom and destruction who ended up bringing an extraordinary message of hope. Today we start with the final OT prophet, Malachi.
Malachi wrote 400 or 500 years before the birth of Jesus, to the Jewish people who had returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. On the outside they were pretty religious; attending the right ceremonies, reciting the right words - but on the inside their commitment was to themselves rather than to God. This showed in corrupt behaviour, dishonesty and cruel treatment of the poor.
Malachi warned that God could see through their superficial religion and predicted that things would be put right through the intervention of two people:-
‘I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,’ says the LORD Almighty.
Malachi 3.1
1. a messenger – perhaps a return of Elijah himself (4.5) – whose responsibility would be to prepare the way and prepare the people’s hearts for…
2. the Lord himself whom they –at least in their words – were seeking and hoping for.
But when this happened, when their prayer was answered, the people would get more than they had bargained for:-
But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites (that is, the priestly tribe of the day) and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness…
Malachi 3.2-3
A deep inner change is necessary if people are to live lives which please God and God will come in person to bring about this change:-
‘So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud labourers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,’ says the LORD Almighty.
Malachi 3.5
Malachi warns his people, especially the priestly tribe, those who are supposed to be representing God, that God can see their hearts – and that God alone can purify them.
John the Baptizer
Then just at the right moment in history, John comes – the messenger to prepare the way for God, for Jesus the Messiah, the Christ. John preaches the need for a baptism of repentance – a turning away from all that is wrong and a symbolic washing clean so that new life can begin. Crowds of people respond and meet him in the wilderness by the river Jordan.
You’d think he would be pleased to see them but, no:-
You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? (v7)
Not the friendliest greeting from a preacher to his congregation! John’s concern is that their repentance is real, that they are not just going through the motions in responding to his call. So he challenges them to:-
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. (v8)
Show that you mean it, by living the way people live when they are truly committed to the ways of God, not just pretending or going through the motions. They ask him for some examples of how they should be living and he gives several:-
• To the rich – anyone with more than enough clothing or food – he says ‘share it with those who don’t have anything.’ In short BE GENEROUS and unselfish.
• Even tax collectors came to be baptized – ‘don’t collect more money than you are required to’ he says, ‘don’t line your pockets by conning people’. BE HONEST and trustworthy.
• Some Roman soldiers even came to be baptized. What should they do to show they were genuine? ‘Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely - be content with your pay.’ BE GENTLE and DON’T ABUSE POWER
These are not rules to follow so you can earn God’s approval, they are examples representing an attitude of heart which matches God’s heart. His heart which is love and justice and righteousness.
Let’s just pause for these examples to sink in and challenge us, because they apply to us too. The same things that were going on in Malachi’s day and in John’s day are still going on now. We all look like good Christian people but are we really showing the fruit of repentance in every part of our lives? Are we consistently gentle, honest and generous? Are we showing fruit that comes from a heart which belongs to God.
JOHN asks some penetrating questions and people ask him ‘So.. are you the Messiah?’
‘No I’m not’ he replies, but don’t take this lightly because I’m the one sent to prepare the way for the Messiah – for God himself in human form.’
‘You can fool me – but you can’t fool the one who is coming soon…’
Appearances can deceive
The outward appearance of something or somebody is relatively easy to change, but to please God we need a change of heart. Linda and Ernest, Godparents, this morning you have promised to bring little Precious up as a member of the Christian faith. How easy is it? We can improve our building, redesign our website, run some courses and start discipleship groups and home groups. We can baptize our children and praise God and preach and listen to sermons. We can do all these things really well and on the outside everything looks great - but unless we are really prepared to yield our hearts to God’s control, to be baptized by the Holy Spirit, all these things will just be an empty shell. My aim here isn’t to make you feel guilty but to highlight the fact that we need to recognise where we fall short, where we need to improve, and trust that if we open our hearts, God will help us. Linda, Ernest, Godparents, bringing children up to love and follow God isn’t easy. You can’t do it on your own; no-one could. But with God’s help, you can.
Christian commitment is not just about coming to the right church, saying the right prayers and receiving a heavenly ‘get out of jail card’. It is about our need to be set free and transformed on the inside, which results in a way of life which pleases and glorifies God.
It comes down to a question of trust. Who do I trust most, myself or God? God promises through Malachi:-
Return to me, and I will return to you Malachi 3.7
In Jesus we see God, a God who is completely trustworthy and who wants to heal and be reconciled with all his creatures, to set things right, to make things new.
This Jesus is coming again soon. Let’s prepare the way for him and commit ourselves to him and to his mission.
Advent 2, December 6th 2009
Malachi
Last week we looked at Jeremiah, the great prophet of doom and destruction who ended up bringing an extraordinary message of hope. Today we start with the final OT prophet, Malachi.
Malachi wrote 400 or 500 years before the birth of Jesus, to the Jewish people who had returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. On the outside they were pretty religious; attending the right ceremonies, reciting the right words - but on the inside their commitment was to themselves rather than to God. This showed in corrupt behaviour, dishonesty and cruel treatment of the poor.
Malachi warned that God could see through their superficial religion and predicted that things would be put right through the intervention of two people:-
‘I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,’ says the LORD Almighty.
Malachi 3.1
1. a messenger – perhaps a return of Elijah himself (4.5) – whose responsibility would be to prepare the way and prepare the people’s hearts for…
2. the Lord himself whom they –at least in their words – were seeking and hoping for.
But when this happened, when their prayer was answered, the people would get more than they had bargained for:-
But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites (that is, the priestly tribe of the day) and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness…
Malachi 3.2-3
A deep inner change is necessary if people are to live lives which please God and God will come in person to bring about this change:-
‘So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud labourers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,’ says the LORD Almighty.
Malachi 3.5
Malachi warns his people, especially the priestly tribe, those who are supposed to be representing God, that God can see their hearts – and that God alone can purify them.
John the Baptizer
Then just at the right moment in history, John comes – the messenger to prepare the way for God, for Jesus the Messiah, the Christ. John preaches the need for a baptism of repentance – a turning away from all that is wrong and a symbolic washing clean so that new life can begin. Crowds of people respond and meet him in the wilderness by the river Jordan.
You’d think he would be pleased to see them but, no:-
You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? (v7)
Not the friendliest greeting from a preacher to his congregation! John’s concern is that their repentance is real, that they are not just going through the motions in responding to his call. So he challenges them to:-
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. (v8)
Show that you mean it, by living the way people live when they are truly committed to the ways of God, not just pretending or going through the motions. They ask him for some examples of how they should be living and he gives several:-
• To the rich – anyone with more than enough clothing or food – he says ‘share it with those who don’t have anything.’ In short BE GENEROUS and unselfish.
• Even tax collectors came to be baptized – ‘don’t collect more money than you are required to’ he says, ‘don’t line your pockets by conning people’. BE HONEST and trustworthy.
• Some Roman soldiers even came to be baptized. What should they do to show they were genuine? ‘Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely - be content with your pay.’ BE GENTLE and DON’T ABUSE POWER
These are not rules to follow so you can earn God’s approval, they are examples representing an attitude of heart which matches God’s heart. His heart which is love and justice and righteousness.
Let’s just pause for these examples to sink in and challenge us, because they apply to us too. The same things that were going on in Malachi’s day and in John’s day are still going on now. We all look like good Christian people but are we really showing the fruit of repentance in every part of our lives? Are we consistently gentle, honest and generous? Are we showing fruit that comes from a heart which belongs to God.
JOHN asks some penetrating questions and people ask him ‘So.. are you the Messiah?’
‘No I’m not’ he replies, but don’t take this lightly because I’m the one sent to prepare the way for the Messiah – for God himself in human form.’
‘You can fool me – but you can’t fool the one who is coming soon…’
Appearances can deceive
The outward appearance of something or somebody is relatively easy to change, but to please God we need a change of heart. Linda and Ernest, Godparents, this morning you have promised to bring little Precious up as a member of the Christian faith. How easy is it? We can improve our building, redesign our website, run some courses and start discipleship groups and home groups. We can baptize our children and praise God and preach and listen to sermons. We can do all these things really well and on the outside everything looks great - but unless we are really prepared to yield our hearts to God’s control, to be baptized by the Holy Spirit, all these things will just be an empty shell. My aim here isn’t to make you feel guilty but to highlight the fact that we need to recognise where we fall short, where we need to improve, and trust that if we open our hearts, God will help us. Linda, Ernest, Godparents, bringing children up to love and follow God isn’t easy. You can’t do it on your own; no-one could. But with God’s help, you can.
Christian commitment is not just about coming to the right church, saying the right prayers and receiving a heavenly ‘get out of jail card’. It is about our need to be set free and transformed on the inside, which results in a way of life which pleases and glorifies God.
It comes down to a question of trust. Who do I trust most, myself or God? God promises through Malachi:-
Return to me, and I will return to you Malachi 3.7
In Jesus we see God, a God who is completely trustworthy and who wants to heal and be reconciled with all his creatures, to set things right, to make things new.
This Jesus is coming again soon. Let’s prepare the way for him and commit ourselves to him and to his mission.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Thought for the day
When things are going well and looking good I go back to Eugene Peterson's 'The Contemplative Pastor' for a reminder of why I'm here. Here's a flavour:-
"How can I keep from settling into the salary and benefits of a checkout clerk in a store for religious consumers? How can I avoid a metamorphosis from the holy vocation of pastor into a promising career in religious sales?"
Don't let me do it folks - keep me on my knees!
"How can I keep from settling into the salary and benefits of a checkout clerk in a store for religious consumers? How can I avoid a metamorphosis from the holy vocation of pastor into a promising career in religious sales?"
Don't let me do it folks - keep me on my knees!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
New St George's website launched!
Phil, Juliana, Ola and all at digitalHappy - you have done a fantastic job. Thank you so much. Take a bow. :)
www.st-georges-church.com
www.st-georges-church.com
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Advent Bible Study - Jeremiah 33.10-16
Jeremiah 33.10-16 – Bible Study
Jeremiah is known as the prophet of doom and gloom. His name is synonymous with miserable, critical pessimism.
Yet late in his active life, God gave him a new message – a message of hope and forgiveness and restoration to come after the period of exile. Chapters 31 to 33 of Jeremiah contain some of the most encouraging passages in the whole of the Old Testament!
Ironically, this change in Jeremiah’s mission happened during the siege of Jerusalem, just when people were beginning to realize his prophecies of doom had been correct.
Q1 Can you think of a time when you had to give somebody a warning that unless they changed their ways they were heading for serious trouble? How did this make you feel? Was your warning heeded?
Q2 The siege of Jerusalem had gone on for about a year and a half. What do you know about sieges? What would conditions have been like?
(Lamentations 4.4-10, traditionally by Jeremiah, gives an idea).
Read Jeremiah 33.10-11
Q3 In his prediction of a return of joy and gladness to Jerusalem and Judah, Jeremiah refers to weddings and worship? What is so powerful about these images? What kind of faith and hope do we express in wedding celebrations and in worship?
Jeremiah had of course previously predicted an end to wedding joy in 7.34, 16.9 and 25.10.
Q4 What other action expressing confidence in the future did Jeremiah carry out in Chapter 32?
He now goes on to give another powerful example of the coming transformation.
Read verses 33.12-14
Q5 How do these verses add to the picture of restoration? How do they encourage hope? Is there an echo of Psalm 23 here?
Q6 What promise is God referring to in verse 14? (See also verse 17 and 2Samuel 7.16). How does this relate to Psalm 72, which we looked at a few weeks ago in the study of Christ the King?
Now read Jeremiah 33.15-16
Q7 Who is the righteous Branch in verse 15? Would your answer be different if you were Jewish and not a Christian?
Q8 What qualities will characterize the reign of this ‘righteous Branch’? Do we see the fulfillment of this promise now, or will it come in the future?
Finally a couple of general questions
Q9 What kept Jeremiah going through 40 years of extremely unpopular prophecy? Is unpopularity a virtue?
Q10 Are we open to the possibility of receiving a change of direction and a new mission from God after many years of heading in the same direction? How can we stay tuned in and make sure we don’t miss the call?
Jeremiah is known as the prophet of doom and gloom. His name is synonymous with miserable, critical pessimism.
Yet late in his active life, God gave him a new message – a message of hope and forgiveness and restoration to come after the period of exile. Chapters 31 to 33 of Jeremiah contain some of the most encouraging passages in the whole of the Old Testament!
Ironically, this change in Jeremiah’s mission happened during the siege of Jerusalem, just when people were beginning to realize his prophecies of doom had been correct.
Q1 Can you think of a time when you had to give somebody a warning that unless they changed their ways they were heading for serious trouble? How did this make you feel? Was your warning heeded?
Q2 The siege of Jerusalem had gone on for about a year and a half. What do you know about sieges? What would conditions have been like?
(Lamentations 4.4-10, traditionally by Jeremiah, gives an idea).
Read Jeremiah 33.10-11
Q3 In his prediction of a return of joy and gladness to Jerusalem and Judah, Jeremiah refers to weddings and worship? What is so powerful about these images? What kind of faith and hope do we express in wedding celebrations and in worship?
Jeremiah had of course previously predicted an end to wedding joy in 7.34, 16.9 and 25.10.
Q4 What other action expressing confidence in the future did Jeremiah carry out in Chapter 32?
He now goes on to give another powerful example of the coming transformation.
Read verses 33.12-14
Q5 How do these verses add to the picture of restoration? How do they encourage hope? Is there an echo of Psalm 23 here?
Q6 What promise is God referring to in verse 14? (See also verse 17 and 2Samuel 7.16). How does this relate to Psalm 72, which we looked at a few weeks ago in the study of Christ the King?
Now read Jeremiah 33.15-16
Q7 Who is the righteous Branch in verse 15? Would your answer be different if you were Jewish and not a Christian?
Q8 What qualities will characterize the reign of this ‘righteous Branch’? Do we see the fulfillment of this promise now, or will it come in the future?
Finally a couple of general questions
Q9 What kept Jeremiah going through 40 years of extremely unpopular prophecy? Is unpopularity a virtue?
Q10 Are we open to the possibility of receiving a change of direction and a new mission from God after many years of heading in the same direction? How can we stay tuned in and make sure we don’t miss the call?
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Advent Sermon - Jeremiah, Prophet of Doom?
Jeremiah 33.10-16
Sermon – Advent Sunday – 29.22.09
MEET THE PROPHET OF DOOM
I wonder how it would feel to be well known as a spoilsport, a miserable bringer of bad news, a constant critic of your country, a wretched pessimist who always preaches doom and gloom? How would it feel to overhear a conversation between strangers and one says to the other “Cheer up! Don’t be such an ‘Andrew Tweedy’!”
THAT’S what it was like for the prophet Jeremiah – only much worse. The words of his
calling set the pattern of his ministry:-
Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘I have put
my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms
· to uproot and tear down
· to destroy and overthrow
· to build and to plant
Jeremiah 1.9-10
Notice how different the final pair of verbs is – I’ll come back to that later.
Jeremiah lived in the darkest days of the kingdom of Judah, as it declined under a series of weak, hopeless kings, corrupt priests and lying prophets into a chaotic, idolatrous,godless mess and eventually into the Babylonian exile.
It was Jeremiah’s painful and unenviable task to issue warning after eloquent warning to his people
· that they were breaking their ancient agreement with God,
· that God was highly displeased with them
· and that their lifestyle would have disastrous consequences.
One of the ways Jeremiah tried to get people’s attention was by predicting the end of the sound of joyful wedding celebrations in Jerusalem and all of Judah. He speaks on behalf of God when he warns:-
I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and
bridegroom in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, for the land will become desolate.
Jeremiah 7.34
He repeats this same warning in almost identical words in 16.9 and 25.10. Why is this
example of wedding feasts so potent? Because to get married is an investment in the
future, an expression of joyful hope and the prospect of new life. Jeremiah predicts that in the coming days no one will have the heart or the confidence to get married, least of all hold a wedding feast.
Jeremiah did not make himself popular – his prophecies were the last thing that the religious and political leaders of a nation on the skids wanted to hear. The book of
Jeremiah allows us to see the deep personal anguish which his ministry caused him, for example:-
You deceived me, LORD, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed.
I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me.
Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction.
So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long.
But if I say, ‘I will not mention his word or speak any more in his name,’
His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
Jeremiah 20.7-9
As well as internal anguish, Jeremiah suffered many verbal and physical attacks, torture and imprisonment, but he held firm, convinced that he was doing God’s will. He prayed constantly and God encouraged him, even when all the other prophets were preaching the opposite to him:-
But I said ‘Ah, Sovereign LORD, the prophets keep telling them, “You will not see the
sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.” ‘
Then the LORD said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not
sent them or appointed them or spoken to them.
Jeremiah 14.13-14
Finally, towards the end of his life, something extraordinary happened…
SIEGE MENTALITY ?
Remember the first verse we looked at?
Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘I have put
my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms
· to uproot and tear down
· to destroy and overthrow
· to build and to plant
Jeremiah 1.9-10
Well this is where the building and planting phase of Jeremiah’s ministry finally kicked in – and at the most unexpected time; when Jerusalem was under siege by the Babylonians and everyone was beginning to realize that Jeremiah had been right all along.
I don’t need to spell out for you how horrific it would be to be living in a city under siege (Lamentations, also probably by Jeremiah, gives some pretty gory/graphic description).
And it was at THIS TIME, when everyone else’s hope had died, that God gave Jeremiah a new song to sing, a new message to preach; A MESSAGE OF HOPE.
THERE IS HOPE
God speaks through the prophet Jeremiah:-
Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring
disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant.
Jeremiah 31.28
He goes on in chapter 31 to spell out the new covenant of grace with which God would
once again bless and include and be reconciled with his people.
In chapter 32 Jeremiah is told by God to buy a field in Jerusalem, which he does, for 17 shekels of silver. Bear in mind the enemy troops were breaking down the city gates at this time – how many people do you think were buying land in Jerusalem!!
But Jeremiah had been given the vision to see beyond the years of exile to a time of
restoration and of a joyful return to Jerusalem.
In chapter 33 there is a very telling return to the idea of wedding feasts:-
‘This is what the LORD says: “You say about this place, ‘It is a desolate waste, without people or animals.’ Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank-offerings to the house of the LORD…’
Jeremiah 33.10-11
THERE IS HOPE even at the darkest moment of despair! And this hope is centred on the
coming of the Messiah:-
“In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Saviour.”
Jeremiah 33.15-16
God will fulfil his promise, he will reach out in grace and mercy and healing in the person of his Son, our Lord.
This is the Advent hope and it is the unexpected punchline of the prophet Jeremiah,
formerly known as the prophet of doom and gloom.
HOW TO BE A ‘JEREMIAH’
Like Jeremiah and his contemporaries, we live in a society under siege, surrounded and threatened by evil powers too strong for us, powers which want to kill our hope, separate us from God. But God doesn’t want us to live in despair and hopelessness. God keeps his promises and he has promised to bless and heal and restore. He’s calling us to invest in the future, to express joyful hope and show confidence in
the prospect of new life.
So today on Advent Sunday, 2500+ years after the death of this amazing prophet, how
can we celebrate Jeremiah’s memory?
· We can be prepared to swim against the tide when times appear to be good; asking the Holy Spirit for the courage and wisdom to give a tough love analysis of where society is going wrong; to remind all people of the allegiance we owe to God and to warn of the consequences of breaking off our ties with God.
· We can work on our prayer life, developing a patient, focused intimacy with God, so that we are aware of His heart concerns, His kingdom activities and His words for the present day. God’s phone number is Jeremiah 33.3 – let’s use it and do what He says!
· We can develop vision which sees beyond the wasteland of broken dreams, to
the dawning hope of life in Christ, the perfect King who rules with justice and
righteousness and transforms the world.
· We can sing that hope, live that hope, share that Advent hope with everybody all
our heart, soul, mind and strength for the rest of our lives.
Sermon – Advent Sunday – 29.22.09
MEET THE PROPHET OF DOOM
I wonder how it would feel to be well known as a spoilsport, a miserable bringer of bad news, a constant critic of your country, a wretched pessimist who always preaches doom and gloom? How would it feel to overhear a conversation between strangers and one says to the other “Cheer up! Don’t be such an ‘Andrew Tweedy’!”
THAT’S what it was like for the prophet Jeremiah – only much worse. The words of his
calling set the pattern of his ministry:-
Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘I have put
my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms
· to uproot and tear down
· to destroy and overthrow
· to build and to plant
Jeremiah 1.9-10
Notice how different the final pair of verbs is – I’ll come back to that later.
Jeremiah lived in the darkest days of the kingdom of Judah, as it declined under a series of weak, hopeless kings, corrupt priests and lying prophets into a chaotic, idolatrous,godless mess and eventually into the Babylonian exile.
It was Jeremiah’s painful and unenviable task to issue warning after eloquent warning to his people
· that they were breaking their ancient agreement with God,
· that God was highly displeased with them
· and that their lifestyle would have disastrous consequences.
One of the ways Jeremiah tried to get people’s attention was by predicting the end of the sound of joyful wedding celebrations in Jerusalem and all of Judah. He speaks on behalf of God when he warns:-
I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and
bridegroom in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, for the land will become desolate.
Jeremiah 7.34
He repeats this same warning in almost identical words in 16.9 and 25.10. Why is this
example of wedding feasts so potent? Because to get married is an investment in the
future, an expression of joyful hope and the prospect of new life. Jeremiah predicts that in the coming days no one will have the heart or the confidence to get married, least of all hold a wedding feast.
Jeremiah did not make himself popular – his prophecies were the last thing that the religious and political leaders of a nation on the skids wanted to hear. The book of
Jeremiah allows us to see the deep personal anguish which his ministry caused him, for example:-
You deceived me, LORD, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed.
I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me.
Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction.
So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long.
But if I say, ‘I will not mention his word or speak any more in his name,’
His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
Jeremiah 20.7-9
As well as internal anguish, Jeremiah suffered many verbal and physical attacks, torture and imprisonment, but he held firm, convinced that he was doing God’s will. He prayed constantly and God encouraged him, even when all the other prophets were preaching the opposite to him:-
But I said ‘Ah, Sovereign LORD, the prophets keep telling them, “You will not see the
sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.” ‘
Then the LORD said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not
sent them or appointed them or spoken to them.
Jeremiah 14.13-14
Finally, towards the end of his life, something extraordinary happened…
SIEGE MENTALITY ?
Remember the first verse we looked at?
Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘I have put
my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms
· to uproot and tear down
· to destroy and overthrow
· to build and to plant
Jeremiah 1.9-10
Well this is where the building and planting phase of Jeremiah’s ministry finally kicked in – and at the most unexpected time; when Jerusalem was under siege by the Babylonians and everyone was beginning to realize that Jeremiah had been right all along.
I don’t need to spell out for you how horrific it would be to be living in a city under siege (Lamentations, also probably by Jeremiah, gives some pretty gory/graphic description).
And it was at THIS TIME, when everyone else’s hope had died, that God gave Jeremiah a new song to sing, a new message to preach; A MESSAGE OF HOPE.
THERE IS HOPE
God speaks through the prophet Jeremiah:-
Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring
disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant.
Jeremiah 31.28
He goes on in chapter 31 to spell out the new covenant of grace with which God would
once again bless and include and be reconciled with his people.
In chapter 32 Jeremiah is told by God to buy a field in Jerusalem, which he does, for 17 shekels of silver. Bear in mind the enemy troops were breaking down the city gates at this time – how many people do you think were buying land in Jerusalem!!
But Jeremiah had been given the vision to see beyond the years of exile to a time of
restoration and of a joyful return to Jerusalem.
In chapter 33 there is a very telling return to the idea of wedding feasts:-
‘This is what the LORD says: “You say about this place, ‘It is a desolate waste, without people or animals.’ Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank-offerings to the house of the LORD…’
Jeremiah 33.10-11
THERE IS HOPE even at the darkest moment of despair! And this hope is centred on the
coming of the Messiah:-
“In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Saviour.”
Jeremiah 33.15-16
God will fulfil his promise, he will reach out in grace and mercy and healing in the person of his Son, our Lord.
This is the Advent hope and it is the unexpected punchline of the prophet Jeremiah,
formerly known as the prophet of doom and gloom.
HOW TO BE A ‘JEREMIAH’
Like Jeremiah and his contemporaries, we live in a society under siege, surrounded and threatened by evil powers too strong for us, powers which want to kill our hope, separate us from God. But God doesn’t want us to live in despair and hopelessness. God keeps his promises and he has promised to bless and heal and restore. He’s calling us to invest in the future, to express joyful hope and show confidence in
the prospect of new life.
So today on Advent Sunday, 2500+ years after the death of this amazing prophet, how
can we celebrate Jeremiah’s memory?
· We can be prepared to swim against the tide when times appear to be good; asking the Holy Spirit for the courage and wisdom to give a tough love analysis of where society is going wrong; to remind all people of the allegiance we owe to God and to warn of the consequences of breaking off our ties with God.
· We can work on our prayer life, developing a patient, focused intimacy with God, so that we are aware of His heart concerns, His kingdom activities and His words for the present day. God’s phone number is Jeremiah 33.3 – let’s use it and do what He says!
· We can develop vision which sees beyond the wasteland of broken dreams, to
the dawning hope of life in Christ, the perfect King who rules with justice and
righteousness and transforms the world.
· We can sing that hope, live that hope, share that Advent hope with everybody all
our heart, soul, mind and strength for the rest of our lives.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Bible study - Christ the King?
On Sunday we celebrated ‘Christ the King’. The title ‘King’ is just one of many biblical titles and metaphors for Jesus.
Q1 How many other Biblical titles or metaphors for Jesus can you think of?
Q2 What positive and negative images does ‘King’ conjure up for you?
Q3 Can you think of a title or metaphor for Jesus which isn’t in the Bible, but which might be if the Bible were being written today?
Biblical precedents
Group A look at 1 Samuel chapter 8 and discuss Questions 4 to 8.
Q4 Why did the people of Israel want to have a king?
Q5 Whose leadership were they rejecting - Samuel’s?
Q6 What warnings did Samuel give about the consequences of having a King?
Q7 Why do you think God went along with their wishes and let them have a King?
Q8 How accurate did Samuel’s warnings prove to be in the history of the Kings of Israel and Judah? Can you think of any examples?
Group B look at Psalm 72 and discuss Questions 9 to 12.
Q9 What qualities does the psalmist pray that the King will have?
Q10 What does the psalmist predict that the King will do? Will the King be impartial, or will he be biased in favour of any particular group within society?
Q11 The psalm was written for a particular human King, probably Solomon. In what ways does the writer also seem to be looking beyond what any human King is capable of?
Q12 Can you think of Biblical examples of Kings who came close to this ideal?
Allow some time for groups A and B to share their findings and discuss…
NOTE on the biblical meaning of ‘Justice’
For us, bringing justice usually means punishing somebody for a crime or offence. But this is NOT what justice means in the Bible, where it means ‘making things right’, caring for others, bringing an end to inequality and exploitation of the poor. We sometimes think of justice and mercy as opposite aspects of God’s character, but in the Bible justice and mercy are one and the same thing. This is clear throughout the prophets (see Isaiah 1.17, Isaiah 30.18, Jeremiah 21.12, Zechariah 7.9, Amos 5.12-15, Micah 6.8, Matthew 12.18-21quoting Isaiah 42.1-4, )
Jesus and Pilate
Now let’s all read John 18.33-19.16
Q13 Why is it important to know if Pilate’s question is his own or something the Jewish leaders have prompted him to ask (verses 33-34)?
Q14 What kind of King is Jesus? Is he really a threat to Caesar?
Q15 How do Jesus and Pilate each demonstrate their power and authority in these verses?
Q16 How is justice done in the crucifixion of Jesus? Who is judging whom? Who is victorious?
Q17 How does the trial of Jesus relate back to the Old Testament passages we looked at and how does it relate forward to the way Christians are to live in the world today?
Two final illustrations to help us think about what this means for us:-
1. Chess
In chess, the King is the most important and valuable piece. He cannot be taken and the opponent’s aim is to trap the King in ‘checkmate’ so that he can no longer move. At the start of the game the King is in a position where he can’t move unless at least one of his other pieces moves first. In fact for the King to defeat his opponent he needs all of his pieces to be working to the best of their individual capability, each piece unselfishly moving in harmony with the others, and with awareness of the enemy’s strategy, to achieve the greater good, the victory of the King.
2. Robin Hood
The legend tells how Robin Hood and his merry men live under the oppressive rule of the false King (John), “but they can laugh merrily because they know that the present system is not the last word. They know that the true King (Richard) is coming, and that things will one day be different. From time to time they remind the false powers that their rule is temporary and bogus, by acts of rebellion that recall the true King. They also whisper around the good news that things don’t have to be like this. The King is coming, in fact he has already landed, and others can begin to live joyfully in the light of this coming Kingdom as well.”
Footnotes
1. This explanation of the Biblical meaning of justice comes from Derek Flood’s paper Understanding the Cross: Penal Substitution vs Christus Victor which can be found at http://sharktacos.com/God/
2. Graham Tomlin The Provocative Church (SPCK 2002)
Q1 How many other Biblical titles or metaphors for Jesus can you think of?
Q2 What positive and negative images does ‘King’ conjure up for you?
Q3 Can you think of a title or metaphor for Jesus which isn’t in the Bible, but which might be if the Bible were being written today?
Biblical precedents
Group A look at 1 Samuel chapter 8 and discuss Questions 4 to 8.
Q4 Why did the people of Israel want to have a king?
Q5 Whose leadership were they rejecting - Samuel’s?
Q6 What warnings did Samuel give about the consequences of having a King?
Q7 Why do you think God went along with their wishes and let them have a King?
Q8 How accurate did Samuel’s warnings prove to be in the history of the Kings of Israel and Judah? Can you think of any examples?
Group B look at Psalm 72 and discuss Questions 9 to 12.
Q9 What qualities does the psalmist pray that the King will have?
Q10 What does the psalmist predict that the King will do? Will the King be impartial, or will he be biased in favour of any particular group within society?
Q11 The psalm was written for a particular human King, probably Solomon. In what ways does the writer also seem to be looking beyond what any human King is capable of?
Q12 Can you think of Biblical examples of Kings who came close to this ideal?
Allow some time for groups A and B to share their findings and discuss…
NOTE on the biblical meaning of ‘Justice’
For us, bringing justice usually means punishing somebody for a crime or offence. But this is NOT what justice means in the Bible, where it means ‘making things right’, caring for others, bringing an end to inequality and exploitation of the poor. We sometimes think of justice and mercy as opposite aspects of God’s character, but in the Bible justice and mercy are one and the same thing. This is clear throughout the prophets (see Isaiah 1.17, Isaiah 30.18, Jeremiah 21.12, Zechariah 7.9, Amos 5.12-15, Micah 6.8, Matthew 12.18-21quoting Isaiah 42.1-4, )
Jesus and Pilate
Now let’s all read John 18.33-19.16
Q13 Why is it important to know if Pilate’s question is his own or something the Jewish leaders have prompted him to ask (verses 33-34)?
Q14 What kind of King is Jesus? Is he really a threat to Caesar?
Q15 How do Jesus and Pilate each demonstrate their power and authority in these verses?
Q16 How is justice done in the crucifixion of Jesus? Who is judging whom? Who is victorious?
Q17 How does the trial of Jesus relate back to the Old Testament passages we looked at and how does it relate forward to the way Christians are to live in the world today?
Two final illustrations to help us think about what this means for us:-
1. Chess
In chess, the King is the most important and valuable piece. He cannot be taken and the opponent’s aim is to trap the King in ‘checkmate’ so that he can no longer move. At the start of the game the King is in a position where he can’t move unless at least one of his other pieces moves first. In fact for the King to defeat his opponent he needs all of his pieces to be working to the best of their individual capability, each piece unselfishly moving in harmony with the others, and with awareness of the enemy’s strategy, to achieve the greater good, the victory of the King.
2. Robin Hood
The legend tells how Robin Hood and his merry men live under the oppressive rule of the false King (John), “but they can laugh merrily because they know that the present system is not the last word. They know that the true King (Richard) is coming, and that things will one day be different. From time to time they remind the false powers that their rule is temporary and bogus, by acts of rebellion that recall the true King. They also whisper around the good news that things don’t have to be like this. The King is coming, in fact he has already landed, and others can begin to live joyfully in the light of this coming Kingdom as well.”
Footnotes
1. This explanation of the Biblical meaning of justice comes from Derek Flood’s paper Understanding the Cross: Penal Substitution vs Christus Victor which can be found at http://sharktacos.com/God/
2. Graham Tomlin The Provocative Church (SPCK 2002)
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Sermon - Christ the King
Sermon 22.11.09 Christ the King
John 18.33-39
If I asked you to close your eyes and think of a King, who would come to mind?
King Juan Carlos of Spain? George VI or Henry VIII of England? Or this King perhaps… (a quick burst of Elvis!)
I went to a show by an Elvis Presley impersonator recently – he was brilliant and very convincing, but in the end… a fake!
MOST human rulers disappoint in the end. This should not surprise us if we have read 1 Samuel 8, with all its dire warnings. (Note: the people weren’t just making a positive choice for a different form of government – they were rejecting the rule of God.)
‘KING’ may therefore seem a bit of a negative image to use of Jesus. What are we saying about him? That he is Demanding? Despotic? Domineering?
NO, he wasn’t like that at all! There is also a much more positive imagery of Kings in parts of the OT. It is clearest in Psalm 72.
This Psalm was written for Solomon, son of King David, and was a prayer for him to be an IDEAL King. The Psalm also clearly goes beyond any human king in its scope – it is a MESSIANIC PROPHECY, looking forward to a FUTURE SON OF DAVID who would rule God’s people with righteousness and justice:-
Before we look at the Psalm, I want to say a little bit about this word JUSTICE . For us, bringing justice usually means punishing somebody for a crime or offence. But this is NOT what justice means in the Bible, where justice means ‘making things right’, it means caring for others, it means bringing an end to inequality and exploitation of the poor. We sometimes think of justice and mercy as opposite aspects of God’s character, but in the Bible justice and mercy are one and the same thing (Footnote 1). This is clear throughout the prophets (see Isaiah 1.17, Jeremiah 21.12, Zechariah 7.9) and it is very clear in Psalm 72’s portrait of the ideal King:-
The writer (perhaps David himself?) begins by praying
Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness.
May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.
He goes on to prophesy that this ideal King will:-
• Bring prosperity
• Defend the afflicted
• Save the children of the needy
• Endure for ever (v5)
• Nurture and nourish his people (especially the most vulnerable)
• Bring peace
• Treat every life as precious
• Restore the reign of God in the hearts of all people
This is a very different and positive definition of King, but who can reach this standard?
This brings us to Jesus’s conversation with Pilate in John 18 …
P: Are you the King of the Jews?
(Jesus must answer truthfully, but this depends on what Pilate means by his question)
J: Is that your question or someone else’s?
(If it is Pilate’s question it means ‘are you a rival to Rome?’ If it is the Priests’ question it means ‘are you claiming to be the Messiah?’)
P: Am I a Jew? Your own people handed you over to me. What is it you have done?
(Jesus understands the Jews are trying to persuade Pilate that he is a political threat)
J: My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.
P: You are a King then!
J: Yes, but not the kind of King you are thinking of. Members of my kingdom are people who seek truth. People who want to find God instead of running away from him and following mere men. These seekers of truth, when they hear my voice will recognise it and listen and be obedient.
P: What is truth?
In the end, Pilate chose not to be a seeker of truth and a subject of Jesus. Jesus was executed and raised back to life, proving he is the TRUE KING.
Not a fake. Not a despot.
Jesus is the Saviour, healer and restorer. He is the hope of all people, especially the enslaved and others who are at the bottom of the pile in human society. He is the bringer of JUSTICE.
Two final illustrations to help us think about what this means for us:-
1. Chess
In chess, the King is the most important and valuable piece. He cannot be taken and the opponent’s aim is to trap the King in ‘checkmate’ so that he can no longer move. At the start of the game the King is in a position where he can’t move unless at least one of his other pieces moves first. In fact for the King to defeat his opponent he needs all of his pieces to be working to the best of their individual capability, each piece unselfishly moving in harmony with the others, and with awareness of the enemy’s strategy, to achieve the greater good, the victory of the King.
2. Robin Hood
The legend tells how Robin Hood and his merry men live under the oppressive rule of the false King (John), “but they can laugh merrily because they know that the present system is not the last word. They know that the true King (Richard) is coming, and that things will one day be different. From time to time they remind the false powers that their rule is temporary and bogus, by acts of rebellion that recall the true King. They also whisper around the good news that things don’t have to be like this. The King is coming, in fact he has already landed, and others can begin to live joyfully in the light of this coming Kingdom as well.” (Footnote 2)
There is another King, whose coronation didn’t take place on a throne, but on a cross. A King whose justice is expressed not in punishment but in mercy. A King whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light. May we, his loyal subjects, seek and serve him with joy, until he returns to make all things new.
Footnotes
1. This explanation of the Biblical meaning of justice comes from Derek Flood’s paper Understanding the Cross: Penal Substitution vs Christus Victor which can be found at http://sharktacos.com/God/
2. Graham Tomlin The Provocative Church (SPCK 2002)
John 18.33-39
If I asked you to close your eyes and think of a King, who would come to mind?
King Juan Carlos of Spain? George VI or Henry VIII of England? Or this King perhaps… (a quick burst of Elvis!)
I went to a show by an Elvis Presley impersonator recently – he was brilliant and very convincing, but in the end… a fake!
MOST human rulers disappoint in the end. This should not surprise us if we have read 1 Samuel 8, with all its dire warnings. (Note: the people weren’t just making a positive choice for a different form of government – they were rejecting the rule of God.)
‘KING’ may therefore seem a bit of a negative image to use of Jesus. What are we saying about him? That he is Demanding? Despotic? Domineering?
NO, he wasn’t like that at all! There is also a much more positive imagery of Kings in parts of the OT. It is clearest in Psalm 72.
This Psalm was written for Solomon, son of King David, and was a prayer for him to be an IDEAL King. The Psalm also clearly goes beyond any human king in its scope – it is a MESSIANIC PROPHECY, looking forward to a FUTURE SON OF DAVID who would rule God’s people with righteousness and justice:-
Before we look at the Psalm, I want to say a little bit about this word JUSTICE . For us, bringing justice usually means punishing somebody for a crime or offence. But this is NOT what justice means in the Bible, where justice means ‘making things right’, it means caring for others, it means bringing an end to inequality and exploitation of the poor. We sometimes think of justice and mercy as opposite aspects of God’s character, but in the Bible justice and mercy are one and the same thing (Footnote 1). This is clear throughout the prophets (see Isaiah 1.17, Jeremiah 21.12, Zechariah 7.9) and it is very clear in Psalm 72’s portrait of the ideal King:-
The writer (perhaps David himself?) begins by praying
Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness.
May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.
He goes on to prophesy that this ideal King will:-
• Bring prosperity
• Defend the afflicted
• Save the children of the needy
• Endure for ever (v5)
• Nurture and nourish his people (especially the most vulnerable)
• Bring peace
• Treat every life as precious
• Restore the reign of God in the hearts of all people
This is a very different and positive definition of King, but who can reach this standard?
This brings us to Jesus’s conversation with Pilate in John 18 …
P: Are you the King of the Jews?
(Jesus must answer truthfully, but this depends on what Pilate means by his question)
J: Is that your question or someone else’s?
(If it is Pilate’s question it means ‘are you a rival to Rome?’ If it is the Priests’ question it means ‘are you claiming to be the Messiah?’)
P: Am I a Jew? Your own people handed you over to me. What is it you have done?
(Jesus understands the Jews are trying to persuade Pilate that he is a political threat)
J: My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.
P: You are a King then!
J: Yes, but not the kind of King you are thinking of. Members of my kingdom are people who seek truth. People who want to find God instead of running away from him and following mere men. These seekers of truth, when they hear my voice will recognise it and listen and be obedient.
P: What is truth?
In the end, Pilate chose not to be a seeker of truth and a subject of Jesus. Jesus was executed and raised back to life, proving he is the TRUE KING.
Not a fake. Not a despot.
Jesus is the Saviour, healer and restorer. He is the hope of all people, especially the enslaved and others who are at the bottom of the pile in human society. He is the bringer of JUSTICE.
Two final illustrations to help us think about what this means for us:-
1. Chess
In chess, the King is the most important and valuable piece. He cannot be taken and the opponent’s aim is to trap the King in ‘checkmate’ so that he can no longer move. At the start of the game the King is in a position where he can’t move unless at least one of his other pieces moves first. In fact for the King to defeat his opponent he needs all of his pieces to be working to the best of their individual capability, each piece unselfishly moving in harmony with the others, and with awareness of the enemy’s strategy, to achieve the greater good, the victory of the King.
2. Robin Hood
The legend tells how Robin Hood and his merry men live under the oppressive rule of the false King (John), “but they can laugh merrily because they know that the present system is not the last word. They know that the true King (Richard) is coming, and that things will one day be different. From time to time they remind the false powers that their rule is temporary and bogus, by acts of rebellion that recall the true King. They also whisper around the good news that things don’t have to be like this. The King is coming, in fact he has already landed, and others can begin to live joyfully in the light of this coming Kingdom as well.” (Footnote 2)
There is another King, whose coronation didn’t take place on a throne, but on a cross. A King whose justice is expressed not in punishment but in mercy. A King whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light. May we, his loyal subjects, seek and serve him with joy, until he returns to make all things new.
Footnotes
1. This explanation of the Biblical meaning of justice comes from Derek Flood’s paper Understanding the Cross: Penal Substitution vs Christus Victor which can be found at http://sharktacos.com/God/
2. Graham Tomlin The Provocative Church (SPCK 2002)
Monday, November 16, 2009
This week's Bible Study - Mark 13.1-13
Bible Study – Mark 13.1-13
Background
First, review chapters 11 and 12, noticing the ways in which the tension has been growing between Jesus and the Temple authorities.
Now read Mk 13.1-4
Though still incomplete in Jesus’ day, Herod’s Temple was one of the 7 wonders of the world; a vast and magnificent building.
Q1 Why do you think the unnamed disciple made his remark about the Temple?
Q2 If someone predicted the destruction of the White House in Washington DC, the Houses of Parliament in London or the Congreso de los Diputados in Madrid, how would their words be understood?
Q3 Complete the sentence: People today are too impressed by the permanence of…
Q4 What seems to motivate the disciples’ questions in 13.4? How do we deal with our desire to be in control of future events?
Now read Mk 13.5-13
Q5 Why does Jesus refuse to give a timetable? What does his answer focus on instead?
Q6 What dangers face followers of Jesus and how are they to guard against these dangers?
Q7 Many Christians around the world are even now suffering persecutions just as bad as the early church faced. Why is this and what can/should we do about it?
Q8 In what way can persecuted Christians be witnesses to their enemies (v9)? If we were in such circumstances, how confident would we be that the Holy Spirit would speak for us (v11)?
Q9 Jesus warns that even close family ties will be broken by the disciples’ loyalty to him. How could we cope with this agony? Is it worthwhile?
Q10 How can we develop the qualities of patience, endurance and love? How does this quest relate to the Gospel and the Kingdom of God?
Background
First, review chapters 11 and 12, noticing the ways in which the tension has been growing between Jesus and the Temple authorities.
Now read Mk 13.1-4
Though still incomplete in Jesus’ day, Herod’s Temple was one of the 7 wonders of the world; a vast and magnificent building.
Q1 Why do you think the unnamed disciple made his remark about the Temple?
Q2 If someone predicted the destruction of the White House in Washington DC, the Houses of Parliament in London or the Congreso de los Diputados in Madrid, how would their words be understood?
Q3 Complete the sentence: People today are too impressed by the permanence of…
Q4 What seems to motivate the disciples’ questions in 13.4? How do we deal with our desire to be in control of future events?
Now read Mk 13.5-13
Q5 Why does Jesus refuse to give a timetable? What does his answer focus on instead?
Q6 What dangers face followers of Jesus and how are they to guard against these dangers?
Q7 Many Christians around the world are even now suffering persecutions just as bad as the early church faced. Why is this and what can/should we do about it?
Q8 In what way can persecuted Christians be witnesses to their enemies (v9)? If we were in such circumstances, how confident would we be that the Holy Spirit would speak for us (v11)?
Q9 Jesus warns that even close family ties will be broken by the disciples’ loyalty to him. How could we cope with this agony? Is it worthwhile?
Q10 How can we develop the qualities of patience, endurance and love? How does this quest relate to the Gospel and the Kingdom of God?
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sermon - Mark 13; Birth Pains?
Sermon – Mark 13.1-8
November 15th 2009
Let's start at the middle of the passage – v8 – Jesus, speaking to his four closest disciples, has predicted all sorts of terrifying events which will take place soon; then he says:-
These are the beginning of birth pains.
I haven’t experienced birth pains but I know a lot of people who have! The special thing about birth pain is that it is not pointless and not usually disastrous but the prelude to great joy and new life… (agreed?)
Mk 13 is not about the ‘end of the world’ (see also v14, 19, 30), it is about the birth pain, the struggle of labour which happens as God’s kingdom breaks into history, through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, bringing great joy and new life.
Context?
Growing conflict between Jesus and Temple authorities (11.27 to 12.44).
Disciple:- The Temple is magnificent!
Jesus:- The Temple (and all it represents) is going to fall! Note: if someone said the White House, Houses of Parliament or Congreso de los Diputados was going to be destroyed, they’d be talking about more than just a building!
A walk in stunned silence to the Mount of Olives follows, then the 4 closest disciples ask J to explain, as they sit facing the Temple.
The wrong question – ‘When?’
As on other occasions in Mark, the disciples get the wrong end of the stick and ask the wrong question (v4). Jesus does not answer in the way they expect.
Looking beyond his own death (like Jacob in Gen 48-49, Joseph in Gen 50, Moses in Deut 33, David in 2 Sam 23), he talks instead about…
WHAT will happen after he's gone and HOW his disciples should respond
Deceivers will come, pretending to represent Jesus. The disciples must not allow themselves to be deceived (v5-6)
They will hear of wars and rumours of wars. They are not to be alarmed. These events are inevitable but are not the end (v7)
There will be struggles and wars between nations and kingdoms. There will also be earthquakes and famines. The disciples are to remain calm and patient – these events are not death pains but birth pains (v8)!
They will be persecuted by religious leaders and governments and kings – and when this happens, they must witness about Jesus (v9).
They are to preach the gospel to all nations, because this good news is not the possession of a single tribal or religious group – it is for everyone (v10).
When put on trial they are not to worry about how to defend themselves because at the time of trial the Holy Spirit will speak through them (v11).
They will be hated and betrayed by many, including relatives, because of their allegiance to Jesus. They must stand firm to the end, confident that they will be saved, that their life with God will be completely secure, even after death (v12-13).
The Big Picture
What Jesus is doing in all of this is putting the disciples’ struggles in the context of a much bigger struggle – between good and evil.
The good news proclaimed by Jesus in Mark 1.15…
The time has come… the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!
…is not about God’s desire to rescue a few individuals who are exceptionally pure or who hold the right religious beliefs, out of the world – it is about God’s breaking into history to rescue all humanity and all creation from the powers of sin and death.
In his first sermon (Luke 4.18-19), Jesus makes this clear by quoting Isaiah 61 and announcing
“Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
See also John 3.17, Philippians 2.6-11, Colossians 1.18-20.
The followers of Jesus are warned that they will face all kinds of trouble and stress and persecution – but none of this will be futile because it is part of a bigger struggle in which evil is being defeated by God through the power of the cross. They are to live in the light of this victory day by day, knowing that their pains are BIRTH PAINS – leading to new life, transformation and eternal joy. Acts of the Apostles shows how Jesus’s predictions came true and how the apostles lived as he’d urged them to live. (We’ll be working our way through Acts at the new evening services starting 29th November).
Application
How does this apply to us? Well, like the disciples, our individual and communal lives are often in crisis and we may be driven to despair by the apparent meaninglessness of it all. It is very tempting to see only our own problems, especially if we are suffering unjustly or being persecuted for our faith.
And if we lift our heads up and look around the world this sense of despair can become overwhelming (refer to photography exhibition currently on at Caixa Forum).
The things we BELIEVE direct the things we DO – think of some examples…
So what happens if we believe our lives and the lives of everyone else are also PART OF A BIGGER STORY? And what if our story is the same story that Jesus and his first disciples were part of – the story of God’s kingdom breaking into the world to set humanity and all creation free from the grip of sin and evil?
What if our pain and the pain of our fellow man is not futile but is BIRTH PAIN, a pain which may intensify but will inevitably lead to joy and transformation and new life? Because God is transforming everything, including us.
If we can see things this way might that not free us to be people of peace, joy, love and hope - whatever is happening in our home or workplace, our city or country or on the TV news? Perhaps we might start to share the pain of our fellow human beings around the world instead of blaming or scapegoating others, or just changing channels – maybe we would express ourselves by offering prayers and practical relief. Perhaps we could even learn to really love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us – as Jesus did, even from the cross…
We’ll be exploring these issues in our Routes2 course in the new year and also on our Weekend Away in May, when we will be led by Ann Morisy, author of Bothered and Bewildered – enacting hope in troubled times. More details next week.
November 15th 2009
Let's start at the middle of the passage – v8 – Jesus, speaking to his four closest disciples, has predicted all sorts of terrifying events which will take place soon; then he says:-
These are the beginning of birth pains.
I haven’t experienced birth pains but I know a lot of people who have! The special thing about birth pain is that it is not pointless and not usually disastrous but the prelude to great joy and new life… (agreed?)
Mk 13 is not about the ‘end of the world’ (see also v14, 19, 30), it is about the birth pain, the struggle of labour which happens as God’s kingdom breaks into history, through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, bringing great joy and new life.
Context?
Growing conflict between Jesus and Temple authorities (11.27 to 12.44).
Disciple:- The Temple is magnificent!
Jesus:- The Temple (and all it represents) is going to fall! Note: if someone said the White House, Houses of Parliament or Congreso de los Diputados was going to be destroyed, they’d be talking about more than just a building!
A walk in stunned silence to the Mount of Olives follows, then the 4 closest disciples ask J to explain, as they sit facing the Temple.
The wrong question – ‘When?’
As on other occasions in Mark, the disciples get the wrong end of the stick and ask the wrong question (v4). Jesus does not answer in the way they expect.
Looking beyond his own death (like Jacob in Gen 48-49, Joseph in Gen 50, Moses in Deut 33, David in 2 Sam 23), he talks instead about…
WHAT will happen after he's gone and HOW his disciples should respond
Deceivers will come, pretending to represent Jesus. The disciples must not allow themselves to be deceived (v5-6)
They will hear of wars and rumours of wars. They are not to be alarmed. These events are inevitable but are not the end (v7)
There will be struggles and wars between nations and kingdoms. There will also be earthquakes and famines. The disciples are to remain calm and patient – these events are not death pains but birth pains (v8)!
They will be persecuted by religious leaders and governments and kings – and when this happens, they must witness about Jesus (v9).
They are to preach the gospel to all nations, because this good news is not the possession of a single tribal or religious group – it is for everyone (v10).
When put on trial they are not to worry about how to defend themselves because at the time of trial the Holy Spirit will speak through them (v11).
They will be hated and betrayed by many, including relatives, because of their allegiance to Jesus. They must stand firm to the end, confident that they will be saved, that their life with God will be completely secure, even after death (v12-13).
The Big Picture
What Jesus is doing in all of this is putting the disciples’ struggles in the context of a much bigger struggle – between good and evil.
The good news proclaimed by Jesus in Mark 1.15…
The time has come… the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!
…is not about God’s desire to rescue a few individuals who are exceptionally pure or who hold the right religious beliefs, out of the world – it is about God’s breaking into history to rescue all humanity and all creation from the powers of sin and death.
In his first sermon (Luke 4.18-19), Jesus makes this clear by quoting Isaiah 61 and announcing
“Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
See also John 3.17, Philippians 2.6-11, Colossians 1.18-20.
The followers of Jesus are warned that they will face all kinds of trouble and stress and persecution – but none of this will be futile because it is part of a bigger struggle in which evil is being defeated by God through the power of the cross. They are to live in the light of this victory day by day, knowing that their pains are BIRTH PAINS – leading to new life, transformation and eternal joy. Acts of the Apostles shows how Jesus’s predictions came true and how the apostles lived as he’d urged them to live. (We’ll be working our way through Acts at the new evening services starting 29th November).
Application
How does this apply to us? Well, like the disciples, our individual and communal lives are often in crisis and we may be driven to despair by the apparent meaninglessness of it all. It is very tempting to see only our own problems, especially if we are suffering unjustly or being persecuted for our faith.
And if we lift our heads up and look around the world this sense of despair can become overwhelming (refer to photography exhibition currently on at Caixa Forum).
The things we BELIEVE direct the things we DO – think of some examples…
So what happens if we believe our lives and the lives of everyone else are also PART OF A BIGGER STORY? And what if our story is the same story that Jesus and his first disciples were part of – the story of God’s kingdom breaking into the world to set humanity and all creation free from the grip of sin and evil?
What if our pain and the pain of our fellow man is not futile but is BIRTH PAIN, a pain which may intensify but will inevitably lead to joy and transformation and new life? Because God is transforming everything, including us.
If we can see things this way might that not free us to be people of peace, joy, love and hope - whatever is happening in our home or workplace, our city or country or on the TV news? Perhaps we might start to share the pain of our fellow human beings around the world instead of blaming or scapegoating others, or just changing channels – maybe we would express ourselves by offering prayers and practical relief. Perhaps we could even learn to really love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us – as Jesus did, even from the cross…
We’ll be exploring these issues in our Routes2 course in the new year and also on our Weekend Away in May, when we will be led by Ann Morisy, author of Bothered and Bewildered – enacting hope in troubled times. More details next week.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Bible Study - the Beattitudes
11th November 2009
Matthew 5, 1 – 12 The Beattitudes
On a hillside near Capernaum, this ‘Sermon on the Mount’ may have lasted several days. In it, Jesus proclaims his position in relation to the law, authority, money and obedience. He challenges the proud and the legalistic religious leaders. He sets out his kingdom manifesto.
Read the whole passage. There are different ways of understanding the Beatitudes. Work with a partner/in a small group and discus the Beatitudes in relation to the following headings, what is important to you? How does this relate to you? Why?
1. As a code of ethics
2. Showing the contrast between earthly and Kingdom values
3. Highlighting the difference between superficial faith and the real faith Jesus wants
What does ‘blessed’ mean in this context?
What would our society expect to see when someone is blessed and fortunate?
BUT Jesus doesn’t promise this – what does he promise?
The Beatitudes show how Old Testament expectations will be fulfilled in God’s new kingdom. Today is a day of Remembrance so we will focus on two that relate to peace.
Look up Isaiah 57: 18 - 19, also Isaiah 60: 17. What Beatitude do these texts relate to?
How can we develop this attitude? Compare Romans 12.17-21 and Matt 5.43-48.
Look up Psalm 41.1, Micah 6.8, What Beatitude do these texts relate to?
How did Jesus and the Apostles demonstrate this attitude?
How can we develop this attitude? See Ephesians 5.1-2, Luke 10.36-37.
Discussion Point: ‘In power politics you gain your ends of power with any means at your disposal. But the uniqueness of Gandhi was in this: he was more concerned with means than ends’ (Jones, 1948)
1. In our society, are people more concerned with the ends rather than the means?
2. As Christians, should we be following Gandhi’s example? Can you give examples of how we can do this in our own lives?
Matthew 5, 1 – 12 The Beattitudes
On a hillside near Capernaum, this ‘Sermon on the Mount’ may have lasted several days. In it, Jesus proclaims his position in relation to the law, authority, money and obedience. He challenges the proud and the legalistic religious leaders. He sets out his kingdom manifesto.
Read the whole passage. There are different ways of understanding the Beatitudes. Work with a partner/in a small group and discus the Beatitudes in relation to the following headings, what is important to you? How does this relate to you? Why?
1. As a code of ethics
2. Showing the contrast between earthly and Kingdom values
3. Highlighting the difference between superficial faith and the real faith Jesus wants
What does ‘blessed’ mean in this context?
What would our society expect to see when someone is blessed and fortunate?
BUT Jesus doesn’t promise this – what does he promise?
The Beatitudes show how Old Testament expectations will be fulfilled in God’s new kingdom. Today is a day of Remembrance so we will focus on two that relate to peace.
Look up Isaiah 57: 18 - 19, also Isaiah 60: 17. What Beatitude do these texts relate to?
How can we develop this attitude? Compare Romans 12.17-21 and Matt 5.43-48.
Look up Psalm 41.1, Micah 6.8, What Beatitude do these texts relate to?
How did Jesus and the Apostles demonstrate this attitude?
How can we develop this attitude? See Ephesians 5.1-2, Luke 10.36-37.
Discussion Point: ‘In power politics you gain your ends of power with any means at your disposal. But the uniqueness of Gandhi was in this: he was more concerned with means than ends’ (Jones, 1948)
1. In our society, are people more concerned with the ends rather than the means?
2. As Christians, should we be following Gandhi’s example? Can you give examples of how we can do this in our own lives?
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Thought for the day - gospel or violence?
With Remembrance Sunday approaching I've been reading a book about Gandhi and am now into Walter Wink's Engaging the Powers. Both books recommended by Derek Flood - see the link to sharktacos.com/God/ for his superb paper on the meaning of the cross. Here's food for thought from Wink (p.30):-
The myth of redemptive violence is nationalism become absolute. This myth speaks for God; it does not listen for God to speak. It invokes the sovereignty of God as its own; it does not entertain the prophetic possibility of radical denunciation and negation by God. It misappropriates the language, symbols and scriptures of Christianity. It does not seek God in order to change; it claims God in order to prevent change. Its God is not the impartial ruler of all nations but a biased and partial tribal god worshiped as an idol. Its metaphor is not the journey but a fortress. Its symbol is not the cross but a rod of iron. Its offer is not forgiveness but victory. Its good news is not the unconditional love of enemies but their liquidation. Its salvation is not a new heart but a successful foreign policy. It usurps the revelation of God's purposes for humanity in Jesus. It is blasphemous. It is idolotrous. And it is immensely popular.
The myth of redemptive violence is nationalism become absolute. This myth speaks for God; it does not listen for God to speak. It invokes the sovereignty of God as its own; it does not entertain the prophetic possibility of radical denunciation and negation by God. It misappropriates the language, symbols and scriptures of Christianity. It does not seek God in order to change; it claims God in order to prevent change. Its God is not the impartial ruler of all nations but a biased and partial tribal god worshiped as an idol. Its metaphor is not the journey but a fortress. Its symbol is not the cross but a rod of iron. Its offer is not forgiveness but victory. Its good news is not the unconditional love of enemies but their liquidation. Its salvation is not a new heart but a successful foreign policy. It usurps the revelation of God's purposes for humanity in Jesus. It is blasphemous. It is idolotrous. And it is immensely popular.
Monday, November 2, 2009
This week's Bible Study - All Saints
Bible Study – All Saints Day 1.11.09
What does the word ‘saint’ conjure up for you? Who or what does it bring to mind? Is there a particular saint who you identify with or who has inspired you?
The traditional Catholic and Anglican understanding of saints has mainly been concerned with heroes/heroines of the faith from previous centuries, with their example of holy and courageous living and with their supposed role as intermediaries for our prayers.
In the New Testament, the word usually translated saints (hagioi in the Greek) is mainly found in the book of Revelation and in the letters of St Paul. Here is an excerpt from the Theological Dictionary of New Testament Words on Paul’s use of the word:
In Paul’s letters those who name Jesus as their Lord are called hagioi, saints. This is not primarily an ethical expression but a concept parallel to “called”, and “faithful”; it implies association with the Holy Spirit. Christ is their sanctification as well as their righteousness and redemption and thus the one in whom they become holy to the true God. The power to do so comes from the risen Christ, who operates according to the Spirit of holiness.
Let’s look briefly at the 9 occasions that hagioi crops up in Ephesians and see what we can learn.
1.1 To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.
Comment: Paul is writing to the living, not the dead. He is writing to ordinary Christians, not just to those who have performed miracles or achieved an extraordinary level of purity.
Questions: How comfortable are you with the use of the word ‘saint’ to describe all Christians?
What do you think the phrase ‘the faithful in Christ Jesus’ means (see vv 3-14, especially 3-5 and 12)?
1.15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
Comment: Saints are people who live a life of faith and love, who pray and who need to be prayed for.
1.17-19a I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
Comment: Saints need outside help if they are to fully understand who they are and to put their calling into practice.
Questions: Where can this help be found and how can it be obtained?
How often do you pray like this for other Christians?
2.19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints (NIV: God’s people) and members of God’s household.
Comment: Saints have been transferred by God into a position of privilege and responsibility.
Question: How should the members of God’s household be recognizable and what should be their attitude to others?
3.8 Although I am less than the least of all the saints (NIV: God’s people), this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Comment: Paul is deeply aware of his unworthiness but at the same time supremely confident in his calling.
Question: Is it possible for us to be as clear and confident as Paul about what we are called to do?
3.17b-18 And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
Question: How wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ? Why is it so important for us to know this? How significant is the phrase 'together with all the saints'?
4.12-13 …to prepare the saints (NIV: “God’s people”) for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Comment: Paul is explaining the reason that Christ calls people to particular ministries and gives them spiritual gifts.
Question: How can we guard against improper use of gifts or power in churches? How important is it to encourage and enable each other to use them well?
5.3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for the saints (NIV: “God’s holy people”).
Question: How can we guard against the destructive effects of sin? Is the bar set too high for us?
6.18b Be alert and keep on praying for all the saints.
Comment: Never underestimate the ongoing need for alertness and prayer!
What does the word ‘saint’ conjure up for you? Who or what does it bring to mind? Is there a particular saint who you identify with or who has inspired you?
The traditional Catholic and Anglican understanding of saints has mainly been concerned with heroes/heroines of the faith from previous centuries, with their example of holy and courageous living and with their supposed role as intermediaries for our prayers.
In the New Testament, the word usually translated saints (hagioi in the Greek) is mainly found in the book of Revelation and in the letters of St Paul. Here is an excerpt from the Theological Dictionary of New Testament Words on Paul’s use of the word:
In Paul’s letters those who name Jesus as their Lord are called hagioi, saints. This is not primarily an ethical expression but a concept parallel to “called”, and “faithful”; it implies association with the Holy Spirit. Christ is their sanctification as well as their righteousness and redemption and thus the one in whom they become holy to the true God. The power to do so comes from the risen Christ, who operates according to the Spirit of holiness.
Let’s look briefly at the 9 occasions that hagioi crops up in Ephesians and see what we can learn.
1.1 To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.
Comment: Paul is writing to the living, not the dead. He is writing to ordinary Christians, not just to those who have performed miracles or achieved an extraordinary level of purity.
Questions: How comfortable are you with the use of the word ‘saint’ to describe all Christians?
What do you think the phrase ‘the faithful in Christ Jesus’ means (see vv 3-14, especially 3-5 and 12)?
1.15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
Comment: Saints are people who live a life of faith and love, who pray and who need to be prayed for.
1.17-19a I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
Comment: Saints need outside help if they are to fully understand who they are and to put their calling into practice.
Questions: Where can this help be found and how can it be obtained?
How often do you pray like this for other Christians?
2.19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints (NIV: God’s people) and members of God’s household.
Comment: Saints have been transferred by God into a position of privilege and responsibility.
Question: How should the members of God’s household be recognizable and what should be their attitude to others?
3.8 Although I am less than the least of all the saints (NIV: God’s people), this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Comment: Paul is deeply aware of his unworthiness but at the same time supremely confident in his calling.
Question: Is it possible for us to be as clear and confident as Paul about what we are called to do?
3.17b-18 And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
Question: How wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ? Why is it so important for us to know this? How significant is the phrase 'together with all the saints'?
4.12-13 …to prepare the saints (NIV: “God’s people”) for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Comment: Paul is explaining the reason that Christ calls people to particular ministries and gives them spiritual gifts.
Question: How can we guard against improper use of gifts or power in churches? How important is it to encourage and enable each other to use them well?
5.3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for the saints (NIV: “God’s holy people”).
Question: How can we guard against the destructive effects of sin? Is the bar set too high for us?
6.18b Be alert and keep on praying for all the saints.
Comment: Never underestimate the ongoing need for alertness and prayer!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
This week's Bible Study - Matthew 6.25-34
Bible Study – Matthew 6.25-34 Do not be anxious…
This passage is from the Sermon on the Mount which is the most sustained block of Jesus’s teaching in the synoptic gospels and still as radical and challenging today as it was in New Testament times. In these verses Jesus speaks about ANXIETY, specifically anxiety about whether we will have enough material things like food and clothing.
Q1 What kind of issues are you sometimes anxious about?
Q2 Do you think we live in an age of more anxiety or less anxiety compared to times past? Why is this? Do we actually have more to be anxious about?
Let’s read through Matthew 6.25-33 now and reflect on these words of Jesus for a few minutes before tackling the following questions.
Q3 What can we learn from the example of the birds (v26)?
Q4 What do you think about the example of fruitless worrying which Jesus gives in v27? What happens when people worry about things which are outside their control?
Q5 What about the example of the lilies of the field (v28-30)? How should our faith protect us from anxiety?
Q6 Looking at verses 31 and 32, the ‘pagan’ attitude to our needs is contrasted to the believers’ attitude. How reassuring is it that our heavenly Father knows what we need? Compare the warning in v24.
We all know the theory, but it is not always easy to put into practice. To borrow a phrase from ANN MORISY (who will be leading our church weekend next May), the Church’s role is about enacting hope in troubled times.
Q7 How helpful do you find v33? What does it mean in practice to ‘seek first his kingdom and his righteousness?’ Can you give an example of a time when you or someone else did this instead of looking after your/their own interests? Compare vv19 to 21.
Q8 What advice about avoiding anxiety does St Paul add in Philippians 4.6-7? How does this fit with what you know about the life of Jesus?
Q9 How easy is it to just take one day at a time (v34)? Does v11 help?
Q10 How as a Church can we help each other and our neighbours avoid anxiety about material needs?
This passage is from the Sermon on the Mount which is the most sustained block of Jesus’s teaching in the synoptic gospels and still as radical and challenging today as it was in New Testament times. In these verses Jesus speaks about ANXIETY, specifically anxiety about whether we will have enough material things like food and clothing.
Q1 What kind of issues are you sometimes anxious about?
Q2 Do you think we live in an age of more anxiety or less anxiety compared to times past? Why is this? Do we actually have more to be anxious about?
Let’s read through Matthew 6.25-33 now and reflect on these words of Jesus for a few minutes before tackling the following questions.
Q3 What can we learn from the example of the birds (v26)?
Q4 What do you think about the example of fruitless worrying which Jesus gives in v27? What happens when people worry about things which are outside their control?
Q5 What about the example of the lilies of the field (v28-30)? How should our faith protect us from anxiety?
Q6 Looking at verses 31 and 32, the ‘pagan’ attitude to our needs is contrasted to the believers’ attitude. How reassuring is it that our heavenly Father knows what we need? Compare the warning in v24.
We all know the theory, but it is not always easy to put into practice. To borrow a phrase from ANN MORISY (who will be leading our church weekend next May), the Church’s role is about enacting hope in troubled times.
Q7 How helpful do you find v33? What does it mean in practice to ‘seek first his kingdom and his righteousness?’ Can you give an example of a time when you or someone else did this instead of looking after your/their own interests? Compare vv19 to 21.
Q8 What advice about avoiding anxiety does St Paul add in Philippians 4.6-7? How does this fit with what you know about the life of Jesus?
Q9 How easy is it to just take one day at a time (v34)? Does v11 help?
Q10 How as a Church can we help each other and our neighbours avoid anxiety about material needs?
Friday, October 23, 2009
Archbishop talks sense about the environment
You can listen to or read a superb lecture by +Rowan Williams on how Christians should respond to the looming environmental crisis at www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/2563
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Sunday Sermon 25th October 2009
Harvest Sermon 25.10.09
Matthew 6.25-33
ANXIETY is out for Christians!
Easier said than done of course. We live in uncertain times and have all kinds of pressures on us. I remember being very anxious before a minor operation a few years ago (…)
Here in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus specifically and repeatedly warns his followers against anxiety – especially anxiety about material needs. Why does he give this warning?
1. Anxiety is ILLOGICAL...
…for a believer in God. Right through the Bible it is clear that God is the creator and sustainer of life, the provider for all he has made. God’s creation is not futile and he can be relied on to nourish and nurture the life he has created. Simple observation of nature, of God’s provision for birds or wild flowers (26-30) demonstrates this provision in action. At its best our efforts at gardening/farming and our work in general works with God in this provision. Sadly we are often not observant or we imagine that it is our own cleverness which is keeping us on top of nature and healthy, safe, protected. This is an ILLUSION! Any security we make for ourselves is fragile… but this should not make us anxious because God can be trusted.
2. Anxiety is INEFFECTIVE
It doesn’t actually work! We all know this and yet we continue proving it with regular ‘experiments’ in our daily lives (e.g. ineffective anxiety about weather, interest rates, whether our hair will go grey…) Anxiety doesn’t improve our chances of safety or success – on the contrary it often has a negative effect – making our hair go grey quicker etc.
3. Anxiety is INSULTING to God
Perhaps that is too strong a word? If I say I trust God but then worry continually about how I’m going to afford food or clothes, this is not just illogical and ineffective, it is an INSULT to my Father in Heaven. My anxiety must mean either that I doubt God wants to provide for me (denying his love) or that he is able to provide (denying his power).
Earlier in Mat6 Jesus taught his followers to pray “give us this day our daily bread”. If we pray this prayer, as you and I do day by day, week by week, and still remain anxious about this provision, we insult God by doubting him.
(a bit like being invited to a friend’s dinner party and turning up with a Chinese takeaway meal for youself!).
Summary so far
The ANXIOUS lifestyle is not worthy of Christians – Jesus says it is the way of Gentiles (v32) – here meaning people who have no relationship with God. If we have a godless, acquisitive, materialistic lifestyle, we put ourselves at odds with the planet and its maker. As Christians we must guard against this.
Anxiety is wrong – agreed?? But in practice it is hard to avoid.
What’s the secret?
A carefree, irresponsible lifestyle which disregards our own and others’ needs? Obviously not! Is there an alternative way to motivate ourselves for godly living and responsible stewardship? Have a look at verse 33…
Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
What does this mean? It means consciously, purposefully offering each day, each decisions, each relationship, each political situation, each lifestyle choice to God and asking “how can I put into practice my gratitude to God, my allegiance to God in this situation?”
It is about putting God’s kingdom first and leaving the rest to him.
Finally
Jesus tells his followers not to be anxious. St Paul backs him up when he writes
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4.6-7)
But PLEASE don’t go away feeling guilty about the times when you do worry! That would be a vicious circle.
Putting your faith in an invisible and often silent God is not easy, even if you have been a believer for a long time and have seen God at work in your life. But these verses teach that anxiety can be overcome through prayer. As we learn to leave our fears in God’s hands through prayer we will experience peace. Not through our own strength but through the reassurance of the Holy Spirit living in us.
I have a relatively stress free life and so really I have no right to tell you to live without anxiety. Many of you have far more pressure and stress than me…
But not more than Jesus, as he took on all the powers of evil at the greatest possible personal cost and ultimately defeated them.
Jesus is our model as well as our Saviour and we need to follow wholeheartedly his pattern of prayerful obedience, of passionate advocacy on behalf of the weakest and poorest members of society, and of joyful, anxiety free, selfless service. What a role model! What a Saviour who graciously includes us, with all our imperfections, in his Kingdom work!
Matthew 6.25-33
ANXIETY is out for Christians!
Easier said than done of course. We live in uncertain times and have all kinds of pressures on us. I remember being very anxious before a minor operation a few years ago (…)
Here in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus specifically and repeatedly warns his followers against anxiety – especially anxiety about material needs. Why does he give this warning?
1. Anxiety is ILLOGICAL...
…for a believer in God. Right through the Bible it is clear that God is the creator and sustainer of life, the provider for all he has made. God’s creation is not futile and he can be relied on to nourish and nurture the life he has created. Simple observation of nature, of God’s provision for birds or wild flowers (26-30) demonstrates this provision in action. At its best our efforts at gardening/farming and our work in general works with God in this provision. Sadly we are often not observant or we imagine that it is our own cleverness which is keeping us on top of nature and healthy, safe, protected. This is an ILLUSION! Any security we make for ourselves is fragile… but this should not make us anxious because God can be trusted.
2. Anxiety is INEFFECTIVE
It doesn’t actually work! We all know this and yet we continue proving it with regular ‘experiments’ in our daily lives (e.g. ineffective anxiety about weather, interest rates, whether our hair will go grey…) Anxiety doesn’t improve our chances of safety or success – on the contrary it often has a negative effect – making our hair go grey quicker etc.
3. Anxiety is INSULTING to God
Perhaps that is too strong a word? If I say I trust God but then worry continually about how I’m going to afford food or clothes, this is not just illogical and ineffective, it is an INSULT to my Father in Heaven. My anxiety must mean either that I doubt God wants to provide for me (denying his love) or that he is able to provide (denying his power).
Earlier in Mat6 Jesus taught his followers to pray “give us this day our daily bread”. If we pray this prayer, as you and I do day by day, week by week, and still remain anxious about this provision, we insult God by doubting him.
(a bit like being invited to a friend’s dinner party and turning up with a Chinese takeaway meal for youself!).
Summary so far
The ANXIOUS lifestyle is not worthy of Christians – Jesus says it is the way of Gentiles (v32) – here meaning people who have no relationship with God. If we have a godless, acquisitive, materialistic lifestyle, we put ourselves at odds with the planet and its maker. As Christians we must guard against this.
Anxiety is wrong – agreed?? But in practice it is hard to avoid.
What’s the secret?
A carefree, irresponsible lifestyle which disregards our own and others’ needs? Obviously not! Is there an alternative way to motivate ourselves for godly living and responsible stewardship? Have a look at verse 33…
Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
What does this mean? It means consciously, purposefully offering each day, each decisions, each relationship, each political situation, each lifestyle choice to God and asking “how can I put into practice my gratitude to God, my allegiance to God in this situation?”
It is about putting God’s kingdom first and leaving the rest to him.
Finally
Jesus tells his followers not to be anxious. St Paul backs him up when he writes
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4.6-7)
But PLEASE don’t go away feeling guilty about the times when you do worry! That would be a vicious circle.
Putting your faith in an invisible and often silent God is not easy, even if you have been a believer for a long time and have seen God at work in your life. But these verses teach that anxiety can be overcome through prayer. As we learn to leave our fears in God’s hands through prayer we will experience peace. Not through our own strength but through the reassurance of the Holy Spirit living in us.
I have a relatively stress free life and so really I have no right to tell you to live without anxiety. Many of you have far more pressure and stress than me…
But not more than Jesus, as he took on all the powers of evil at the greatest possible personal cost and ultimately defeated them.
Jesus is our model as well as our Saviour and we need to follow wholeheartedly his pattern of prayerful obedience, of passionate advocacy on behalf of the weakest and poorest members of society, and of joyful, anxiety free, selfless service. What a role model! What a Saviour who graciously includes us, with all our imperfections, in his Kingdom work!
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