Sermon - Romans 8.12-25

Romans 8.12-25

There are two rival versions of the christian story, both of which can be argued from the Bible.

The first believes that this world is heading for destruction, whether at the hands of men or of God, and that Christianity offers an escape or evacuation route for people who believe in Jesus. A way to a distant heaven where everything is perfect, for Christians.

The second holds that the world is loved by God and has not been abandoned. It teaches that the whole creation will eventually be healed and restored and will be a place of true justice and peace in which the tears will be wiped away from every face.

As we look at Romans 8.12-25 this morning, I’m going to argue that it is this second version of the Christian story which fits the teaching of the Bible best and that seeing things this way makes a huge difference to the way we live; to our attitudes, motivation and priorities.

I’m making the kind of case which Brian McLaren, Tom Wright and Rob Bell have been making in recent years (I recommend Bell’s recent book “Love Wins”, Wright’s “Surprised by Hope” and McLaren’s “Everything must change”).

Romans 8.12-17

The first part of our reading focuses mainly in the present and Paul emphasises how the status of Christians has changed, so that they are no longer slaves but are adopted children in God’s family.

This was powerful language to use because the Roman empire was built on the backs of slaves. Many of these first christians in Rome, who Paul was writing to, were slaves or slave owners. And the life of slaves was not good. A slave was just an object or a tool to be used by his/her owner in any way they pleased – often including physical or sexual abuse – until they were too old or worn out, when they would be thrown away. They would have no family, no comfort, no hope of improvement. Their best hope would be to be bought by a relatively kind slave owner who would treat them with some kindness and dignity. But this was a slim hope.

Now Paul writes to these slaves who have responded to the good news of Jesus that they are no longer slaves but adopted children of God. To be adopted into any family, to be given the legal status of a son or daughter, was more than a slave could dream of. And to be adopted by the most powerful person in the universe? This would be a fantasy beyond imagining! He also addresses slave owners and others who now realise that they have lived as slaves to their wants and passions and that this was not pleasing to God.

To be adopted as a child of God is better than being a slave to even the most benevolent owner. It is in fact to become an heir with Jesus to all the riches of God.

Escapism?

This may be thought to be a kind of escapism, the “opium of the people” as Marx described it, but Paul brings in a note of realism in verse 17, where he explains that the adopted brothers and sisters of Jesus must share in his sufferings in order to share in his glory. Perhaps this idea would go some way to explaining why the physical circumstances of many believers were so hard.

Romans 8.18-25

But moving on from the idea of sharing in Christ’s sufferings, Paul looks to the future, because the way we see the future shaping up greatly affects how we live in the present.

He starts by claiming that “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (v18)

At first glance this might seem to support the escape and evacuate version of the gospel: “Don’t worry how bad things are, God is going to take you Christians away to somewhere better, after you die”. But as we read on, I think we can see that Paul is saying something different. He writes that “the creation (the whole universe) waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration … in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” (v19-21)

Can you hear what Paul is saying? That the whole world; all its people, its animals, its environment – is waiting eagerly and expectantly for the church, for God’s adopted family, to reveal itself for what it really is. When this happens, when Christians live in the freedom of Christ and the power of the Spirit to the glory of God, the whole creation will be freed from the brokenness and frustration which currently spoils and limits everything.

This is a far cry from the escape and evacuate view – “don’t worry about the world; its going to hell anyway. Just be grateful that you’ve got a ticket for the escape capsule” – no! Paul is saying God’s salvation project is way bigger and better than that, and you are called to be part of it, part of the rescue package for all creation.

He’s saying the story will end with all things being restored, healed and made new. With God’s kingdom on earth. With the lion lying down with the lamb. With swords turned into ploughshares, no disease, no death, no fear! Paul shares this vision with Isaiah, with the writer of Revelation and of course with Jesus – heaven on earth; not an escape to somewhere in the clouds.

The way to live

So if this is how the story is going to end, how does that affect the way we see things now, the way we live? Well firstly it means that we see all the pain and difficulty and suffering of the way the world is now NOT as the suffering of a terminal illness or a deserved punishment for crimes, but as the pains of childbirth, as a beautiful new life is being born!

When Paul uses this kind of language he is encouraging a positive, healing and transforming role for Christians in the present world. An attitude he characterises as “hope”. Not a vague hope that perhaps if we are lucky things might turn out better, but a sure and certain hope that God is on the case and therefore the best possible ending to the story will certainly come to pass.

Does that make a difference for you? I’m reminded of the story of the very tired looking man, endlessly hitting a large rock with a hammer. When asked what he was doing he answered “I’m trying to break this rock in half.” Close to him another man was performing the same task but with more energy and with a big smile on his face. When asked what he was doing he replied “I’m part of team that is building a cathedral”.

What a difference it makes to see yourself as part of a big project to create something beautiful and worthwhile and wholesome and perfect! Can you see how much better and more biblically based this hope, this motivation is, compared to the alternative view in which Christianity is simply an escape and evacuation plan for a minority of people?

HOW would your attitude to injustice be changed if you really believed that God is transforming this world into a place of true justice?

HOW would your attitude to war be changed if you really believed God is working to bring about peace for all people?

HOW would your attitude to non-christian people be changed if you really believed that God loves them and will not stop seeking them until all are saved in Christ and adopted into his family?

Jesus commissioned the apostles to go and make disciples (followers) of all nations, not to sell tickets for an escape capsule. And this is what the apostles and the best missionaries have spent their lives doing down the ages, making disciples, building the kingdom of God on earth, living in hopeful, patient anticipation of the beautiful completion of God’s salvation plan.

Let’s pray.

Tweet your questions!

A few months ago I started encouraging Bible Study groups and Home groups at St George's to think about the Bible passage I'm going to be preaching on next Sunday. I'm finding this helpful and I hope some of you are too. So, taking the idea a step further, I've now started a "Twitter" page - see, old dogs can learn new tricks! You can find me at @drewtweedy and will see that I have posted the reference for next Sunday's Bible passage - Matthew 13.1-9 and 18-23 (parable of the sower). Then you can "tweet" any questions that Sunday's reading raises for you - right up until Saturday night. The idea is that I will respond to your tweets during the sermon! How cool is that?

Paul defends his Universalist belief - Romans 6

Romans 6.12-end

Many thanks for all the birthday greetings, to all who came to my party and to all who gave me gifts or contributed to the beautiful new Ashbory bass guitar. I am very grateful and very blessed to have a gorgeous, yet devious wife, who managed to hide all the preparations from me and an amazing church family which is a blessing beyond anything I have experienced in my life. A big thankyou from the bottom of my heart!

But now I have reached a funny age (50), there will likely be consequences. Men of my age often begin to do strange things. Perhaps I will dye my hair green, buy a motorcycle, start wearing an earring or tattoos. Anything could happen!

One thing I am resolved to do is to engage in discussions about controversial issues, the kinds of things that Christians disagree with each other about, as well as disagreeing with other people in society. I intend to do this not because I enjoy starting fights or being difficult, but because I think conversation with people of different viewpoints is healthy and is part of the way in which we learn and in which God reveals the truth. Some of these discussions will be on separate “discussion group” evenings, some in a special Sunday morning sermon series later in the year, others will just come up when certain readings appear in the Church calendar.

Context – universalism?

Today’s reading from Romans gives me an opportunity to mention a belief I have arrived at which, although a minority view in evangelical churches, has always been accepted by some Christians since the earliest days of the Church and has been an allowed belief within the Church of England ever since Queen Elizabeth I’s days. It is a belief which a growing number of Christians around the world in all kinds of Churches are coming to accept, especially since Rob Bell’s recent book on the subject, “Love Wins” came out. It is the belief that in the end everybody without exception will be saved and reconciled to God, so that hell whatever hell is, will in the end be empty. The name for this is Evangelical Universalism or Universal Reconciliation.

People react to this idea in a range of different ways, and that’s understandable. You can use the Bible to make a case for or against it, and whilst I personally believe the evidence in favour is far stronger than the evidence against, you don’t have to agree with me!

Now, much of the biblical evidence in favour of universalism is in the writings of St Paul and one of the places he states it most clearly is in Romans 5.12-21 where he contrasts Adam and Jesus. In verse 18 for example he says:
“Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for ALL men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for ALL men.”

The majority view is that the second ALL cannot mean ALL because we know that universalism is not true, that some people, perhaps most, will be in hell forever and what’s more, we know that Paul was not a universalist. Well I disagree with that majority view (and I’m not alone in this). I think Paul was making a clear universalist claim and one piece of evidence to support this is the argument he presents in Romans 6.

Romans 6 - Paul responds to his critics

Let’s start by looking at 6.1 and 6.15; verses which indicate what Paul was arguing against in chapter 6:-

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning, so that grace may increase? By no means!
Romans 6.1

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Romans 6.15

I can only think of two reasons why Paul would write in this way:

1.Perhaps he was being accused of being a libertine or hedonist, someone who was teaching “Anything goes for Christians. We are free from the law and any other kind of moral restraint.”

But how could anybody think this of Paul? In all the descriptions of his life and teaching throughout Acts and his Letters, Paul never advocates anything like a libertine or hedonistic lifestyle. On the contrary, he teaches the exact opposite, urging his readers to live holy and Christlike lives marked by self-control and unselfish love.

2.His universalism was raising objections. This makes sense because the most common objection to universalism is this (quoting a friend who I recently discussed this with):
“So you are saying that the way we live this life and what we believe do not ultimately matter, because we are all going to heaven anyway.”

I think this is the accusation Paul was rejecting so clearly in Romans 6. I believe they could only conclude this from his universalism, clearly expressed in his letters and perhaps most clearly in Romans 5. And Paul rejects this criticism very strongly, “By no means!” His opponents have misrepresented his gospel message and have completely misunderstood God’s grace.

Remember Baptism

Paul answers in two stages. In verses 1-13, bearing in mind he is writing to baptized believers, he uses the imagery of baptism to emphasise that Christians have DIED to the old (sinful, libertine) way of life and have been RAISED to new life in Christ.

So he says “Count yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. DON’t let sin reign in your body and obey its desires. DO offer your body to God. Live a new way. Don’t let the old way control you.

Then in the second half of the chapter, the bit we are concentrating on today, Paul uses the imagery of slave ownership, something his Roman audience were very familiar with.

Whose slaves are you?

Sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6.14

Don’t be like a driver who looks only in his rear view mirror. He will inevitably crash and may harm others. Don’t be like a football player who has transferred to a new club, but continues to follow the instructions of the coach of his old club.

Paul knew that in fact many of his opponents were legalists. They held to a treasured system of rules which enabled them to decide who was in and who was out. This is why, like Jonah and like the prodigal son’s elder brother, they found God’s universalist tendency so offensive. Everybody will be in eventually, so what’s the point of living by the rules?
But like Jesus, Paul was aware of the hypocrisy of many legalists, who piled burdens on others whilst allowing loopholes in the law for themselves. Like Jesus, Paul hoped they would see their foolishness and change their ways.

Verse 15 anticipates the legalists’ objection that Paul was supposedly advocating a “lawless” lifestyle (implied by his universalism). By no means!

People, he argues, are obedient to whoever we offer ourselves as slaves. And there are essentially only two choices. We can be slaves to Sin (personified as a slave owner, but this will lead to the “death” of a fruitless, pointless life.

Or we can live in obedience to God, in response to God’s grace (love undeserved but freely given). This way leads to righteousness, to right-living, to LIFE.

Pauline Humour!

Now a joke from the Apostle we probably picture as being serious and miserable. Look at verse 17. He’s saying “Come on guys! You’ve already shown how good you are at being obedient. Remember how obedient you were to your previous master, “Sin”. Now show that same commitment to obedience to your new master, God. Come on, you can do it, I know you can!”

A Personal Challenge

Now I want to make a personal challenge to nobody in particular, or rather to everybody in particular (myself included). In 25 years as a Christian, almost 10 as an ordained minister, if one thing has surprised and amazed me even more than the transforming grace of God, it is this:

... the capacity of Christians to self-deception and compromise. The ability we have to compartmentalise our lives so that this part is yielded to God but that part is not. Sin is allowed to control these other parts of oour lives. Can you see how foolish this is? Because you can fool me and you can fool your family and friends but you can’t fool God. God is not pleased by outward allegience, he wants your heart. Right now, not just at the end of your life when you are full of regret and fearful of what is to come. He wants your loyalty and commitment now.

Concluding thoughts

When a house changes ownership, it still needs redecorating and furnishing so that the new owners can live in it and enjoy it. We are like that house, and all of us are work in progress, none of us is perfect yet.

When we move to a new country, we have to adopt at least some of the laws and customs of the country we have moved to. For instance, when I moved to Spain from England, I stopped driving on the left side of the road and started driving on the right. I could have continued driving on the left but it would not have gone well! I’ve also tried to learn Spanish so I can understand and make myself understood.

The cell doors of the fear of death are burst open. How sad it would be if we just stayed in the cell, as if locked in, our wrists together as if still handcuffed.

We need to live now, free from the rule of sin and the fear of death – like our mission partner Sister Pilar who spoke to us last week.

Paul’s universalist claims triggered a reaction from those who were scandalised by the extent of God’s grace which he was teaching. But Paul showed that, far from promoting a sinful, libertine lifestyle, his gospel leads to a beautiful new life which answers God’s love with an obedient, grateful, fruitful and unselfish life.

How you live and what you believe are intimately linked. You can’t live a double life.

Let’s pray.

Trinity Sermon

TRINITY SUNDAY – Matthew 28.16-20

• Short sermon today because I’ve been away at a busy ICS conference. Also because we are also going to be hearing from one of our mission partners Sister Pilar, about her work in Pakistan.

• Today is Trinity Sunday and I want to explain this key Christian doctrine as simply and clearly as possible (laughter? Impossible task?).

• Jesus said “Who do people say that I am?” His disciples replied “Some say you are John the Baptist returned from the dead; others say Elijah or another of the prophets.” Jesus replied “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered “You are the Logos, existing in the Father as his rationality and then, by an act of his will, being generated, in consideration of the various functions by which God is related to his creation, with each member of the Trinity being coequal with every other member and each acting inseperably with and interpenetrating every other member, with only an economic subordination within God, but causing no division which would make the substance no longer simple.” And Jesus answered “What?!?”

• The Bible of course does not use the word “trinity” but an understanding of it is behind all the NT gospels and epistles, most clearly in John and in today’s short reading from Matthew, traditionally called the “great commission”.

• WHERE in this short passage is the doctrine of the trinity explained? Apparently in the baptism formula – v19. But this really doesn’t explain anything, it just begs the question. The fact that Jesus tells the disciples to baptize new followers in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit must be because there is a trinity, a relationship between the 3 persons named, but without explaining what the relationship is or how it works.

• Fortunately in the rest of the reading there are some very clear pointers to what the trinity is about.

• V17-18 Bear in mind that the first disciples were all Jews and that for them it was of first importance that there is only ONE God and you should worship that true God and no one else. Yet when they saw Jesus here (between resurrection and ascension) we are told they WORSHIPPED him (even though some doubted – a very human and authentic touch!).

• Jesus would of course have stopped them worshipping him if it had been wrong. So here we have a clear statement that when Jesus is present, God is fully present. This is backed up by many other NT passages, e.g. John 14.9, Colossians 1.19, Hebrews 1.3.

• So whereas muslims, jehovah’s witnesses and many others would agree that Jesus was a great prophet and teacher sent by God, the Christian claim about Jesus has always been stronger than that, right from the start. When Jesus is present, God is fully present, we see the exact likeness of God and the right response is worship.

• This is reinforced in v18 where Jesus tells the disciples that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. Again these Jewish disciples knew that all authority in heaven and on earth belonged only to God, but believed the claim of Jesus and obeyed and followed him. It was obvious to them that when Jesus was present, God was present. That when Jesus spoke, he spoke the words of God, that when Jesus acted, he did the works of God, displayed the attitudes of God…

• Its not just that Jesus is the most obedient, man who ever lived, the most submissive to God’s will – more than that is claimed. Jesus is God, from the beginning to the end.

• The SECOND aspect of the trinity is clear in the final verse when Jesus says “I AM with you always, to the very end of the age.” He will BE WITH THEM even though this risen body is about to leave them, to return to heaven. He will be with them and indeed IN THEM in a new way, by the presence of his Holy Spirit which will soon be poured out.

• Again this is supported by other bible passages, e.g. John 14.17, 20, Colossians 1. 27. When the Holy Spirit is in you, Jesus is in you, and when Jesus is in you, God is in you, part of your essential being, no matter how you might hide that truth, deliberately or accidentally.

• (Joke) The Trinity were planning a holiday. The Holy Spirit, showing the creative part of the divine nature, was coming up with the ideas. “Let’s go to New York” she suggested. “No, no, no” said the Father, “They are so liberal there they’ll probably start calling me Mother and it will drive me nuts.” So the Spirit said “I know, let’s go to Jerusalem. Its beautiful and then there’s all the history and everything.” “No way!” said the Son. “After what happened the last time, I’m never going there again.” At this point the Spirit went off in a huff. Later she returned and was surprised that the Father and the Son had an idea they agreed on. “Why don’t we go to Barcelona?” they said. “Perfect!” said the Spirit “I’ve never been there before!”

• A sermon on the trinity should have three points! My third point is simply this… don’t try to explain it, just show it! Not by striving to be something you are not, but by yielding control of your life to the Holy Spirit who is God in you and God for everyone you meet.

• This needs to be more than just being obedient to what God says in the Bible. Billie and I enjoyed watching paragliders soaring on the Alpine air currents with joy and freedom. But an even better final illustration of the way the Spirit carries us where we need to be, enables us to be who we were made to be, is a HOT AIR BALLOON – warmed by God’s flame within, to soar, to serve and to save!

Pentecost All Age Sermon

Acts 2.1-21 (John 7.37-39)

(Gospel is read in different languages)

(Children gather at front)

Imagine Pentecost sights and sounds – LET”S MAKE sound of a rushing violent wind! (Rattles, shakers, everything!!!) Imagine also seeing tongues of fire on the disciples’ heads!?!

ACTUALLY Bible says “a sound LIKE the blowing of a violent wind” and “what seemed to be tongues of fire” – the writer of Acts is seeing and hearing something too unusual and amazing to describe!

WE TEND TO FOCUS on these spectacular effects which were signs of the coming of the Holy Spirit coming BECAUSE we want people to know Church isn’t boring (or hasn’t always been boring) – it can be as exciting as any theme park or Hollywood film!!

BUT it wasn’t these SFX which impressed the crowds – Jews & others from all over Roman Empire – after all the signs happened INSIDE the house where the disciples had been waiting and praying.

It was what happened AFTERWARDS which was really amazing, as we will see …

The HS is a very special gift which was given to the Church at Pentecost (7 weeks after the first Easter). The Spirit was given first to the disciples (give out envelopes of balloons & pens to the kids & get them to look inside)

But this was NOT because God wanted to make a special little group of people with a secret gift. It was for the OPPOSITE reason – because God is INCLUSIVE – God wants to bring everyone under his gentle kingdom rule, in which, as Jesus said, “his yoke is easy and his burden light”. This is GOOD NEWS not just for Jewish people, or people of a particular racial or religious background, not just for intelligent people or people who have lived perfect lives, but for EVERYONE!

(Now send children to “choir pews” with balloons - God’s good news - and pens. Written instruction for them with adult help is to blow up balloons and write on each one ‘Jesus loves you’ in different languages, and a picture of a cross or a fish).

While they are doing this…

The importance of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was that the followers of Jesus, under the control of the Spirit (or Helper) are enabled to tell the good news of the Kingdom in a way which can be understood by all kinds of people.

This should challenge us – in an age when the gospel doesn’t seem to be having much impact in our society and where the Church’s teaching seems archaic, irrelevant or unintelligible to most of our neighbours.

What IS the Gospel?
If we are going to turn things around we need two things so that the Gospel is heard by the people around us in a language they can understand – FIRST to be clear about what ‘the Good News’ IS… and I think we overcomplicate it – I’m as guilty as anyone.

The message Jesus actually preached is simply:-

‘Repent for the kingdom of God is here’.

He taught a lot of other things, but all based on that simple message. The kingdom of God has come in Jesus… and if people will live as citizens of that kingdom here and now, in this world, they can undermine and heal all that is wrong and ungodly and sick and dangerous about the world system that human beings have made.

‘Repent for the kingdom of God is here’ … or to put it another way ‘Think again, because the vision of God has been made achievable’.

Spread the Good News
Now Jesus made it clear to the disciples that their task was to take this good news to all people and all countries. In fact he said (Acts 1.8) that they would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. That’s a big task! If these (empty) balloons represent the good news, let’s try to hit them to the four corners of the Church (including the balcony) using a tennis racquet (one of our tennis players to help!)

That didn’t work too well – why not? No air! Yes, the balloons need to be filled, and with the right stuff – not helium or they would go straight up into the sky (or make us speak with funny voices).

We need the Holy Spirit

SO, as well as learning again the simple, pure message of Jesus we also need to pray for the Holy Spirit to come and fill our lives as the lives of those first disciples were filled. Just like the balloons I gave the children need to be filled with air – otherwise they just DON’T WORK – they CAN’T DO what they were made to do!

SOMETHING I often hear from people is that they don’t think they are good enough or clean enough to be filled with the Holy Spirit, but the Bible’s promise is that the Spirit will be poured out on ALL people. God doesn’t wait until we are good enough – which will never happen – the work of spreading his love is far too important for that… (if you don’t believe me, read Acts 10 later!)

So HOW did the disciples get filled with the HS? It was an act of God, outside their control but THEIR PART was to

• Gather together
• Pray expectantly
• Be patient

None of which come naturally to us. But unless we do them we are unlikely to be filled with the HS or equipped for our task…

Like the disciples we need to be able to SHOW and TELL the good news of Jesus in language that can be understood by people outside the Church. In deeds as well as words… acts of service which go the extra mile, acts of welcome and hospitality and kindness which break down barriers of suspicion, and new ways of communicating truth which are not limited by history.

(Now the balloons can be batted from person to person until they are in all parts of the church)

Let these balloons remind us of the work of the Holy Spirit, taking God’s love and truth and mercy to all corners of the world, all races and languages and nations!

Conclusion

What happened at Pentecost was essential to the progress of God’s kingdom. The signs of the Spirit were spectacular – showing people that something very important was happening – but the EFFECT of the Spirit was more important and still is – GOD’S LOVE WAS BEING MADE AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY.

FINALLY let’s use those words from John’s gospel as a prayer for a fresh outpouring of the HS on us so that God can work through us and take his love, his good news to the world with boldness and power.

Jesus says to us… ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.

AMEN!!!

Songlasses