May 2015 – Tawa Baptist

May 31, 2015May 31, 2015 Tawa Baptist

Miniature Moses

Scripture: Exodus 1:22 – 2:10

Title: Miniature Moses

Structure:

Introduction – Exodus means leaving
Moses infancy tells the story of Israel’s deliverance
When God is silent we wait in hope
Conclusion – Moses points to Jesus

Introduction:

On the wall here is a picture of an Exit sign

It’s one of the new ones with a stylised person running out of a door
I guess many of our signs are in picture format now to overcome any language barriers in our increasingly global environment

Please turn with me to Exodus chapter 2, page 60 near the beginning of your pew Bibles

Today we begin a new sermon series on Moses in the book of Exodus
Exodus basically means to leave or to exit
Moses is sort of like Israel’s exit sign
He is the one God chose to lead Israel out of Egypt

We will begin our reading from verse 22 of Exodus chapter 1 and continue to verse 10 of Exodus chapter 2…

Read Exodus 1:22 – 2:10

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

Moses’ infancy tells the story of Israel’s deliverance:

On the wall here is a picture of a Russian doll – also known as a nested doll, because the little dolls nest inside the larger dolls

There is a technique sometimes used in story telling where the writer nests a smaller story inside a larger story as a way of reinforcing or explaining the larger story
If people aren’t able to grasp the bigger picture then the same story on a smaller scale helps them to access the meaning of the larger story
Exodus 2 is a nested story – a smaller story inside a larger history
In this passage three daughters deliver one son who, in turn, grows up to deliver a whole nation

The King of Egypt (also known as Pharaoh) was afraid of the Israelites

They had grown in number and he was concerned they might take over the country so he oppressed them with slave labour
This strategy didn’t really work so he ordered the Jewish midwives to kill the male babies when they were born
The midwives managed to avoid doing this so Pharaoh issued a command to throw every new born Hebrew boy into the River Nile
Pharaoh was basically instigating a policy of genocide or ‘ethnic cleansing’ against the Israelites

It is in this context that Moses’ mum took a basket made of reeds, covered it with tar to make it watertight and set it out on the waters of the Nile with her baby in it

She was obeying the letter of Pharaoh’s law, but not the spirit
She couldn’t hide her baby any longer – his growing and his crying would soon give him away and some Egyptian soldier might kill the boy
But nor could she simply throw her precious child into the river to drown
So she found a way to keep hope alive
She gave her son a chance to live and she gave God an opportunity to act
This is what faith does – it leaves room for God

It’s interesting that the Hebrew word used for basket in verse 3 is the same as the word used for Noah’s ark

Moses is parallel to Noah [1]
A little story nested within a larger story
Just as God used Noah to save a remnant of creation from drowning in the chaos of the great flood
So too God would use Moses to save the people of Israel from being overwhelmed by the chaos of Pharaoh
Moses is the new Noah
And baby Moses is also a miniature Israel

On the wall here we have three pictures

One of a model train set
Another of a dolls house
And a third of a miniature dentist’s surgery made out of a shoe box

What seven letter word could we use to describe all of these things?

Wait for people to respond
Do you need a clue? It begins with ‘D’ – Wait
Yes – that’s right, ‘Diorama’

A diorama is a miniature (or a model) of something

Like a smaller story nested inside a bigger story

Moses’ life is a diorama of Israel

The name ‘Moses’ is actually an Egyptian name probably meaning ‘son’

But it sounds like the Hebrew word, ‘to draw out’
Just as Pharaoh’s daughter drew Moses out of the Nile, so too God will draw Israel out of Egypt
The smaller story of Moses helps people to grasp the bigger story of God

It’s interesting that in the story of baby Moses, God is parallel to Pharaoh’s daughter – an Egyptian princess

Now I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t naturally associate God Almighty with a princess – much less a princess who’s Dad is a homicidal maniac
And yet this is exactly what the book of Exodus does

Verse 6 tells us that when the princess opened the basket (or the miniature ark) and saw the baby crying, she felt sorry for him

This ‘feeling sorry for him’ goes deeper than superficial sentimentality
There is a depth to this princess’ feelings
Her feelings are actually grounded in compassion, justice and courage
For she takes the risk of going against her father’s command and makes a long term commitment to care for Moses
Not all the Egyptians were as bad as Pharaoh

At the end of Exodus 2 we read how the Israelites cried out to God under their slavery and the Lord heard their cry and was concerned for them

Just as the princess was moved with compassion by the cry of the Hebrew baby so too God is moved with compassion by the cry of his people
And just as Pharaoh’s daughter was faithful in protecting & providing for Moses as he grew up, so too God will protect and provide for Israel
Baby Moses’ deliverance by the hand of Pharaoh’s daughter is nested in the larger history of Israel’s deliverance by the hand of Yahweh

Of course, it isn’t just Pharaoh’s daughter who delivers Moses – his mother and his sister also had a hand in saving him

And so we actually have two women and a girl standing in parallel with God Almighty

So often in history ‘The courage of women is the beginning of liberation’ [2]

On the wall here is a picture of Harriet Tubman

Born a slave in the 19^th Century in the southern states of America, she endured the harsh existence of a field hand, including brutal beatings.
In 1849 she fled slavery, leaving her husband and family behind in order to escape.
Despite a bounty on her head, she returned to the South at least 19 times to lead her family and hundreds of other slaves to freedom via the Underground Railroad.
People nicknamed her ‘Moses’ [3]

The courage of women is the beginning of liberation

Who can tell me the name of this first lady? [Wait]

Yes – that’s right. Eleanor Roosevelt – wife of U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt
Eleanor was vocal in her support of the African-American civil rights movement
She opposed her husband on this issue by becoming one of the only voices in the Roosevelt administration insisting that benefits be equally extended to Americans of all races.
She also broke with precedent by inviting hundreds of African American guests to the White House.

God’s deliverance often comes from unexpected quarters

And, from a human perspective at least, God’s deliverance is often a slow train coming

When God is silent, we wait in hope:

There are times when God is silent

Evil seems to have the upper hand and God appears to be doing nothing
This was Israel’s experience in ancient Egypt
We can’t be sure how many baby boys were killed but whatever the number it is awful stuff – Pharaoh’s policy was genocide
But it wasn’t quick and clean – it is was slow and agonising

By killing the sons, Pharaoh was crushing the people’s hope

With no Hebrew boys to marry, the Hebrew daughters would be assimilated into Egyptian culture
Pharaoh was taking away Israel’s ability to imagine any future for themselves
He was making their lives so miserable they would prefer death to life

We might ask, ‘why did God allow this to happen in the first place?’

Wouldn’t it have been easier if God had arranged for someone to throw Pharaoh in the Nile as a baby?

Well, Yahweh doesn’t give the Israelites any explanation for their suffering

Like Job they suffer without knowing why
As Alex Motyer puts it, “Experience without explanation, adversity without purpose, hostility without protection – that is how life will always appear for the earthly people of God” [4]

After the death of his wife, C.S. Lewis wrote a book called, ‘A Grief Observed’ in which he says…

“Talk to me about the truth of religion and I’ll listen gladly. Talk to me about the duty of religion and I’ll listen submissively. But don’t come talking to me about the consolations of religion or I shall suspect that you don’t understand.”

When it feels like God is absent – when we really want to hear from God but all we get is silence, our faith is not a consolation – it is a burden (something we feel we must prop up – something we feel obliged to carry)

It is extremely difficult to maintain a belief in the goodness of God when bad things are happening to you and God doesn’t appear to be doing anything about it

This feeling that God is absent or has abandoned us is actually common for most Christians

It won’t happen all the time but it will probably happen at some point
We need to accept (without blame or guilt) that a feeling of God’s absence is part of the journey

As Eugene Peterson puts it…

…this seemingly unending stretch of the experience of the absence of God is reproduced in most of our lives, and most of us don’t know what to make of it. We need this ‘Exodus’ validation – that a sense of the absence of God is part of the story, and that it is neither exceptional nor preventable nor a judgment on the way we are living our lives. [5]

In other words, if you feel like God is absent or silent then it’s not necessarily a reflection on you

God doesn’t give people the silent treatment as a punishment

Sometimes we suffer without explanation

Not everything in this life gets resolved
Not everything has an answer
God is not obligated to explain himself
Sometimes we must simply wait in hope – without answers

To wait in hope means to remain faithful to God – not to give up on Him, even if it feels like he has given up on us

When he was on the cross Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me”
In doing this he was not only describing his own personal experience but also giving voice to the collective experience of God’s people through the ages

Waiting in hope is not the same as sitting in depressed silence

Waiting in hope may well involve crying out to God in anger
Letting God know how we feel – showing him our anguish
That’s what many of the psalms are about
If God is not speaking then he must be listening
And if God is listening then we should pour out our heart to Him – even if the contents of our heart aren’t all that pretty

Quite often God’s deliverance is only recognisable in hindsight

This was Israel’s experience
Although they had not heard from God, Yahweh was actually very present and very active, quietly sowing the seeds of their salvation
Seeds which (in Israel’s case) grew and bore fruit at just the right time

Many wild plants have seeds that can remain dormant for years before birthing a plant

For example a 2000 year old date palm seed, found in Israel, actually sprouted when it was planted back in 2005 [6]

As for why some seeds can lie dormant before sprouting, scientists reckon it’s mainly a survival technique

If a plant’s seeds sprout as soon as there is a little rain and warm weather, then a late frost or subsequent lack of rain will kill it
You sometimes hear farmers complaining about this – they get a bit of rain (enough to germinate the grass seed) but then there is no follow up rain so the grass dies before it gets established
Plants whose seeds lie in wait until conditions are more stable have a better chance of surviving and of colonizing new territory

Perhaps this is what God was doing with Israel – waiting for the time to be right before drawing his people out of Egypt and planting them in the Promised Land

Perhaps this is also what God is doing in your life when He seems absent

The Lord begins his work of redemption quietly, unobtrusively, under the radar, often through the courage of those we least expect

In Israel’s case, God sowed his seeds of salvation through women
I guess this proves God has a sense of humour for there is considerable irony in Pharaoh’s policy of killing the sons and preserving the daughters
As it turned out the daughters were more dangerous than the sons

For those who can’t see, this is a picture of irony – a crocodile eating a pair of crocs (the shoes)

What about this one – a picture of people using an elevator (and not the stairs) to go to the gym

And then we have the ultimate irony – a fire hydrant on fire

There is quite a bit of cosmic irony in the book of Exodus, the seeds of which are sown in chapter 2

Cosmic irony feeds on the notion that people cannot see the effects of their actions, and sometimes the outcome of a person’s actions may be out of their control

A classic example of cosmic irony is the Titanic, which was promoted as being 100% unsinkable; but, in 1912 the ship sank on its maiden voyage.

Or at a ceremony celebrating the rehabilitation of seals after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, two seals were released back into the wild only to be eaten within a minute by an orca whale

Pharaoh is the butt of cosmic irony in Exodus

As Terence Fretheim points out, although Pharaoh had ordered the Hebrew sons to be thrown into the Nile, “the river provides the very setting for the rescue of the baby Moses. Again Pharaoh provides for the defeat of his own policy in its formulation. He ends up becoming an instrument for God’s saving purposes [when he didn’t intend to]…
The policy is ironic in that it [predicts] the way in which Pharaoh’s successor and his armies will meet their end, namely by drowning
Pharaoh’s own decree sets a chain of events in motion that, in effect, have him signing his own family’s death warrant.” [7]

It’s like Jesus said, ‘The measure you use for others is the measure God will use for you’

Cosmic irony, a smaller story nested inside the bigger story of God’s justice

Conclusion:

This morning we have heard how Moses’ story of deliverance anticipates Israel’s deliverance

Moses’ story also anticipates the Jesus story – the biggest story of all
Like Moses, Jesus was born to save God’s people
And just as Pharaoh tried to destroy all the Hebrew sons
So too Herod slaughtered Hebrew babies in a vain attempt to kill the Christ
But neither Pharaoh nor Herod succeeded – you can’t win in a fight against God

After Jesus’ death and resurrection he ascended to heaven with the promise of returning in glory one day

Like the Israelites, we Christians sometimes suffer without explanation
And when God is silent, we wait in hope for Christ to return, at just the right moment, to complete our deliverance

Let us pray…

[1] Refer Terence Fretheim, Interpretation Commentary on Exodus, page 38.

[2] Refer J.C. Exum, “You Shall Let Every Daughter Live: A Study f Ex. 1:8-2:10” Semeia 28:63-82 (1983).

[3] http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/harriet-tubman

[4] Alex Motyer, BST Exodus, page 28.

[5] From Eugene Peterson’s book, ‘Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places’, page 153.

[6] http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/dormant-seeds/

[7] Quoted in Fretheim’s Interpretation commentary on Exodus, page 35.

May 18, 2015May 18, 2015 Tawa Baptist

Spread the Nets

Scripture: Acts 11:1-18

Title: Spread the Nets

Key Idea: Spread your nets to receive from God

Structure:

Introduction
Receiving the vision
Receiving the Word & Spirit of God
Receiving the other
Conclusion

Introduction:

The headline for this year’s Tranzsend Prayer and Self Denial campaign is: ‘til the nets are full’

We have certainly known about the fullness of water this past week
Anyway, ‘til the nets are full’ is a reference to the story in Luke 5, where Jesus said to Peter…
‘Now go out where it is deeper and let down your nets to catch some fish’
When Peter did this they caught so many fish their boats were on the verge of sinking. Afterwards Jesus says to Peter…
“Don’t be afraid; from now on you will be a fisher of men.”
In other words, ‘Peter, I’m calling you to catch people for me – to bring men & women into the kingdom of God’

This story from Luke forms the back drop of Tranzsend’s Prayer & Self Denial campaign this year

Today’s sub heading is “Spread the Nets”

Please turn with me to Acts 11 – page 164 toward the back of your pew Bibles

2000 years ago, when the Christian church first began it was comprised pretty much entirely of Jews
Over the past 2 weeks we have heard how the Spirit of God led Peter to spread the net of the gospel wider, among the Gentiles
On hearing this some of the Jewish Christians criticised Peter
Acts 11 describes how Peter responds to this criticism.
From verse 1 we read…

Read Acts 11:1-18

May the Spirit of Jesus help us to receive God’s Word

On the wall here we have a picture of four things…

A TV aerial, an ear, a net and a softball glove

Who can tell me what these four things have in common?

[Wait for people to respond]

Yes, that’s right. They are all used for catching or receiving things
A TV aerial receives a signal
An ear receives sound
A net receives fish
And a softball glove receives the ball

When we think of mission (and Christian service generally) we tend to think about giving and making sacrifices and going out into the world

And while giving & going out is certainly integral to the work of mission
Receiving is just as important
In fact, without first receiving, we find we have nothing to give

After being criticised by his own for spreading the net of the gospel wider (to include the Gentiles) Peter responds by retelling the facts of what happened

And what we notice in Peter’s retelling is there is lots of receiving going on in this mission
Peter receives a vision from God
The Gentiles receive the Word & Spirit of God
And the Jewish believers back in Jerusalem are faced with the challenge of receiving the other – that is, those different from them, the Gentiles

Receiving the vision:

From Peter’s perspective it started with receiving a vision from God

The vision was of a sheet containing all sorts of animals, both clean and unclean, both kosher for eating and not kosher
Some commentators reckon the sheet represents the church which will contain all races and classes without distinction [1]

This vision of an inclusive church is not entirely new

It actually goes back to the time of Noah

Richard Rohr observes how God tells Noah to bring into the ark all the opposites: the wild and the domestic, the crawling and the flying, the clean and the unclean, the male and the female of each animal…[2]

God puts all the opposites together and holds them together in one place
The ark is kind of a metaphor for the church where God brings opposites together: male & female, sinners & saints, conservatives & liberals, Jews & Gentiles, the socially acceptable & the outcastes
Perhaps God wants us to learn to live with dirt & difference

So Peter’s mission to the Gentiles begins with him (personally) receiving a vision from God

Interestingly none of the other believers receive this vision – just Peter
And Peter acts on this vision without consulting the wider Jewish church in Jerusalem
Yes, he takes six Jewish believers along with him as witnesses and helpers but essentially Peter doesn’t involve the church congregation or even the church leaders in the decision

This is quite different from the traditional Baptist way of doing things

We are highly consultative in our decision making process
We regularly find ways to listen to the congregation

And we do this for a number of reasons

Firstly, we believe God speaks through the congregation
We figure if God wants something to happen he won’t just speak to one individual – he will speak to many
Secondly, we are keen to bring the congregation along with us
We don’t want to alienate people if we can help it and so we discuss things (sometimes at length)
It is probably also fair to say we are influenced by our social & political environment and therefore we favour a democratic approach

But, if Peter had asked his congregation to vote on whether he should visit Cornelius they would have said ‘no’

God’s ways are not always our ways
God does not always speak through the congregation
God isn’t always democratic
Sometimes the majority are wrong
Sometimes God speaks in ways we may not be expecting

Peter certainly wasn’t expecting to receive the vision God gave him

Going to the home of a Roman Centurion was probably furthest from his mind – I imagine it made Peter feel really uncomfortable
But Peter obeyed God, in faith, and was criticised for his efforts by people from his own church
After hearing Peter’s minority report though, the Jerusalem Church recognised God’s hand at work
The Gentiles had received God’s Word & His Spirit so they were legit

Receiving the Word & Spirit of God:

On the wall here we have three pictures

One of a rain gauge attached to a post
Another of a man opening a door from the inside
And a third of a man hugging a tiger

The rain gauge receives water passively – as it falls from the sky

The rain gauge does not make a conscious decision to receive water
That just happens without the rain gauge’s awareness or consent

By contrast the man opening the door is actively receiving someone

Likewise the other man actively receives the tiger by hugging him

To receive the Word of God is an active thing, not a passive thing

For Cornelius, receiving the Word of God meant believing the message Peter was preaching – putting his faith in Jesus

Likewise to receive the Spirit is an active thing – like opening the door to let someone into your home, or like hugging a tiger

When Cornelius believed the gospel message he opened the door of his heart to the Spirit and the Spirit came on him
God’s Word and God’s Spirit go together

You may be wondering why I used a picture of a tiger hugging a man when talking about receiving the Spirit

Well, the Spirit is like a wild tiger in the sense that he is more powerful than us and we can’t tame him – he is free to roam where he pleases
However, the Spirit is not like a tiger in every respect – the Spirit would never force himself on a person much less maul them

The point is, receiving God’s Word and his Spirit is an active thing, not a passive thing

If we read the Bible passively, without really letting it in – so the words roll off our soul like water off a ducks back – then we aren’t really receiving God’s Word in any meaningful sense

Or if we study the Bible as if it was just another historical artefact or an interesting piece of literature, without connecting the words to our own experience or situation – then we are missing the point

God’s word and God’s Spirit go together

The door of our heart may be closed when reading the Bible or listening to a sermon but the Spirit can still knock on the door

Receiving the other:

In verse 18 we read how, after hearing Peter’s account of what had happened in Caesarea, the Jewish believers stopped their criticism and praised God saying…

‘God has given the Gentiles also the opportunity to repent and live”

This strikes me as a little ironic really

Repentance is about transformation and conversion
It means a change of mind and a change of behaviour
The first Jewish Christians would not associate with Gentiles – now the Spirit was knocking on the door of their heart with an invitation to receive the other – which in their case meant the Gentiles
It seems the Spirit was also giving the Jewish believers the opportunity to repent and live (even if they weren’t quite ready to admit it)

Emmanuel Levinas (a 20^th Century Jewish philosopher) notes how the Biblical tradition says that truth is not found in abstract concepts, but in an encounter with otherness

According to Levinas it is “the face of the other” that transforms us, converts us and gives us our deepest identity [3]

For example, Moses’ life was changed through an encounter with Yahweh

As was David’s through an encounter with Goliath
Jonah was confronted with the truth about himself through an encounter with the people of Nineveh (his enemies)
Jesus’ deepest identity (as God’s Son) was revealed through his encounter with Satan in the wilderness
Peter (a Jew) realised the broader more universal truth of the gospel through his encounter with Cornelius (a Gentile)
And the apostle Paul experienced conversion through his encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus

We are not changed by being in a room with people who are the same as us

We are transformed and come to know our true selves through encounter with others who are different from us
What this means is that true religion isn’t really about arguing over ideas and abstract concepts
Nor is evangelism & Christian mission simply about communicating four spiritual laws which people must know (in their head) to be saved
True religion, real evangelism (the kind that brings authentic change for the better) is about encounter and presence and relationship

When I look around this room I don’t see everyone being the same

This is a room full of people who are different from each other
God designed the church that way
Christianity isn’t just a good idea
Christianity is face to face encounter, it is felt presence – it is relationship
That is why we gather – that is why coming to church on a Sunday and meeting each other during the week is important

Perhaps the best way to get this across is by telling a story

Oscar Wilde wrote a piece of short fiction called the ‘Selfish Giant’
I’m not sure what meaning Oscar Wilde intended but to me this is a salvation story
It’s about being transformed and coming to know our true self in the face of the other
We don’t have the time to read the whole story this morning so I’ll give you an edited version…

Every afternoon, as they were coming from school, the children used to go and play in the Giant’s garden.

It was a large lovely garden, with soft green grass. Here and there over the grass stood beautiful flowers like stars, and there were twelve peach-trees that in the spring-time broke out into delicate blossoms of pink and pearl, and in the autumn bore rich fruit…

One day the Giant came back. He had been to visit his friend the Cornish ogre, and had stayed with him for seven years. When he arrived [home] he saw the children playing in the garden.

‘What are you doing here?’ he cried in a very gruff voice, and the children ran away.

‘My own garden is my own garden,’ said the Giant; ‘any one can understand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself.’ So he built a high wall all round it, and put up a notice-board.

TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED

He was a very selfish Giant. The poor children now had nowhere to play…

Then the Spring came, and all over the country there were little blossoms and little birds. Only, in the garden of the Selfish Giant, it was still Winter. The birds did not care to sing in it as there were no children, and the trees forgot to blossom.

The only people who were pleased were the Snow and the Frost. ‘Spring has forgotten this garden,’ they cried, ‘so we will live here all the year round.’…

‘I cannot understand why the Spring is so late in coming,’ said the Selfish Giant, as he sat at the window and looked out at his cold white garden; ‘I hope there will be a change in the weather.’

But the Spring never came, nor the Summer. The Autumn gave golden fruit to every garden, but to the Giant’s garden she gave none. ‘He is too selfish,’ she said. So it was always Winter there…

One morning the Giant was lying awake in bed when he heard some lovely music… It was only a little linnet singing outside his window, but it was so long since he had heard a bird sing in his garden that it seemed to him to be the most beautiful music in the world. Then… a delicious perfume came to him through the open casement.

‘I believe the Spring has come at last,’ said the Giant; and he jumped out of bed and looked out.

What did he see? He saw a most wonderful sight. Through a little hole in the wall the children had crept in, and they were sitting in the branches of the trees. In every tree that he could see there was a little child. And the trees were so glad to have the children back again that they had covered themselves with blossoms, and were waving their arms gently above the children’s heads…

It was a lovely scene, [except] in one corner it was still Winter. It was the farthest corner of the garden, and in it was standing a little boy. He was so small that he could not reach up to the branches of the tree, and he was wandering all round it, crying bitterly…

The Giant’s heart melted as he looked out. ‘How selfish I have been!’ he said; ‘now I know why the Spring would not come here. I will put that poor little boy in the tree, and then I will knock down the wall, and my garden shall be the children’s playground for ever and ever.’ He was really very sorry for what he had done.

So he crept downstairs and opened the front door quite softly, and went out into the garden. But when the children saw him they were so frightened that they all ran away, and the garden became Winter again.

The little boy did not run [though], for his eyes were so full of tears that he did not see the Giant coming. The Giant stole up behind him and took him gently in his hand, and put him up into the tree. And the tree broke at once into blossom, and the birds came and sang in it, and the little boy stretched out his two arms and flung them round the Giant’s neck, and kissed him.

When the other children saw that the Giant was not wicked any longer, they came running back, and with them came the Spring.

‘It is your garden now, little children,’ said the Giant, and he took a great axe and knocked down the wall…

All day long the [children] played, and in the evening they came to the Giant to bid him good-bye.

‘But where is your little companion?’ he said: ‘the boy I put into the tree.’…

‘We don’t know,’ answered the children; ‘he has gone away.’ …

The Giant was kind to all the children, yet he longed for his first little friend, and often spoke of him…

Years went over, and the Giant grew very old and feeble. He could not play about any more, so he sat in a huge armchair, and watched the children at their games, and admired his garden.

‘I have many beautiful flowers,’ he said; ‘but the children are the most beautiful flowers of all.’

One winter morning he looked out of his window as he was dressing. He did not hate the Winter now, for he knew that it was merely the Spring asleep, and that the flowers were resting.

Suddenly he rubbed his eyes in wonder, and looked and looked. It certainly was a marvellous sight. In the farthest corner of the garden was a tree covered with lovely white blossoms. Its branches were all golden, and silver fruit hung down from them, and underneath it stood the little boy he had loved.

Downstairs ran the Giant in great joy, and out into the garden. He hastened across the grass… [toward] the child. But when he came close his face grew red with anger… For on the palms of the child’s hands were the prints of two nails, and the prints of two nails were on the little feet also.

‘Who hath dared to wound thee?’ cried the Giant; ‘tell me, that I may take my big sword and slay him.’

‘Nay!’ answered the child; ‘but these are the wounds of Love.’

‘Who art thou?’ said the Giant, and a strange awe fell on him, and he knelt before the little child.

The child smiled on the Giant, and said to him, ‘You let me play once in your garden, to-day you shall come with me to my garden, which is Paradise.’

And when the children ran in that afternoon, they found the Giant lying dead under the tree, all covered with white blossoms.

We are changed and come to be our true selves through encounter with Christ

Funny thing is, Christ is often present to us in the face of the other

[1] Rackman, cited in John Stott’s commentary on Acts, page 194.

[2] Richard Rohr, ‘Things Hidden’, page 36.

[3] Refer Richard Rohr, ‘Things Hidden’, page 61.

May 10, 2015May 10, 2015 Tawa Baptist

Into the Deep

Scripture: Acts 23b-48

Title: Into the Deep

Structure:

Introduction
Peter approaches Cornelius as an equal
Conclusion

Watch the Week 2 Self Denial ‘Into the Deep’ DVD clip…

https://www.tranzsend.org.nz/week-2-video-prayer-and-self-denial

Introduction:

The headline for this year’s Tranzsend Prayer and Self Denial campaign is: ‘til the nets are full’

This is a reference to the story in Luke 5, where Jesus taught the crowds from Simon Peter’s fishing boat
When Jesus had finished speaking to the people he said to Simon Peter…
‘Now go out where it is deeper and let down your nets to catch some fish’
When Peter did this they caught so many fish their boats were on the verge of sinking. Afterwards Jesus says to Peter…
“Don’t be afraid; from now on you will be a fisher of men.”
In other words, ‘Peter, I’m calling you to catch people for me – to bring men & women into the kingdom of God’

This story from Luke forms the back drop of Tranzsend’s Prayer & Self Denial campaign this year

Today’s sub heading is “Into the Deep”

Please turn with me to Acts 10 verse 23 – page 164 toward the back of your pew Bibles
In this passage we read how Peter ventures into the deep to preach the gospel among the Gentiles
This was a fishing spot Peter hadn’t imagined God would use – but one which would become very fruitful

You may remember from last week how Cornelius had sent 3 of his men to invite Peter to his home in Caesarea, after receiving a vision from God

God gave Peter a vision as well, assuring Peter he should go with them
We pick up the story from the second half of verse 23 – top of page 164

Read Acts 10:23b-48

May the Spirit of Jesus give us understanding

Peter approaches Cornelius as an equal

There was a Scottish farmer who did not believe the gospel story

The idea that God would become a man seemed absurd to him
His wife however was a devout believer and raised their children in the Christian faith
The farmer sometimes gave her a hard time, mocking her faith and belief
“It’s all nonsense”, he said. “Why would God lower himself to become a human like us?”

One snowy Sunday evening his wife took the children to church while the farmer stayed home to relax

After they had left the weather deteriorated into a blinding snow storm
Then he heard a loud thump against the window
Then another thump and another
He ventured outside to see what was happening
There in the field was the strangest sight: a flock of geese
They’d been migrating south & had become disorientated by the storm

The farmer had compassion on them

Wanting to help he opened the doors of his barn and stood back, hoping they would find their way in for warmth & shelter – but they didn’t
So he tried to shoo the geese in but they scattered in all directions
Perplexed, he got some bread and made a trail into the barn but they didn’t catch on
Nothing he did got them into the warmth and shelter of the barn

Feeling totally frustrated he exclaimed…

“Why won’t they follow me? Can’t they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm? How can I possibly get them to safety?”

He thought for moment and then realised they wouldn’t follow a man – the only way would be for him to become a goose

If he were like them he could speak to them in their own language and they would trust him and follow him anywhere

At that moment the farmer realised the implication

“If only I could become like one of them, then I could save them”
At last he understood God’s heart towards humankind [1]
God became a man (in the person of Jesus) in order to save us

In the Tranzsend DVD clip we saw earlier, Richard & Sally told us about Nondita – a young woman who had graduated from their Bible school and made the decision to work in a garment factory, from the bottom up

Nondita did this to understand the way the garment workers think, to fully appreciate where they are coming from
This is very much the incarnational model of Christ

That word ‘incarnation’ essentially means that God became a human being in Jesus

In other words, God approaches us on equal terms or on an even footing
He puts himself in our shoes, not talking down to us in a language we can’t understand, but walking & talking with us (alongside us) as one who has entered into our experience and shared our suffering and knows the joys and pains of being human

As a Bible College graduate I imagine Nondita had options, but (like Jesus) she laid her options aside and chose to approach garment workers on an even footing, on equal terms, as one alongside

We see Peter take a similar approach in Acts 10 with Cornelius

From verse 25 of Acts 10 we read…
As Peter was about to go in, Cornelius met him, fell at his feet, and bowed down before him. But Peter made him rise. “Stand up”, he said; “I myself am only a man.”

John Stott observes here that…

Peter refused to be treated by Cornelius as if he were a God
And he refused to treat Cornelius as if he were a dog. [2]

In other words, Peter approaches Cornelius on equal terms

Peter does not look down on Cornelius and he does not allow Cornelius to think of himself as inferior
Peter makes it clear that the ground is level at the foot of the cross
Evangelism (telling others good news) is simply one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread
Peter has the humility to understand that they are both beggars and God is the baker
Just because Peter knows where the bakery is doesn’t make him superior to Cornelius
To the contrary, it makes Peter responsible to pass on the good news

As Richard Rohr points out, Jesus referred to his followers as salt and light

Salt is not the whole meal and light illuminates something else [3]
Peter knows he’s not the whole meal – he is simply there to illuminate the way for Cornelius

Peter says, “You yourselves know very well that a Jew is not allowed by his religion to visit or associate with Gentiles. But God has shown me that I must not consider any person ritually unclean of defiled.”

Now, from a Gentile point of view, that might seem offensive to us
It kind of comes across like Peter is saying, “I’m better than you”
But I don’t think Peter means it like that – he’s not being offensive
Actually he’s taking responsibility for one of the excesses of his own people, the Jews
He’s basically admitting that the Judaism of his day had got it wrong by becoming too exclusive

Now let me be clear – a certain amount of exclusiveness is necessary to maintain cultural identity and purity of worship

If we become too inclusive we end up losing our distinctiveness and blending in with everyone else
The Jewish exiles needed to work very hard at being distinctive from the nations around them in order to stay faithful to Yahweh
They just took it too far
The Jews were meant to use the light they had been given to illuminate the way for the Gentiles, but instead they hid their light under a bushel
We hide our light under a bushel when we don’t associate with people who are different from us – when we don’t let others see our light

Of course it’s not just the Jews who have made the mistake of becoming too exclusive

Different branches of the Christian church have done the same thing at various times over the past 2000 years – including the Baptist movement

A little exclusiveness is necessary then, to maintain our distinctiveness from the world

But inclusiveness is also needed for people to taste the salt & see the light

After Cornelius has explained his reason for inviting Peter, Peter then goes on to give his sermon and he begins by saying…

“I now realise that it is true that God treats everyone on the same basis. Whoever worships him and does what is right is acceptable to him, no matter what race he belongs to…”

The implication here is that Cornelius’ Gentile nationality is acceptable to God and so Cornelius has no need to become a Jew [4]

This does not mean that Cornelius’ own righteousness was adequate for salvation – if it was then Cornelius would have no need to listen to Peter

Peter continues his sermon in this affirming tone, acknowledging what Cornelius and his household already know

Verse 36: ‘You know the message… of peace through Jesus’
Verse 37: ‘You know of the great event that took place…’
Verse 38: ‘You know about Jesus of Nazareth…’

This is quite lovely of Peter really

It’s like Peter is saying to Cornelius, you’re not starting from scratch here mate, you already know much of the background
It’s a way of acknowledging what Cornelius brings to the conversation
In doing this Peter is finding common ground
And the beautiful thing is Jesus is the common ground

Having acknowledged what Cornelius already knows about Jesus, Peter then goes on to talk about what Cornelius doesn’t know – in particular…

Jesus’ healing ministry
Jesus’ death and resurrection
Jesus as judge of the living and the dead

And Jesus as the means of salvation

For as the prophets (of the Old Testament) said…

…everyone who believes in him will have his [or her] sins forgiven.

As Peter spoke the Holy Spirit came down on all who were listening and they started speaking in strange tongues, praising God’s greatness

To receive the gift of the Holy Spirit is to receive something of God himself

The gift of the Spirit is proof of God’s acceptance of us personally
It’s sort of like God’s authenticating signature on the portrait of our lives
Or His water mark on the currency of our soul
Or, to use a more 21^st Century analogy, His electronic identification chip in the passport of our heart

There is more to the person of the Spirit than that of course, but you get the point – the gift of the Spirit seals the deal. Nothing trumps the Spirit.

Speaking in strange tongues in this context means speaking another language (one you don’t know)

Like being a native English speaker and then suddenly being able to speak fluent Cantonese or German or Afrikaans or whatever

Speaking in strange tongues is not the only sign of the Spirit

God’s Spirit can express Himself through us in any number of ways
But on this particular occasion God’s Spirit expressed Himself through tongues, most likely for the benefit of the Jewish believers who were witnessing it
You may remember in Acts 2 how God poured out His Spirit on the Jewish believers and they started speaking in strange tongues too
Acts 10 is sort of a repeat of the Pentecost of Acts 2, only it is the Gentiles’ Pentecost this time

Peter had already said Cornelius and his household were on an even footing with him – now God confirms it with the gift of the very same Spirit & tongues

God couldn’t be more clear – He accepts people of all nations
Peter recognises this and orders the Gentiles to be baptised with water in the name of Jesus

Throughout the book of Acts Christian conversion normally involves 6 things…

The gospel about Jesus is preached, in particular his death & resurrection
The listener is convicted of their sin
And they put their faith in Jesus to save them
There is baptism with water (in the name of Jesus)
And the Holy Spirit is given to seal the deal
The new believer also starts sharing life with other Christians – they become part of the church in other words

These things don’t always happen in the same order and they don’t necessarily happen on the same day – they may happen over weeks, months or even years

The text of Acts 10 implies that Cornelius’ conversion happened over the course of a number of years

It appears that Cornelius felt a conviction of sin well before he met Peter
Cornelius lived a very pious life, praying and performing acts of charity, which suggests to me he was conscious of his wrong doing and wanting peace with God
Cornelius’ faith is seen by his obedience to God in asking Peter to come to his home and in listening to Peter’s message
That Peter preaches the good news about Jesus to Cornelius is quite clear in today’s reading
Next comes the gift of the Holy Spirit
Closely followed by baptism in water
And then they share life together as Cornelius invites Peter and the other Jewish believers to stay a few days
Eventually (as we shall hear next Sunday) the Jewish church in Jerusalem also accepted the Gentile believers as part of the wider Church universal

That’s the way it happened for Cornelius

Maybe it happened a different way for you?

Perhaps you were baptised as an infant but didn’t really begin to live out that baptism until much later in life when God made Jesus real for you by His Spirit

Or maybe your conversion is still a work in progress

Maybe you have prayed the sinner’s prayer and asked Jesus into your heart but have never got around to being baptised in water
Maybe that’s something to think & pray about?

Or perhaps, like Cornelius, you have lived with a feeling of guilt (the conviction of sin) for many years and you long for peace with God

As Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied
Maybe God wants you to lay down your burden, to stop doing your penance and put your trust in Jesus
If that’s you then there will be someone to pray with you at the front by the water cooler after the service this morning

Conclusion:

Today we have heard how Peter ventures into the deep by approaching Cornelius on equal terms

Peter won’t allow Cornelius to feel inferior
Instead Peter makes it all about Jesus
And God confirms the Gentile believers’ equality with the Jewish believers through the gift of the Holy Spirit

One thing in all of this (which is pretty obvious but still needs to be said) is that the initiative with conversion is always with God

God got Cornelius to invite Peter to his home
And God changed Peter’s point of view so that Peter could see it was a good idea to go to the home of a Gentile
Peter preached, but God interrupted Peter’s sermon with a message of His own – the gift of the Spirit
The initiative was always with God – Peter was just doing his best to keep up

The application for us is we need to wait for God

If we go out into the deep of mission work without God we are courting disaster
If we try to rush people into making a decision for Christ before they are ready we can do more harm than good

By the same token we don’t want to lag too far behind God either

When God calls us out into the deep then we must act
What we learn in the process is that God owns the deep
When someone is ready to receive Christ (as Cornelius was) simply sharing our story of Jesus will probably be enough

The question for us is: what is God doing and how can we work in harmony with Him?

Let us pray…

[1] This story comes from J. John & Mark Stibbe’s book, ‘A Bundle of Laughs’, page 39.

[2] Refer John Stott’s commentary on Acts, page 189.

[3] Refer Richard Rohr’s book, ‘Things Hidden’, page 44.

[4] Refer John Stott’s commentary on Acts, page 190.

May 3, 2015 Tawa Baptist

At the Water’s Edge

Scripture: Acts 10:1-23a

Title: At the Water’s Edge

Structure:

Introduction
Jesus prepares Peter (to catch people)
Conclusion

Introduction:

Watch the Tranzsend intro to Self Denial video clip…

https://www.tranzsend.org.nz/media-video/1453-introduction-til-the-nets-are-full

Then watch the Tranzsend week 1 ‘at the water’s edge’ video clip…

https://www.tranzsend.org.nz/media-video/1454-at-the-waters-edge-week-1

Please turn with me to Luke chapter 5, page 81, toward the back of your pew Bibles

The headline for this year’s Tranzsend Prayer and Self Denial campaign is: ‘til the nets are full’

This is a reference to the story in Luke 5, where Jesus calls some of his first disciples, 4 fishermen from Galilee
From Luke 5, verse 1 we read…

Read Luke 5:1-11

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+5%3A1-11&version=GNT

May the Spirit of Christ give us understanding

This reading from Luke forms the back drop of Tranzsend’s Self Denial campaign this year

Today’s sub heading is “at the water’s edge”
At the water’s edge is where fishermen wash, mend and prepare their nets before heading out into the deep to catch fish
Without this careful preparation the effort of letting down and pulling up the nets can be wasted

In the DVD clip we saw earlier, Lynley spoke about the work they do at the water’s edge in Thailand to support and prepare the local Christians for mission

For example, they facilitated the installation of a water well in a village which gave the Christians in that place a passport to share the gospel
Lynley is also involved in creating Bible study resources for new Christians to help them get started in the faith
These, and other things, help prepare the way for Jesus

These activities are valuable and worthwhile but perhaps the most important work done at the water’s edge is the preparation and re-formation of ourselves (that is, our inner lives) so the nets of our hearts and minds are prepared for the work God has planned for us

In verse 10 of Luke 5 Jesus says to Peter…

“Don’t be afraid; from now on you will be a fisher of men.”
In other words, ‘Peter, I’m calling you to catch people for me – to bring men & women into the kingdom of God’

Jesus prepares Peter (to catch people)

Peter’s preparation (at the water’s edge) involved 3 years learning directly from Jesus, like an apprentice

Then, in the book of Acts, we see Jesus’ prediction come true as Peter indeed catches people for God, through preaching the gospel

Please turn with me to Acts chapter 10 – page 163 toward the back of your pew Bibles

In this passage we read how God sends Peter fishing among the Gentiles
But before heading out into the deep, the Spirit of Jesus first prepares Peter at the water’s edge
From Acts 10, verse 1 we read…

Read Acts 10:1-23a

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+10%3A1-23a&version=GNT

May the Spirit of Jesus wash and mend the nets of our hearts and minds

‘Networking’

It’s a word these days which, in business circles, means meeting other people who can help you in your work, creating relationships with people which are mutually beneficial

When we were at Baptist College training for ministry our New Testament lecturer, George Weiland, gave us a picture of how relationships work when God is involved

[Pull out white board and draw vertical lines at either end of the board]

Imagine, if you will, that this line here represents you

And this other line over here represents someone else
Perhaps you are connected to this person through work
[Draw a horizontal line connecting the two vertical lines]
So long as you share the same workplace and get along then you have a connection
But if you (or they) leave the job, or you have a falling out, then the connection is severed [wipe out a hole in the horizontal line]

How do you keep the connection – how do you mend the relationship?

Well, it’s a lot harder if your only point of contact is work
But if you have made other connections with them…
[Draw more horizontal lines as you give examples]
Like for example, playing squash or baby-sitting their kids or inviting them over to your house for a meal or regularly praying for them, or whatever, then you have a lot more points of connection
And so the relationship is more robust and you are better able to fix the breakdown which happened at work [reconnect the broken line]

But wait there’s more – because if it is a relationship that God condones then God (by His Spirit) will strengthen those points of connection as we make them

[Draw vertical lines]
And now what do we have?
Yes, that’s right, a net. Far more robust than a single strand
Networking, in this sense, involves God

So how does this relate to Peter & Cornelius?

[Rub out what is on the board]
Well, imagine this line here [draw a vertical line to one side labelling it ‘C’ for Cornelius] represents Cornelius
And this line over here [draw another vertical line on the other side labelling it ‘J’ for the Jews] represents the Jews

Acts 10 starts with Cornelius

As a Centurion Cornelius was in charge of 100 men in the Roman army
This meant he was a Gentile – he wasn’t Jewish
We know this because the Jews at that time in history were exempt from military service

Somewhat surprisingly, despite being a Roman Centurion, Cornelius reaches out in acts of friendship to the Jewish people

His whole family worships Yahweh – the one true God [Draw a horizontal line]
Which means he probably attended the local synagogue [Draw another horizontal line]
Not only this but Cornelius helps the poor [Draw another horizontal line]
And he prays for people [Draw another horizontal line]

Cornelius is a top bloke, both by Roman standards and Jewish standards

And, he is at the edge of the water in the sense that he is ready to accept Jesus, only he needs someone to tell him about Jesus first
So God takes the initiative and sends an angel with very specific instructions for Cornelius to fetch Simon Peter
[Draw a vertical line on the white board]
And Cornelius obeys God as quickly as he can [Draw a horizontal line]

Although Cornelius is ready to receive Jesus, Peter isn’t yet ready to tell Cornelius about Jesus

Acts 10 is often described as the conversion of Cornelius but in many ways it is as much about the conversion of Peter
Peter needs the net of his heart & mind enlarged to accommodate the Gentiles

While Cornelius’ servants are on the way, Peter has a vision which basically makes it clear that all kinds of reptiles, birds and animals are now kosher to eat

[Draw a vertical line] – this is God doing some more to help Peter & Cornelius’ relationship

Peter, the ‘rock’, is aptly named for he disagrees with the voice saying

“Certainly not, Lord! I have never eaten anything ritually unclean or defiled”
Peter is complicated – on the one hand he says he never eats unclean foods but on the other hand he is boarding with a tanner whose trade (of working with dead animals) made him unclean [1]
But the voice spoke to Peter again, “Do not consider anything unclean that God has declared clean”. This happened three times
[Draw two more vertical lines]

While Peter was still trying to understand what the vision meant, the Spirit of Jesus said to him…

“Listen! Three men are here looking for you. So get ready and go down and do not hesitate to go with them”
[Draw another vertical line] – once again God is strengthening Peter & Cornelius’ relationship

Peter welcomes the Gentile messengers and shows them hospitality for the night [Draw a horizontal line] – then he leaves with them the next morning for Cornelius’ place – [Draw another horizontal line]

Peter has put it all together and realised God is saying, Gentiles are fit to be included in the sharing of the gospel – fit to receive Christ
This reconstruction of Peter’s net happens at the water’s edge, before Peter even meets Cornelius

We may think little of this from our perspective in history, but from Peter’s perspective (from a Jewish perspective) it was revolutionary, it was huge

Peter was going against literally 1000’s of years tradition, in faith that God was doing something new
It took great courage for Peter to embrace the change

In his book, ‘Things Hidden’, the Catholic priest Richard Rohr talks about… [2]

“My story”
“Our story”
And “The story”

My story is just that – it is my own personal life story, or your own personal life story – it is the story of the individual

Our story is about ‘us’ or ‘we’ – it is the collective story of the group we identify with

For example, we kiwis, or we Generation X’s or we Baptists or we teachers or whatever the group happens to be

And The Story is those things (or patterns) which always hold true, irrespective of My story or Our story

For example, ‘forgiveness always heals’ – that is true whether you are Christian, Hindu or Buddhist. The story describes ‘what is’

Let me illustrate further…

Peter’s my story is that he was a fisherman called to follow Jesus

He often put his foot in it and on one occasion he even denied Jesus
But Jesus restored him, so that Peter became the rock on which Christ built the church

Peter’s our story is that he was Jewish and we Jews don’t eat certain foods and we don’t associate with certain people – like Roman Centurions for example

We Jews stick to ourselves because we are God’s chosen people don’t you know

But the story (of which God is the author) is that God loves all nations, whether they are Jewish or not

Jesus died and was raised for all people. The gospel is for everyone and so Peter must not consider any person unclean

This is what happens for Peter in Acts 10 – this is what his conversion is about

God had to gently burst the bubble of Peter’s our story to show him the story (the bigger picture)
Or to put it another way, the story (of God) redeems both my story and our story
The story is the truth which gives meaning to our own private pain and sets us free from the failings of our own little culture or group

Sometimes in the history of inter-cultural mission one ethnic group has said our story is the story – or in other words, you must adopt our cultural practices if you want to be a Christian

We shouldn’t do that
We must have the humility (as Peter did) to tell the story of God without imposing our culture on others

When it comes to Cornelius’ ‘my story’ (his own personal story) little is known

He was a soldier in charge of 100 men and he was searching for God – that much is certain
Did he have blood on his hands? As a soldier, quite likely
Did he carry the burden of surviving when others around him had died?
Maybe – guilt might explain why he is trying so hard to be good
Then again it could be that he is simply an honourable man

As a functionary of the Roman army – part of the fist of Caesar – Cornelius’ our story was one of violence in pursuit of peace.

The Romans considered themselves great stewards of justice, but that is not necessarily how the people they had conquered saw it

The story is that God is in control more than the Romans and His way is one of vulnerability in pursuit of peace

Through the cross Jesus takes responsibility for any blood on Cornelius’ hands

In receiving the story of the gospel we must have the humility (as Cornelius did) to face the injustice of our story

To admit where the group we belong to has gone wrong
And to admit where we personally have gone wrong

Conclusion:

Don’t you love the way God uses Cornelius to evangelise Peter as well as using Peter to evangelise Cornelius

There is a mutuality to mission here which is quite beautiful
Peter is changed as much as Cornelius is

Peter, the missionary, doesn’t come with all the answers

He doesn’t have the whole story
But he is listening to God who does know the whole story
And so God speaks through Peter to Cornelius

Likewise Cornelius, the God fearing Centurion, does not sit in complete darkness – he is not entirely ignorant

He too is listening to God and so God uses Cornelius to reach Peter

Let me finish now with two questions…

What is your story?
And how is God enlarging your net with the story?

[1] Refer van Thanh Nguyen, in ‘Peter and Cornelius: A Story of Conversion and Mission’, page 118.

[2] Richard Rohr, ‘Things Hidden’, pages 21-24