Tawa Baptist

Worship at home service – 30 August 2020

There is no gathered worship service at Tawa Baptist this Sunday 30 August 2020, due to the ban on gatherings over 100 people. We encourage you to have church at your place instead. Following is a suggested format for a ‘do it yourself’ worship service at home. 

Call to worship

You may like to light a candle as a reminder that Christ is present.

At the end of the gospel of Luke we read…

45 Then Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will sufferand rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his nameto all nations,beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnessesof these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised;but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” 50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany,he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple,praising God.

Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs – just google them on YouTube or download on Spotify.

♫         Wairua Tapu (Holy Spirit, welcome)                          

♫         Way Maker (You are here moving in our midst…) by Leeland

Church Notices

Connect Service – this Sunday (30 August) 7-8pm in our church hall.  

For anyone who would like to have some time and space to sing, pray, reflect, read, draw, etc. in an unstructured way. A variety of worship music will be played and you can connect with God on your own or with others.

Covid-19 Level 2 rules apply e.g. signing in, observing physical distancing, etc. (Please stay home if you are unwell.)

Offering

Take this opportunity to make your financial offering to the Lord by on-line banking to your local church &/or a charitable organisation who support the poor.

Pray the following prayer (adapted from the Anglican lectionary)

Eternal and ever living God, our beginning and our end,
you give us strength in the face of suffering and death.
Set our minds on you. Give us courage to take up our cross and follow you.
Help us to trust and live in the power of the resurrection of Jesus.
Through Christ our Liberator. Amen

Listen and/or sing along to the following song – just google on YouTube or download on Spotify.

♫         The Greatest Day in History (Happy Day)    

Gospel Reading

Read aloud the following verses from Mark 3:13-19…

13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelvethat they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Intercessory Prayer

This week’s prayer was adapted (drawing inspiration) from the Anglican intercessions. You may want to take turns reading paragraphs of the prayer out loud or nominate someone with you to lead the prayer…

Heavenly Father, tender and compassionate, create in us, your family the church, love so true and deep that in this broken world we may be a sign of unity.

Guide us to care creatively for your world – to hear the cries of the earth, the sighing of water-ways, calls for safe habitat for the creatures with whom we share the environment. Wherever we walk, we are on holy ground, the ground of your creating.

Caring God, you heard the despair of your people, and called Moses to lead them to freedom. We cry to you today for the halt of the pandemic…We pray for inspiration for all working to produce a vaccine…..protection for all who continue to put their lives at risk as they selflessly tend the needs of others.

We thank you for the many different expressions of Christian faith and worship. You call us to serve you with our gifts and talents and we ask that you direct us in your ways. Bless each of the churches in Tawa with your grace and protection. Make your presence real through your people, whether gathered or scattered.

O God, you desire truth in our inward being. Make our intentions pure and our words kind and true. We pray for people who need your healing word…..those longing for comfort…..wanting to find your peace and know your grace….. Give us such compassion that we never turn away from a chance to share the love of Jesus.

All knowing God, we are aware of some of the wounds in this world. We are reminded of the suffering of the Muslim community in New Zealand, with the sentencing of a mass murderer this past week. We see images of the destruction wrought by Hurricane Laura. History keeps repeating itself in a vicious cycle of violence following the shooting of Jacob Blake. There are many other things happening around the world that we do not see. But you see you them Lord. Where we have done wrong, move us to honest confession and genuine repentance. Rid us of prejudice and turn our hatred to love. Where there is chaos, bring your holy order. And where there is despair, extend your life line of hope in Christ. For you are the living God.   

We think of those in our community who are experiencing health issues, such as… [name those known to you who are sick]. Lord guide the doctors in their diagnoses and treatment. Minister your healing we ask.

You call us by name and we are yours. Increase our knowledge of you, and help us discover our true self, our true worth, our true belonging in Christ.

Amen.

More Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs – just google them on YouTube or download on Spotify.

♫         All I have because of Jesus (I Will Boast in Christ Alone)

♫         Let Our Praise to You Be as Incense.

Prayer

Father God, by your grace you redeem us into a living hope. Help us now to listen to what you are saying through your word. Calm our hearts and minds to hear your still quiet voice. May our souls be nourished and our spirits renewed. Through Jesus we pray.

Sermon

You can either read the sermon notes found on the ‘2020 Sermons’ page of this website or listen to an audio recording of the sermon via the following link:

Closing Song

Listen and/or sing along to the following song – just google on YouTube or download on Spotify.

♫         There is a Redeemer

Benediction

 ‘The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace. Amen.’

Tawa Baptist

Redeemed

Scripture: 1st Peter 1:13-21

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Holy Hope
  • Reverent Fear
  • Costly Redemption
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

If someone says, “You are a chip off the old block” or “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”, what they mean is: you are very similar in character to your father or mother. You are like your parents, in other words.

Today we continue our series in the New Testament letter of 1st Peter, taking a closer look at chapter 1, verses 13-21. In this passage Peter focuses on his readers’ personal relationship with God the Father. Because God has given us new birth into a living hope (1:3) we are now his children. And as his children, we need to ensure we are a ‘chip off the old block’ (no disrespect intended). If God is the tree, then we are to be the apple that doesn’t fall far from the tree. In other words, our character should be like that of God our Father. Holy. From 1st Peter, chapter 1, verses 13-21 we read…

13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope on the grace to be brought to youwhen Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedientchildren, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

17 Since you call on a Fatherwho judges each person’s workimpartially, live out your time as foreignershere in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemedfrom the empty way of lifehanded down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious bloodof Christ, a lambwithout blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world,but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us

There are three main ideas I want to draw out of today’s reading: Holy hope, reverent fear and costly redemption. First let us consider the holy hope to which we are called.

Holy hope:

Last week we heard about hope. Hope is the capacity to imagine a good future. Hope is like a rope connecting the future to the present. When we are struggling to keep our head above water, hope connects us – it keeps us afloat and allows us to imagine things will turn out well in the end.

Christian hope is not a long shot. Christian hope is a sure thing because it is based on something that has already happened – the resurrection of Jesus.

Christian hope is also a holy kind of hope. It is the expectation that we will become like Christ – a genuine chip off the old block.

In verses 13-16, of chapter 1, Peter makes a connection between hope and holiness. To clarify what Peter is saying here I’ve come up with an acrostic which spells the word H.O.P.E.

H stands for the holiness of hope

O is for the obedience of hope

P stands for the preparedness of hope, and…

E is the expectation of hope

We’ll start with the expectation of hope and work backwards from there.

In verse 13 Peter instructs his readers to set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.

The expectation of Christian hope is that we will receive grace (and not punishment or wrath) when Jesus returns in glory. To expect grace is look forward in anticipation of receiving something good.

When I was in standard 1 (Year 3 by today’s terms) I was called out of class to meet the headmaster in the gym. As I entered the gym I saw other kids of all ages throughout the school gathered too. I had no idea why we were there. The headmaster stood up and explained that each of us were going to receive an award at the end of year prize giving.

I was not told what prize I was going to get, just that I had to sit up on the stage and come to the front when my name was called. From that moment on I waited in eager expectation that something good was coming my way. When my name was called I received a certificate for most improved student and a picture book, which I still have.

It’s a bit like that with being a Christian. We have been selected to receive a prize, not because of anything we’ve done necessarily, but because God is gracious. We don’t know what the prize will be but we do know it is something good to look forward to in eager expectation.      

The E of Christian hope stands for expectation and the P stands for preparedness.

Verse 13 of chapter 1 begins with Peter saying: Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you… 

The reason they called us to the gym before the prize-giving is so we would be prepared. They wanted us to be there on time, in the right place and dressed appropriately, in our full uniforms. They also wanted us to be on our best behaviour, to be self-controlled, since we were going to be on the stage for everyone to see.

When Peter says, prepare your minds for action, he means, ‘gird up the loins of your mind’. To gird up the loins is an Old Testament phrase. In the ancient near east men wore long robes (sort of like Jedi knights). If they needed to make haste or do some manual labour they would hitch their robe up into their belt so they could move more freely. These days we might say, ‘Roll up your sleeves’ or ‘Get stuck into it’.

Christian hope is not a lazy or dreamy thing. Christian hope means rolling up the sleeves of your mind, getting your brain into gear and being mentally prepared.      

Karen Jobes notes how “Girding up the loins” may be an allusion to Exodus 12:11, where the Lord instructs his people to prepare for the exodus by eating their final meal in Egypt with their sandals on and their loins girded”. [1] That is, prepared and ready to go at a moment’s notice.

Returning to 1st Peter 1:13, the word translated as self-controlled is literally ‘be sober’. People who have no hope might drown their sorrows (they might get drunk). But Christians have real hope and so we have no need to find comfort in a bottle.

Like a batsman in cricket, facing a fast bowler, we must be mentally prepared and self-controlled with each ball that comes our way. We don’t want to nick ourselves out or miss the opportunity to put away a bad delivery.

The O in Christian hope stands for obedience. In verse 14 Peter writes: As obedient children do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

God’s grace does not give us a license to do whatever we want. Christian freedom comes with the responsibility to obey God. Indeed, the fruit of Christian faith is obedience. The kingdom of heaven is a place where God’s will is done perfectly. This means heaven is a place where God is obeyed, willingly and with love.

If our hope includes heaven then we need to get some practice in and obey God now, in this life. Obedience can feel difficult in this world, because there are forces within us (and around us) that work against God’s will. But part of our hope, part of the grace we look forward to with eager expectation, is that obedience in the kingdom of heaven will come more naturally, more easily.   

The H of Christian hope stands for holiness. In verse 15 Peter says: But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;  

To be holy is to be set apart for a special or sacred purpose. As I’ve said on other occasions, your tooth brush is holy, set apart for your mouth. You don’t use your toothbrush to clean the toilet. A table is set apart for food. You don’t put your bottom on the dinner table.

Holiness is about moral purity and integrity. Holiness is about living in a distinctive way from the society and culture around you. To be holy is to be light in the darkness.  

We note too that we are to be holy in all we do. Our hope is to be fully set on the grace to be given us. Holiness is not a half-hearted thing. Holiness speaks of wholeness or fullness. Oneness. Last week I used the analogy of hope as a rope or a life-line. If you are drowning and someone throws you a life-line, you hold onto that rope of hope fully, with both hands and with all your strength, because it is your salvation.

In verse 16 Peter quotes from the Old Testament book of Leviticus where God says to Israel: “Be holy, because I am holy.” God’s people are to reflect God’s holy character, even though this makes them strangers in this world.

Christian hope is characterised by holy living, obedience to God the Father, preparedness for action and expectation of grace when Jesus returns.

Reverent fear:

The second idea I want to draw your attention to this morning is that of reverent fear. In verse 17 Peter writes: Since you call on a Fatherwho judges each person’s workimpartially, live out your time as foreignershere in reverent fear.

In verse 13 Peter had just talked about setting our hope on the grace to be given us when Jesus is revealed. Now, in verse 17, he talks about God’s judgement. These two ideas, judgement and grace, may appear to be at odds with each other. But they actually work together like two cogs in a clock which, although moving in opposite directions, actually function in harmony to keep the clock in time.

Or to use another analogy, our faith in God is like a guitar string, held in tension. One end of the string is anchored to the bridge, on the body of the guitar, and the other end is tied to the tuning keys on the head of the guitar. If the string is too loose it makes a dead, limp sort of sound. And if it is too tight it sounds out of tune and is at risk of breaking.

As Christian believers we need to hold the judgement of God at just the right tension with the grace of God. If the string of our faith is too tight – if we only ever think of God as a stern dispassionate judge – then our faith will sound highly strung and is at risk of snapping. But if we go to the other extreme of thinking that God is an over indulgent Father, who will forgive us without requiring confession or repentance, then our faith will make a dead, limp sound.

Yes, God is a loving Father who longs to show grace to his human children. But at the same time he is also an impartial judge who must be true to his own character and carry out justice. God’s grace and judgement are not separate. They are one – part of the same instrument. But they need to be held in the right tension, by faith, if we are to be in tune with God.           

So what is reverent fear? Well, reverent fear is the note that sounds when grace and judgement are held in tune.

Reverent fear is not so much the fear of being punished if you do something wrong. That would be a denial of our hope of grace. Perfect love drives out the fear of punishment. Reverent fear is the fear of not giving glory to God by the way we live our lives.

Reverent fear is like when someone represents their country in sport. The sports-person feels a great honour in representing their country and does not want to let their team down. The fear is not of being punished but rather of disgracing yourself by dropping the ball.

As Christians we have been given a great honour in representing God. Our greatest fear is not punishment. No, our greatest fear is failing to give our best for God. We don’t want to look back at our life, from the vantage point of eternity, and feel ashamed or have regrets. That’s the fear.       

Reverent fear is often the attitude of fathers as they drive their wife and new born baby home from the hospital. A man never drives as carefully as when he has his children in his car. It’s not that he is afraid of getting a speeding ticket. He drives with reverent fear because he wants to protect the precious life on board. Reverent fear is not about punishment. It’s about care and respect.  

When Robyn and I were married, a friend of ours (Geoff) made a metal stand for our wedding cake. Geoff had a degree in physics and he was a welder. The two tiers of the cake stand were welded together by a rod of steel, in the shape of a spiral.

Geoff made that cake stand in reverent fear. By which I mean he took great care in his work to ensure the welding was sound and the cake stand stable. Geoff was not fearful of being punished if the welding did not stick. Rather he was more concerned that our wedding cake not be ruined by faulty workmanship. Geoff did a good job. His workmanship was vindicated. The stand stood.

The main purpose of God’s judgement (at the end of time) is to vindicate God. Judgement day is a day when God’s workmanship (His justice and goodness) are revealed and people see that God’s work was sound and true all along.

Holy hope, reverent fear and costly redemption.

Costly redemption:

In 1998 the film Saving Private Ryan was released in New Zealand. The premise of the movie is that Private James Ryan is one of four sons serving in active combat during the Second World War. Each of his three brothers have been killed in combat and so James is the sole survivor. To prevent the family from losing all their boys, Captain John Millar and his platoon are assigned the task of searching for and redeeming the life of Private Ryan, who is somewhere in France behind enemy lines.

Although the movie is fictional it draws on the story of a real life soldier called Fritz Niland. I’m not sure of the details of Fritz’ story but Private Ryan’s redemption was a costly one indeed. While James Ryan was rescued and went on to live a long and full life, only one member of John Miller’s platoon survived. Private Ryan was redeemed by the blood of his fellow soldiers.   

From verse 18 of chapter 1 Peter writes: For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemedfrom the empty way of lifehanded down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious bloodof Christ, a lambwithout blemish or defect.  

Peter is talking here about costly redemption. So what is redemption?

Redemption is being released from one state of being into another better state of being.  Private Ryan was rescued from behind enemy lines and released from active duty. He was taken out of a combat zone and allowed to return home.

In the ancient world of the first century, slaves could be redeemed when someone paid money to buy their freedom. Once they had been redeemed the person was a slave no longer. Their status changed from slave to freeman.

God redeemed the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. That is, God set his people free. He did not do this by paying a fee to Pharaoh. He did it by his mighty power. The people of Israel went from living in a foreign land under a state of oppression to (eventually) entering the Promised Land where they were free to serve the Lord God and not Pharaoh.

In some ways the kind of world we live in today (a world organised against God) is a state of oppression. God is redeeming us (or releasing us) from the kingdom of this world and into the kingdom of heaven where we are truly free to do his will.

Another Old Testament reference to redemption relates to the exile. In Isaiah 52:2-3 the prophet says: Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion. For this is what the Lord says: “You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.”

Isaiah is talking here about the redemption (or setting free) of the Jews scattered in exile throughout Babylon and Assyria. It is a message of holy hope. God is going to open the door for the exiles to return home to Jerusalem.

Picking up this metaphor of the people of God as exiles and strangers, Peter addresses the Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor as strangers or sojourners. God is redeeming those who believe in Jesus, from their long exile in this world, and bringing them home to the heavenly Jerusalem.      

This redemption is achieved not with money but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. There is nothing more precious in all of creation than a human life. And there is no human being more perfect than Jesus. The Lord’s costly redemption reveals the depth of God’s love. 

Peter is stressing the costliness of our redemption here. Jesus is the unblemished sacrificial lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus’ blood shed on the cross seals the deal, releasing us from the oppressive power of sin and death into a state of righteousness and eternal life.

In verse 20 Peter explains how Jesus, the Christ, was chosen before the creation of the world but was revealed in these last times for your sake.

This speaks of God’s foreknowledge. It tells us that God had a plan to redeem his creation even before he made the world.

It is through Jesus that we are able to believe in God. It’s not just that Jesus makes us aware that God’s exists. Nature does that. It’s more that Jesus shows us what it means to be truly human, made in the image of God.

When you are renovating your house it is helpful to have a picture in mind (a vision) of what you want your house to look like when it is finished. Same thing when cooking a meal. If you are following a recipe it helps to have a picture of what the meal is supposed to look like when it is ready. Jesus is the picture of what humanity is supposed to look like after our redemption is complete.

It is because God redeemed us with the blood of his own son that we can believe that he loves us. Furthermore, it is because God has raised Jesus from the dead that we can believe God will raise us also and make us truly human like Jesus. So your faith and hope are in God.

Jesus is the bridge. He is the pathway on which we walk by faith out of slavery to the Promised Land. Out of our exile, in the Babylon of this world, and into the heavenly Jerusalem.  

The thing we need to understand about being redeemed is that we are not set free to do whatever we want. We now belong to the one who redeemed us. We belong to God the Father in other words.  

So if we are not free to do what we want, what are we free to do?

We are free to call God our Father.

We are free from the emptiness and spiritual ignorance of our past.

And we are free to emulate (or to copy) God’s holiness.  

Conclusion:

Not only does God’s costly redemption make holiness possible, it also makes God’s love visible.

May grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • What is the expectation of Christian hope?
  • How might we prepare our minds for action?
  • What does holiness look like for you personally? How do we live a holy life?
  • Why do we need to hold God’s judgment in tension with his grace? How well tuned is the string of your faith? Is it too highly strung (overly weighted towards God’s judgement)? Or is it too limp (biased towards God’s grace)?
  • What does it mean to live in reverent fear?  How is this different from living in fear of punishment?
  • What does Peter mean by redemption?
  • How do you feel when you consider the costliness of your redemption?  

[1] Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1st Peter, page 111.

Tawa Baptist

Worship at home service – 23 August 2020

There is no gathered worship service at Tawa Baptist this Sunday 23 August 2020, due to the ban on gatherings over 100 people. We encourage you to have church at your place instead. Following is a suggested format for a ‘do it yourself’ worship service at home. 

Opening Prayer

You may like to light a candle as a reminder that Christ is present and say a prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, we affirm your presence with us today. We give thanks for opening the door of friendship, for us, with God the Father. Guide us by your Spirit we pray. Amen.  

Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs – just google them on YouTube or download on Spotify.

♫         You give life (Great are you Lord)                             

♫         When we turned away (He Tapu Te Ariki)    

♫         Amazing Grace (My chains are gone)

Gospel Reading

Read aloud the following verses from Matthew 8:14-17…

14 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfillwhat was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

Intercessory Prayer

Father God, thank you that your word says: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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.

For those who are anxious about things like Covid-19, study, work, relationships, money – may they know you love and care for them; that they can come to you and find true, lasting peace.

For those of us who know you, and are grieving because of trials in this life – help us to see the bigger picture and keep our eyes on you Jesus, remembering how you endured incredible opposition. May we not grow weary and loose heart. May you receive all praise, glory and honour through our lives.

We take a minute now and pray individually about someone we know who really needs your healing touch, whether physically, mentally or spiritually.

[Pray for those God has placed on your heart]

Lord, have mercy.  May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Please give us daily bread. Forgive our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Protect us from temptation and deliver us from evil.

Praise and glory, wisdom and thanks, honour and power and strength be to you Almighty God. In the name of Jesus we pray these things. Amen.

More Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs – just google them on YouTube or download on Spotify.

♫         Worthy is the Lamb (Revelation Song)                                                         

♫         How great the chasm (Living Hope)                                                  

Prayer

Holy Spirit, you inspired people of old to write the Bible and you are present now to help us read it. Shine your light on the Scriptures we pray. Help us to discern what you are saying and how this applies in our lives. Through Jesus we pray.

Sermon

You can either read the sermon notes (on the 2020 Sermons page of the Tawa Baptist Church website) or listen to an audio recording of the sermon via the following link:

Closing Song

Listen and/or sing along to the following song – just google them on YouTube or download on Spotify.

♫         Falling on my knees in worship (Came to my rescue)

Benediction

 ‘The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace. Amen.’

Tawa Baptist

Secure

Scripture: 1st Peter 1:3-12

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Salvation secured
  • Faith tested
  • Prophecy revealed
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

When you find yourself on holiday, browsing through a book store for that perfect summer read, you might look at the dust cover of a book to get an idea of what the story is about. The brief blurb does not tell you the whole story and it certainly won’t give away the ending, but it’s designed to whet your appetite and get you interested in reading further.

It’s similar with movies. Before the feature movie starts they usually play trailers advertising other movies. Just a small taster to sow a seed and invite your imagination in.

When you go to a friend’s home for dinner they normally greet you at the door with a warm welcome, a hug or a handshake and they offer you something to drink and some snacks before the full meal is served. The host wants to put you at ease and make you feel good about being there. That way you will let your defences down and simply enjoy the evening. 

Today we continue our new series (started last week) in the letter of 1st Peter. Today’s reading, from chapter 1, verses 3-12, is one long sentence in the original Greek. This passage is like the dust cover of the book, or the trailer of a movie, in that it gives you an idea of what’s in store in the rest of the letter. It whets your appetite and invites your imagination in.

Today’s reading is also like the warm welcome you receive when you go to a friend’s house for dinner, in that it puts you at ease. It’s like Peter is saying to his readers, ‘I know you. I understand your situation. I get where you’ve come from. We are friends.’ In this way Peter helps his readers to feel comfortable, so they will lower their defences and allow his words in. From 1st Peter chapter 1, verses 3-12, we read… 

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!In his great mercyhe has given us new birthinto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritancethat can never perish, spoil or fade.This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire— may result in praise, glory and honorwhen Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you,searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christin them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you,when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.Even angels long to look into these things.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

There’s a lot going on in these verses. It is the theological equivalent of a Christmas cake – rich and thick. To help provide some clarity, I see this one long sentence in three parts:

Verses 3-5 are talking about salvation secured,

Verses 6-9 are about faith tested

And verses 10-12 touch on prophecy revealed.

First let’s consider the security of our salvation.  

Salvation secured:

Imagine you are driving your car along a country road in the rain. It’s been pouring for days and the paddocks either side of the road are flooded. You come round a bend and see the road in front of you is underwater. You stop for a moment to consider what to do.

You have been driving for hours and are in the middle of nowhere. If you go back the way you came you might run out of petrol, or find that the road you’ve just travelled has become impassable. But if you go forward you risk stalling the car and getting stuck underwater.

You decide to risk it and very carefully drive forward, hoping the water doesn’t get too deep. Your car handles the first 50 metres well enough but then there is a dip in the road, the car bonnet is submerged and the air intake starts sucking water. The engine cuts out and won’t start again. You are stranded.

Water is filling your car quickly now and as the tide rises, so does the feeling of panic. You climb out the window and on to the roof. There is no cell-phone reception. You are wet, cold and alone. It’s just a matter of time before the whole car goes under, so you try to swim to higher ground, but the current is too strong and sweeps you away. It’s all you can do to keep your head above water.

The torrent carries you downstream for some miles – you can’t be sure how far. By this stage you are exhausted and thinking, ‘so this is how it ends’. Then, in the distance, you see a bridge with people standing on it. Hope flickers in you like a distant star. You wave out to them. Maybe they can help.

The people on the bridge see you. One of them runs away only to return moments later with something. What is it? As the current carries you closer you recognise it is a rope. They are lowering a rope to you and yelling for you to grab hold of it as you float past.

You manage to get a hand on the rope and find they have conveniently made a loop in the end, so the rope will hold you like a harness. You feel the rope snapping tight and realise the people up on the bridge are pulling on it. All you have to do now is hold on. You hope the rope will hold your weight. You hope your rescuers are strong enough.

After the two longest minutes in your life your rescuers have you out of the water and on the bridge with them. You look round and see the rope was tied to a four-wheel drive all along. A four-wheel drive with a snorkel. That’s how they roll in the country. You are still cold and tired but you are not alone. You were as good as dead but now you live again. It’s going to be alright.

Hope is the belief that something good is waiting for us in the future. Or said another way, hope is the ability to imagine a good future. The rope lowered from the bridge symbolises hope. Hope is like a rope connecting the future to the present. Hope gives us something to hold onto in the present moment. When we are struggling to keep our head above water, hope connects us – it keeps us afloat and allows us to imagine a future with a good outcome.

In verse 3 of chapter 1, Peter praises God for his great mercy in giving us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus. God (Father, Son & Spirit) is like the people on the bridge who threw you the rope. You were as good as dead and powerless to save yourself but God, in his mercy, threw you a life line. God saved you. He gave you new birth.

Jesus talked about this new birth in John 3, when Nicodemus came to see him at night. Jesus said, I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again… Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 

Peter says we are born again into a living hope. If the people on the bridge had thrown a rope that was too short to reach, or too rotten to carry your weight, then that would be a dead hope. But the rope they threw you was long enough and strong enough and so it is a living hope. Meaning it is a hope that is sure and certain and secure. It is not a long shot, like winning Lotto. The rope of hope that God offers is a hope that will not disappoint.    

The thing that makes Christian hope living and sure is the resurrection of Jesus. Whenever Peter preaches in the book of Acts he talks about the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus’ resurrection was front and centre of the Christian message in the first century. Jesus’ resurrection is the anchor of Christian hope. Our hope of salvation is tied to the resurrection of Christ like the rope (in my story) was tied to the four-wheel drive. It is because Jesus has been raised from the dead to eternal life that our hope of eternal life is not just wishful thinking.

In verse 4 Peter goes on to say that our new birth is also into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – an inheritance kept in heaven for you.  

Just as people receive their ethnic identity, their citizenship, their socio-economic class (and so on) from their biological parents, Christians receive a new identity and a new citizenship from God (their heavenly Father) when they are born again. The new birth that God gives redefines the believers’ relationship with society and transforms their identity and character. [1]      

There’s a line in that great hymn Be Thou my Vision which reads: “Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise. Be thou my inheritance now and always.”

The most common form of inheritance in the Middle East, of the first century, was land. In the context of this world, land represents security.

Some of Peter’s listeners had likely been disinherited for choosing to follow Jesus. Others may have been driven from their homeland by persecution, due to their Christian faith. So they had essentially lost their inheritance in this world. They had lost their physical and material security.

What an affirmation and an encouragement it would have been to have Peter, a hero and an icon in the early church, saying they have a heavenly inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. An inheritance which is immortal, pure and beautiful – and therefore more secure, more valuable, than land.

Again we hear the echo of Jesus’ words, where the Lord says (in Matthew 6:19-21) 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,where moths and vermin destroy,and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus is talking about eternal security here. The most valuable part of our inheritance is Jesus himself. We want to be building a quality relationship with Jesus now (in this world) that will serve us well for all eternity. 

In verse 5 of chapter 1, Peter talks about the Christian believer being shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

The salvation Peter has in mind here is a deliverance from this world (which is hostile to God) and into God’s kingdom – a place where God’s will is done perfectly. For Peter, salvation is the coming inheritance, to which Christian believers are now fully entitled but do not yet fully possess. [2]   

Okay, so our salvation, our hope of eternal life, our inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, is secure. The next thing I want to highlight is the way Christian faith is tested, as Peter describes in verses 6-9.

Faith tested:

Roald Dahl wrote a book called Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It’s about a boy called Charlie who wins a golden ticket for a tour through Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Charlie and his family are very poor and so the abundance of Mr Wonka’s chocolate factory fills young Charlie with awe and wonder.

Other children win tickets too and are allowed to take one adult with them on the tour. Little do they realise but Mr Wonka is trying to find someone to inherit his chocolate kingdom. He wants to give it all away to someone he can trust; someone who will trust him.

As the children make their way through the factory, one by one, they get themselves into trouble so they cannot finish the tour. It’s not that Mr Wonka is trying to catch them out. It’s just that in a chocolate factory trials and temptations are inevitable.

In the end, only Charlie and his Grandpa Joe are left. But they are disqualified for stealing fizzy lifting drink. Charlie proves himself faithful by handing the everlasting gob stopper back to Mr Wonka. ‘So shines a good deed in a weary world.’  

The analogy is not perfect, and should not be pressed too far, but in some ways God is a bit like Mr Wonka, wanting to share his kingdom with humanity. Likewise, Peter’s listeners are like Charlie, poor in material wealth but rich in genuine faith.

From verse 6 Peter writes: though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire— may result in praise, glory and honorwhen Jesus Christ is revealed.  

Gold, in the ancient world, was the most valuable material there was and one of the most durable too. Peter is comparing Christian faith to gold. He is saying genuine faith in Jesus is more valuable and more resilient than gold.

The grief and trials his readers have had to suffer are not cause for shame or disgrace. They should not think of their hardship as a punishment from God. Suffering does not mean God is unhappy with you. Nor is God going out of his way to make life difficult for people.

As one commentator put it, this life is not an obstacle course that we must get through in order to make it into heaven. Rather, suffering in a world that is opposed to the ways of God is inevitable and serves to prove the true value of your faith.

Now, we may not suffer in the same way that Christians did in the first century. While NZ society has (generally speaking) become less friendly to the church, we are not yet openly persecuted for our faith in Jesus. But we do still suffer. This life is difficult and being a Christian does not make one immune from trials and grief.  

Part of Peter’s message to us is that suffering provides an opportunity to test and prove genuine faith. Why are you a Christian? Is it just for the perks of forgiveness and grace? Is it just so you can get into heaven when you die? Or is it because you love and trust Jesus as your Lord and friend.    

Peter shows us that suffering can be a positive thing. Suffering for Christ leads to glory with Christ. For this reason, Christians can find nuggets of joy in the gravel of suffering.

Now the thing about faith and hope is that one trusts in what one cannot see. When Charlie handed the everlasting gob stopper back to Mr Wonka he could not see how that was going to play out. Charlie was simply doing what he believed to be right, in faith, that things would work out in the end. Likewise, when a person who is drowning is thrown a rope, they take hold of it in faith that it will hold their weight and save them. 

In verse 8 Peter admires his readers saying they love Jesus and believe in him even though they have never seen him. In some ways, their faith (and ours) is greater than Peter’s own faith, for Peter had seen Jesus, whereas his readers have not. As the risen Jesus said to Thomas, in John 20:29, Blessed are those who do not see [me] and believe. Peter’s readers are truly walking by faith and not by sight.

The inheritance of our salvation is secure and the presence of suffering is cause for joy because it tests and proves genuine faith. Which brings us to the third point of today’s message: Peter’s readers live at a time in history when the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus (the Messiah) have been revealed.  

Prophecy revealed:

Throughout this year, the government in New Zealand have based their COVID management decisions on scientific evidence. No one can predict the exact timing or circumstances in which a virus cluster might arise but, through contact tracing and community testing, we can gain some understanding of the patterns of the virus and when it is prudent to move up or down levels.

Modern science is also working hard to find a vaccine against the virus, so we do not have to keep running and hiding every time a cluster flares up. 

In many ways we are privileged to live at a time in history when science is able to reveal so much about the virus. When the bubonic plague broke out nearly 700 years ago, people simply did not have the technology to accurately identify it, let alone create a vaccine for it.   

In verses 8-9 Peter applauds his readers for believing in Jesus, even though they have not seen him. Although there is an element of not being able to see with faith, this does not imply there is no evidence for Christian faith. Faith in Jesus is based (in part) on the evidence of the Old Testament prophets.       

Peter observes how the prophets (people like Isaiah and Jeremiah and others) were able to predict the pattern that the Messiah would suffer and then be glorified. But they did not know the time and circumstances in which the things they predicted would take place.

Like the scientists of today, who are searching for a vaccine for COVID, the prophets of long ago searched intently and with greatest care to determine when and where the Messiah would turn up, but this was not revealed to them. It has however been revealed to us.

By recognising the Old Testament prophets in this way, Peter accomplishes a number of things at the same time. Firstly, Peter shows there is a continuity between the Old & New Testaments. The same Holy Spirit who empowered Christ and was poured out at Pentecost, is the same Spirit who pointed the prophets of old to the pattern of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection.

This pattern was not an accident of history but was in fact designed and planned for, by God, all along. Despite the way things may appear, God is still in control and his purpose will be achieved in the end.  

Secondly, Peter is providing objective evidence for those believers who may have been struggling with doubts and thinking about chucking their faith away. The fact the Old Testament prophets predicted the pattern of Jesus’ suffering, death and glorification, confirms that Jesus is the Messiah and so their faith in Jesus is well placed. Not only that, but their current suffering confirms they stand in solidarity with Jesus – so they can take comfort in knowing they are on the right track.

Thirdly, for those who may be tempted to self-pity (due to their trials and grief), Peter points out how privileged they are; for they live at a time in history when the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus have been revealed. Something even angels long to look into.   

Conclusion:

The things Peter touches on here, at the beginning of his letter, whet our appetite and invite our imagination in. Verses 3-12, of chapter 1, show that Peter understands his readers. He knows where they have come from and where they are headed. 

The hope of our salvation is secure through Jesus’ resurrection.

The true value of our faith is tested and proved through suffering.

And we are privileged to live at a time in history when the ancient prophecy concerning Jesus, the Messiah, has been revealed.

Peter will develop these three ideas in the rest of his letter. 

What is the take away for you today?

Are you weary with grief and trials? Are you struggling to keep your head above water? Hold on to the rope of hope. Jesus is standing on the bridge holding the other end. He’s got you.

Suffering is not a sign that God has abandoned you. Suffering provides an opportunity for the refining of our faith. It is an opportunity to show God that you love him for who he is and not just what he gives.

We don’t know how lucky we are to live at this time in history.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

 Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

Peter says God has given us ‘new birth’. What are we born again into? What are the implications of this new birth for us?

What is hope? In what sense is hope like a rope? Where is your hope placed? (What rope are you holding onto?) Why is Jesus’ resurrection important to Christian hope?

Peter talks about an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. What does he mean by ‘inheritance’?

What purpose/meaning does Peter give to suffering? How might this inform (or transform) the way we interpret our own suffering? Why are you a Christian?

What three things may we glean from Peter’s reference to the prophets in verses 10-12? 

Take some time this week to reflect on (and give thanks for) the privileges we enjoy at this time in history.  

[1] Refer Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1st Peter, page 81.

[2] Refer Karen Jobes, page 88.

Tawa Baptist

Worship at home service – 16 August 2020

Following is a suggested format for a ‘do it yourself’ worship service at home this Sunday 16 August. 

Opening Prayer

You may like to light a candle as a reminder that Christ is present and say a prayer:

‘Loving God, we thank you for being with us always. May you be honoured in this time of worship today. And may we enjoy your closeness.’

Sung Worship

Singing songs of praise to God lifts our minds out of the ruts we sometimes get ourselves into and helps to restore our perspective. Listen and/or sing along to the following songs – just google them on YouTube or download on Spotify. (The songs for today’s service were chosen by Ewan nearly a week ago.)

♫         Bless the Lord O my soul (10,000 reasons)                          

♫         Come, now is the time to worship     

Intercessory Prayer

This week’s prayer was prepared by Kim. You may want to take turns reading lines of the prayer out loud or nominate someone with you to lead the prayer…

Lord, it is difficult to know where to begin. The news hasn’t been great for a while now. We feel overwhelmed at times by the onslaught of gloom and doom…

Wars, political unrest, violence, injustice, inequity, leaders abusing their power, floods,

explosions, earthquakes, droughts, pandemics, refugees struggling to find homes, destruction of rainforests, large scale poaching of endangered animals, greedy developers and corporations, misuse of public funds, the spread of dangerous religious and political ideologies, climate change and its impact on our lives. The list is long…no wonder our spirits are exhausted!

Closer in, some of us have lost jobs or loved ones, face economic hardship, are experiencing sickness, struggle to balance competing responsibilities and pressures. Weddings have been put on hold, funerals delayed, trips cancelled…there is much uncertainty.

Lord…Jesus, Saviour, Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief, we come to you

for you alone can help us. We come to you with our struggles, our fears, our doubt, our worries and concerns and needs…

Restore us, bring your healing and peace, renew hope and joy, forgive us and strengthen us to do your will, help us to live wisely, to act justly, to be kind to one another, to be good stewards of all of your creation, to be generous people…

In particular we pray for-

[Name those you are aware of who especially need God’s help at this time]

Those in our community who are especially vulnerable to Covid-for protection and safe-keeping.

We come to you Lord, for you alone can make us whole.

May love and not fear guide our choices and decisions.

May your kingdom come

May your will be done

In us and through us

Amen

Gospel Reading

Read aloud the following verses from Matthew 4:18-20…

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee,he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,”Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

More Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs – just google them on YouTube or download on Spotify.

♫         Brother, sister let me serve you (The servant song)                                                 

♫         Beautiful Lord (The Potter’s hand)                                                    

♫         As the deer pants for the water                                                         

Prayer

Gracious God, open our hearts and minds to receive your word. Give us wisdom and courage to obey you. Through Jesus we pray.

Sermon

You can either read the sermon notes on this website or listen to an audio recording of the sermon via the following link:

Closing Song

♫         Alleluia, Alleluia, give thanks

Benediction

A benediction is just a fancy word for blessing. When we give a benediction we are giving a blessing. To bless someone is to ask good things for their well-being. You might like to give each other the following blessing…

‘The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace. Amen.’

Tawa Baptist

Known

Scripture: 1st Peter 1:1-2

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Sender
  • Receivers
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

If you want your cooking to taste really good, you might add some stock.

Stock can be made in a variety of ways. For example, you might put a chicken carcass (bones and all) in a pot of water with some vegetables and salt and let it simmer for several hours.

During that process lots of flavour and goodness (like iron and marrow from the bones) is infused in the water. Once the simmering is finished you strain the bones and vegetables out and are left with the stock. Of course, that takes a long time, so we tend to use an Oxo cube instead.

Today we begin a new sermon series in the New Testament letter of 1st Peter.

Our focus this morning is on the first two verses. It might not seem like a lot but these two verses (and indeed the rest of the letter) are like homemade stock – not sweet, but rich in goodness, giving a depth of flavour and meaning.

From 1st Peter chapter 1, verses 1-2, we read…

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood:

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

There are two parts to today’s message. First we’ll look at the sender of the letter, Peter. And then we’ll consider the recipients – who were they, where were they, and why were they.

Sender

You may have heard me say on other occasions, that power is the ability to do something, while authority is the right to do it. For example, you may have the ability to drive a car but without a driver’s license you don’t have the right (or authority) to drive. Of course, having a license doesn’t give you authority to break the speed limit. Even those with authority must still submit to a higher authority, otherwise they lose their license.

Authority is not something that can be assumed or taken lightly. Authority is a weighty thing – it has to be earned. You do not have the authority to call yourself a doctor unless you have spent 7 or 8 years at university studying and passing exams to earn your degrees. Likewise, you don’t have the authority to teach others unless you have done the hard yards gaining some mastery of the subject yourself. Authority usually comes from personal experience. You can’t really tell others to recycle if you are not recycling.

The story is told of a mother who brought her son to Ghandi. She asked Ghandi if he could get her son to stop eating sugar. Ghandi told her to come back in a week’s time. So the woman went away and came back again with her son a week later. Then Ghandi simply said to the boy, ‘Stop eating sugar’. The mother was puzzled by this and asked why Ghandi had sent her away a week earlier? Why didn’t he just tell her son to stop eating sugar the first time she came? It would have saved her the trouble of going back and forth. Ghandi replied, ‘Before I can tell anyone to stop eating sugar I must first stop eating sugar myself.’ That’s authority you see.

The opening verse of 1st Peter tells us this letter was written by Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. In the New Testament sense of the word, an ‘apostle’ is a messenger sent with authority. By calling himself an ‘apostle of Jesus Christ’, Peter was claiming a special sort of authority. Peter’s authority came from Jesus himself and it came from Peter’s experience of Jesus.

This is the same Simon Peter who left his fishing business to follow Jesus around Galilee and Judea, listening to his teaching and seeing his miracles first hand. The same Peter who witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration, suffering and death. The same Peter who denied Jesus before the cock crowed. The same Peter who met the risen Jesus and was restored a few days later.  The same Peter who spoke to the crowds in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was given. The same Peter who had once refused to set foot in the house of a Gentile but then later, under the guidance of the Spirit of Jesus, ate a meal and stayed the night with the Roman Centurion, Cornelius. 

Peter’s words in this letter, are not something to be taken lightly. Peter’s words carry weight – they have authority because Peter had walked with Jesus in person. Peter could talk about forgiveness because he had failed Jesus and been forgiven himself. Peter could preach with authority about the resurrection of Christ because he had seen Jesus die and raised to life three days later. Likewise, he had authority to speak to both Jews and Gentiles because he had obeyed Jesus by accepting Cornelius’ hospitality. Peter’s personal experience of Jesus, together with Jesus’ mandate to Peter (to feed my sheep), made Peter well qualified to encourage and teach the Christian church.

The name ‘Peter’ means rock or stone. Jesus gave Peter this name in Matthew 16. When Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied,

Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Talk about authority.       

Eugene Peterson makes the observation that Peter’s influence in the early church was enormous. He was easily the most powerful figure in the Christian community. The truly impressive thing about Peter, the thing that confirms his authority, is the way he handled himself in that position of power. He stayed out of the centre and maintained his submission to Jesus. Given his position Peter could have taken over, using his association with Jesus to promote himself. But he did not do that. [1] Peter kept Jesus at the centre. He pointed people to Christ and so we can trust him.  

Okay, so Peter is the sender of the letter. And he’s not just any old sender. He writes with Christ given authority and humility.

Recipients

What about the recipients? Who were they? Well, the rest of verse 1 tells us they are God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia.

This tells us that Peter’s letter is a circular letter. It’s not a letter written to a specific church in order to address some problem in that church. It is a letter to be circulated among the various house churches in that particular geographic region (what we know today as modern Turkey). So Peter wrote the letter, probably from Rome, and then had another Christian believer travel around Turkey taking the letter to the various congregations in Asia Minor.

Most likely Peter’s letter was read out loud in their gathered worship (sort of like a sermon) and those house churches (who could afford it) probably made careful copies so they could refer to it again. 

Do you know what a horologist is? I’ll give you a moment to think, without using Google. [Wait]

That’s right a horologist is someone who makes and fixes clocks and watches.

A few weeks ago I mentioned the TV programme, The Repair Shop. It turns out I’m not alone in liking that show. Unfortunately, the very week after I mentioned it the series came to an end. Hopefully they make another one.

For those who have not seen The Repair Shop, the idea is, people bring in their beloved family belongings to a workshop of craftspeople who go about restoring the item to make it functional again.

The Repair Shop has a resident horologist as part of the team. His name is Steve. Several times someone has brought in an old clock to be repaired and Steve has taken it apart completely, put the various brass components in a special cleaning solution, fixed any broken pieces and then reassembled the clock, making it functional again. Incredible skill. I don’t know how he remembers where everything goes, especially when the clock comes to him already in pieces.

Peter describes the Christians he is writing to as God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered…

In some ways the recipients of Peter’s letter are a bit like the pieces of a disassembled clock – scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia.    

If this world is like God’s repair shop, then Christian believers are strangers in this world. The repair shop is not our permanent home. It’s a temporary place, where we are sanctified, before we are returned to our proper home, which is the kingdom of heaven.

To be sanctified is to be made holy – as in whole and functional. If we think of the church as a clock, then the Holy Spirit is like a horologist. The Holy Spirit sanctifies the clock of the church. He strips us down, removing all the corrosion by baptising or immersing our metal in the special cleaning fluid of God’s word. He fixes any broken parts and reassembles the clock.

Now we should not press the clock analogy too far. I’m not suggesting God is like a divine clock maker who winds up the world and walks away to let it tick by on its own. Nor am I suggesting that you are just a cog in God’s machine. You are far more valuable to God than brass. And unlike metal, we human beings feel things.

The point is, this world is not our home. This world is like a repair shop. It is a place of disorientation for us. The sanctifying work of the Spirit is not an easy process. It is strange and difficult and confusing for Christian believers to be taken apart in this world.

The recipients of Peter’s letter were suffering. Because of their faith in Jesus they were being given a hard time, socially ostracised. Slander and malicious talk undermined their relationships in the community. [2] Many scholars think that Peter wrote his letter sometime between 62 and 64 AD, during the reign of the Roman Emperor, Nero. Nero was the one who famously fiddled while Rome burned and then blamed Christians for the fire he started.

Peter is writing to encourage his fellow believers. It’s like he’s saying, “You are in the repair shop. You are being treated unfairly by the society you live in. You are misunderstood and maligned. It might feel like you are being taken apart right now but you need to remember who you are, where you are and why you are. Your time in the repair shop of this world is temporary. You will be restored whole and new again to your proper home, in the Kingdom of heaven.”

The word translated as ‘strangers’, in verse 1, can also be translated as sojourners or resident aliens or refugees. Abraham was a sojourner. I know that some of you, who are listening to this, have immigrated from different parts of the world, so you know what it is to be a sojourner. But all believers, whether they are born in the country they live in or shifted there, are sojourners in this world.

The word translated as ‘scattered’ is diaspora (as in dispersion). It is the term commonly used to describe Jews who were scattered through the world after the exile of 587 BC.

The intriguing thing here is that Peter uses typically Jewish terms to describe the recipients of his letter, even though they are not all Jewish. Some of them were Jews but a good proportion were Gentile. Peter (who was Jewish) is saying that Gentiles are now included in the people of God (they now belong) through faith in Jesus the Messiah.

Peter has come a long way in his thinking. He has gone from being a Jew who refused to associate with Gentiles to one who accepted people of all nations. Peter learned that Jesus is the key to belonging to the people of God.

The thing about being a stranger or a sojourner is that people don’t know you or understand your ways. It is difficult, lonely and isolating to be not known and misunderstood by your neighbours. And so, in verse 2, Peter says you have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.  

The idea here is that even though their neighbours may not know them or understand their ways; even though their neighbours may in fact be spreading malicious rumours about them, God the Father knows them. He knows the difficult situation the followers of Jesus are in and he cares for them.

Returning to our analogy of the clock in the repair shop – God knows where every piece of the clock is scattered. He knows how long it needs to stay in the cleaning solution and where it fits when the clock is put back together.

But it’s not just that God knows certain facts about believers. God knows us with a personal, loving, fatherly knowledge.

In Psalm 139 David praises God for his personal foreknowledge saying:

You have searched me,Lord, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughtsfrom afar. 3 You discern my going outand my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.

As any parent understands, knowing your children goes hand in hand with caring for them. In fact, you can’t really provide care for someone without knowing them. If you are preparing meals for people and you don’t know they have an allergy to peanuts, for example, care becomes harm. 

There is one person in our house (who shall remain nameless) who cannot stand bananas. Possibly she had a bad experience with a banana sandwich when she was young and now she almost gags at the smell of a banana. If I did not know her I might bake a banana cake for her, thinking I was doing something kind. But my kindness would not be received. It would probably end up on the floor. Knowing her I would be better to offer a bag of chips.

Some of you may have picked up the reference to the Trinity in verse 2, where Peter talks about the foreknowledge of God the Father, the sanctifying work of the Spirit and the blood of Christ.

Peter says his readers are ‘sprinkled with the blood of Christ’. This is another Old Testament, Jewish stock like, reference. It is rich with meaning. When God made a covenant with the people of Israel in the wilderness, Moses sprinkled the people with blood. Therefore, Jesus’ blood (shed on the cross) makes us one with the people of God.

Likewise, Jewish priests were sprinkled with blood as a way of consecrating them in service to God and his people. Therefore, Jesus’ blood sets Christian believers apart as a royal priesthood. We have a special role in interceding for the world.    

In a similar vein, when a leper was declared cleansed of their leprosy the priest sprinkled the person with blood. So too Jesus’ blood cleanses us from sin so that we are able to participate in worship.        

In verse 2 Peter spells out quite clearly why God has chosen the recipients of his letter: for obedience to Christ.  Our purpose is to obey Jesus – to follow his teaching and his call on our lives.  

Conclusion:

Some people might think that because Peter was a fisherman he wasn’t that intellectual or cerebral. But that is a prejudice against fishermen and others who earn a living with their hands. Peter shows a real depth of wisdom in these two verses.

He knows he is writing to people who are scattered and doing life hard, through no fault of their own. What they need is to be reminded of who they are, where they are and why they are.

Who are they? That’s a question about identity. They are the God’s special people, known personally by him.

Where are they? That’s a question about belonging. They are not at home. They are in the repair shop of this world, temporarily. The kingdom of heaven is where they really belong.

Why are they? That’s a question about purpose. Their reason for being is to obey Jesus.

Last Wednesday Auckland went back to level 3, under COVID restrictions, and the rest of the country went to level 2. Consequently, we are not able to gather for Sunday worship. We are scattered in our house churches.

This raises a mixture of feelings for people. Some are thankful that the government have acted swiftly to prevent the spread of the virus. Others may feel frustrated or anxious or simply tired.

Whatever you are feeling, remember these three things:

Remember who you are. You are a child of God. We are the people of God.   

Remember where you are and where you belong. You are a sojourner in this world but your home is with God in the kingdom of heaven.

And remember why you are. Your purpose is to obey Jesus, to be sanctified and made whole by the Holy Spirit.   

May grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

What is authority and where does it come from? Where did Peter’s authority come from? How did Peter use his authority?

Who were the recipients of Peter’s letter? What was there situation?

What is meant by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit?

What does it mean to be a stranger (sojourner) in this world? Where does the Christian believer belong? Where is our home?

What is the meaning/significance of being sprinkled with the blood of Christ?

Why are we? What is our purpose as the people of God?

Take some time this week to reflect on who you are, where you are and why you are? What implications does this have for your life?

[1] Refer Eugene Peterson’s introduction to 1-2 Peter in the Message Bible, page 2209.

[2] Refer Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1 Peter, page 58.

Tawa Baptist

Playing God

Scripture: Genesis 9:1-17

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • God’s blessing
  • Ethical considerations
  • God’s covenant
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

The New Zealander, Glenn Colquhoun, wrote a poem called ‘Playing God’. The first verse goes like this…

If you play God, play God at tennis.

A strict code of conduct is expected.

Clear lines must be drawn in the sand.

The ball will be either in or out.

At times there is talk of love.

To give some context, Glenn Colquhoun is a medical doctor. When practicing medicine, it is not always clear where the lines are drawn. Sometimes it is tempting to play God in the sense of making God’s decisions for him. But it’s best not to play God with medicine. Instead, play God at tennis. Have a conversation with him – back and forth over the net.

Today we conclude our series on Noah and the great flood. Over the past several weeks we have heard how humanity tried to play God; they crossed boundaries and lost. This morning we hear what happens after the flood.

From Genesis 9:1-17 we read…

Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. 2 The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds of the air, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. 3 Everything that lives and moves will be food for you.Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

4 “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal.And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.

6 “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made humankind.

7 As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 “I now establish my covenant with youand with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenantwith you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbowappears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenantbetween me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbowappears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenantbetween God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenantI have established between me and all life on the earth.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Today’s reading falls neatly into two parts. Verses 1-7 deal with God’s blessing and verses 8-17 look at God’s covenant. First let’s consider God’s blessing.

God’s blessing:

To bless someone is to give them something which is good for their well-being. A blessing leads to happiness.

The blessing may come in the form of words, like when someone says something encouraging to you which gives your spirit a lift. Or, a blessing could be demonstrated in deed. For example, if you need work and someone offers you paid employment, they are blessing you. The job will provide you with things that will promote your well-being and happiness.

By the same token, if you are overworked and in need of a holiday, then having someone cover for you at work blesses you. It supports your well-being and enhances your happiness.   

You might bless your wife by doing the washing or you might bless your children by spending time having fun with them. Some of you blessed your (over 70 year-old) parents by organizing groceries for them while we were in lockdown recently.

Genesis chapter 9 begins with God blessing Noah and his family. There are essentially three aspects to God’s blessing here: procreation, provision and protection.

The second verse of Glenn Colquhoun’s poem Playing God reads…

If you play God, play God at chess.

All decisions must be black or white.

There are ways for him to be kept in check.

Bishops are available for consultation.

There is the possibility of mating.

Glenn is using irony to humorous effect in this verse. Theological decisions are seldom black or white and ultimately God will not be kept in check, but the Bible does seem to mention mating a fair bit, especially in Genesis. 

In verses 1 & 7 of Genesis 9, God blesses Noah’s family with the words, Be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth. This is the procreation aspect of God’s blessing. It echoes the sixth day of creation in Genesis 1:28, where God says the same thing.

God’s word of blessing isn’t just a nice sentiment – it carries significant weight and translates to real positive outcomes in a person’s life. So when God says, be fruitful and multiply, that results in Noah having lots of descendants.  

Of course, the blessing isn’t automatic. It requires some participation by the one’s being blessed. Noah’s sons and daughters-in-law needed to do their part too. But the main point is, life is a gift from God. Life is sacred because life belongs to God. Life is God’s to give and take as he chooses. Life comes from God and life returns to God.

We see the provision aspect of God’s blessing in verse 3 where God says, ‘Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you green plants, I now give you everything. In Genesis 1:29, on the sixth day of creation, God gave human beings every seed bearing plant on the face of the earth and every tree that bears fruit for food. Now, after the flood, God says people can eat meat as well as fruit and veges.

However, God also places some limits on eating animals. Namely, the animal must be living. So we can’t eat road kill or something that is already dead. The other limit is we cannot eat meat with its life-blood still in it. This does not mean we can never have a rare steak. It means the blood should be drained from the animal before the meat is cooked.

You see, in the ancient world people believed the life force (or the soul) of a creature was in its blood. As John Walton explains, “Ritually speaking, the draining of blood before eating the meat was a way of returning the life force of the animal to God who gave it life”. [1] This recognizes the life of the animal is a gift from God. The blood of a creature is sacred because life is in the blood and life belongs to God. Life comes from God and life returns to God.

Having said that animal life is sacred, there is a divinely ordained hierarchy in creation. Although there is an inter-dependence in nature, that should not be taken for granted, human beings are more sacred than animals or plant life.

Verses 5-6 of Genesis 9 read: And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal.And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being. Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made humankind.

You may be thinking, how does this fit with God’s blessing? Well, this is the protection aspect of God’s blessing. You will remember that prior to the flood both animals and humans had corrupted their ways and become violent. In other words, animals were killing people and people were killing each other. People were playing God by crossing all sorts of boundaries and undoing God’s order. It was moral chaos. That’s why God sent the flood to start again.   

God is making it clear that he does not want a repeat of that. Killing people is not okay. It’s not allowed for a number of reasons. Chief among those reasons is that people are made in the image of God. Therefore, human life is especially sacred. ‘You can’t touch this.’ To kill a human being is to deface or assault the image of God. It is an insult to the Lord. Not only that but taking another human life, is to put oneself in the place of God. Life and death are God’s business not ours. We must not cross that line, without God’s permission. If you are going to play God, play him at tennis or chess.

Ethical considerations:

Verses 5 & 6 raise a web of ethical considerations. Most obviously there is the issue of capital punishment. Genesis 9 seems to be mandating the death penalty for murder. It is saying that human societies have an obligation to take a life for a life. So the general rule is that killing people is not allowed, except where someone kills another person.

The Law of Moses is similar. While it disallows murder, it does allow the death penalty for a number of crimes. However, there had to be two or three witnesses to the crime and if the killing was accidental the one guilty of manslaughter could flee to a city of refuge. So Israel’s law made room for situational ethics.

Looking at the New Testament, the apostle Paul went along with capital punishment in Romans 13:4, where he talks about the government being God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrong doer. Paul’s comment here is a generalization. Sometimes the authorities get it wrong. The Jewish and Roman justice systems got it spectacularly wrong with Jesus’ execution. But God used it for good.  

Justice is not a one size fits all thing. There are times when the specific circumstances of the crime call for an exception to be made to the rule. For example, in John 8, Jesus saves a woman caught in adultery from being stoned to death, not because he was against capital punishment per se, but because the situation required it. The woman had been set up to trap Jesus and besides, the letter of the law required the man to be stoned as well, but he was missing. While the woman was guilty of adultery, it would have been a travesty of justice to allow her to be stoned. Jesus wisely applied situational ethics.

As Christians, the gospel holds up the ideal of grace and forgiveness and reconciliation. But Christian forgiveness is not automatic or unconditional. For forgiveness to stick and for reconciliation to be real, there needs to be honest confession and genuine repentance.

One of the risks of not having the death penalty is that dangerous criminals may reoffend taking even more life. This has happened before. But there are risks in keeping capital punishment as well. What if an innocent person is sent for a lethal injection? The justice system does not always get it right.     

Some countries these days still have the death penalty, although it is not always carried out or it may be delayed. New Zealand abolished the death penalty in 1961. Some say this was due, in part, to the 1957 case of Walter Bolton, the last person in New Zealand to be executed for murder. 

Walter was convicted of poisoning his wife Beatrice. Traces of arsenic had been found in small doses in Beatrice’s tea. The quantity consumed over the best part of a year was enough to kill her. Water on the Bolton’s farm was tested and found to contain arsenic, and traces of arsenic were also found in Walter himself and one of his daughters. The defence argued that sheep dip had inadvertently got into the farm’s water supply, so Beatrice’s poisoning was unintentional. No one in the family knew their water had arsenic in it. 

However, the prosecution’s case was strengthened by evidence that Bolton had admitted to having had an affair with his wife’s sister, Florence. The idea that Beatrice’s death was a result of accidental poisoning then lost credibility. After deliberating for two hours and ten minutes, the jury returned a guilty verdict.

When the judge asked Bolton why there was any reason he should not pronounce the death sentence, Walter Bolton replied, ‘I plead not guilty, sir.’

A newspaper story later claimed that Bolton’s execution had gone horribly wrong, so that he suffered in the process. Some still claim that Bolton was an innocent man. What if an innocent man had been killed on behalf of the people of New Zealand?  [2]

We have to be able to live with the choices we make. If a society is going to have capital punishment then, for justice to be done consistently, that society also needs to have no racism, no discrimination and no corruption in the justice system. What’s more they need to be absolutely sure before passing the guilty verdict, because there is no room for error with the death penalty. 

These days the sentence for murder in NZ is a minimum of 10 years in prison, followed by life on parole. 

Whatever your view on capital punishment it is clear, from Genesis 9, that God’s purpose is to bless his creation by reducing violence and upholding the value of human life. The two key Biblical principles here are divine sovereignty and human dignity.

By human dignity we mean human life is inherently valuable and sacred because we are made in the image of God.      

And by divine sovereignty we mean God is in charge of life and death. The taking of human life is a divine prerogative which is permitted to human beings only by specific mandate. [3] It is not our place to play God. It is not our place to take the power of God into our own hands. That’s like saying ‘I can do without God. I can decide myself.’ That sort of thinking is the very essence of sin.

Following this train of thought, another one of the ethical considerations relating to Genesis 9 is the issue of euthanasia. While voluntary euthanasia is not the same as murder (in that the person being killed wants to die), euthanasia is still intentional killing. Whether voluntary or involuntary, euthanasia is deliberately introducing death into a situation in which it did not previously exist or is not imminently present. [4]

Because God is sovereign over life and death, because it is not our place to take the power of God in our own hands, we do not have a mandate to decide when we die.

By the same token we do not have a mandate to play God by intervening to prolong the process of dying. There is a fundamental difference between causing somebody to die (which is euthanasia) and allowing them to die (which is not euthanasia). If someone is already in the process of dying, our responsibility is to be present for them and make them as comfortable as possible. In that situation, providing quality palliative care is the compassionate thing to do. Giving pain killers to a dying patient in order to relieve their suffering may (in some cases) bring death on more quickly, but it is not euthanasia because death is already imminently present.  

As a minister I have sat by the bedside of a number of people as they have died. I think there is some valuable learning in watching someone die, especially for the family and friends of the one who is dying.

Much of the learning is unique and specific to the individual but, in a general sense, we have the opportunity to learn acceptance. Acceptance of the loss we are experiencing. Acceptance of our own mortality. Acceptance of weakness and vulnerability. Acceptance that we cannot control everything and therefore we must learn to trust if we are going to live well.

There are other things we could say about euthanasia but we don’t have time to explore it all this morning. If you are interested in hearing more on this topic, then I encourage you to attend the seminar on ‘Euthanasia and Christian Faith’ to be held at Karori Baptist next Saturday 15 August from 4:30-6:30pm.

Returning to Genesis 9. After blessing Noah’s family in verses 1-7, God then goes on to make a covenant with all of creation in verses 8-17.

God’s covenant:

A covenant is a sacred commitment or agreement that should never be broken. It is stronger than a contract.

Three things we note about God’s covenant in Genesis 9:

It is inclusive in its scope, embracing every living creature, not just humans.

It is permanent, lasting for all time, as long as the earth exists.

And it is generous, God’s covenant is unconditional and undeserved.

Normally with a covenant there are obligations on both parties. The remarkable thing about God’s covenant in Genesis 9 is that it is entirely one sided. That is, God takes all the obligation on himself, without asking anything of his creation.    

In verse 11 God says: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.

By committing himself to not destroy the earth by flood again, no matter how badly his creation may behave, God is showing considerable faith in his creation to do the right thing. This covenant is pure grace on God’s part.

Now it is important to understand what God is not promising as well. For example, God is not promising there will never be any localized flooding. And he is not promising to prevent man-made disasters (like global warming) either. Nor is he saying there won’t be other consequences if his creation misbehaves. (The final judgement is still coming and we need to be ready to give an account for how we have lived our lives.) God is simply saying he won’t send another flood on that scale to destroy the earth again.

Verses 12-16 talk about the sign of God’s covenant. The sign of a covenant is like the seal of authenticity. The sign of God’s covenant with Abraham is circumcision. The sign of God’s covenant with Israel at Sinai is the Sabbath day. The sign of the new covenant, established by Jesus, is communion.

The sign of God’s covenant with all of creation is the rainbow in the clouds. The rainbow is a seal guaranteeing the integrity of God’s covenant not to destroy the earth by flood again. The rainbow provides reassurance to all creation that life will go on. Therefore, we have hope. We do not need to be afraid.  

The Hebrew word we translate as ‘rainbow’ is simply bow, ‘as in bow and arrow’, a weapon of war. [5] The image of a bow in the sky (relaxed and pointing away from the earth) suggests that God has hung up his bow. He has put his weapon away and won’t fire the arrows of a flood like this again.  

Conclusion:     

Derek Kidner makes the observation that the rainbow is out of human reach. [6] No matter how much you try you can never get close enough to touch a rainbow. It keeps moving away as you walk toward it.

This is quite different from the sign of the new covenant established by Jesus. Communion (the bread and the cup) are things we can touch and taste and take into ourselves.

In Genesis 9, the sign of God’s covenant is distant, remote, out of reach. Now, through Jesus, God draws near in a very real and intimate way. The message is clear. We cannot approach God in our own strength or goodness. Thankfully God, in his grace, comes to us in Christ to bless and sustain and renew.        

Let us pray…

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • What does it mean to bless someone? How have you been blessed lately? Who can you be a blessing to?
  • Why is life (particularly human life) sacred? Why does God demand an accounting for the killing of human beings?  What is wrong with killing people?
  • How do the Biblical principles of divine sovereignty and human dignity guide our thinking on ethical issues like capital punishment and euthanasia?  How might we use the whole of Scripture to help us navigate these ethical issues? 
  • Have you sat by the bedside of a friend or family member as they were dying? What happened for you in that process? What opportunity did this allow you?
  • What are the three distinctive characteristics of God’s covenant in Genesis 9?
  • Discuss / reflect on the significance of the rainbow as the sign of God’s covenant with creation. How is the sign of the new covenant (i.e. communion) different from the rainbow?

[1] John Walton, NIVAC Genesis, page 343.

[2] https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/the-death-penalty/the-last-execution

[3] Refer John Stott’s book, ‘New Issues facing Christians today’, pages 345-346.

[4] Ibid, page 376.

[5] Refer John Walton, NIVAC Genesis, page 345.

[6] Refer Derek Kidner’s commentary on Genesis, pages 100-102.

Tawa Baptist

God’s Commitment

Scripture: Genesis 8:20-22 and Matthew 13:24-30

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Noah’s worship
  • God’s commitment
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Let me tell you a story. Once there was an artist, a painter. He had an eye for light, the way it falls differently depending on the time of year and the time of day. Although he worked hard trying to capture the nuance of the light on his subject, he never felt like he quite did justice to the picture in his mind’s eye. But at the same time he wasn’t able to give it up. The pursuit of beauty made him even more determined.

One day the artist was asked to paint a mural on a wall for the town. He took this project seriously. After months of thinking and sketching he started painting. The scale of the mural was large but he had it finished in a week. He wouldn’t admit to it being perfect but it was certainly very good – it suited the space. Many passers-by stopped to admire the mural’s grace and message.     

Sadly, one night, some vandals came and defaced the mural. The artist was deeply hurt by this. Not only had the vandals undone the time and effort he had put into the painting, they had shown contempt for him and contempt for the light. The only part of the mural not damaged was a corner where his name was. It was like the culprits wanted to mar his reputation.  

The artist could not stand to look at the now grotesque image. He set to work removing the graffiti but the spray paint they had used was stubborn; it wouldn’t wash off without damaging the art work underneath. There was no way to clean the mess without destroying the mural. Only the corner with his name on it was able to be saved.

Once the wall had been washed, the artist went about repainting the mural. In doing this he knew he was making himself vulnerable to getting hurt all over again. The vandals would likely come back to ruin the new art work too. But the artist refused to be silenced. He was determined that light and beauty would prevail in the end.    

Today we continue our series on Noah and the great flood. In some ways God is like the painter in the story and his creation is like the mural. Although the world God created was good, some vandals defaced it and God had little choice but to start again with Noah, the only one not tagged by evil.

Last week we heard how God remembered Noah, while Noah waited patiently for the Lord as the flood waters receded. This morning Noah and the animals are finally released from the ark. From Genesis 8, verses 20-22, we read…

20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offeringson it. 21 The Lord smelled the pleasing aromaand said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the groundbecause of humans, even thoughevery inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.And never again will I destroyall living creatures, as I have done. 22 “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

In this passage we see Noah’s worship of the Lord and God’s commitment to repaint the mural of his creation.

Noah’s worship:

Can anyone tell me what happened on Tuesday the 28th April this year? [Wait]

That’s right, New Zealand moved from level 4 lockdown to level 3, under COVID restrictions. This meant that around 400,000 people returned to work and some restaurants opened for takeaways. I remember watching the evening news and seeing really long queues of cars snaking down the road as people waited in the drive-thru for their first taste of McDonalds in over a month.

After over a year in the ark God tells Noah he can leave; his lockdown is over. And the first thing we read that Noah does was worship God. Noah built an altar to the Lord and sacrificed some of the clean animals and birds on it. 

We know from the beginning of Genesis 7 that God instructed Noah to take seven pairs of clean animals and one pair of every unclean animal. So in sacrificing some of the clean animals Noah wasn’t wiping out the species, he had spares.

We can’t be sure what constituted a clean animal or bird in Noah’s day. The Law of Moses, which defines what is clean and unclean, was not introduced until centuries after Noah so we don’t know what animals Noah sacrificed. But that is beside the point. The main thing here is that Noah’s first thought was not a Maccas run or going back to the office or anything mundane like that. His first thought was worshipping God. Noah puts God first.

Verse 21 of Genesis 8 indicates that God was pleased with Noah’s sacrifice. While Genesis 8 doesn’t explain why God was pleased, we know from elsewhere in Scripture the sorts of things God is looking for in worship.

For our worship to be pleasing to God it needs to be true. We can’t fake it with God. True worship comes from the inside out. In other words, it has its roots in our heart and its fruit in our obedient actions.

In Isaiah 29, verse 13, God criticizes the people of Isaiah’s day saying: These people come near to me with their mouth and honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.

Jesus had a similar complaint about many of the religious leaders of his day. Jesus described them as ‘white washed tombs’ – looking good on the outside but full of decay and corruption on the inside.

In John 4, verse 24, while speaking to the Samaritan woman by the well, Jesus made it clear what kind of worship God requires saying: God is Spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

Obeying God in faith is the litmus test of true, heartfelt worship. Like the prophet Micah famously said: Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstbornfor my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humblywith your God.         

And that is probably why God was pleased with Noah’s sacrifice of worship, because Noah obeyed God. Not just for show, when people were looking, but from the heart when it was him alone with God.

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross has done away with the need for animal sacrifice. We don’t need to approach God by killing a lamb or a dove. We are able to approach God through faith in Jesus.

This is not to say that our worship is without sacrifice. Our sacrificial worship of God may come in a variety of forms these days, including the money we give to the poor and to the church, as well as the time we volunteer in service to God and his people.

If you are in business, then part of your worship may cost you trade if you choose not to do business on a Sunday. I am mindful too of the way this church (Tawa Baptist) has often offered its best and brightest people to serve in church and mission work both here in NZ and overseas. The people are a church’s life blood. It is a costly sacrifice training up interns and then sending them off to be a blessing for someone else.  

Noah’s worship was pleasing to God because it was true. Noah’s worship came from the inside out. It had its roots in Noah’s heart and its fruit in Noah’s obedient actions. Noah put God first, before his stomach and before his career.

God’s commitment:

It appears that Noah’s worship touched God’s heart. In verse 21, of Genesis 8, we read, The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma [of Noah’s sacrifice] and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even thoughevery inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.And never again will I destroyall living creatures, as I have done…”

The reference to cursing the ground connects with Genesis 3, after the fall of humankind, when God cursed the ground making it harder for people to grow food. God will not curse the ground again because of humans.

But the more interesting thing here is God’s commitment to the human race. In Genesis 6:5, before the flood, we read how …every inclination of the human heart was only evil all the time. Now, after the flood in Genesis 8:21, we read that …every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. This shows us the flood has not changed the human heart. Noah’s heart may be better than most but God can see that, in time, his creation will degenerate again.

God is a bit like the artist who painted the mural on the wall. Even though the human heart has not changed, even though God knows the vandals will return to deface his image, the Lord resolves to persevere with his creation. He is determined that the beauty of his grace will prevail in the end. The implication here is that God is committing himself to suffering with his creation. God is leaving himself open to more grief so that we may be saved. 

Let me tell you another story. Once there was a writer. She wrote all sorts of things, from poems to short stories, to novels and even the occasional play. She was always looking for the right words to express the truth of something but often felt like her words didn’t quite do justice to the truth. Still, she couldn’t help writing. The pursuit of truth made her even more determined. 

One day she wrote a play. Actually it brewed in her mind for years before pouring out on her keyboard over the course of a week. She wouldn’t admit to it being perfect but it was certainly very good – a masterpiece. Handing her play over to the cast of actors felt like handing a child over to strangers. It was an act of trust. She hoped they would look after her baby.

Some months passed while the actors rehearsed the script and the prop builders constructed the set. Finally, the opening night came. The play started well but before long it became apparent the actors didn’t know their lines. In fact, the cast had made some pretty big changes to the script and it wasn’t recognizable as her story anymore.

The writer sat in the audience heart broken. Most of the cast of the play had completely misunderstood their parts. They had taken her magnum opus and turned it into a farce. Only one actor nailed it. The play-write felt betrayed. She wanted to stand up and stop the whole show. But instead she sat through it, even though it was torture, both for her and the rest of the audience.        

In some ways, God is like the writer of the play and humanity is like the cast who have forgotten their lines, misunderstood their parts and changed the script.  

Returning to Genesis 8. When God resolved not to destroy humanity he was essentially making a commitment to persevere with our imperfection, at least for a period of time (although not forever). Ultimately God’s plan is to redeem his creation – to make it new and perfect again.

The kingdom of heaven is a place where all the actors understand their parts and know their lines by heart. It is a place where God’s will is done; where his script is followed and the story of our lives are given coherence and meaning.

In Ezekiel 36:26, God says through the prophet: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

In other words, God intends to give humanity a heart transplant; to remove our hard unfeeling heart (our dead heart) and give us a heart which is alive and beats for him. A heart which feels and is grieved by evil, as God’s heart is.

In Matthew 13 Jesus tells the parable of the wheat and the weeds. An enemy sows weeds among the wheat but the farmer does not uproot the weeds in case this disturbs the wheat. He allows the weeds to grow alongside the wheat until the harvest. Then at the harvest the workers separate the weeds from the wheat. The weeds are destroyed and the wheat is saved.

The parable of the wheat and the weeds is an allegory about the final judgement – the harvest represents judgement day. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of God’s kingdom, while the weeds are the people of the evil one.

There is a point of connection between this parable and God’s attitude after the flood. Namely that God is committed to redeeming what is good in his creation, even though that involves persevering with the weeds of evil for a certain period of time.

Conclusion:

The world we live in is not perfect but the good news is: this world is not all there is. God has chosen to suffer with his creation in order to redeem it. In the end, the light of God’s truth and the beauty of God’s grace will prevail.

In the meantime, God makes this commitment: 22 “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

What connections do you see between the story of the artist who painted the mural and the story God who created the earth?

Why do you think God was pleased with Noah’s sacrifice? What makes our worship pleasing to God?

What are the implications of God’s commitment to persevere with human beings, even though the human heart is bent toward evil?     

What connections do you see between the story of the writer who penned the play and the story of God who created history?

What connections do you see between God’s attitude after the flood (in Genesis 8:21) and the parable of the wheat & weeds (in Matthew 13)?

Although this world/life is not perfect, the hope of God’s kingdom gives us something to look forward to. What can we look forward to in the fullness of God’s kingdom?