Tawa Baptist

Esau

Scripture: Genesis 25:19-34 & 27:1-45

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3xctOjgDbs

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Esau is hairy
  • Esau despises his birthright
  • Jacobs deceives Isaac
  • Conclusion – forgiveness

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Today we begin a new sermon series on hair and hairy people in the Bible.

Most people are born with about 100,000 hair follicles on their head, although it can vary from person to person. And that is not say anything about the hair on the rest of your body.

Somewhat ironically, hair is often a symbol for strength, vitality and beauty. So the more hair someone has the more vigorous and healthy they are perceived to be. I say that’s ironic because, in actual fact, once hair reaches the surface of the skin the cells are dead. It’s strange that we mistake that which is dead as a sign of life.

Nevertheless, we do seem to judge people based the appearance of their hair. Consequently, a lot of time and effort is often given to hair, assuming you still have it.

Please turn with me to Genesis 25, on page 28 toward the beginning of your pew Bibles. We come across a number of hairy characters in the Bible. One of the first is Esau, the son of Isaac and Rebekah and the twin brother of Jacob. From Genesis 25, verse 21 we read about the birth of Esau & Jacob…

Esau is hairy:

21 Because Rebecca had no children, Isaac prayed to the Lord for her. The Lord answered his prayer, and Rebecca became pregnant. 22 She was going to have twins, and before they were born, they struggled against each other in her womb. She said, “Why should something like this happen to me?” So she went to ask the Lord for an answer.

23 The Lord said to her, “Two nations are within you; You will give birth to two rival peoples. One will be stronger than the other; The older will serve the younger.”

24 The time came for her to give birth, and she had twin sons. 25 The first one was reddish, and his skin was like a hairy robe, so he was named Esau. 26 The second one was born holding on tightly to the heel of Esau, so he was named Jacob.Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

May the Lord bless the reading of his word.

If we say something was a bit ‘hairy’; for example, ‘the traffic was a bit hairy on the way to work this morning’ or ‘the crowd was a bit hairy at the cricket’, we mean that it was dangerous, scary, unpredictable and risky or a bit out of control. Hairiness, then, can be a metaphor for that which is rough & ready or ill prepared. Hairiness is sort of the opposite of refinement and good quality. It is the opposite of neat & tidy and safe.

Not only was Esau physically hairy, from birth, Esau and Jacob’s relationship as brothers was pretty hairy too. Genesis 25 tells us how they were in conflict with each other even before they were born. They wrestled in the womb.

Throughout most of history the first born male has been given certain privileges. They call it primogeniture. This is where the eldest son becomes first in line to inherit something significant from their parents. For example, Prince Charles is next in line to be king of England because he is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth.

Primogeniture is a random basis for deciding succession. It doesn’t require any special skill or quality. It comes down to luck basically. What’s more, it’s not really God’s idea. It is a human tradition.

Esau was the first born of Rebekah and Isaac. There wasn’t much in it to be fair. Jacob followed quickly after, holding on to the heel of his brother Esau. But Esau crossed the line first and, from a human point of view, that gave him certain privileges, most notably a special birthright. In that culture being born first gave Esau the right to inherit the leadership and authority of his father Isaac. That means Esau would be boss of the family once Isaac died.

However, God does not play by human rules. He is no respecter of man-made traditions. To the Lord, primogeniture is a hairy idea and so God is inclined to shave that particular human tradition. As Jesus said, the first shall be last and the last shall be first.    

While she was still pregnant, Rebekah enquired of the Lord and the Lord said to her: the older will serve the younger. And so it appears that God elected or chose Jacob to become the head of the family and to inherit the promise and blessing of his grandfather Abraham.

We notice in the Bible that God sometimes selects certain individuals for a special purpose. In ways we don’t fully understand God uses the choices those individuals make to serve his plan and purpose. He works it for good.

God did not choose Jacob because Jacob was an especially good or noble person. In fact, as we shall see, Jacob’s behavior toward his brother and father was quite hairy at times. Rather, God’s election of Jacob was all grace. It was entirely unmerited favour, for God chose Jacob before he was born. That is, before Jacob had a chance to do anything good or bad.

Esau despises his birthright:

From verse 27 of Genesis 25, we pick up the story…

27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skilled hunter, a man who loved the outdoors, but Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home. 28 Isaac preferred Esau, because he enjoyed eating the animals Esau killed, but Rebecca preferred Jacob.

29 One day while Jacob was cooking some bean soup, Esau came in from hunting. He was hungry 30 and said to Jacob, “I’m starving; give me some of that red stuff.” (That is why he was named Edom.)

31 Jacob answered, “I will give it to you if you give me your rights as the first-born son.”

32 Esau said, “All right! I am about to die; what good will my rights do me?”

33 Jacob answered, “First make a vow that you will give me your rights.”

Esau made the vow and gave his rights to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave him some bread and some of the soup. He ate and drank and then got up and left. That was all Esau cared about his rights as the first-born son.

May God bless the reading of his word.

What we have in these verses from Genesis 25, is an example of men behaving badly. Esau despises his birthright. He trades his right to become head of the household for a bowl of lentil soup. He treats something sacred as though it were cheap and of little consequence. That’s a hairy thing to do. Esau may have felt famished but he was hardly starving. He could have waited.

Jacob’s behaviour isn’t any better. Basic human decency, not to mention the obligation to provide hospitality in that culture, required Jacob to share the soup with his brother freely. But Jacob sees an opportunity and exploits Esau’s vulnerability.

Although Jacob’s behaviour seems a bit hairy to us, God used it for good. Jacob’s test revealed the truth of the situation. Jacob may have been ruthless but he clearly cared more for the birthright than Esau did, which tends to vindicate God’s choice in electing Jacob.

Someone told me once how they used to have compulsory military training in the country they came from. There was a test for those who wanted to become officers in the army. They took the cadets out into the desert, had them do fatigues during the heat of the day and deprived them of water. Then after some hours, when everyone was really thirsty, they brought out some cold drinks.

Anyone could have a drink but if you did, you forfeited the option to become an officer. Being a leader is not easy. It requires real strength. You need self-discipline and you have to be prepared to make personal sacrifices. Jesus faced an even more demanding test when he was called to public ministry. He fasted in the wilderness for 40 days and was tested by Satan.

Now personally, I don’t think there was anything wrong with those cadets who accepted the drink and choose not to be an officer. That is not the same as selling your birthright for a bowl of stew. Military leadership is not for everyone. In fact, the army is not for everyone.

I guess these days the army has a more refined and careful selection process for their officers. I imagine one would have to be psychologically assessed before being accepted. But the drink test in the desert, that’s something that can’t be replicated by psychometric testing.

The point is, before we can be entrusted with something valuable we have to demonstrate to ourselves (more than anyone else) that we truly value what we are to be entrusted with.    

Esau may have been born first but he wasn’t really called or suited for the role of being head of the family. And that’s okay. Being the leader is not always what it is cracked up to be. For the followers of Jesus, being a leader means following the path of self-sacrifice. The leader knows better than anyone else that the first shall be last and the last shall be first.  

At various stages on your life’s journey, if you pause long enough, you might ask yourself, ‘Why am I here? What is my purpose in life? What do I value? Where do I find meaning for my soul?’

That can be a hairy process, because it usually involves some kind of deprivation or test. Some sort of sacrifice or suffering. And the outcome can be unpredictable. Perhaps, like Esau, you will not get what you want, but you will get what you need.

As Walter Brueggemann observes, we do not live in a world where all possibilities are kept open and we may choose our posture as we please. This does not deny freedom but it requires us to speak of destiny.

Jacob & Esau had freedom but their freedom is bounded by the choices God has already made on their behalf. 

We live in a society which places a high value on personal freedom and self-determination. So the idea that God has the power and the right to channel our choices goes against the grain for us. It feels hairy. But that’s where faith comes in. We have to learn to trust God and to accept ourselves, the way God made us, hairiness and all. 

Jacobs deceives Isaac:

Jacob was not satisfied with Esau’s birthright. Jacob wanted his father’s blessing too. In Genesis 27 we find more hairy behaviour, not just from Jacob but also from Isaac and Rebekah.

We are told that Isaac preferred Esau because he liked Esau’s food. (Not sure how that would have made Rebekah feel?) In any case, Isaac wanted to give his blessing to Esau and not to Jacob. 

There’s a line from the 1986 movie Highlander which says, “There can be only one.” I won’t give you the context. You have to see the film. But it seems that with the blessing Isaac bestowed, there could be only one. It had to be either Esau or Jacob. They couldn’t both receive a blessing.

And, once again, that goes against the grain for us (it feels hairy) because we live in a society that values inclusion and equality. Isaac intended to include Esau and exclude Jacob but his cunning plan failed.

I say it was a cunning plan because something as important as the passing on of a sacred blessing would normally be done in an open way, publicly, with ceremony and celebration. Sort of like a wedding or a baptism or the bestowal of a knighthood. But Isaac thought he would bestow his blessing secretly, on the down low.  

Isaac sent Esau off to hunt some game and make him a tasty meal with it. Then he would give Esau his blessing. But Rebekah overheard Isaac’s plan and came up with a cunning plan of her own. She decided to take advantage of Isaac’s blindness and told Jacob to dress up like Esau and imitate his brother’s hairiness. In this way Isaac would bless Jacob, thinking he was blessing Esau.

Jacob wasn’t sure at first. What if the plan backfired? What if Isaac figured out that Jacob was deceiving him? That might bring a curse on Jacob’s head. But Rebekah said she would take the blame.

So Jacob agreed. Rebekah dressed Jacob in Esau’s clothes and put goat skins on Jacob’s arms and neck. This way Jacob would smell and feel like Esau. Then Jacob took food to Isaac and lied to his father, pretending to be Esau.

Isaac’s instinct, his gut, told him something wasn’t right. But Isaac didn’t trust his gut. Instead he was led by his nose. It smelt like Esau and so blind old Isaac unwittingly gave Jacob the blessing, saying…        

May God give you dew from heaven and make your fields fertile! May he give you plenty of grain and wine! 29 May nations be your servants, and may peoples bow down before you. May you rule over all your relatives, and may your mother’s descendants bow down before you. May those who curse you be cursed, and may those who bless you be blessed.”

Later, Esau turned up with the food Isaac liked, seeking his father’s blessing. But it was too late. Jacob had already stolen the blessing. When Isaac learned he had been deceived he began to tremble and shake all over, and he asked, “Who was it, then, who killed an animal and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came. I gave him my final blessing, and so it is his forever.”

34 When Esau heard this, he cried out loudly and bitterly and said, “Give me your blessing also, father! …Haven’t you saved a blessing for me?”

I am reminded of Dylan Thomas’ poem, written for his father who (like Isaac) was going blind near the end of his life…

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light…

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

To his credit, Isaac does not retract his blessing. It was solemnly given and cannot be taken back. This might seem strange to us because we live in an age of advertising and mis-information and fake news, when language is treated cheaply and words are not really trusted.

But Isaac lived at a time when words were potent; they carried power and were efficacious. Words made things happen.

It is not easy for the first when they realise they have come last. Esau was livid with Jacob but he loved his father and thought to postpone his revenge on Jacob until after Isaac had died. Rebekah had the sense to send Jacob away for a while, for his own protection. Oh, how it must have pained her to do so.

Jacob had secured the birth right and the blessing, but at what cost. Life was about to get rather hairy for Jacob. One wonders if things may have gone smoother for everyone if Jacob had waited for God to fulfil the oracle, rather than Jacob forcing the fulfilment of the prophecy himself.        

Conclusion:

You know, you may wish sometimes that your life had gone differently. You may wish that you had made other choices, climbed a different ladder or taken another path. But you can’t change the past and you can’t be something you are not. There is no point in bitterness. Sometimes you just have to get on with it, make the best of the hand you are dealt. And make the best of the choices you have made.

This, it seems, is what Esau did. Twenty years go by before Jacob and Esau meet up again. Jacob is naturally feeling quite anxious (and guilty) about returning home to face his brother and so he sends gifts ahead of him to soften Esau and win his favour, but Jacob didn’t need to do this. As it turned out God had blessed Esau too and so Esau had plenty. In Genesis 33 we read…

Jacob saw Esau coming with his four hundred men. …Jacob went ahead of [his wives and children] and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. 4 But Esau ran to meet him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. They were both crying… 

10 Jacob said, “…please, if I have gained your favour, accept my gift. To see your face is for me like seeing the face of God, now that you have been so friendly to me…”

Esau forgave Jacob and welcomed him with genuine affection.

Jesus taught us to love those who are different from us. Esau and Jacob could not be more different from each other. One was a bit wild & reckless and the other cool & calculating. One hairy and the other smooth. But it was the hairy one, it was Esau, who demonstrated the most grace in the end.

Carl Jung might say that each of us has an Esau and a Jacob personality within ourselves. (We are complex creatures, fearfully and wonderfully made.) Before we can love those who are different from us we must first forgive and accept the parts of ourselves that we don’t like very much. Or, as Jesus put it, we have to take the plank out of our own eye. We have to face the truth about ourselves and allow our inner Esau and Jacob to make peace.

Let us pray…

Gracious God, we thank you for your wisdom in working things for good.

Help each of us as we discover your purpose for our lives and walk in it.

Give us patience to wait for you and your timing.

Help us to be content whether we are first or last.

And give us the grace to forgive ourselves that our own inner Esau and Jacob would be reconciled and we may learn to love those who are different from us.

We pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection

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

  • What do we mean by birthright? What was Esau’s birthright? What is your birthright?
  • Why do you think God chose Jacob over Esau, to inherit the promise of Abraham?
  • What is the purpose of your life? How do you know this is your purpose? How does this fit with God’s purpose? 
  • Is there anything in Genesis 25 & 27 that really grates (or annoys) you? Why is that do you think?  In what ways does the undercurrent of Esau & Jacob’s story go against the grain of our society today?
  • Of the four main characters in today’s message (Esau & Jacob, Isaac & Rebekah) who do you identify with the most? And who do you think is least like you (your opposite)? Why is that do you think?
  • Who is your Esau? Who is your Jacob? Is there anyone you need to make peace with? Give this to God in prayer and ask him how to proceed? 
Tawa Baptist

Being Baptist

Scriptures: Matthew 18:19-20, 1st Samuel 16:6-7, 1st Peter 2:5&9, Ezekiel 36:26, Matthew 15:8-9, Matthew 23:26

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Liberty of conscience
  • Biblical authority
  • Congregational government
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

When you go to the ice-cream shop you have to make a decision. Right there in front of you are a range of different flavours: vanilla, boysenberry, hokey pokey, chocolate, rum and raisin, coffee and more.

Each of the different flavours has essentially the same base. Probably milk, cream, water and sugar, churned in a particular way. You may have a preference for mint choc chip but that doesn’t mean you can’t associate with someone who eats black forest ice-cream.

I’m quite partial to chocolate ice-cream, if I’m having it in a cone. Robyn occasionally has a rum and raisin, which I don’t enjoy. But even though we prefer different flavours, we don’t fall out over it. At the end of the day, it’s all still ice-cream.

The Christian church is a bit like ice-cream. There are a variety of flavours or denominations from Catholic, to Anglican, to Church of Christ, to Presbyterian to New Life, to Baptist and so on.

Even though this is a Baptist church many of us here (if not most of us) have probably worshipped in other Christian traditions as well. And that’s okay. Each of the denominations has essentially the same base. We all believe Jesus is the Son of God and that Jesus rose from the dead. We just have a different emphasis and different organizational structures which gives us our own unique flavour.

This morning our message focuses on what it means to be Baptist. What are those beliefs and practices which give the Baptist movement its own distinct flavour?

Well, there are four things basically: liberty of conscience, Biblical authority, congregational government and believers’ baptism. Some other denominations might have one or two of these in their kite of beliefs but not all four of them together.           

Before we get into what each of these terms mean, I want to be clear, these are not the most important beliefs in Christian faith. So you don’t have to agree with every aspect of Baptist belief in order to worship here. You may have a different view and that’s fine.

The essential thing is Jesus. All I’m doing this morning is describing to you the four main ingredients which, when combined, make the Baptist flavour.  First, let’s consider liberty of conscience.

Liberty of conscience:

Some of you may have heard of John Bunyan. John Bunyan was the author of the book, Pilgrim’s Progress. John Bunyan was also a Baptist preacher during the 17th Century. There’s a quote of his that I quite like. Bunyan wrote…

In prayer it is better to have a heart without words, than words without a heart.    

The heart in this context refers to a person’s inner conviction, their desire or their motivation. Sometimes we have a yearning or a thirst for God in our heart but we just can’t seem to find the words to do our thoughts and feelings justice. That’s better than saying empty words to God when our heart simply isn’t in it.

The heart, the core motivation, the inside of a person is an important theme running through the Bible. When God instructed the prophet Samuel to anoint a new king for Israel, Samuel saw Jesse’s eldest son, Eliab, and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here”. But God said to Samuel…

Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. [1st Samuel 16:7]

Later in Israel’s history, the prophets emphasized the importance of the heart in worshipping God. For example, in Ezekiel 36:26, the Lord says to His people 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.

A heart of stone is a hard heart, a dead heart. A heart that is insensitive to the things of God. A heart of flesh is a heart (or an inner disposition) that is tender and sensitive to the things of God. A willing and obedient heart that is alive and beats for the Lord, that’s a heart of flesh.

Jesus was also interested in the heart. He had some strong words of criticism for the Pharisees who were big on appearances but whose hearts were like stone when it came to perceiving God’s purpose in and through Jesus.

This is what the Lord had to say about the Pharisees and the importance of the heart, in Matthew 15:8-9…

These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.

Jesus went on to talk about the importance of washing the inside of the cup. In other words, if you get the inside right (if you get your heart right) then the outside will be clean too. Our life and worship needs to come from the inside out. [Matthew 23:26]

We are talking about liberty of conscience. Your conscience is part of your inner self, part of your heart. The Baptist movement of churches started with people who felt very strongly that the religious leaders of their day honoured God with their lips but had hearts that were far from the Lord.

To understand liberty of conscience you have to know a little bit of English Church history. Prior to the 1530’s there was one church in England and that was the Roman Catholic church. No other church was permitted. There was only one flavour.  

Then came king Henry VIII who broke with Rome to establish a Protestant church, the Church of England, which in NZ we know today as the Anglican church.

At that time the church and the State were basically one. So the Church of England made the law and the law said you had to belong to the Church of England, whether you actually believed in Jesus or not. Resistance could result in prison, torture or even death.

But people did resist and those who set up their own church, separate from the Church of England, were called Separatists. Baptists evolved out of the Separatists. At first, life was so dangerous for Baptists they had to escape to the Netherlands which permitted religious tolerance. But they returned to England a few years later.

And this is where John Bunyan comes in. After being discharged from the army and becoming a Christian, Bunyan joined a Baptist church at Bedford, in England, and became a preacher. It was against the law of the land to do this and so John Bunyan was imprisoned for eleven years (1661-1672) for following his conscience, such was the strength of his conviction that he was doing God’s will.

Liberty of conscience is the idea that Christ alone has the right to command the individual’s conscience. No one, not even the State or your parents, can force you to believe something.

Being a Christian is a matter of the heart. You can’t make someone love God through legislation or fear of punishment. That goes against the gospel of Christ. People need to come to faith in Jesus voluntarily. True worship is from the inside out.

Liberty of conscience does not give us a license to do whatever we want. The main issue at stake here is the Lordship of Jesus. As I said before, Christ alone has the right to command the individual’s conscience.

If the State forces people to go to church, then it is usurping the place of Jesus. Jesus is Lord, not the government. The State, at its best, is God’s servant. 

One implication of liberty of conscience is that Baptists believe the church and state should remain separate. It’s okay for Christians to be in politics. And it’s okay for the church to speak truth to people in power. But it’s not okay for the church to dictate what society should think or believe.

Most people these days would agree with the idea of liberty of conscience, but 500 years ago it was a radical thought. 

Another implication of liberty of conscience is religious tolerance. Baptists don’t give people of other faiths a hard time. To the contrary, we uphold the freedom for people to practice their own religion, without compromising what we ourselves believe. We do not need to be afraid of other religions because we believe Jesus is Lord. Our job is to remain in Christ and be a positive witness to the world around us.     

We see the principle of liberty of conscience reflected in our church’s values. Being real and authentic and integrating our faith, from the inside out, is important to us here. What’s more, we give people freedom to be involved. We don’t put pressure on people. We let people become involved in church life at a pace that suits them.

We also try to avoid loading people up with so many church activities that they don’t have time to engage with the outside world. Many of you are already doing good things for God and His kingdom, through your everyday work. My hope and prayer is that you would find nourishment and refreshment for your faith and your soul during our times of gathered worship.

Biblical authority:

Now, as I said earlier, liberty of conscience is not a license to do whatever we want. Our conscience is not God. In fact, our conscience can be misled or it can become callous or insensitive, as if seared with a hot iron. Jesus is Lord. As Christians, Jesus is the one who informs and guides and molds our conscience and behavior, by his Word and his Spirit.

Our early Baptist forebears soon realized they needed a measuring stick for their conscience, a higher authority. They needed some way of checking their conscience was on the right track and so the Bible became that measure.

Study and discussion of the Scriptures was central to early Baptist worship. The Bible was the means for seeking the mind of Christ. John Tucker, the Principal of Carey Baptist College in Auckland, writes…

The oldest description of Baptist worship that we have dates back to 1609. It records that the worship service began at 8am with a prayer and a Bible reading. This was followed by four or five different church members taking turns to prophesy or preach out of that text. Each sermon ran for about 45 to 60 minutes, with opportunity for interaction and discussion among the congregation. At midday the members shared a meal together and took a collection for the poor. Then, from 2pm to 6pm, the morning pattern of worship was repeated.

Imagine that, ten hours of church every Sunday. We don’t spend as much time in gathered worship these days (which I’m sure you are thankful for) but Scripture is still central to our worship. One of our church values is sharing Biblical truth. We open the Scriptures through the Sunday sermon, through small group Bible studies and through our own personal devotional time. We do this because we believe God still has more light to shed on His Word.

I have come to think of the Bible as a woman. The Bible is wise and beautiful, full of truth and grace. She can be complicated and hard to understand sometimes but I love her and, for reasons I can’t really explain, I find myself drawn to her gentle power.

As a woman, the Bible is pregnant with the Word of God and the Holy Spirit is the midwife. We can’t really receive the Word of God without the help of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit delivers God’s Word to our hearts and minds and that Word speaks to our conscience.  

Given the importance Baptists place on Scripture, it is not surprising that some of the world’s most well-known preachers have been Baptists. People like Charles Spurgeon, Martin Luther King Jnr. and Billy Graham.  

Liberty of conscience, Biblical authority and congregational government. 

Congregational government:

We find three models of church government in the New Testament:

Episcopacy – which involves one person governing, e.g. the bishop.

Presbyterianism – which involves an inner group of elders governing, and

Congregationalism – which is where all the members of the church govern.

Early Baptists went for congregationalism; the belief that final authority over the local church rests not with a bishop or a national council, or the senior pastor or a group of elders, but with the risen Christ who promises to be present and make his will known, whenever that church gathers together to seek his will. As Jesus said in Matthew 18:19-20…

Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them.

This does not mean that if two Christians agree together they would like a Porsche that God will give it to them. The emphasis here is on Jesus’ presence when his followers gather to seek the will of God. When Christ is present, speaking to our conscience, we find ourselves praying a prayer that God is happy to answer positively.    

Hand in hand with the principle of congregational government is the idea of the priesthood of all believers. In 1 Peter 2, verse 5 we read…

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

And then in verse 9 Peter says…

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God…

Baptists believe that all regenerate Christian believers are priests, which means God could speak through any Spirit filled believer. Therefore, it follows that all church members have a part to play in seeking the mind of Christ and hearing the will of God.

Early Baptist churches were normally comprised of about 50 people, a relatively small number. And so with a congregation that size, who were willing to meet for 10 hours at a stretch, it was possible for everyone to have their say and agreement to be reached.

Church sizes are generally bigger these days, so the more routine day to day management and governance of the church is handled by the Deacons Board and the staff. And larger decisions, like approving the church budget and hiring the minister, are decided by the congregation at a church meeting.    

One implication of congregational government is the autonomy of the local church. Because it is the congregation who seeks the mind of Christ and not the Arch Bishop, or some other authority, each congregation can discern the direction they believe Jesus is leading in their context.

Autonomy does not imply complete independence though. Baptist churches also believe in associating with other Baptist churches. And so Tawa Baptist is part of the Baptist Union of New Zealand and part of the Wellington Baptist Regional Association.          

One of the things that is needed for congregational government to work well is commitment from the members. Church members need to have a strong commitment to loving Jesus and loving one another.

Baptists are not persecuted in New Zealand today, but they were persecuted in 17th Century England. As we’ve heard with John Bunyan’s story, it was illegal for Baptists to meet. They risked prison, torture and even death. This meant you needed to be able to trust your fellow church members. You needed to have each other’s back. You needed to know you weren’t going to be betrayed to the authorities by the person sitting in the pew next to you.

That was the kind of next level covenant commitment that early Baptists expected from one another. That’s where the idea of Baptist church membership comes from.

It would be fair to say that the level of commitment required by your average church member is not as high today. No one is really at risk of being thrown in prison for coming to this worship service. In fact, anyone can attend services here without threat of violence.

The reality is each of us brings a different level of commitment to this faith community. Some of you are highly committed, others are moderately committed and still others aren’t sure if you’ll be back next week. I don’t want to criticize that. We are a diverse congregation. We may be in different places in our journey of faith and in our situation in life. That’s okay. God is able to meet each of us where we are at.

Again we see our church values reflected in the principles of congregational government and the commitment this requires. In particular, we place value on showing genuine care for one another and in making decisions faithfully.          

Conclusion:

I said at the beginning of this message that there are four beliefs which give Baptist churches their own distinct flavour: liberty of conscience, Biblical authority, congregational government and believers’ baptism.

I’ve talked about the first three but I’m not planning to talk about Believers’ baptism this morning because I’ve talked about this on a number of occasions in the past and we are likely to hear about it again next time we have a baptismal service. Plus, I don’t want to keep you until 6pm.

So let me finish by saying two things…

Firstly, we live at a different time in history to the early Baptists. Our context is not the same as theirs. The walls between denominations are not as high or as strong as they once were. Movement between churches has become more fluid. The wider Christian church these days is more like a braided river, interlaced and interwoven.

Secondly, these four Baptist distinctives are not the most important things. The most essential thing is Christ. It is in and through Jesus that we find our identity, our connection and our unity. So, whatever happens, whatever differences you may feel with others, hold to Christ.

May grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Some of the material for this message was gleaned from the following sources:

https://www.baptist.org.nz/general/Being-a-Baptist/

Baptist distinctives

Click to access Who-are-the-Baptists-Looking-through-a-New-Zealand-lens-by-Laurie-Guy.pdf

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?

  • Do you like ice-cream? What is your favourite flavour? Which different denominations of Christian faith have you been involved with? What were some of the good things about each of these experiences for you?
  • Liberty of conscience is founded on the belief that ‘Christ alone has the right to command the individual’s conscience’. Why is this important? To what extent does Christ command your conscience?
  • In what ways has the idea of liberty of conscience shaped (or influenced) our world today? (E.g. religious tolerance…)  
  • Why do we give so much attention to opening the Scriptures?
  • What are some of the implications of congregational government?
  • How is our situation today different from that of 17th Century England? Which of the four Baptist distinctives do you think is most relevant (or most helpful) for our context?
Tawa Baptist

Communion

Scripture: Luke 22:14-20

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The Exodus
  • The Bread
  • The Cup
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

If you want to create a connection and send a message to someone you might arrange for a bouquet of flowers to be delivered. Different types of flowers symbolize different things. You just need to know how to interpret their meaning.   

We all know that Red Roses signify romantic love and desire but you wouldn’t want to send your beloved a bunch of Rhododendrons because Rhododendrons are poisonous; they say beware.[1]

Irises stand for wisdom and respect. So if you send a bunch of Irises to someone you are saying something along the lines of, ‘I respect your advice’. You might give Irises to a special teacher or mentor in your life.

If you receive some Verbena, then the sender may be asking you for help. Verbena say: ‘Pray for me’. They also represent protection from evil.  

Daffodils symbolize new beginnings. So you might give someone a bunch of daffodils when they are making a transition in their life; starting a new job or moving into a new house. 

Please turn with me to Luke chapter 22. This morning’s message focuses on Jesus’ last supper with his disciples, the night before his crucifixion and death. The ritual of communion finds its genesis in the last supper. Although it is called the last supper it is also a new beginning at the same time. Every new beginning starts with some other beginning’s end. From Luke 22, verses 14-20 we read…

14 When the hour came, Jesus took his place at the table with the apostles. 15 He said to them, “I have wanted so much to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer! 16 For I tell you, I will never eat it until it is given its full meaning in the Kingdom of God.”

17 Then Jesus took a cup, gave thanks to God, and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 I tell you that from now on I will not drink this wine until the Kingdom of God comes.”

19 Then he took a piece of bread, gave thanks to God, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.” 20 In the same way, he gave them the cup after the supper, saying, “This cup is God’s new covenant sealed with my blood, which is poured out for you.

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

The Exodus:

There are a number of flowers which signify remembrance. Forget Me Not’s obviously and Zinnias. But also Pansies. The Pansy symbolizes thoughtfulness and remembrance, which fits well with the message of communion.

Forget me nots lean more towards not forgetting a romantic interest. And Zinnias are about remembering absent friends. Pansies though, carry the nuance of practical remembrance which shows care and consideration for others. Like remembering to leave the toilet seat down and remembering your wife’s birthday or remembering not to serve sugary food to a person with diabetes. 

In Luke 22, verses 15-16, Jesus says to his disciples: “I have wanted so much to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer! 16 For I tell you, I will never eat it until it is given its full meaning in the Kingdom of God.”

Just as flowers have their own language, sending a symbolic message, so too the Passover meal is packed with symbolism for those who know how to interpret it. Jesus was looking forward to this particular meal because it provided him the opportune moment and means for explaining his imminent suffering and death.

Jesus was basically using the Passover meal to interpret his own death, so his disciples could find meaning in the events of Easter after he had gone. 

So what is the Passover meal? Well, it was an annual Jewish ritual which remembered and celebrated the Exodus of the people of Israel from Egypt. During the meal special food was eaten and the story of the Exodus was retold. Each of the elements of food bore symbolic meaning, relating to the Exodus.

By celebrating this ritual meal, every year, the memory of what God did to save Israel (all those centuries ago) was preserved. 

So what is the Exodus? The word Exodus simply means exit. For many years the ancient Israelites were slaves in Egypt. They cried out to God for justice.

Incidentally, the flower which signifies justice is the Black Eyed Susan. I’m not sure if the Black Eyed Susan grows in Egypt (probably not) but in any case, God’s act of delivering the people of Israel from slavery was like sending acres of Black Eyed Susan flowers. God’s justice set his people free.

Jesus is taking the symbolism of the Passover meal and using it help his followers interpret his death on the cross. Just as God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, so too Jesus delivers humanity from slavery to sin.

On the night the nation was to exit Egypt, Moses commanded the people to sacrifice a lamb and paint the blood of the lamb over their door posts. The angel of death passed over those houses who had the blood of the lamb on their doors. So the blood of the lamb became a symbol of God’s protection.

Just as the blood of the sacrificial lamb protected the Israelites from death, so too Jesus’ blood poured out for us on the cross, protects us from death.

The Bread:

If you want to say ‘thank you’ to someone then the flower you need is the Sweet Pea. Sweet peas say thanks very much. The Passover meal is punctuated with little prayers and hymns which say ‘thank you’ to God for his provision and salvation. 

On that first Passover night the people were instructed to eat unleavened bread. Sort of like pita pockets or flat bread. Unleavened bread doesn’t use yeast and so it is quicker and easier to make. You don’t have to wait around for the bread to rise. The people couldn’t waste any time. They needed to be packed and ready to go so they could make a speedy exodus when the hour came.

With this in mind unleavened bread is a symbol of the obedience of faith that leads to salvation. By implication yeast became a symbol for sin. As the Passover tradition evolved Jewish families would take all the yeast out of their homes in the days leading up to the festival, sort of like an acted out parable of preparing for God’s salvation by ridding their lives of sin. That is, making sure they were free of anything that might hold them back from obeying God.   

In verse 19 of Luke 22 we read how Jesus took a piece of bread, gave thanks to God, broke it and gave it to his disciples saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.”

Jesus wasn’t saying here that the bread is literally his body. Rather, Jesus is taking an ordinary common object, like bread, and giving it a special meaning and significance far beyond what it normally has. Jesus is the unleavened bread from heaven. He is the sinless sustenance of God. It is the obedience of faith in Jesus that leads to salvation.

By saying, “This is my body, which is given for you…”, Jesus is indicating that his death has sacrificial significance. Just as we rely on bread for our physical survival, so too we rely on the sacrifice of Jesus’ body for our spiritual survival. 

Bread is something we take into ourselves. Likewise, Jesus is someone we must take into ourselves by faith. By using bread as a symbol for himself, Jesus is describing a deep personal inner connection with him. Jesus is not distant or remote. He is close and intimate in the ordinary everyday stuff of life.

Following this train of thought, bread in the Old Testament was also a symbol of God’s presence with his people. So when we eat the communion bread (a symbol of Christ) we aren’t just recalling something that happened 2000 years ago. We are remembering that Jesus is present with us now, today, by his Spirit.

The Cup:

The same kind of flower can mean different things depending on the colour of that flower. Take Lilies for example: white ones signify purity, pink ones signify prosperity, red lilies represent passion, orange ones symbolise pride, and yellow lilies stand for gratitude.

But the symbolism of the colours doesn’t necessarily transfer to other flowers. If you send someone white Carnations you are saying, ‘I think you are sweet and lovely’. And if you send them pink Carnations the message is, ‘I will never forget you’. But if you send a yellow Carnation, well that signifies disdain, while the two toned variety says, ‘I cannot be with you’. Harsh. That’s like breaking up by bouquet.   

In Luke’s version of the last supper we read that Jesus served two cups. One before the bread and the other after the bread. The ritual of the Passover meal actually involves four cups of wine each watered down and drunk at different stages throughout the meal.

In verses 17-18 we are told that Jesus took a cup, gave thanks to God, and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 I tell you that from now on I will not drink this wine until the Kingdom of God comes.”

The cup is a bit like a carnation. It can symbolise quite different things. Sometimes the cup signifies abundance, blessing and fellowship, as in the 23rd Psalm where we read, you prepare a table for me… my cup overflows.  

Other times though, the cup is a symbol of God’s wrath and judgment. Like where it says in Isaiah 51:17, Jerusalem… You have drunk the cup of punishment that the Lord in his anger gave you to drink; you drank it down and it made you stagger. 

So which cup is meant here? Well, the cup the disciples drank (and the cup we drink) is not a cup of punishment. It is a cup of blessing and fellowship, made possible by Jesus’ sacrifice.

We notice that Jesus instructed his disciples to share the cup and so the cup is a symbol of unity. Often, when we share communion, I invite people to hold the cup that we may take it as one. It is a symbolic way of saying we are all connected through Jesus. Communion is both a personal faith thing and a community faith thing.   

Hyssop is the flower that symbolizes sacrifice and cleansing. ‘Purify me with hyssop and I will be clean’ the Psalmist says. Then, at Jesus’ crucifixion, it was a branch of hyssop that was dipped in vinegar and held to Jesus’ lips as he hung on the cross. Jesus’ sacrifice cleanses us of our sin. It removes our guilt.

Chrysanthemum flowers have a simple message: honesty. Communion is not something we take lightly. We need to approach the communion table honestly, with reverence and respect. Communion is not a place to pretend. It is a place where we face the truth about ourselves and remember our need for forgiveness.

The Purple Hyacinth says: I am sorry, please forgive me. You might give purple hyacinth to your wife or your husband after a row. Figuratively speaking we come to the communion table with Purple Hyacinth in hand, mindful of our need for God’s grace.   

Jesus talks about not drinking this wine until the Kingdom of God comes. One of the key symbols of the Kingdom of God is a wedding banquet, a party, or a feast. The Kingdom of God is a celebration, when God’s will is done perfectly.

Jesus is looking forward to the consummation of history when heaven comes to earth. When God wipes away every tear and there is no more war or famine or COVID or suffering or death. The Kingdom of God does not operate in the same way this world does. It is not more of the same.

When we celebrate communion, we not only look back in remembrance of Jesus’ death & resurrection. We also look forward to Jesus’ return in glory. But the coming of God’s Kingdom in its fullness isn’t just an external thing. The Kingdom of God is also within us; in our hearts and minds, both the conscious and unconscious aspects of our psyche (or our soul).

I think it is the Kingdom within that Jesus is getting at when he serves the cup after supper saying, “This cup is God’s new covenant sealed with my blood, which is poured out for you.

A covenant is a sacred agreement that cannot be broken. It is more than a contract. At its best marriage is a covenant. Sadly, marriage has lost its meaning for many people in the world today, so I’m not sure our society has an adequate symbol for the idea of covenant anymore.

Just outside the door of our house we have a little patch of Violets growing. Violets signify loyalty, devotion and faithfulness. The kind of loyalty, devotion and faithfulness that Ruth showed to Naomi. The kind of loyalty, devotion and faithfulness that God shows to us. And the kind of loyalty, devotion and faithfulness that God wants from us.

After the Israelites had left Egypt, and while they were still in the wilderness of Sinai, God made a covenant with the nation. He agreed to be their God and take care of them, if they kept his laws as summarized in the ten commandments. The covenant was sealed when the blood of a sacrificial animal was thrown over the people. 

Sadly, the people broke their covenant with God. They cheated on God basically. And so, in Jeremiah 31, the prophet spoke of a new covenant…

31 The Lord says, “The time is coming when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 32 It will not be like the old covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. Although I was like a husband to them, they did not keep that covenant. 33 The new covenant that I will make with the people of Israel will be this: I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 None of them will have to teach a neighbour to know the Lord, because all will know me, from the least to the greatest. I will forgive their sins and I will no longer remember their wrongs. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

When Jesus said, ‘this is the cup of the new covenant’, he most likely had Jeremiah 31 in mind. The new covenant is different from the old because God’s law of love (His will) is written on our hearts, so that our greatest desire is to do what God wants. It is the Kingdom within.

Jesus seals the new covenant with his blood which is poured out for you. Once again, this speaks of Jesus’ sacrificial death. Jesus wants his followers to interpret his death, not as a pointless waste of life, but rather as the sealing or establishment of the new covenant Jeremiah had been talking about.  

Conclusion:

If we were to put together a bouquet of flowers symbolizing what we celebrate in sharing communion, we would have…  

Daffodils to recognise the new beginning Jesus makes possible for us,

Pansies to symbolize thoughtfulness and remembrance,

Chrysanthemums to keep us honest,

Purple Hyacinth to say ‘sorry, please forgive me’,

Hyssop to remind us that we are cleansed by Jesus’ sacrifice,

Sweet Peas to say ‘thank you’,

And Violets to represent the loyalty, devotion and faithfulness of God’s new covenant, the covenant within.

There is one other flower we might have in the bouquet; the Lotus. Lotus flowers grow in the mud. Each night, they return to the mud, and then miraculously re-bloom in the morning. In many Eastern cultures, they signify rebirth, purity, and enlightenment.

In the ritual of communion, we don’t just remember Jesus’ death, as important as that is. We remember too his resurrection. Like the Lotus flower, Jesus rose from the tomb. But unlike the Lotus flower, Jesus does not return to the mud. Jesus ascended to heaven.

And that is why I conclude our time of communion with the words, ‘The Lord is risen’, and you respond with the affirmation, ‘He is risen indeed’.

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?

  • Have you ever received (or given) flowers? What kind of flowers were they? What message was the sender trying to convey? How did this make you feel?
  • Jesus used the Passover meal to interpret his suffering and death. What connections can you see between Israel’s exodus from Egypt and Jesus’ ministry (work) through the cross?
  • Why do we celebrate communion? What associations do you have with taking communion? What do you remember? Who do you feel close to?
  • Discuss/reflect on the meaning/symbolism of the unleavened bread. (E.g. presence, sustenance, taking Christ into oneself, obedience of faith, etc.)  What does the bread mean to you?
  • Discuss/reflect on the meaning/symbolism of the cup.  (E.g. blessing and fellowship, blood, sacrifice, covenant, the Kingdom within, etc.) What does the cup mean to you? 
  • Read Jeremiah 31:31-34 again. Then share communion with at least one other believer, using Jesus’ words from Luke 22. What are you in touch with? What might God be saying to you?  

[1] https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/g2503/surprising-flower-meanings/?slide=21