Tawa Baptist

Lady Wisdom

Scripture: Proverbs 8:1-21

Video Link: https://youtu.be/FUjMQQUKeHU

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Wisdom is near
  • Wisdom is righteous
  • Wisdom is valuable
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

‘The sun smiled down on us’

‘The story jumped off the page’

‘The light danced on the surface of the water’

‘The cake called my name’

‘Time marches on’.

These are all examples of personification.

Personification is when writers attribute human characteristics to something non-human. Smiling is a human characteristic. The sun doesn’t really smile. But we know that a smiling sun is a metaphor, a poetic way of saying, it was a warm sunny day but not too hot (like last Thursday).

Likewise, cake can’t literally speak but we know that when someone says, ‘the cake called my name’, what they really mean is the cake looked very appetizing and they couldn’t resist eating it.  

Today we continue our series in the Old Testament book of Proverbs. Proverbs offers practical wisdom for living. It gives handy life hacks for people starting out in the world.

Last week we heard about not taking responsibility for what is not yours so you can take responsibility for what is yours. This week our focus is Proverbs chapter 8. Proverbs 8 is a poem which personifies wisdom as a woman. We might call her Lady Wisdom.

The plan is to unpack the first 21 verses of Proverbs 8 today and look at the rest in a couple of weeks’ time. From verse 1 we read…

Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? 2 At the highest point along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand; 3 beside the gate leading into the city, at the entrance, she cries aloud:

4 “To you, O people, I call out; I raise my voice to all humankind. 5 You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, set your hearts on it. 6 Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right. 7 My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness. 8 All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse. 9 To the discerning all of them are right; they are upright to those who have found knowledge. 10 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, 11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. 12 “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. 13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behaviour and perverse speech. 14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight, I have power. 15 By me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just; 16 by me princes govern, and nobles—all who rule on earth. 17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. 18 With me are riches and honour, enduring wealth and prosperity. 19 My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. 20 I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, 21 bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me and making their treasuries full.

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

In these verses the writer of Proverbs personifies wisdom as a woman. Lady Wisdom is near, Lady Wisdom is righteous and Lady Wisdom is valuable.

Let me retell for you an old Jewish folk story called The Treasure… 

Wisdom is near:

Once there was a man named Isaac who lived in a small fishing village on the edge of the kingdom. Isaac was poor. One night Isaac had a dream and in his dream a voice told him to go to the capital city and under the bridge to the palace he would find hidden treasure.

When Isaac woke in the morning he dismissed the dream, thinking it strange. The next night though he had the dream again. A prudent man by nature, Isaac put the dream out of his mind and carried on with his day.

But when Isaac had the same dream a third time, he decided make the journey to the capital city to see if there was in fact any treasure under the bridge to the palace.

Isaac set out on foot, relying on the kindness of strangers when he could, until finally, after many days, he arrived in the capital city.

As he approached the palace, Isaac noticed there actually was a bridge as he had seen in his dream. But on drawing closer he met a guard.

‘What do you want?’, the guard asked in a surly manner. The man did not bother to ask Isaac’s name or where he came from. So Isaac told the guard how a voice had told him in a dream to go to the capital city where he would find treasure under the bridge to the palace. 

The guard laughed saying, ‘I too had a dream in which a voice told me to go to a small fishing village on the edge of the kingdom, where I would find treasure in the house of a man named Isaac, under his stove. Can you imagine if I had followed my dream?’

Isaac exercised his discretion, thanked the guard and made his way home, relying on the kindness of strangers when he could. After many days he arrived back in the small fishing village.

He lifted the tiles under his stove and found a box full of gold. The treasure he had been looking for had been there all along.

The gold in this story represents wisdom. Wisdom is the real treasure and wisdom is near.

In the opening verses of Proverbs 8 we read that Lady Wisdom is near; close at hand. The highest point along the way (in verse 2) is a place that cannot be missed. Where the paths meet is an intersection or a crossroads. A place of decision making and choosing what way you will take.

And the gate leading into the city (verse 3) is both the entrance of the city and also a place in ancient society where disputes were settled, like a court of law.

All of this is a poetic way of saying that wisdom is not hard to find. You can observe Lady Wisdom in ordinary everyday life. We learn wisdom through our own experience and by observing the people around us. We learn wisdom in community with others.

Lady Wisdom is not some mystical guru sitting on a mountain top in a distant land. She is not hard to reach. No one stands between you and wisdom. Lady Wisdom is right there in front of you, calling out from the street and market place, in broad daylight.

We notice (in verses 1 and 4) that Lady Wisdom raises her voice. It’s not that wisdom has to shout. More the sense that wisdom communicates with a distinctive quality and with substance. 

There are many voices competing for our attention but wisdom has the ring of truth to it. Wisdom makes sense even in the busy-ness and confusion of life. The key is to slow down and listen for wisdom; to pay attention and discern her voice.

We notice too that wisdom is accessible to all humankind. Wisdom isn’t just for old people or rich people or smart people. Wisdom is for the simple, that is for those who are a bit naïve.

Wisdom is also for the foolish. In other words, if you have made some unwise choices in the past then you need not feel condemned to a lifetime of poor choices. If you open your mind and listen to wisdom, you can learn from your mistakes and become wise.

Given that wisdom is available to the simple and the foolish, it naturally follows that wisdom is available to everyone. Wisdom is near and wisdom is righteous.

Wisdom is righteous:

The term ‘righteousness’ essentially means right relationship. To be righteous is to live in right relationship with God and our neighbour. To say it another way, righteousness is relational.

Righteousness does not have to do with the religious rituals we might perform. It’s not about how many times you pray each day or how much money you donate to charitable organisations. Fasting does not make you righteous and neither does living in a cave away from society.

Righteousness has little if anything to do with ascetic practices. Righteousness is all about the way you relate with the people around you and it’s about the way you get things done.

A right relationship is characterized by things like honesty, trust, mutual respect, fairness, justice and wellbeing. And so Lady Wisdom says of herself in verses 6-9…      

I have trustworthy things to say… I speak what is right… All my words are just and upright. (Wisdom’s words are fair and genuine; the real deal.)

More than just saying the right thing though, Lady Wisdom also does the right thing. In verse 20 she says: I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice. Lady Wisdom models what right relationship looks like by her example.

Here’s another way to look at righteousness. Aldous Huxley, the author of the book Brave New World, once said this: ‘But the nature of the universe is such that the ends never justify the means. On the contrary, the means always determine the end.’

The end is the goal or the desired outcome. While the means is the way you go about achieving the goal.

There is a worldly kind of wisdom, a cunning or shrewdness if you like, that is willing and able to sacrifice truth and trust, justice and uprightness in order to achieve a desired outcome.

For example, a medical student might cheat on their exam in order to pass. They may justify the means (cheating) by saying the end (passing) will enable them to help people in need. The problem is, they will probably end up doing more harm than good if they don’t know their stuff all that well. 

That is not the character of Lady Wisdom. True wisdom says, the end does not justify the means. Lady wisdom detests wickedness and crooked speech. She knows the means (how you achieve your goal) generally determines the end. You reap what you sow. 

And this is where the fear of the Lord comes in. In verse 13, Lady Wisdom says:   

To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behaviour and perverse speech.

In one sense, to fear the Lord means being conscious that God sees all that we do and will one day hold us accountable. That being said, the fear of the Lord is not the same as the fear of punishment. If our relationship with God is based on the fear of punishment, then it is not a right relationship. It’s an abusive relationship and we will end up resenting God, rather than loving him.

No. Those who fear the Lord understand that God trusts them and they don’t want to abuse his trust nor take it for granted. To fear the Lord is to respect and reverence our relationship with God because God’s trust is precious to us.

Those who think the end justifies the means do not fear the Lord. They are arrogant. They think they can get away with it.

Perverse speech isn’t about swearing or using bad language so much as lying, not telling the truth, deceiving people with words. Falseness goes hand in hand with evil behaviour.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day thought the end justified the means. Their speech was perverse. They reasoned it was okay to falsely accuse Jesus and have him killed on the basis that it would preserve their power and position. But Jesus wasn’t interested in their power or position.

We are talking about Lady Wisdom. Wisdom is near and wisdom is righteous. Wisdom shows us how to live in right relationship with God and our neighbour. Righteousness, as a means and an end, is what gives wisdom her value.  

Wisdom is valuable:

From verse 10 we read…

10 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, 11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.

Verses 18 & 19 pick up the same theme, where Lady Wisdom says…

18 With me are riches and honour, enduring wealth and prosperity. 19 My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver.

The point here is that wisdom is more valuable than silver and gold.

Verse 18 is referring to relational wealth and prosperity, more than financial prosperity. The Hebrew word translated into English as prosperity is literally righteousness.

These verses are saying that righteous wisdom will make you secure in your relationships; wisdom will enhance the quality of your relationships.

Of course, when you live in right relationship with others, when you treat others with respect and fairness, when you are honest and trustworthy in your dealings with others, over time, that tends to result in financial security as well. You reap what you sow. The means determines the end.   

In verse 12, Lady Wisdom expounds her value further saying…

12 “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion.

Prudence is the ability to govern oneself by use of reason. Prudence is the capacity to exercise self-control or self-discipline. Those with prudence demonstrate skill and good judgement in the use of resources.

If you win Lotto but lack prudence you will probably lose your winnings before long. Financial wealth is wasted on those without prudence.

Lady wisdom possesses knowledge with discretion. That’s an interesting combination.

Knowledge concerns facts, accurate information and skill. Knowledge is a necessary component of wisdom.

Discretion is the quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid causing offence. A discrete person knows when to keep their mouth shut.

Just because you know something, it doesn’t automatically follow that you should share it. Knowledge without discretion can destroy relationships. Wisdom keeps knowledge and discretion together.

In the story I told earlier, Isaac listened to the guard and gained knowledge of where to find the treasure. But Isaac also had the discretion to not tell the guard his name or where he came from.

From verse 14, Lady Wisdom continues speaking of her value…

14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have insight, I have power. 15 By me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just;

Insight is the ability to see into a situation. Those with insight see beneath the surface to understand what’s really going on, what’s really driving someone’s behaviour. The wisdom of insight enables kings and rulers to make good decisions and exercise power in a righteous way so that all of society benefits.

King Solomon showed insight and good judgement when two women came to him with one baby, both claiming the baby to be their own. When Solomon ordered the child to be cut in two, the first woman was ambivalent while the second woman begged the king to preserve the child’s life and give him whole to the first woman. Solomon’s wise insight revealed who the true mother was. The woman who begged Solomon to save the child’s life.

Conclusion:

In verse 17, Lady Wisdom says…

I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.

Wisdom wants to have a right relationship with us, so we may have a right relationship with God and those around us.

We are reminded of the words of Jesus, who more than any other human being, embodies the wisdom of God. In Matthew 7, Jesus says…  

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

The treasure of wisdom is closer than you think. Grace and peace to you on the journey.

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?

  • Where can we find wisdom? How might we open our mind to learn wisdom? Can you think of a time when you learned wisdom from your mistakes? What happened?
  • What is righteousness? How might we know when our relationships are righteous? 
  • Discuss / reflect on the quote by Aldous Huxley: ‘But the nature of the universe is such that the ends never justify the means. On the contrary, the means always determine the end.’ How does this fit with the righteous wisdom of Proverbs 8? 
  • What does it mean to fear the Lord (in the context of Proverbs 8)? How is fear of the Lord different from fear of punishment?
  • Why is wisdom more valuable than gold or silver? Why is it important to keep knowledge and discretion together?
  • What connections can you see between Proverbs 8:1-21 and the teaching of Jesus?
Tawa Baptist

Responsibility

Scripture: Proverbs 6:1-11

Video Link: https://youtu.be/-TP-QDgpdto

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Guard your authority
  • Take responsibility for yourself
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

In a moment I’m going to list some words and as I do, listen carefully and see if you can pick up the common thread: Kiwi, Kākāpō, Morepork, Fantail, Tui and Black Robin. What is the common thread with these? [Wait]

That’s right, they are all native birds of New Zealand. 

Today we continue our series in the Old Testament book of Proverbs. Proverbs offers practical wisdom for living. It gives handy life hacks for people starting out in the world. 

Often when we read Proverbs it seems like a random collection of unrelated sayings. And sometimes that’s because it is. Other times though it’s possible to find a common thread.

A couple of weeks’ ago we heard about the importance of guarding your heart. This morning we look at Proverbs chapter 6. If we were to read the whole chapter, we would notice one of the common threads tying Proverbs 6 together is responsibility.  

Most of Proverbs 6 deals with our responsibility to God and our neighbour, but the first 11 verses (the focus of our message today) is primarily concerned with personal responsibility. That is, our responsibility to and for ourselves. From Proverbs 6, verse 1, we read…

My son, if you have put up security for your neighbour, if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger, 2 you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth. 3 So do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbour’s hands: Go—to the point of exhaustion—and give your neighbour no rest! 4 Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. 5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler. 6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! 7 It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, 8 yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—11 and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.

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

As I mentioned earlier, one of the common threads with this reading is the idea of responsibility, in particular personal responsibility. For responsibility to be life giving though, it must always go together with authority.

Being responsible means you are the one who will be held accountable for the outcome. While authority means having the resources and decision making control you need to get the job done and achieve the outcome.  

Responsibility plus authority equals freedom.

Conversely, responsibility minus authority equals captivity.

To make someone responsible for something but then take away their authority to act, is unfair. It puts that’s person in a difficult position.

Responsibility without authority is like saying, you must cook a meal to feed your family but I’m tying your hands behind your back first. Or, you must build a house to provide shelter but I’m taking away your land and your tools.

In order to maintain our freedom, we must keep responsibility and authority together; we must guard our authority and not give it away thoughtlessly.

Guard your authority:

In verses 1-5 of Proverbs 6, the teacher gives a real life example of what separating responsibility from authority looks like; putting up security for your neighbour.

This scenario imagines someone, you might not know all that well, asking you to act as guarantor for a loan. Maybe they need some cash for a business venture. They come to you and say, “I’ve got a proposition for you. Act as guarantor on my loan so I can buy this field. I’ll flip it for a quick profit and give you a cut.”

Whatever the reason, they want to borrow money from someone else and they ask you to pledge your tractor or your house or something of value you possess as collateral against the loan.

If you agree to do this, then you are making yourself responsible for their debt and you are giving away your authority. You cannot control whether or not this strange neighbour will repay their debt. Maybe they will and you will be okay, but if they don’t you will lose your tractor and your house and your financial freedom.  In any case, you will lose sleep while you wait to find out.    

Agreeing to help someone in this way might seem like a smart thing to do, but it is foolish because it ties your hands. It puts you in their power.

You may have noticed the word hands is used multiple times in these verses. Quite often in the Bible hands is a poetic way of talking about power. To be in someone else’s hands is to be in their power, to be captive, not free.

If you (in the heat of the moment) rashly say you will cover someone else’s debt, then do everything in your power to get out of the arrangement as soon as possible. Take a lesson from the gazelle and the bird caught in a trap. Free yourself before it is too late. Better to humiliate yourself temporarily than to become a slave permanently. Better still not to get yourself in that position in the first place.

Now, it is important to note that the teacher is not advocating stinginess or meanness toward people in need. Elsewhere, in the law of Moses, God encourages those who can afford it to lend money to the poor and to help those in need.

But lending money to the poor (who may or may not be able to pay you back) is different from mortgaging your land for them. Because when you lend (or give) money to someone, you limit your liability and you guard your authority. You maintain your freedom to be generous in other words.

Acting as guarantor for other people’s debt is not only personally irresponsible, it’s also socially irresponsible. It places a strain on community relationships that the neighbourhood is not strong enough to bear.

As one commentator puts it, the principle of wisdom here is: take responsibility for what is yours and do not take responsibility for what is not. [1]

So how might this apply in our context today?

How many of you here have received a phone call or an email or a text message from a scammer, trying to get access to your bank account details. [Wait] It’s disturbing really. Proverbs 6 is a warning to be alert and not allow yourself to be scammed.

Some people will play on your emotions to get money out of you. They will appeal to your fear, or your ego or your greed. Whatever strategy the scammer uses they are trying to put you in their power by getting you to hand over your authority while making you responsible.     

Keeping responsibility and authority together has a broader application though than not acting as a guarantor and avoiding scammers. Money is not our only resource. For most of us these days, time is a more valuable thing.     

When we over commit ourselves and try to do too much with the limited time and energy available to us, we effectively give away our authority and make ourselves responsible for more than we can handle. We become slaves to an over busy schedule; trapped on a treadmill of never ending activity.   

I imagine most people here don’t need to be told to work harder. More likely you need to become more discerning about what you commit yourself to. That can be difficult. Our need to feel useful, to find meaning, purpose and a sense of belonging often drive us to take on more than we can handle.

One of our church values, here at Tawa Baptist, is freedom to be involved.

‘Freedom to be involved’ means we don’t put pressure on people to do lots of church stuff. We let people become involved in church life at their own pace.

We don’t guilt people into doing things and we don’t load people up with so many church responsibilities that they lose authority (or control) over their lives.

We try to encourage people to maintain a healthy balance, allowing time for family, time for church and time for engagement with the wider world. Hopefully too, time for fun and rest.

The risk with freedom to be involved is that some people might think they have a license to kick back and cruise. To be slack and to take without giving anything back. But that is not a responsible use of freedom.   

Freedom to be involved is about contributing in a way that is life giving for you and the community. We want people to be involved in church life from a place of personal authority and responsibility, because you want to and you can. 

It’s like Jesus said in Matthew 11: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

The wisdom of Jesus does not separate responsibility and authority. The wisdom of Jesus calls us to do what is in our power to do and to trust God for the rest.

Take responsibility for yourself:

Responsibility plus authority equals freedom. If the first five verses of Proverbs 6 talk about the importance of guarding your authority (keeping some control over your life), then the next six verses underline the importance of taking responsibility for yourself. Verses 6-8 tell us to learn from the ant… 

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! 7 It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, 8 yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

A sluggard is a lazy person, someone who does not take responsibility for themselves. They have authority over themselves but they don’t exercise it in a positive or constructive way.

Ants keep authority and responsibility together. Ants have their own authority. They are not slaves at the mercy of a dictator. Ants have autonomy over themselves, no one tells them what to do. And how do they use their authority? How do they use their freedom? Wisely and responsibly.

Ants work hard, carrying loads much bigger than themselves. But they also work smart. They make hay while the sun shines. They go with the grain of the seasons, putting themselves to work when the environment is most conducive to a good outcome, during the summer harvest, when conditions are right and food is plentiful.

Another wise thing about ants is that they work together. Working on your own (especially doing heavy physical labour) can be quite tough. But when you work as part of a team, there is a certain buoyancy or energy that carries you. Somehow the work doesn’t seem so overwhelming.

But wait, there’s more. Ants are good for the environment too. Ants turn and aerate the soil, allowing water and oxygen to reach plant roots. Ants also help with seed dispersal. In the very act of taking responsibility for themselves, ants make a positive contribution to the environment.

It’s similar with us human beings. Personal responsibility forms the building blocks of social responsibility. As we work to earn a living, taking care of ourselves and our family, we contribute positively to society.    

The ant is a model of setting a goal, making an appropriate commitment in community with others and sticking with it. The ant teaches us to avoid those responsibilities that are not ours so we can be free for those responsibilities that are ours.

Verses 9-11 paint a picture of what not taking responsibility for yourself looks like. The outcome of shirking our responsibility is poverty.

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—11 and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.

Notice how scarcity sneaks up and mugs a person. No one really sets out to be poor. Poverty ambushes people, it takes the sluggard by surprise. The point here is that being irresponsible is a lifestyle or a pattern. It’s a bad habit that eventually leads to disaster.

Now, in reading these verses, we need to be very careful. While being slack and not taking responsibility for yourself generally does result in poverty, it does not automatically follow that everyone who is poor is lazy or irresponsible. People can fall on hard times for a whole raft of reasons.

Sometimes people fall into the pit of poverty because they lack discipline and drift aimlessly through life. Other times though people find themselves in the pit of poverty because they have been pushed. There are often systemic reasons why people find themselves trapped in poverty.

You are probably aware of the saying, ‘Give a person a fish and they eat for a day. Teach them to fish and they eat for a lifetime’. That saying is well intentioned but a little naive. It assumes the world is fair, when it is not.

It’s not enough to teach a person to fish. Many of the world’s poor would fish responsibly if they could, but the authority to fish has been taken from them. We address systemic inequalities, we give people authority, by ensuring people have the right fishing equipment and fair access to the fishing pond.

To avoid poverty, we need to keep authority and responsibility together.

Thinking of systemic injustice, which takes away people’s authority and discourages personal responsibility, the ant has more to teach us. In the context of Proverbs 6 at least, the ant gathers its food in season, which is often quite different from the way we gather food.

We live is a consumer oriented culture, one in which we don’t necessarily know what we want but we feel we don’t have it and so we always want more. We are always consuming but never really satisfied.

As a consequence, our society gathers perpetually, with little or no regard for the demand and supply of resources or the needs of others. Affluent ‘out of season’ consumption can drive the price up and make life more difficult for the global poor.    

So how does the advice of Proverbs, to not be lazy but rather store up provisions in season, fit with the teaching of Jesus? After all, didn’t Jesus warn against storing up riches on earth? Didn’t the Lord tell us not to worry about tomorrow because God knows what we need is able to provide?

Yes, Jesus did teach those things.

We need to keep in mind that the wisdom of Proverbs is not complete; it is not whole. Jesus completes the wisdom of Proverbs. He fulfils it. The wisdom of Proverbs is generally intuitive, it’s common sense. Whereas the wisdom of Jesus is often counter intuitive. It’s paradoxical.

Proverbs tells us how to identify and avoid pitfalls in life. Proverbs says, ‘This is what a pit looks like. Stay away from it’. But Jesus does more than that. Jesus looks for pits in order to lift people out of them. Jesus came to redeem and restore and make whole.   

Proverbs builds a fence to protect people. Jesus builds a gate in the fence to connect people and show them the way.   

Jesus brings some much needed perspective to the wisdom of Proverbs. Proverbs is very focused on this life and how to survive in an imperfect world, so much so that it puts us at risk of losing sight of the next life.

Part of Jesus’ message is to remind people that this life is not all there is. What we do in this life has consequences for the next life. The life to come is by far the bigger part. Wisdom dictates that our behaviour in this world needs to be informed by the life to come.

When Jesus said, don’t worry about the food you eat or what tomorrow might bring, he was not encouraging people to be lazy or irresponsible. He was encouraging the work of faith. He was setting people free from unhelpful fear and anxiety. He was broadening people’s horizons, helping the human mind to imagine a different reality, an eternal reality.        

That does not mean we fold our hands and give up our jobs. We still need to work but we do so by the light of eternity, rather than the fear of not having enough. 

The apostle Paul brings the teaching of Jesus and the wisdom of Proverbs together nicely when he says in his letter to the Thessalonians… 

11 make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. 

Conclusion:

We need to keep authority and responsibility together. When we do that we are free. Not free to do whatever we want, but free to love God, love our neighbour and love ourselves.

May the Lord give you grace to walk in freedom and righteousness. Amen.

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?

  • Why is it important to keep responsibility and authority together? What happens if we separate responsibility and authority?
  • Can you think of examples (either from Scripture or your own experience) when authority was separated from responsibility? What happened?
  • How might we guard our personal authority? How might we help others, in a way that respects their freedom and our own?
  • What wisdom (life skills) can we learn from observing the ant?
  • How does the advice of Proverbs 6 fit with the teaching of Jesus? How does Jesus complete (fulfil) the wisdom of Proverbs? 

[1] Paul Koptak, NIVAC Proverbs, page 199.

Tawa Baptist

Made to Last – by Neville

During a recent holiday in Britain, I visited a church built for a farming community in the 13th century. At the bottom of the old door was a much smaller door – a dog-door. This allowed shepherds to attend church, while their sheep dogs could come and go during a service.

What a lovely example of an ancient church that met the needs of its community.

I visited a number of places connected to the long history of Christianity in Britain. I saw examples of change, resilience and continuity, and I thought I’d tell you about some of these.

We’ll start in Cornwall, a county that contains the most westerly and most southerly points of mainland Britain.

People lived in Cornwall for thousands of years before the birth of Christ, and some of their stone structures survive to remind us of a pagan past. These include Neolithic tombs, Bronze Age standing stones and stone circles.

The Romans occupied much of Britain in the first four centuries AD, and then the Anglo-Saxons took over; Cornwall stayed remote and pagan. But in the 5th and 6th centuries, Christian missionaries arrived in Cornwall, mostly from Ireland.

The Irish missionaries brought Christianity with a very Celtic flavour, quite different to the Roman church later introduced in the east of Britain.

Celtic Christianity tended to focus on simplicity and God in community, rather than structured services and church hierarchy. The early missionaries modelled the Christian life by example – they brought the good news of Jesus, and gave credibility to their words through their deeds. Christianity didn’t always go down well of course, and many missionaries were killed.

With no central organisation as such, missionaries were able to do what seemed right for the place they ended up at. For many this meant fitting Christianity in beside existing beliefs.

To pagans, springs of water were special places, places of healing and links to a spiritual realm. Near the modern city of Penzance, one missionary set himself up beside a pagan spring. He taught, healed and baptised in the name of Jesus, and got a reputation as Saint Madron. Even after his death, pilgrims came to the spring for healing.

A chapel was built in the 12th century in memory of the saint. It’s ruined now, but I found fresh flowers on the altar that showed it hasn’t been forgotten. Ribbons tied in the trees by the spring, representing recent supplications, suggest that the pagan past still lingers, side by side with Christianity. Anyone today who tosses a coin into water and makes a wish is also echoing an ancient pagan practice.

There are dozens of such places throughout Cornwall. One, dedicated to St Ruan, still attracts pilgrims, and water from the spring is still used in a nearby church for baptisms.

These places reminded me of the way modern missionaries, like those from Arotahi we focused on last month, tend to work alongside non-Christians in their own situations.

I’d have missed the track to St Madron’s chapel if it wasn’t for a stone marker cross erected in the 12th century, at the same time as the chapel. There are more wayside crosses like this in Cornwall than anywhere else in England.

The story of the Boskenna Cross, near Land’s End, is a wonderful example of Christian continuity and survival. Originally erected in the 12th century on a tall pillar, this cross (like many others) was smashed in the 1500s. This was the time of the Reformation, when Protestants separated from the Catholic church, and saw it as their duty to destroy graven images in churches all over Britain. The head of the Boskenna cross was rediscovered in a ditch in 1869, and re-erected using an old stone farm roller for the pillar. Despite being hit by motor vehicles, a few times, this cross still marks an easy-to-miss road to the local church.

Not all missionaries set up by springs. Some established themselves at other popular gathering places. They erected a simple living hut, often with a stone cross to mark the spot. However, the mid-7th century saw a turning point in English Christianity, when it was decided that the church of Rome would replace Celtic practices. In Cornwall this resulted in the building of churches, a hierarchy of priests and a restricted access to God. In the Celtic church, all money had been used for the poor. In the church that took over, the pope ordered that of all money donated, a quarter went to the bishops, a quarter to the clergy, a quarter to hospitality and a quarter to the poor. No wonder that the old ways were not easily abandoned, and many of the old stone crosses survived next to the new churches.

We’re going to leap forward now, missing out centuries of ups and downs in British Christianity, to land in the 18th century. At this time, many Christians weren’t happy with the state of the established church, and were drifting away.

Over 27 years in the late 1700s, John Wesley and his brother Charles, founders of Methodism, often visited Cornwall. They encouraged people to get out of their churches and take individual responsibility for being Christ in their communities. Because of the numbers of people attending meetings, the Wesleys gave most of their sermons outside.

A favourite site, where they preached many times, was an amphitheatre called Gwennap Pit. It was formed by previous mining activity, but was ideal for the crowds of thousands the Wesleys attracted. In 1806, locals remodelled the Pit as a memorial to the Wesleys, which is what you can see at the site now. The Pit has been used for a service at least once a year from 1807 to the present, except during recent Covid lockdowns. That’s continuity.

I know some of you remember the Billy Graham rallies in New Zealand in 1959 and 1969, so you can perhaps identify with the atmosphere in the Pit.

As well as jumping in time again, we’re going to jump location too – to London.

Back in 1666, the Great Fire of London destroyed about a quarter of the city – including 87 churches and St Paul’s Cathedral. The churches were an important part of the rebuild, and architect Sir Christopher Wren and colleagues rebuilt most of them and added new ones, all within about 15 years. St Paul’s Cathedral took a bit longer!

This does suggest amazing resilience of the churches, but there was another side to the story. More than 70,000 people were made homeless by the fire, and were housed in tented camps set up in city parks. Even after the churches had been rebuilt, many people were still homeless and living in squalid conditions. Providing churches for spiritual comfort and worship before housing the homeless – you might disagree with that idea.

St Martin’s, Ludgate, just down the road from St Paul’s, is one of the few Wren churches that escaped the bombing of World War Two. Nicky and I went there to witness my brother and his wife renew their marriage vows. The meal afterwards was held in the home of the Archdeacon of London. The reason I mention this is that, in what is now the kitchen, is a plaque commemorating the fact that the Church Missionary Society, started in 1799, held its committee meetings there until 1812. William Wilberforce was a committee member. And as many of you will know, it was the CMS who sent two missionaries to New Zealand in 1814, accompanied by Samuel Marsden, the Society’s chaplain in New South Wales.

I couldn’t help thinking that Christianity in Britain has been on a long journey from its early missionary days, to sending out its own missionaries around the world. And now New Zealand sends out its own missionaries. This reminded me that some of God’s plans are very long term, and they have relied on many generations of people who have loved and trusted Him.

You’ve sat through a lot of history this morning, so it’s only fair to bring you up to date.

One London church, St James, Piccadilly, was badly damaged by bombs in 1940, but was rebuilt by 1954. The church stands between two busy central London streets, with a door opening on to each. At lunchtime people use the church as a way to get between the streets in search of food. Some might see this as a bit cheeky, but the church encourages it – in fact, the church has now become a destination, as well as a thoroughfare. Lunchtime concerts encourage people to linger. We found lunch in a courtyard full of food stalls, and had a drink in the Redemption Roasters café, staffed by ex-prisoners. There was also a quiet place offering counselling. On the spiritual side, services range from Sunday traditional to those during the week that suit people who like to worship through music, dance or quiet.

This seems to be a church that is a vibrant part of its community, responding to practical needs. It is one of many, and it left me with a real sense of optimism.

That was shaken a couple of weeks ago, when I read a short piece from an English newspaper, published in our own Post. This is how it started:

“England’s established church is in deep trouble. An investigation by The Telegraph has revealed that almost 300 Anglican parishes have disappeared in the last five years. In less than 30 years the Church of England has lost more than half its regular worshippers. Attendance now stands at barely over 500,000.”

Here in New Zealand, over the last 20 years the national census has recorded a large drop in people recorded as Christian.

But we’ve just seen that, over a long time span, Christianity and individual churches experience ups and downs, large and small. Some churches survive, others don’t. So what makes a church resilient in troubling times?

The Bible gives us some clues.

Acts 9:31 tells us that, despite persecution and hardship, in its very early days “The church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had a time of peace. Through the help of the Holy Spirit it was strengthened and grew in numbers, as it lived in reverence for the Lord.”

In James 1:2-3 we read “My brothers, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure.”

So resilience depends on faith – trust in God and obedience to him.

I think Tawa Baptist has the signs of being a resilient church, and I don’t just mean the earthquake strengthening.

It is resilient because of prayer. Not just praying for ourselves and others, but praying as a way of trying to discern God’s wishes for the church.

It is resilient because it invests in the future of its young people.

It is resilient because its people use their spiritual gifts, and learned skills, for the good of the church and its community.

It is resilient because of the Bible-based teaching it receives, and because it puts into action what Jesus taught.

Basically, resilience comes about when we love God, but love people as well. That’s what Jesus made it clear we must do.

At the start of the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, Luke tells us that when the crowds followed Jesus “He welcomed them, spoke to them about the Kingdom of God, and healed those who needed it.” (Luke 9:11). He told the people the truth, then showed them the truth by meeting their needs.

Luke also tells us (in Luke 9:2) that Jesus gathered the 12 disciples together, “Then he sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” He instructed them to tell the truth, then show the truth by serving.

Love God, but love people too. Those early missionaries in Cornwall did just that – they told people about the good news of Jesus, but they also healed and helped those in need. It’s what John Wesley preached – love God, but take responsibility for helping those in need. It’s what many modern churches do, each in their own way.

I know that Peanuts cartoons don’t have the same authority as the Bible, but I think there’s a lesson for us in this one. You really need to see the cartoon, but this description should give you the idea:

Frame 1: Snoopy is sitting outside in the snow, shivering. In the distance, Linus says to Charlie Brown “Snoopy looks kind of cold, doesn’t he?”

Frame 2: Charlie Brown replies “I’ll say he does. Maybe we’d better go over and comfort him.”

Frame 3: The two boys go up to Snoopy. “Be of good cheer, Snoopy” says one, “Yes, be of good cheer” says the other.

Frame 4: The boys walk away, and Snoopy is left shivering in the snow.

What would you have done? (apart from not talking to a dog and expecting it to understand!)

I happened to be in Britain much of the time I was thinking of the theme of Christian resilience and continuity, so I’ve used examples from there. I encourage you to think about examples from countries you are more familiar with, including New Zealand.

Questions:

What are some examples of churches in the Tawa area providing for the needs of their communities?

How do you feel about the future of Christianity in New Zealand?

What does it mean to say a church is resilient?

What does it mean to say an individual person is spiritually resilient?

Reread the list of things that may contribute to Tawa Baptist being a resilient church. What other factors are there?

How do you respond to the following statement?

‘People have different spiritual gifts – some are good at telling about Jesus, others are better at helping those in need.’

Do you think that previously pagan/non-Christian places can still have a role in modern Christian life? Why do you think that?

After a disaster like the Great Fire of London, or an earthquake in NZ say, how could you justify building churches before housing the homeless?

Tawa Baptist

Guard Your Heart

Scripture: Proverbs 4:20-27 and Mark 7:1-23

Video Link: https://youtu.be/Kdy3Yj1uakc

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The heart’s trajectory
  • Guarding your heart
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Today we continue our series in the book of Proverbs. Proverbs offers practical wisdom for living. It gives handy life hacks for people starting out in the world. 

Our message today focuses on chapter 4, verses 20-27. As we move through these verses see how many different body parts you recognize. From Proverbs 4, verse 20 we read…

20 My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. 21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. 24 Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. 26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

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

Six different body parts are mentioned in these verses: the ear, the heart, the mouth, the lips, the eyes and the feet, plus the body as a whole is mentioned once. Following the path of wisdom is something that involves a person’s whole being.

The heart’s trajectory:

The organ that connects all the body parts is the heart.

For most people today, the heart (in a metaphorical sense) is considered the seat of a person’s feelings or emotions. For us, matters of the heart have to do with one’s affections and romantic love, in contrast to the head which is concerned with logic and reasoning.

People in the ancient world didn’t have the same head / heart dichotomy that we do. They didn’t separate matters of the head and the heart.

In the Old Testament, the heart is a metaphor for a person’s inner life, the core of their being. The heart includes your mind, emotions and will. It is essentially that part of yourself which is concerned with decision making.

The heart, in ancient thought, is sort of like the parliament or the board room of a person’s body and soul. The decisions made in one’s heart set the path for one’s life. The heart is like the rudder of a ship; it determines the course you take.

Airplane pilots are taught the 1 in 60 rule, which states that one-degree error in heading will result in the aircraft being off course by one mile for every 60 miles travelled. Which means that after 120 miles you will be two miles off course and so on.

One degree might not seem like much but it could mean the difference between arriving safely or crashing into a mountain.   

Repeatedly, throughout Proverbs 4, the father pleads for his children to listen and pay attention to his words of wisdom because following the father’s teaching sets the course for the young person’s life. If they are even one-degree off, it could mean the difference between life and death.  

Verse 21 reads: Do not let my words out of your sight, keep them within your heart; This is a poetic way of saying, commit the things I teach you to memory. Do not forget them. Keep my words of wisdom front of mind always.

The world we live in is very different from the ancient world. People in Old Testament times did not have the internet. They couldn’t google something on their phone. They couldn’t watch a Ted Talk or a YouTube clip at will. Books were not readily available either. So they had to remember things.

People learned by listening carefully and committing what they heard to memory. That involved time, concentration and repetition. Gaining and retaining wisdom took some effort but it was worth the effort because it could save your life.

That being said, we should not blindly follow everything we are taught. From time to time we need to check if the wisdom we follow is set to the right course. Because if it’s not, we will find ourselves further and further off track as time passes.

The Pharisees provide a classic example of how a particular tradition of wisdom got off track and led people away from God. In Mark 7, we read how some teachers of the law took issue with the way Jesus’ disciples did not wash their hands in the proper way before eating. Jesus answered them…

8 “You put aside God’s command and obey human teachings. 9 You have a clever way of rejecting God’s law in order to uphold your own teaching. 10 For Moses commanded, ‘Respect your father and your mother,’ …11 But you teach that if people have something they could use to help their father or mother, but say, ‘This is Corban’ (which means, it belongs to God), 12 they are excused from helping their father or mother. 13 In this way the teaching you pass on to others cancels out the word of God…”

Somewhere along the way the Pharisees’ tradition of wisdom got off course by one-degree and, over time, it led them away from keeping God’s law. Jesus provided a much needed critique of the Pharisees’ traditions, to get them back on course before they crashed.     

We critique what we are taught by measuring it against the Bible. Indeed, the Bible acts as a ruler and a protractor to inform our heart and help set a good course for our life.

Before we can critique the tradition of wisdom passed on to us, though, we must first take the trouble to understand it properly. Don’t be that person who discards everything just because one thing isn’t quite right. The traditions we inherit usually contain a valuable kernel of truth. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.     

Guard your heart:

Returning to Proverbs 4. The emphasis on retaining wisdom is reinforced again in verse 23 which reads: Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.                                                                          
When I first read this verse I thought, okay if the heart basically equates to the mind, in the world of Proverbs, then guarding my heart (or my mind) means being really careful about what I let into my thought life.

See no evil, hear no evil. Don’t watch too much rubbish on TV. Avoid conspiracy theories and dodgey websites. Read wholesome Christian books and listen to plenty of worship music. Keep bad stuff out. Put good stuff in.

Like the apostle Paul says in his letter to the Philippians: Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praise worthy, think about such things.  

While it is generally a good idea to be careful what we feed our mind on, that is not exactly what Proverbs 4 is saying. A wellspring flows outwards. If your heart and mind are a wellspring, then verse 23 is saying be careful about what you let out of your heart and mind.

As one commentator puts it: To guard the heart is to be prudent about the heart’s outgoings, to tend with diligence and discretion to how one expresses one’s thoughts and feelings.[1] In other words, develop a good filter.

You may have heard on the news this past week that about 40% of Wellington’s water supply is seeping away in leaks because the pipe infrastructure is old and deteriorating faster than we can fix it.

This means we are likely to face water restrictions over the next few months, especially if it is a long dry summer as expected.

In this situation, guarding the water supply is more about keeping the water in than anything else. Likewise, guarding the wellspring of your heart has more to do with preventing leaks than it does keeping bad things out. 

To use another metaphor. The risk with nuclear power plants is not what might get in but rather what might leak out. You want clean energy out of the nuclear power plant. You don’t want radioactive material to escape.

Jesus understood there is good and bad in the human heart and that guarding the heart means not letting the bad stuff out. In Mark 7, Jesus says…

20 “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

Verses 24-27 of Proverbs 4 spell out what ‘guarding the heart’ looks like.

Firstly, guarding your heart means being careful about how you talk. There is a direct line between your mind and your mouth. Verse 24 reads: Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

Before you say what’s on your mind, stop and T.H.I.N.K. Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it inspiring? Is it necessary? Is it kind? Grace and truth is what we are aiming for with our talk.

We don’t always understand the power of our words. When we say something out loud it carries more weight than a mere thought. We have a tendency to start believing the things we say, even when those things are not quite true.

Your mouth is like a scalpel. It needs to be handled with surgical precision for it has potential to do good or harm. You don’t need to say everything that is in your heart and mind. Some things are better left unsaid.

Now this advice to measure and restrain your words seems to fly in the face of contemporary wisdom. The thinking in our society today is more attuned to the philosophy of ‘better out than in’. Unrestrained talk is considered to be therapy or catharsis. 

Proverbs 4 challenges this notion. It helps us to find the middle way between stiff upper lip stoicism and verbal diarrhea. Proverbs 4 is saying, guard your heart by being careful about what you say and who you say it to. When you need to share something personal, find a trustworthy listener.

Verse 25 offers another way to guard your heart: Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.

Avoid temptation in other words. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by evil. Do not covet. Do not look over the fence at what your neighbour has.

This idea of ‘fixing your gaze directly before you’, implies you have a goal or a vision for your life, something good you are aiming for. The goal for Christians is to follow Jesus. To love God, love your neighbour and love yourself. Or, as the prophet Micah puts it, to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God.

This being said, you need to allow some distraction in your life. It doesn’t work to be super focused all the time. If you are too intense you’ll end up blowing a gasket or turning into a Pharisee.

It’s okay to stop and smell the roses every now and then. It’s okay to have time off when you need a rest. It’s okay to watch the rugby or to have a hobby. The point is, avoid temptation to evil. Don’t torture yourself by looking at what you cannot have. Remember what you are aiming for and stick with it.   

When you are driving a car, it’s important to keep your eyes on the road. Otherwise you might end up in a ditch or over a bank. Same thing in life generally. Where your eyes wander, your feet follow.

As we read in verse 26…

Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.   

This verse is talking about the regular rhythms and routines we keep in our lives. Part of guarding your heart involves maintaining healthy patterns of work and rest, eating and sleeping, giving and receiving, worship and play, socialising and solitude.

So, for example, if you have had a very busy week, then giving careful thought to your path might mean planning a quiet weekend, especially if you are an introvert. Give yourself a chance to recover and regroup.

Or, if you know you have some away trips planned with work, then giving careful thought to your path might involve prioritising time to spend with your family before you go away and after you get back, in order to keep your relationships solid.     

Part of guarding your heart involves thinking about the path you are on and where this will lead you.

Verse 27 reads: Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

The assumption of verse 27 is that the young person, who is receiving instruction here, is already on the right path. They don’t need to repent or change their ways. They simply need to stay on track and not pursue evil.

Not turning to the right or the left means having the strength to say ‘no’. Not being easily swayed by those around you.

We live in a relatively permissive society, where almost anything goes. Personal freedom is one of the idols of our time. Many people think they have a right to do whatever they want. Some might call it a spirit of entitlement. The discipline of saying ‘no’ to ourselves does not come naturally to us.

The strength to say ‘no’ comes from having a clear sense of your own identity. Knowing who you are and whose you are. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus was able to say ‘no’ because he knew who he was. Jesus was deeply aware that he was God’s son and he knew the Father loved him.

Conclusion:

Among other things, Proverbs 4 reminds us to guard our heart for it steers the course of our life.

Guarding your heart isn’t just about what you let into your heart, it actually has more to do with what you let out of your heart.

We guard our heart by being careful with the words we speak, careful with what we set our sights on, careful with the path we walk day by day and careful to say ‘no’ when we need to.  

Where is your heart leading you?

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 the Old Testament mean by the term ‘heart’? How is this different from our contemporary understanding?
  • How might we check if the wisdom / tradition we have received is right?
  • In the context of Proverbs 4, what does it mean to ‘guard your heart’? Why is it important to guard your heart?
  • What practical things can we do to guard our heart?
  • Where are your sights set? What are you aiming for? What is your vision / goal in life? Is anything unhelpful distracting you from this?
  • Think about the regular rhythms and routines of your day and week. Where are these leading you? Does anything need to change?

[1] Christine Yoder

Tawa Baptist

Principles

Scripture: Proverbs 3:1-12

Video Link: https://youtu.be/3zN8xHVvEg0

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Verses 1-4
  • Verses 5-8
  • Verses 9-12
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

I grew up in the city of Hamilton. The main feature of Hamilton is the Waikato river, New Zealand’s longest river. As a general principle, river water travels downstream and consequently you can expect anything floating on the water to travel downstream too.

Having said that, there are times when the water travels upstream, against the main flow. This usually happens near the bank of the river. Sometimes floating objects get caught in an eddy and are prevented from moving downstream. But eventually they come unstuck and carry on their journey to the sea. 

Today we continue our series in the book of Proverbs. Proverbs offers practical wisdom for living well in this world.

The book of Proverbs is like a river. It describes the main flow of wisdom and the outcomes one can expect from certain choices. It doesn’t explore the eddy lines and back flows all that much. Proverbs is more concerned with the main principles of wisdom rather than the exceptions to the rule.  

Our message this week focuses on chapter 3, verses 1-12, which read…

My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, 2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. 3 Let loyal love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favour and a good name in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. 9 Honour the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. 11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, 12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

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

Verses 1-4:

The book of Proverbs contains principles. A principle is a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of beliefs. Principles guide our reasoning and behaviour.

For example, one of your principles for living might be ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’. This principle then informs your chain of reasoning and behaviour: I want people to be honest and kind with me, therefore I will be honest and kind with others.

Of course, living by this principle does not guarantee people will always be honest and kind with you, but it does increase the likelihood of positive treatment. In any case, your kindness and honesty is not dependent on others. You aim to be kind and honest on principle, irrespective of how others may behave. 

Proverbs gives us principles to live by but we should not confuse these principles with promises.

The principle in verses 1-2 of Proverbs 3 is that the son remembers the commands (or instructions) his parents have given him, for they will prolong your life and bring you peace and prosperity. This is not a promise. There is no guarantee that following the parents’ wise advice will always bring prosperity.

Following the path of wisdom is not a get rich quick scheme. We don’t learn wisdom in order to accumulate lots of money. We learn wisdom on principle, because that is who we are and what we want to build our life on. 

There will be times when the vicissitudes of life create an exception to the rule. The story of Job is a case in point. Not all suffering is the result of folly. Sometimes bad things happen to good people and we don’t know why. We don’t always get what we deserve. But, as a general principle, following the path of wisdom leads to peace in the end. Ultimately, God restored Job.

The phrase translated as peace and prosperity is actually one word, shalom, in the original Hebrew. Shalom is wellbeing or abundant life. The prosperity of shalom has less to do with money or possessions and more to do with the richness of right relationships in community with others.  

The principle then is that remembering the parents’ wisdom is good for wellbeing, not just your own personal wellbeing but also the wellbeing of the whole community.

Verses 3-4 provide another principle to live by, the principle of loyal love and faithfulness. The term loyal love is actually hesed in the Hebrew. I’ve talked about hesed before. Ruth did hesed for her mother-in-law Naomi. Jesus does hesed for us on the cross.

Loyal love and faithfulness is about commitment and taking care of your relationships. Being a trust worthy person, maintaining your friendship and support through good times and bad.

To bind something around your neck is to have it with you all the time, wherever you go. To wear it so people can see. A wedding ring on your finger is a symbol of loyal love and faithfulness to your partner in marriage. It shows your commitment to your spouse.

Likewise, for some people, wearing a cross around their neck is a sign of their commitment to Christ. For others a cross necklace is just decoration. Wisdom says it is important that the symbols we wear on the outside of our bodies reflect the deeper principles and commitments we hold in our hearts. 

The heart, in this context, represents a person’s inner life. It includes your mind, emotions and will. To write loyalty and faithfulness on your heart is to be the same on the inside as you are on the outside. Don’t just pretend to be loyal and faithful, mean it genuinely, from the inside out.

As a general principle, being loyal and faithful will result in a good reputation. Over time, people will learn they can trust you. That being said, you don’t practice loyalty and faithfulness in order to make yourself look good. You are loyal and faithful and practice hesed on principle, because that is who you are; that is the foundation on which you want to build your life.

While a good reputation is not guaranteed or promised, it is the normal by-product of a life lived with loyalty and faithfulness.

There’s an interesting wee connection between Proverbs 3 and Luke 2. After the boy Jesus was left behind in the temple and his parents found him, we read   

51 Then Jesus went down to Nazareth with his parents and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. 

We don’t always follow the wisdom of our parents but Jesus did. We are not always loyal and faithful but Jesus was. Jesus fulfils the principles of wisdom we read about in Proverbs. Jesus does for us what we are not able to do for ourselves.

Verses 5-8:

Verses 5-12 of Proverbs 3, spell out some of wisdom’s principles as they operate in our relationship with God. Verses 5-6 are well known…

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  

The main principle here is to rely on God; don’t be sucked in by the illusion of self-reliance. 

We tend lean on this verse at isolated times when we are facing a significant life decision, like who to marry, whether to change careers, how to handle a tricky issue and so on. But really, these verses are for all of life, not just the crisis points and crossroads.

Trusting the Lord needs to be a constant principle we live by 24-7. We are to trust with all our heart, completely, totally. Trust is the antidote to worry and anxiety. Trust sets us free to think more clearly so we make better decisions. Trust enables us to wait patiently and to rest so our strength is renewed.

Trust is like a bridge over a gorge; it provides a way to safer ground.

Trust is like a torch light when you are walking at night in the bush; it doesn’t show the whole journey, but it does reveal enough to take the next step.

Trust is a promise kept; it gives you confidence to move forward.

Trust is like a warm meal; it fills you with comfort and strength.

There is a lot in this world that we don’t know and cannot control. If we think about that stuff too much we soon become overwhelmed with fear. Trusting God means leaving the stuff we don’t understand and cannot control with God. Not worrying about it but instead focusing on the things we can control.

God is the source of wisdom.  God alone sees the whole picture. We only see a small piece of the puzzle and not always that clearly. If we make decisions based on the little we know, without reference to God, then there is a good chance we will get it wrong.

This does not mean we have nothing to offer. Rather, trusting God with all our heart means we put God at the centre of our decision making.

The temptation is to rely on ourselves. That is what Adam and Eve did when they ate the forbidden fruit. Their sin (and ours) was to stop trusting God and rely on their own understanding.

Verse 6 talks about acknowledging God. In one sense that means praying to God; asking him to guide us and show us the way. But asking God for guidance is the easy part. The harder part is listening for God’s response; discerning what he is saying.

In order to do that we must know God. So the bigger part of acknowledging God is knowing him. We come to know God in the experiences we have along life’s pathway and as we trust him.

For example, my knowledge of God as Father did not come solely from a book. It came mostly from being a son and becoming a father myself. Likewise, my knowledge of Jesus (his goodness and suffering) came in part from reading the gospels but more deeply through serving in the church.

My knowledge of God’s forgiveness comes from realising when I have messed up, being honest about that and receiving forgiveness. It also comes when other people do wrong and I have to look to God for the grace to forgive them and let it go. 

The principles of loyal love and faithfulness in verse 3 are divine qualities. As we practice loyalty and faithfulness we grow in our knowledge of God. 

Do you understand the principle here? Acknowledging God isn’t just something we do in our head. It is the knowledge that comes from experience; from walking in relationship with God. And that happens all through life’s journey.

Verses 7-8 are saying almost the same thing as verses 5-6, just in a slightly different way. Not being wise in your own eyes is another way of saying, do not lean on your own understanding.

Fearing the Lord, goes hand in hand with trusting the Lord. To fear the Lord, in this context, means to respect the Lord, to recognise him as the source of wisdom and to be in touch with your need for his help. Those who fear the Lord do not want to do anything to damage their trust with God and so they shun evil.

The wisdom of these verses could be paraphrased as, walk humbly with God. The natural consequence of walking humbly with God is enjoying good health in your physical body.

This does not mean that everyone who is sick is wise in their own eyes. People can become sick for any number of reasons. Sickness is not proof of sin. Correlation does not prove causation. The principle here is that there is a connection between body and spirit.  

Jesus understood the body / spirit connection well. The Lord said, human beings cannot live on bread alone but need every word that God speaks. The person who fears and trusts the Lord, listens to God’s word and obeys it. The wisdom that comes from God is as necessary for life and health as food.  

Verses 9-12:

Part of acknowledging God involves honouring the Lord with your wealth. People in the Old Testament did this by offering the first fruits of their crops to God at the temple. The first fruits were then shared with the poor and the priests.

Giving a portion of our income (according to our means), rather than hoarding it up for ourselves, is an act of trust in God. It’s a practical way of saying, ‘God gave me this and God will continue to provide’.

Verse 10 says that when you return the first and best to the Lord, your barns will be filled to overflowing. You’ll have more than you need in other words.

Again, giving to the Lord is not a get rich quick scheme. We give to the Lord as a matter of principle, because offering the first and the best to God is an acknowledgement that all we have comes from God. It is God who provides us with a job and an income and the wherewithal to do the work.

Jesus talks about the wisdom of generosity in Luke 6, where he says…

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Our earthly economy is driven by the assumption of scarcity. The underlying belief of our society is that there is not enough to go around and so when something is in short supply, the price goes up. The economy of God’s kingdom is different from that. The underlying principle of God’s kingdom is abundance. With God, there is more than enough to go around.

We still have to do the mahi though. We still have to be good stewards of what we have. But the principle of reaping what you sow holds. If you sow generously, you will (more often than not) reap a greater harvest. And if you forgive others, God will forgive you.

Verses 11-12 of Proverbs 3 show us that God’s love is expressed as much by the Lord’s disciplineas by the abundance he provides…

…do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, 12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.   

When we hear the word ‘discipline’ we may think of punishment. But discipline is a word that really means teaching. Disciplining or teaching someone will usually mean correcting them when they are wrong, so they don’t keep repeating their mistake. But that correction need not involve punishment. More likely it will involve further practice until you get it right.

Verse 11 says we are not to resent God when he rebukes (or corrects) us. Resentment is a form of anger. Anger is the natural response to injustice. We get angry when we think we are being treated unfairly. If God corrects you, because you are doing something wrong, that is not unfair, that is kindness.

But what if we suffer when we haven’t done anything wrong? Could God be teaching us something in that experience? In his book, The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis says this…  

“I suggest to you that it is because God loves us that he gives us the gift of suffering. Pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world. You see, we are like blocks of stone out of which the Sculptor carves the forms of men. The blows of his chisel, which hurt us so much are what make us perfect.”

C.S. Lewis was far wiser than me, but I’m not sure I agree with him entirely on this point. From a human perspective pain does not translate as love. Megaphones don’t work on the deaf but sign language does.

What’s more, human beings are not like blocks of stone. Stone is unfeeling, unyielding, unforgiving. Human life is fragile, sensitive to suffering, vulnerable.

Yes, God is a sculptor, but we are more like clay; soft, malleable, easily bent out of shape. In my experience, God’s correction of us is like that of a potter, who adds water and shapes our character with a gentle touch. Yes, the clay vessel goes into the furnace of suffering to set, but no longer than is necessary.

God’s discipline may, at times, involve suffering but not always. There is a patience and a grace to God’s discipline that is truly humbling.

If you know someone who is going through a difficult time at the moment, then please don’t make their ordeal any more difficult by suggesting God is teaching them something. Better to ask yourself, what is God teaching me.

God has a way of glorifying himself through suffering. I have learned a lot over the years by observing the way other people have handled themselves with courage and faith as they have journeyed through loss and grief.

Conclusion:

There are many principles of wisdom in the book of Proverbs but the most important principle is that God is love and everything he does is an expression of his love. The more we know that, the better we are able to trust him and rely not on our own understanding.

May the Lord bless you with a deeper experience of himself. Amen.

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 a principle? How is a principle different from a promise? Describe one principle that guides your reasoning and behaviour?
  • Why do we practice loyal love (hesed) and faithfulness?
  • What connections do you see between Proverbs 3:1-12 and Jesus (in the gospels)?
  • What does it mean to trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding?  How might we do this?
  • Discuss / reflect on the various ways you (personally) have come to know God.
  • Why do we give the first and best to God?
  • In what ways has God disciplined / taught / corrected you? 
Tawa Baptist

Be Discerning

Scripture: Proverbs 1:8-19

Video Link: https://youtu.be/Dcc1c-rIOTk

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Prepare children for life
  • Listen to discern
  • Consider the outcome
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Today we begin a new sermon series exploring the Old Testament book of Proverbs. Proverbs offers practical wisdom for living well in this world.

Primarily it gives the ABC’s of wisdom; life skills for beginners. It’s wisdom 101. At a deeper level though, Proverbs also offers insights for those who have been around the block a few times and know the ropes pretty well.

The first nine chapters of Proverbs are essentially a parent’s advice for their son, which fits quite nicely with today being Fathers’ Day. You’ll be pleased to know I don’t intend to cover all nine chapters this morning. Our focus this week is chapter 1, verses 8 to 19, which read…    

8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. 9 They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. 10 My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them. 11 If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul; 12 let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; 13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; 14 throw in your lot with us; we will all share the loot”—15 my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; 16 for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood. 17 How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it! 18 These men lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush only themselves! 19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it.

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

There’s a lot going in these verses. Three points to focus our message today.

A wise person prepares their children for life. A wise person listens critically in order to discern truth from error. And a wise person considers the outcome before committing to a course of action. First, the wisdom of preparing children for life.

Prepare your children for life

When I was about 5 or 6, I used to walk to and from school by myself. It was about 3 kilometers each way. One of the things my mum impressed upon me, before sending me out into the world, was the importance of not accepting a car ride from anyone. She gave this instruction to protect me.   

I took my mother’s advice very seriously. One time a friend of mine was being driven to school by his mum in a Morris Minor and they stopped to offer me a lift. Even though it was quite safe, I was five and lacked discernment so refused the offer and kept walking.   

One of the responsibilities of parenthood is preparing your children for life, particularly life as they will experience it out in the world, after they leave home. The world is not a safe place. It is a mixture of good and bad.

Our children need to know how to tell the difference between good and evil. They need some street smarts both to avoid going down the wrong path and to know when it is safe to accept help.

If we think of parenting styles along a continuum. At one extreme there are those parents who abdicate their responsibility and do little or nothing to prepare their children for the world. Maybe life is busy and there isn’t time to show their kids the way because they are working two or three jobs. Or maybe they just don’t have the skills to know how to prepare their kids.

Parents who abdicate responsibility are basically leaving things to chance. That’s a recipe for learning the hard way.

At the other extreme there are those who become too involved in their kids’ lives and seek to manipulate circumstances so their children are never confronted with the realities of the world.

Perhaps they are rich and can afford to buy their kids out of trouble. Or maybe they are anxious and unconsciously manage their fear by controlling every detail of their children’s lives. (Helicopter parenting.)

Manipulating the situation is not helpful in the long run. If a child’s life has been so protected they never felt the consequences of their choices, they may struggle when reality bites.  

Please understand, it is not my intention to make anyone feel stink here. Parenting is hard and there is enough guilt attached to it already. Most of us are doing the best we can, often under pressure. Sometimes we get it right and sometimes we don’t. But even if we managed to get everything right, there are still no guarantees. There are many influences on our children these days.  

Wherever we may find ourselves on the spectrum, God is gracious enough to redeem our mistakes and wise enough to work with our choices.  

The middle ground, between abdicating and manipulating, involves educating our kids about the world so they are prepared to make good choices and avoid harm. When we take the time to educate our kids, we demonstrate that we care about them and we trust them. Education is an act of faith and love.  

Proverbs 1-9 imagines a scenario where a father and mother sit down with their son, who is coming of age and about to leave home, in order to make him aware of the dangers in the world so he is able to avoid pitfalls and wrong turns. (So he doesn’t accept rides from the wrong people, in other words.)

Listen critically to discern

Now before we continue I need to acknowledge that, for some here today, the language of Proverbs may be a bit challenging. The instruction is addressed to a ‘son’. Does this mean, daughters are excluded? No, it doesn’t.

I toyed with the idea of making the language more gender neutral; using the word ‘child’ for example. But that’s not what the text actually says. Proverbs was written centuries before the time of Christ in what we (today) might call a patriarchal society.

Generally speaking, men were in charge. Men held most of the power and control. Therefore, men were in a position to do greater harm. So, in that culture, if you instruct young men to act wisely, there is a benefit to all of society, especially women. Because when men behave foolishly it is often women who pay the price.

The principles of Proverbs have a universal application. So, whatever your gender, keep listening and ask yourself, how do the principles in these verses apply to me?

In all fairness, the authors of Proverbs are not sexist misogynist pigs. To the contrary, they had a deep respect for women. As we shall see in the coming weeks, the writers of Proverbs personify wisdom as a woman.

There is value in these verses for people who don’t have children too. You can still be a mentor or a coach. Sometimes younger people are more open to wisdom from an older friend who is not their father or mother.  

The first lesson of wisdom is listen. Listen to your mum and dad. The father’s instruction (or discipline) and the mother’s teaching will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.

A garland for your head is a wreath of flowers or leaves representing honour and a chain to adorn your neck is a symbol of power and authority, similar to what a mayor or other important leader might wear.

The point is, if you listen to the good advice of your parents, you will eventually receive honour and respect and influence in the community.  

It should be noted that Proverbs 1 imagines parents who give good advice and who model a good example. Verses 8 and 9 are not suggesting that one should blindly follow their parents’ advice without thinking. Some adults are not fit to give good advice. If your mum or dad are telling you to do something unjust or unkind, then you cannot expect that to result in honour and respect. Find a mentor whose advice you can trust.

The context makes it clear that wisdom requires us to listen critically in order to discern good from evil.  

In verses 10-15, the parents prepare their son to face one of the dangers he might encounter when he leaves home and ventures into the wider world. The temptation to join a gang.

The parents simulate for their son how the conversation is likely to go when a gang member is trying to recruit him. Gangs promise things that young men want. Comradery and a sense of belonging. Security and purpose. Identity and respect.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting those sorts of things. The problem is using violence and injustice as a short cut to gain them. The gang in Proverbs 1 plans to mug some innocent passer-by, to kill them and steal their stuff.

Notice how the wisdom of Proverbs operates on two levels, in these verses.

At the basic level, the advice is don’t get involved with gangs. Be careful about the company you keep. But at a deeper level the young man is being taught not to be gullible. Don’t be foolish enough to believe everything you hear. Listen critically in order to discern. 

If some group starts talking violence, then you know what they are offering is not as good as it sounds. Do not go along with them. Do not give in to peer pressure. Use your brain and be discerning.

You don’t need to join a gang to get a sense of comradery. Committing crimes won’t make you feel secure or earn you respect. There are better ways to meet your need for belonging and purpose; like joining a sports team or a choir or becoming a youth group leader or a volunteer fire fighter or some other form of service that benefits your community.

Now I expect almost everyone here would agree that joining a gang is not a good idea. That’s because we have a choice. The young man in Proverbs 1 comes from a good home with two parents who love him. He has other more life giving options available to him and the financial resources to pursue those options.

Not everyone enjoys the same advantage in life. For some it is not easy to avoid or escape gang land. Some people are trapped in that world and are not free to leave, much less make an informed choice. They might not know any other way to live. So we shouldn’t look down on people who join gangs. There, but for the grace of God, go I. 

So how might we adapt the advice in Proverbs 1 for girls? Because, if you have a daughter, she is not likely to want to join a violent gang. Well, the principle of wisdom in view here is, listen critically in order to discern. Don’t be gullible. Don’t be foolish enough to believe everything you hear.

At the right time your daughter may need help to discern what kind of boys she can trust and what ones to avoid, so her heart is not broken. We can’t always choose who we fall in love with but we can choose to tread lightly and take things slowly. 

When it comes to listening critically in order to discern good from evil, we cannot go past the words of Jesus in Matthew 12, where the Lord says…

For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.

To put it another way; the Spirit of Jesus is a Spirit of truth and grace. If a person’s conversation lacks truth and grace, then that is surely a red flag. You cannot trust them.

Okay, so Proverbs 1 shows us the important role parents (and mentors) have in preparing children for life. Parents do well when they educate their kids about the dangers they might face in the world and how to navigate those dangers.

More than simply telling kids what to avoid, we need to teach the children in our lives to listen critically in order to discern good from evil for themselves. That means modelling a helpful example in our own conversation.

Consider the outcome

The third principle of wisdom to focus our message today, is the importance of considering the outcome before committing to a course of action. Where is this decision leading me?

In verses 16-19, the parents paint a picture for their son of the outcome of getting involved with a gang. Violence begets violence. You reap what you sow. Verse 17 is the first real proverb of the book: How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it!

In ancient times the net was strewn with seeds and the bird was caught when the hunter pulled the draw string. For the trap to work though, the bird has to be unaware there is a trap.

The proverb in verse 17 operates on more than one level. If we imagine the bird is the son, then the proverb asserts the young man should see and avoid the verbal net of the gang members who are trying to recruit him.

However, if we imagine the bird is the gang of thieves, then the thieves are setting a trap for themselves without realizing it. In their hurry to assault an innocent passer-by, the gang is running into the trap they have set for others.      

But what if we are the bird? Most of us would probably say, ‘Joining a gang does not tempt me. I would never fall for that trick’. And therein lies the trap for us. The proverb reminds us the bird is trapped because it is unaware of the danger. If we think the proverb doesn’t really apply to us, then we too are unaware of the danger and therefore at risk of being caught.

Sure, not many here would want to become a patched member of a criminal gang but gangs come in many different forms. In the book of Genesis, we read how Joseph’s ten older brothers formed a gang to kidnap Joseph and sell him into slavery. Have you ever ganged up on someone in your family?

Have you ever been tempted to join a gang of gossips who do violence to other people’s reputation? Have you ever been tempted to join a gang of white collar businessmen by investing in companies which are unethical?

Thinking globally, some might say Putin’s army is just a really big gang with heavy fire power, mugging the country of Ukraine. Most Russians probably don’t see it that way though.

What if our standard of living (here in the West) is generated at great cost to the rest of the world? What if the clothes I’m wearing have been made in a sweat shop by modern day slaves? What if we are involved in an economic system that essentially functions like a gang in exploiting the poor and we don’t even realize it?

If that is the case, then we are like the bird in the trap. Or to use a different metaphor, we are sawing off the branch on which we are sitting.

The point of the proverb is to get us to open our eyes to the outcome of our actions. Violence and injustice, in any form, is foolish because it destroys the innocent and the perpetrator. No one wins.

Before you become too overwhelmed by the reach of Proverbs 1, let me bring the application of these verses closer to home. We have a responsibility to help the children and young people in our lives to think about the outcome before making a decision.    

For example: Where is this social media thread taking me? What is going to happen if I break the conditions of my restricted license? What is my escape plan if I’m at a party and find myself in a situation I don’t feel comfortable with? What are the consequences of having another drink? What is the likely outcome of giving my heart to this boy or that girl?

You get the point. We can’t chaperon our kids everywhere they go. We can’t shield them indefinitely. But we can encourage them to be discerning listeners and to think about the outcome of their choices.

Conclusion

So how does Jesus fit with all of this?

Jesus is the wisdom of God. Jesus embodies practical wisdom for living well. If we want to be wise, we need to look to Christ. 

In and through Jesus we find a quality of belonging, security, identity and purpose that is more meaningful and more lasting than any gang could offer.

And when we make poor choices and find ourselves trapped, like the bird in the proverb, Jesus is able to set us free.

May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ give us the spirit of wisdom so we may know him better. Amen.

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?

  • How does the father in Proverbs 1:8-19 go about educating his son? What helpful things did your parents do to prepare you for life? What wasn’t so helpful?
  • How might the principles in Proverbs 1:8-19 apply to daughters? Can you think of actual examples from your own experience?
  • Why is the first lesson of wisdom to listen? How do we discern good from evil?       
  • Why are gangs attractive to (some) young men? What other more positive ways can a young person meet their need for belonging and purpose, etc.?
  • Why is it important to consider the outcome before committing to a course of action? How might we help the children and young people in our lives to think about the outcome before making a decision? 
  • What is the meaning of the Proverb in verse 17? Discuss / reflect on the various ways this proverb could apply to us today. How do we avoid getting trapped in the net?
  • How does Jesus fit with (inform/fulfil) Proverbs 1:8-19? 
Tawa Baptist

Jesus’ Presence

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

Video Link: https://youtu.be/x5NbZl6EPjU

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Jesus’ presence calms fear
  • Jesus’ presence is close
  • Jesus’ presence can be felt
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Today we conclude our Renew Together mini-series in support of Arotahi.

our New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society.

Renew Together is about remembering God’s mission of gospel renewal and our part in that mission. Over the three weeks of this year’s Renew Together campaign we have used the sermon time to focus on Matthew 28, verses 16-20, also known as the Great Commission.

Two weeks ago we heard about Jesus’ great authority. And last week we unpacked Jesus’ great commission to make disciples. Today our message concentrates on Jesus’ great presence. Let’s remind ourselves of what Jesus says in Matthew 28…

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey all I have commanded you. And surely I am with you all the time, to the very end of the age.”

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

There are many things we can say about Jesus’ presence. Today’s message focuses on just three ideas. Jesus’ presence calms fear. Jesus’ presence is close and Jesus’ presence can be felt. First, let’s consider how Jesus’ presence calms fear.  

Jesus’ presence calms fear

Human beings survive by forming attachments with other people. The first thing a new born baby does is cry, partly to get some oxygen into its lungs but also to get its mother’s attention and form an attachment.

Previously, experts thought that successful attachment was created by food but John Bowlby discovered there was more to it than that. Babies need caregivers who are responsive to them, who smile at them, talk to them and spend time interacting with them in a warm and positive way. 

The central idea of attachment theory is that primary caregivers who are present and responsive to a baby’s needs allow the child to develop a sense of security. When the baby knows that the parent is dependable, they are less anxious and this creates a secure base for the child to explore the world. The caregiver’s presence calms fear.

Over a period of three years the disciples had formed a significant attachment to Jesus. They had experienced Jesus’ love and faithfulness. They had learned to depend on Jesus and this had given them a secure base for their faith.

Soon Jesus would ascend to heaven so they would not be able to see him or hang out with him in the same way they had before. Things were about to change and change is scary.

What’s more, Jesus was asking his followers to do something really big. ‘Go and make disciples of all nations’; that’s massive, it’s huge, overwhelming even. Particularly when we remember the establishment was against them.

Perhaps the biggest trap for the disciples was their fear. The fear of abandonment. The fear of opposition. The fear of rejection. The fear of failure.  

The antidote to fear is presence; having someone with you who loves you. Someone you can trust. Someone who is greater than your fears. Jesus does not want his followers to be anxious or insecure so he says, “I am with you”.  Jesus’ presence calms the disciples’ fear. 

Jesus’ words echo the words of Yahweh, the Lord Almighty. A number of times in the Old Testament, God says to his people, “I am with you.” For example, in Joshua 1, as the people of Israel stand poised to enter the Promised land, we read…

9 …Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Then in Isaiah 41, the Lord says to the people in exile…

‘Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Famously, in Psalm 23, David says of the Lord…  

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

And, in the New Testament letter to the Hebrews chapter 13, we read…

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid…”

We could go on quoting Scripture but you get the point. Jesus’ presence calms our fear. As the followers of Jesus we do not need to be afraid of poverty or evil or opposition or anything else because the Lord is with us.

The important thing is to maintain our attachment to Jesus. Because we can only make disciples if we remain attached to Jesus.  

It’s like the Lord said in John 15: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

We maintain our attachment to Jesus in a variety of ways. For example, by meditating on Scripture, keeping right relationships, practicing hospitality, observing times of sacred rest and singing praise to God, alongside other rhythms that support our whole life.

Prayer is perhaps the most important rhythm for maintaining our attachment to Jesus. Prayer is an open ended conversation with God, one that never really ends, even though it may be punctuated with long pauses and silences.

Whether we are talking to God or listening to him, prayer keeps us open to God’s presence. When we pray, we put ourselves in the hands of God and we stay attached to Christ.

Jesus’ presence calms fear and Jesus’ presence is close.

Jesus’ presence is close

Some of you may have noticed the way Jesus repeats the word all four times in three verses. All authority, all nations, all I have commanded and all the time.

Jesus is giving his disciples confidence. He’s saying, “I am present with you everywhere and always. Nothing can separate you from my love”.

Jesus’ presence is close. No one, who belongs to Jesus, slips through the cracks. No one is beyond the reach of Jesus’ presence. We are reminded of Psalm 139, which reads…

7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 

It’s important to note what Jesus promises and what he doesn’t. The Lord does not promise that nothing bad will ever happen to us. To the contrary, Jesus was quite clear that people would hate his followers on account of him.

What Jesus does promise is to be present with his disciples, every day and in all situations. So Jesus is present when everything is going smoothly and when everything is turning to custard.

In the book of Acts, chapter 7, we are given a picture of the closeness of Jesus’ presence with Stephen. From verse 54 we read…

54 As the members of the Council listened to Stephen, they became furious and ground their teeth at him in anger. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw God’s glory and Jesus standing at the right side of God. 56 “Look!” he said. “I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!”

57 With a loud cry the Council members covered their ears with their hands. Then they all rushed at him at once, 58 threw him out of the city, and stoned him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 

59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.

Jesus did not stop the Council members from killing Stephen. Nevertheless, Jesus was close with Stephen in his suffering and Jesus’ presence made all the difference, enabling Stephen to forgive his killers as a sign of God’s grace.

You see, Jesus is not aloof or unaffected. Jesus’ presence is not that of a cool or neutral observer. No. Jesus is deeply moved by what happens to his followers. Jesus’ presence with his people is close, intimate, emotionally invested.

We notice the closeness of Jesus’ presence in Acts 9 when the risen Christ appears to Saul on the road to Damascus. From verse 3 we read…  

3 As Saul neared Damascus… suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 

Jesus is so closely present with his people, that when we suffer he feels it. The church is the body of Christ in a very real way. Whether any member is hurt or helped, Jesus is affected by that. Even if we are not aware of Jesus’ presence, Jesus is still very aware of what we are going through.

Jesus’ presence can be felt

The point we need to get hold of here is that Jesus’ presence is not one dimensional. Jesus’ presence is not thin, like a cardboard cut-out. Jesus’ presence has real substance and depth so it can be felt by us.  

We might not always feel like Jesus is present but there will be times when we do sense Jesus’ closeness. The Holy Spirit facilitates Jesus’ presence. The Spirit of God makes Jesus’ presence real and tangible and personal.

In John 20 we read how the risen Christ breathed on his disciples and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’. And in Luke’s gospel, the risen Jesus tells his disciples to stay in the city of Jerusalem until they have been clothed with power from on high. That power is the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit enabled the disciples to carry out the great commission by preaching with boldness, healing the sick, speaking in foreign languages and many other remarkable things besides. People accepted Jesus as Saviour and Lord because the Holy Spirit made the presence of the risen Jesus felt. 

We need to remember though, that the Holy Spirit is involved in our lives in less spectacular ways too. Jesus isn’t just present in supernatural events. Jesus is present all the time, including the ordinary, the routine and the natural.

Let me offer you three real life examples of how Jesus’ presence can be felt. Maybe my experience of Jesus’ presence connects with yours.

Firstly, Jesus’ presence can be felt through people, particularly the people of God.

When one of our daughters was young she caught rota virus and had to go to hospital. While we were in hospital, Greg, the pastor of the church we attended, came to visit us. I was about 29 at the time and had never been visited by a pastor before.

I don’t remember what Greg said but I remember he prayed for us and I remember feeling touched that he would take time out of his Saturday afternoon to come to the hospital so we wouldn’t feel alone.

Jesus communicated his presence with us through a person, through Greg. Whenever one of God’s people visits someone, Jesus is present and the body of Christ (the church) is present also. 

Not only is Jesus’ presence felt through people, we can also sense the Lord’s presence in the perfect timing of certain situations.

A day or two after Robyn & I had relocated from Tauranga to Auckland, to train for ministry, we went for a walk in Cornwall Park and got a bit lost. I didn’t really like Auckland and was feeling the weight of our decision to uproot our young family. I needed reassurance.

As we wandered around in a general state of disorientation, I noticed an elderly man in the distance. He looked familiar. As I drew closer, I realised it was Walter Lang. Walter was the senior pastor of Hamilton Central Baptist when I was there in the 1980’s. I hadn’t seen Walter in over ten years.

There are more than one million people in Auckland so the chances of me randomly bumping into Walter at the very moment I needed assurance were very slim. The timing was too perfect for it to be a coincidence. I knew God’s Spirit was making a connection.  

Seeing Walter that day was a very real and tangible sign that Jesus was with us and we were on the right path. Walter became my mentor for the three years of our training.

Jesus’ presence can be felt through people and through perfect timing. Jesus’ presence is also felt in our gathered worship.

Last Sunday, Pat led the intercessory prayer. Pat didn’t know what I was going to say in my sermon and I didn’t know what she was going to say in her prayer. And yet there were very real connections between what Pat prayed and what I preached, particularly in relation to being sensitive to where others are at.

The Holy Spirit makes connections like that every Sunday. The connections might come through the sermon or the prayer but not always. Sometimes they come through a conversation over tea and coffee after the service. Other times through the songs we sing or in some other way.

Whatever form they come in, we recognise the connections as a sign of Jesus’ presence, because they resonate with something in our spirit.

The connections are often personal to you, because of what God is doing in your life, so other people may not see the connection. But even though the connection is personal, you still need other believers to make a connection.

Jesus’ presence is felt when we come together. As the Lord said, where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.

Conclusion

This morning we have heard how Jesus’ presence calms our fear. We can’t be effective in making disciples if we are afraid. We need to maintain our attachment to Jesus in order to be fruitful. 

We’ve also heard how Jesus’ presence is close, in good times and bad. Jesus is not an aloof observer. The Lord is deeply affected by what happens to his people.

What’s more, Jesus’ presence can be felt by us at times too. We may sense the Lord’s presence in any number of ways including through people, through perfect timing and through our coming together for worship.

The overarching purpose of Jesus’ presence though, is to empower us to be disciples and to make disciples.

May the Spirit of God give us eyes to see Jesus at work in the world, hearts to feel his presence and willingness to obey his call. Amen.

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?

  • Why does Jesus promise to be with his disciples always?
  • On a scale of 1-10 (1 being poor and 10 being perfect) how would you rate your attachment to Jesus? Why do you give this rating? Does anything need to change? If so, what needs to change?
  • Discuss / reflect on Jesus’ words in Acts 9, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” What does this show us about Jesus’ ongoing presence with his disciples?
  • What role does the Holy Spirit have in facilitating Jesus’ presence?
  • When are you most aware of Jesus’ presence in your life? Think of / share examples from your own experience when you sensed Jesus was near.
  • How might we communicate Jesus’ presence to those around us?   
Tawa Baptist

Jesus’ Commission

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

Video Link: https://youtu.be/BsRMobff4y8

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Make disciples
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Today we continue our Renew Together mini-series in support of Arotahi.

Arotahi is the new name for the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society.

Arotahi means to focus in one direction, concentrating on one thing together.

Renew Together is about remembering God’s mission of gospel renewal and our part in that mission. Over the three weeks of this year’s Renew Together campaign we are using the sermon time to focus on Matthew 28, verses 16-20.

Although this passage is called ‘the great commission’, there’s actually more going on here. Last Sunday we heard about Jesus’ great authority and next week we will hear about Jesus’ great presence.

Today though our focus is the commission part of ‘the great commission’. Jesus’ great commission is to make disciples. Let’s remind ourselves of what Jesus says in Matthew 28…

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

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

If we think of the great commission as a house, then Jesus’ authority is the foundation on which the house is built. ‘Making disciples’ is like the structure of the house. While the Spirit filled people of God, who live in the house, provide the presence. Our focus this morning is on Jesus’ commission to make disciples.

Make disciples

Perhaps the first question to ask then is, what does Jesus mean by a disciple?

Well, the Greek word used in the New Testament for ‘disciple’ is mathetes, from which we get the word mathematics. 

A mathetes (or a disciple) is a learner, a student, an apprentice. Someone, in the context of the gospels, who is learning to be like Jesus by following his example. The heart and soul of Christian discipleship is learning to love and obey God, like Jesus did.

Being a Christian is like being a tradesperson; a builder or a plumber or a boiler maker (if they still have those). In the same way you don’t become a qualified tradie overnight, so too you don’t become proficient at loving and obeying God instantaneously. It’s a process.

Jesus is the master tradesman and we are his apprentices. We learn how to love and obey God by listening to what Jesus tells us and by watching and following Jesus’ example.

Jesus commissions his eleven disciples to go and make more disciples, after training them. For three years the disciples accompanied Jesus wherever he went. They spent many hours in conversation with Jesus. They listened to his preaching. They watched how Jesus cared for people and they experienced his power and love for themselves, firsthand.

Not only that but they cut their teeth on some short term mission trips of their own. They put into practice what they saw Jesus doing by having go at preaching and healing for themselves.

The point here is that before the eleven could make disciples, they had to do their apprenticeship as a disciple. But even after they had done their apprenticeship and got their commission, they were still learning. Christian discipleship is a lifelong process.    

It’s the same with us. Before we can make disciples, we have to be a disciple. And, in this life, we never stop being a disciple. We never stop learning to love and obey God.   

There is a real freedom in being a disciple. If you think of yourself as a learner, and not as an expert, then you don’t have to have all the answers. A disciple is not a guru. A disciple is not perfect or elite. A disciple is curious. Sometimes disciples make mistakes but they learn from those mistakes. A disciple is on a journey to becoming more like Jesus. 

In verses 19 & 20 of Matthew 28, Jesus outlines the two main things involved with ‘making disciples’: baptizing people and teaching people.

Baptism is the sign of Christian conversion. Or to put it another way, baptism is how we enroll to become a disciple of Jesus. To be baptized is to surrender your life to Christ. Baptism says, I am making a commitment to learn to love and obey God, with Jesus as my teacher.

While baptism is important and is something to celebrate, it is not an end in itself. Baptism is a beginning. Jesus did not say, ‘Go and make converts’. No. He said, ‘Go and make disciples’. 

The bigger part of making disciples is teaching them to obey everything Jesus has commanded. 

Now, when we hear the word ‘teach’, we might think of a classroom setting with a teacher at the front and pupils sitting in desks. Chalk and talk. Part of discipleship does involve sitting and listening to people talk about Jesus.

But learning happens in other ways too, especially in the example we set. Discipleship is caught more than taught.

Teaching people to obey Jesus isn’t just about stuffing knowledge into people’s heads. Christian knowledge is primarily relational. So the point is not to know lots of facts about God and Jesus. The point is to help people grow in their experience of God’s love and truth.

The disciple, Simon Peter, learned something of God’s grace by listening to Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son and by watching the way Jesus forgave other people. But Peter’s most profound lesson on grace and forgiveness happened when he denied the Lord and was then later restored by Jesus.

In John 13, Jesus gave his disciples the command to love one another, as I have loved you… By this everyone will know you are my disciples.

Learning to love other Christians only happens when you spend time with them. And spending time with Christians (who may be quite different from you, or perhaps too similar in all the wrong ways) is more difficult than you might think. But we can’t expect to learn how to love one another without some form of church involvement.

As important as church life is, discipleship happens mostly in the ordinary, mundane routines of life.

If you are married, then marriage is the primary context for your discipleship. For example, you learn patience, grace and humility by listening to your partner, by doing the dishes and the vacuuming, by forgiving each other’s mistakes and so on.

Likewise, if you are single, then discipleship happens in the context of your singleness. Without a husband or wife, you might, for example, learn to rely more fully on God in faith and become good at companionship as you share your time and talents with the church and community.  

The workplace is another important context for discipleship. In most work situations you will have to get along with people who hold different beliefs from you. There may be times when you are tempted to do something morally wrong. As someone learning to love and obey God, how do you choose the Jesus’ way?

We learn by doing. We learn to love and obey God through the life situation we find ourselves in. Christian discipleship is a full emersion process.

In the 1970’s James Engel, of Wheaton College in the United States, developed what is known today as the Engel scale. The Engel scale describes the process of Christian conversion and discipleship.   

James Engel came up with 16 steps in this process. Most of those steps are taken before someone makes the conscious decision to become a disciple of Jesus.

Generally speaking, we start out in life having no awareness of God, that’s step one. Then, at some point, we become aware that other people believe in a higher power that we call ‘God’. Step two.

Having some contact with Christians is another important step in the process. You might, for example, grow up in a Christian home or you might know Christians at school or in your work place.

Hopefully, this contact with Christians is positive so you become interested in finding out more about Jesus, because Jesus is the heart of the Christian faith. 

As you learn more about Jesus you are faced with some decisions. Do I believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Do I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead? Do I believe God’s grace is sufficient for me? And, if I do accept these things as true, am I willing to surrender my life to Jesus and become his disciple?

The Alpha Course is helpful when working through these questions of faith.  

Once you have decided to become an apprentice of Jesus, by God’s grace you gain confidence in your decision and you make changes to your lifestyle in obedience to Christ. Those changes might include giving up drugs or alcohol or becoming kinder and more generous, or some other change depending on what God’s Spirit is doing in your life.

Part of your discipleship journey will include practicing spiritual disciplines like a daily quiet time for prayer and Bible study, attending Sunday worship regularly, giving to the poor and to the church, observing a Sabbath, volunteering your time in service to others and so on.

Eventually, you will learn to share your faith authentically, in a way that fits the shape of your soul. And, in the process of sharing your faith and discipling others, you yourself continue to grow in your relationship with Jesus.       

The Engel scale isn’t just about growing in our head knowledge of Jesus. More importantly it has to do with our attitude toward God. Are we cultivating a greater openness to God’s Spirit? Are we learning to love and obey the Lord more and more in faith?

The steps that James Engel developed provide a rough map of the discipleship process for some people. But the thing about maps is they don’t always match the reality on the ground. Discipleship is not necessarily a linear step by step process.

Sometimes we do the steps in a different order. Sometimes it’s three steps forward, one step back. Sometimes we have to repeat certain steps. And your particular discipleship journey may involve other steps that James Engel didn’t think of. That’s okay.

The point is, discipleship is a process and, like any learning process, you have to give yourself to it. We have to submit to our teacher, Jesus.

One of the helpful things about the Engel scale is that it reminds us to be sensitive to where other people are at in their journey toward Christ likeness. The Engel scale prompts us to listen and seek to understand others first.

If someone is in the early stages, just beginning to make contact with Christians, then you want their first contact to be positive. Do your best to ensure their experience with you is warm and real, not weird or scary.

You don’t need to dump a whole lot of Christian doctrine on people in the early stages. A theological framework can come later. Just be honest and kind. Listen with empathy and understanding. Let people experience the love and truth of Jesus through you.  

A couple of weeks ago we had the filters in our home ventilation system changed. The guy who came to our house to do this was from India. Jesus said ‘go to the nations’ but in many ways the nations have come to us here in New Zealand.

When I was paying the bill this guy asked me what I did for work and so I told him I was a minister at the local Baptist church.

He was curious about the different denominations, like Catholic and Protestant, so I said the various church traditions are like different flavours of the Christian faith. What really matters though is Jesus. Jesus is the one we share in common. Jesus is the heart of the Christian faith.

Now, most of the time when you mention the name Jesus, people change the subject. But this guy wanted to keep the conversation going. Fine by me.

He told me how he had been working in a woman’s house recently and she had given him a coin with ten rules on it. I guess it was the ten commandments.

While I admire this woman’s boldness, I’m not sure she was paying attention to where this guy was at or what he needed.

Yes, Christian discipleship does involve learning to obey the commandments, but knowing Jesus needs to come first. Because if we don’t know that Jesus loves us, then we won’t be able to obey.

Sadly, she gave him another rule, telling him not to get vaccinated against Covid. On the rare occasion someone wants to know about your faith, please talk about Jesus. Do not go off on a tangent. Do not take them down a rabbit hole. Keep the main thing the main thing. Jesus is the main thing.

This guy had been vaccinated so where does that leave him? Probably feeling judged, if not condemned. What would Jesus do in that situation?

Well, I believe Jesus would stand in solidarity with the man.

So, as Jesus’ representative in this situation, that’s what I did. I told the man I had been vaccinated too and that I believe God gives us science for our health and wellbeing. In other words, you don’t need to feel condemned for being vaccinated. Vaccination is not a barrier to becoming a Christian. Science is not the enemy of faith.

He looked at me and communicated his understanding with one word, ‘Freedom’. This guy was intelligent. He made the connection that Jesus and the Christian faith are about setting people free to love God, to love their neighbour and to love themselves. (Keep the main thing the main thing.)

Of course, there is much more you could say about Jesus and the gospel but you don’t have to cover everything all at once. Making disciples is a process and you may be just one of the many people God uses in that process. I believe there is still more God wants to do in this man’s life.

For the first eleven disciples, being commissioned by Jesus to go and make disciples of all nations meant actually travelling out from Jerusalem to other countries with the gospel. Does it mean the same for us as well? It might do, but not necessarily.

Obviously, God does still call people to become overseas missionaries. That’s what Arotahi is about. But he is more likely to call you to make disciples in your own neighbourhood; your school, your home, your church or your workplace.

If you are a parent or grandparent, then regularly reading stories about Jesus to your children and grandchildren is the obvious place to start. If you are married to someone who is not yet a disciple of Jesus, then showing your partner in marriage what a follower of Jesus looks like is surely a priority.

If you have the time and skill and desire to work with children or young people, then serving in Kids’ Church or Youth Group is a sensible way to make disciples. Likewise, if you love the Bible and people, then leading a small group Bible study might be one way you carry out Jesus’ great commission.

Or, if you work with someone who is interested in knowing more about Jesus, then embrace the opportunity the Lord has provided. Walk humbly with that person and share the grace and truth God’s Spirit has given you.

Conclusion:

Where are you at in the process of learning to love and obey God?

What are the next steps for you?

May the Lord bless you with wisdom and courage as you go and make disciples. Amen.

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 a disciple? What is the goal of Christian discipleship?
  • Where are you at in the process of learning to love and obey God? What are the next steps, for you, in that process?
  • Think of those who have been instrumental in discipling you? What did they do that helped you to love and obey God?
  • What are some of the ways we might make disciples? How do you, personally, work out Jesus’ commission to make disciples?
  • Discuss / reflect on the Engel scale. To what extent do these steps align with your own experience? How is it different? How might the Engel scale help in the process of making disciples? 
  • If you had one minute to talk about your faith with someone who had some awareness of God but little or no experience of Christian faith, what would you say? 
Tawa Baptist

Jesus’ Authority

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

Video Link: https://youtu.be/4UlurtIrQV0

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Mountain top moments
  • Worship and doubt
  • All authority
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Today we begin a new sermon series in support of Arotahi.

Arotahi is the new name for the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society.

Arotahi means to focus in one direction, concentrating on one thing together.

Each year we spend three weeks focusing on the work of our Baptist missionaries working overseas and in New Zealand. We call this three weeks’ focus on mission: Renew Together. (In the past it was called Self Denial.)

Renew Together is about remembering God’s mission of gospel renewal and our part in that mission.

The New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society (NZBMS) began in 1885 with this statement of purpose: “…to fulfill the ‘Great Commission’ of the Lord Jesus Christ in those areas of the world to which He may direct.”

Over the three weeks of this year’s Renew Together campaign we will use the sermon time to focus on Jesus’ great commission. Let us begin then with a reading from Matthew 28, verses 16-20…

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

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

Although this passage of Scripture, is called ‘the great commission’, there’s actually more going on here, including some important things about Jesus’ great authority and Jesus’ great presence. We will get to the commission part of ‘the great commission’ next week. The focus of this week’s message is Jesus’ authority.

Mountain top moments:

I grew up in the city of Hamilton. Unlike Wellington, the Waikato is a relatively flat place. The closest mountain of any significance is Mount Pirongia, about half an hour’s drive west of Hamilton.

It takes four and half hours to walk up Mount Pirongia, give or take. The thing I remember about the climb was the way it just seemed to go on and on and on. You thought you were making progress and then you had to walk down into a saddle, knowing you would have to climb up that distance again.

But just when you think the grind is never going to end, you come around a corner and you are there, at the summit. It’s a mountain top moment.

In general terms, ‘a mountain top moment’ is an expression which means a moment of exhilaration, joy and triumph after achieving a goal.

In spiritual terms though, ‘a mountain top moment’ refers to a significant revelation given by God. It’s a sacred time when you feel especially close to the Lord. Mountain top moments may not last long but they have the feel of eternity, like you are transcending time somehow. They leave a lasting impression.

Mountain top moments are a gift from God; we can’t really conjure them. But, in the Bible at least, they often come after some kind of ordeal.

Abraham had a mountain top moment when the angel of the Lord stopped him from sacrificing Isaac. Moses received the ten commandments on a mountain. And Elijah had a mountain top moment after his confrontation with the prophets of Baal.          

Mountain top moments mark the beginning, middle and end of Jesus’ earthly ministry in the gospel of Matthew. Jesus gives his famous sermon on the mount in Matthew 5. Then, in Matthew 17, we read of Jesus’ transfiguration on a mountain. While, in Matthew 28, the risen Jesus appears to his disciples on a mountain in Galilee.

All of these are special moments of revelation given by God. The sermon on the mount reveals Jesus’ authority in relation to the law. Jesus isn’t just a skillful and wise teacher. He is the one who fulfills God’s law of love on behalf of humanity.

Likewise, the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain reveals Jesus’ authority as God’s representative. Jesus stands glorified alongside two of Israel’s greatest prophets, Moses and Elijah. Then a voice from heaven says of Jesus, ‘This is my Son, listen to him’. Jesus is the one the prophets spoke about.

The appearance of the risen Jesus, on a mountain top in Matthew 28, reveals Jesus’ authority over life and death. Jesus has conquered sin and death through his obedience to God in going to the cross. Jesus has authority to grant eternal life. 

As much as we may enjoy the mountain top moments and wish them to never end, we cannot remain on the mountain indefinitely. The disciples didn’t stay on the mountain top. They came down and went out into the world. In the same way, we must come down the mountain to live our lives on the flat.

Where are you right now? Are you on the mountain top or in the valley? Or somewhere in between? The mountain top may be where we are most aware of God. But really, God is with us wherever we are, even if we feel like we are in the pits.

Worship and doubt:

You’ve probably heard the saying, ‘Keep it real’. It means something like, be honest, don’t lie to yourself, be authentic. Live in your own soul. Be who you are.

The Bible has a way of keeping it real. It is such an honest book. It shows people as they are. It doesn’t gloss over the mess or the complexity that comes with being human. Verse 17 of Matthew 28, keeps things real where it says…

17 When [the disciples] saw [Jesus], they worshiped him; but some doubted. 

What we have here is a very honest picture of the disciples. A mixture of worship and doubt.

These disciples are Jewish and had been raised in the knowledge of the ten commandments, which said you shall worship no other God but Yahweh. The fact that the disciples worshipped Jesus shows they acknowledged his divine authority. After three years of not really understanding who Jesus is, the disciples finally get it. A mountain top moment of divine revelation. 

Matthew could have left out the part about some of the disciples doubting but he chooses to leave it in. And I’m pleased he did. It has the ring of truth to it.

It resonates with our own experience. Matthew is keeping it real.

So what does it mean that some doubted? Well, it is not doubt in the sense of complete disbelief. It is not the intellectual doubt of an atheist. Nor is it the arrogant doubt of those opposed to Jesus, like the religious leaders who believed in God and yet disbelieved that Jesus is the Messiah of God.

No. It is the kind of doubt that puts a person in two minds. It is an honest doubt that says, ‘I want to believe the good news, that Jesus is alive and God loves me, but I have some practical concerns that I find difficult to reconcile.’

We might call it the doubt that seeks integrity. Not the doubt of a closed minded skeptic but the doubt of an open minded seeker of the truth.

Let me offer two examples of how this honest doubt operates.

In the gospel of John, the disciple Thomas refused to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead without physical proof. Thomas wanted to touch Jesus’ wounds. For this he earned the nick name, Doubting Thomas, which is a bit unfair.

When we consider Thomas’ stand on this point we notice a certain thoughtfulness and integrity in the man. He was not willing to simply go along with the crowd. Thomas was in two minds. He wanted to believe Jesus was alive but he had some practical concerns he needed to reconcile and he was being honest about that.

When the risen Jesus did appear to Thomas a week later, Thomas believed and worshipped Jesus. Thomas rightly perceived Jesus’ divine authority. The interesting thing is that of all the disciples, Thomas travelled further with the gospel than anyone else, taking the message about Jesus all the way from Palestine to India.

There is another way to understand the doubt of the disciples in this context. That is: self-doubt. Richard France observes how the disciples were mindful of the way they had deserted Jesus when he needed them most. They were probably feeling a bit embarrassed by their lack of moral fiber.

They may have had no doubt that God had raised Jesus from the dead. What they doubted was themselves. How can I call Jesus, ‘Lord and friend’, when I have let him down so badly? How can I worship Jesus with integrity after my own lack of integrity has been so clearly shown?

You know there are some worship songs I find hard to sing. I am quite comfortable singing about the greatness of God and the worthiness of Jesus to receive all honour, praise and glory. I don’t doubt that God raised Jesus from the dead. That makes perfect sense to me.  

But when the chorus has me singing about what I will do for God or what I will give to God, my confidence evaporates. I doubt myself with good reason. I know my own limitations. What integrity I do have, stops me from making extravagant claims about what I will do for God. Like the first disciples, I worship with doubts about myself.

The good news is that Jesus’ authority is not threatened by the disciples’ doubt. Jesus is not unsettled by your doubts either. Jesus understands our weakness and frailty and is able to work with us.

Verse 18 tells us how Jesus came to the disciples and spoke to them.

Many, many times in Matthew’s gospel we read how people came to Jesus either for help or to question him. But only twice do we read that Jesus came to his disciples. Once, in chapter 17, after his transfiguration and then again in Matthew 28, after his resurrection.

Jesus comes to restore a sense of normality when his disciples are feeling overwhelmed by a supernatural event. [1]

Isn’t that cool. Jesus doesn’t use his authority like a big stick to keep his disciples in fearful submission. Jesus uses his authority to reassure his disciples and to calm their fears. Jesus accepts his disciples, honest doubts and all.

To be accepted by someone in authority is not only a great honour, it also fosters confidence and puts doubt in its place. Jesus’ authority is greater than our doubts and fears.   

The message here is that honest doubt does not exclude you from friendship with Jesus, but cynical doubt will. Know yourself and keep it real with God.

All authority:

Perhaps the clearest indication of Jesus’ authority, in Matthew’s gospel, is found on the lips of Jesus himself, where the Lord says: All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me…

This is both a statement of fact and a reference to the prophet Daniel who foresaw one like a son of man who was given all authority by God Almighty (the Ancient of Days). Jesus is the son of man prophesied by Daniel. Giving all authority to Jesus is something God had planned for centuries.   

One thing we notice here is that Jesus’ authority is universal. Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and earth. This means there is nowhere that Jesus is not in charge. There is no place seen or unseen that is beyond Jesus’ jurisdiction. The risen Jesus is Lord of life and death, of time and eternity, of this world and the next. 

Another thing we notice is how Jesus’ authority is given by God. It is not taken by force. In the same way that love can only be given freely, so too authority is given. Authority that is taken by force is not genuine, it is counterfeit. Jesus’ authority is legitimate because it is given by God Almighty.

Those who are familiar with Matthew’s gospel will understand that the key to Jesus’ authority is found in Jesus’ loving obedience to God the Father.     

In Matthew 4 we read that, when Jesus was being tested in the wilderness, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ‘All this will be yours’, the devil said, ‘if you bow down and worship me.’

But Jesus refused. Jesus would not betray God nor take the devil’s short cut.

By choosing the longer route of obedience to God the Father, Jesus received all authority in heaven and earth, far more than Satan offered.   

Returning to Matthew 28. In verse 19 Jesus goes on to say…

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

We will get to the part about ‘making disciples’ next week. Today our focus is the authority of Jesus.

Baptism is the initiation ceremony for Christians. Baptism represents a number of things, including submission to Jesus’ authority. When we are baptized, we are effectively saying; ‘Jesus is my Lord and King, I give my allegiance to Christ and commit myself to obeying him’. 

We also see Jesus’ authority in the baptismal formula he uses. Jesus, the Son, places himself in between God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus is saying, quite clearly here, that he is divine.

Notice though that we are baptized into the name (singular) of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are not baptized into three names but into one name. So God the Father, Son and Spirit are one. There is a mystery to the Trinity that we cannot fully comprehend.  

Conclusion:

Let me leave you with this thought: Jesus, who has been given all authority in heaven and earth, shares his authority with his disciples by commissioning them to make more disciples.

And who are Jesus’ disciples? Is it just the eleven who met him on the mountain 2000 years ago? No. A Christian disciple is anyone who loves and obeys Jesus. So the question is: do we love Jesus enough to do what he says?

May our God of grace bless you with his peace and a deeper awareness of his love. 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?

  • Why does the risen Jesus meet his disciples on a mountain? What other mountain top moments do we read about in Matthew’s gospel? What do these mountain top experiences say about the authority of Jesus?
  • Have you ever had a mountain top moment (spiritually speaking)? What happened? What impression did you come away with? What change did it make in your life?
  • Why does Matthew include the comment that some of the disciples had doubts? What is the difference between honest doubt and cynical doubt?
  • Do you have doubts? What is the nature of those doubts? How might we best handle our doubts?
  • Where does Jesus’ authority come from? Why did God give all authority in heaven and earth to Jesus?
  • Who does Jesus share his authority with? What might it look like to exercise the authority Jesus shares?

[1] R. France, NICNT Matthew, page 651.

Tawa Baptist

Owls

Scriptures: Isaiah 34:8-15 & 43:18-21

Video Link: https://youtu.be/gbOgWsraLvk

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • God’s vengeance (Isaiah 34)
  • God’s salvation (Isaiah 43)
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

There’s a saying, ‘birds of a feather flock together’. It means, people with things in common tend to be found together.

Birds of the same kind do often flock together, but not always. Owls tend to be a relatively solitary bird for the most part. Only very rarely do you see them together. But, in the unlikely event you were to see a group of owls in one place, what would you call them?  [Wait] That’s right, a parliament of owls.

Other descriptors might include a wisdom of owls or a congress or a hooping or an eyrie or a looming or a stare and so on. All these words indicate the way owls haunt the human imagination. There’s something a little bit spooky about this bird.

Today we conclude our sermon series on Birds of the Bible, with the owl. Many people associate the owl with wisdom, as in ‘the wise old owl’. That idea comes from Greek mythology. In ancient Greece, the little owl was the companion of Athena the Greek goddess of wisdom. 

In Scripture, the owl is not really associated with wisdom. More often the owl is associated with sleepless nights, loneliness and alienation, desolation and judgement. There is a certain sense of foreboding (like a bad omen) that accompanies the owl.

With this in view, it is not surprising that owls appear several times in the Old Testament prophetic books. Our message today focuses on two occurrences of owls in the book of Isaiah. Let’s begin with chapter 34, verses 8-13.  

God’s vengeance

8 For the Lord has a day of vengeance, a year of vindication for Zion’s cause. 9 And the streams of Edomshall be turned into tar and her soil into sulfur; her land shall become burning tar. 10 Night and day it shall not be quenched; its smoke shall go up forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; no one shall pass through it forever and ever. 11 But the desert owland the screech owl shall possess it; the great owl and the raven shall live in it. He shall stretch the line of confusion and the plummet of chaos over it…  13 Thorns shall grow over its strongholds, nettles and thistles in its fortresses. It shall be the haunt of jackals, an abode for ostriches. 14 Wildcats shall meet with hyenas; goat-demons shall call to each other; there also Lilith shall repose and find a place to rest. 15 There shall the owl nest and lay and hatch and brood in its shadow; there also the buzzards shall gather, each one with its mate.

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

Owls are raptors. They are birds of prey. Owls have very good night vision and excellent hearing. The shape of the owl’s face funnels sound to their ears, magnifying what they hear up to ten times. Owls are keen listeners.

Put that together with super strong talons, natural camouflage and the ability to fly silently and that makes owls stealth hunters.

Like the sparrow, owls are resilient hardy birds found all over the world except Antarctica. They know how to survive. Fossil records show that owls have been around for about 55 million years. Significantly longer than human beings.

Owls will typically feed the oldest and strongest of their young first. This means if food is scarce, the smaller weaker owlets tend to starve while the fittest of the next generation survive. Owls are very unlike God in this way.

Nevertheless, owls are helpful to humankind. Farmers like to keep owls around as pest control. A barn owl can eat up to 1000 mice a year, usually swallowing them whole. Later it will regurgitate the bones and fur in the form of a pellet.

In Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, the owl is a symbol of death, used to portray evil and darkness. The sound of the owl marks the death of Duncan, haunting Lady Macbeth. But long before Shakespeare, the prophet Isaiah associated the owl with ominous and fearful forces.  

In our reading earlier, from Isaiah 34, the prophet talks about God’s vengeance on the nations that have opposed the people of Israel. In particular, Isaiah foresees a day when God will smash Edom.

Edom (not to be confused with the cheese) is the people group descended from Esau. Esau was Jacob’s twin brother. Esau’s descendants became the nation of Edom and Jacob’s descendants became the nation of Israel.

Human parents, in the ancient world, treated their children in much the same way that owls treat their young. The oldest and strongest male was favoured and given the lion’s share of the estate.  

Esau was the oldest and therefore in line to inherit the land and birth right, while Jacob (the younger twin) would have to make do with the leftovers. This did not make for good family dynamics. Jacob cheated Esau out of his inheritance so there was bad blood between them.

Although Jacob and Esau did eventually make peace, the bad blood lingered with their descendants. The people of Edom treated the Israelites with aggression and cruelty.  

The worst of it though, was the way Edom allied itself with the Babylonians. (Birds of a feather flock together.) When the Babylonian army laid siege to Jerusalem, the people of Edom supported the Babylonians and after the city had been sacked, the Edomites plundered what remained. No love lost.  

Because of their violent opposition to God’s people and to God’s purpose, Isaiah predicted the destruction of Edom, saying the land of Edom would become the possession of the desert owl, the screech owl and the great owl.

Owls do not build their own nests. Rather, they take over the nests of other birds. So, from the perspective of Israel, who had lost their home to the Babylonians, the imagery of owls inhabiting Edom was poetic justice.

The owl’s association with darkness and evil comes out even more clearly in verses 14 & 15, where the prophet Isaiah puts the nesting owl alongside goat demons and Lilith.

Goat demons are a mythical creature, half goat, half man. And Lilith is the name of a demoness of the night who was thought to devour new born babies. These evil creatures were the stuff nightmares are made of and so they serve Isaiah’s poetry well.

Reading about God’s vengeance like this is a bit disturbing. As Christians we are more familiar with Jesus who is full of grace and compassion. Jesus who teaches us to love our enemies and turn the other cheek and so on. How do we reconcile the vengeance of God with the mercy of God?

Well, God’s vengeance is one aspect of his justice. God’s justice and mercy are not separate. They are one, just as God is one. The God of the Old Testament is the same as the God of the New Testament. God is consistently fair and measured in his response to evil.

We see the oneness of God’s justice and mercy in the way he contains Lilith. Following the logic of Isaiah’s poetry, if Lilith eats babies, then to read that she is at rest in a desolate and isolated place is a comfort, because it means she is not hurting children anymore.          

Likewise, if a nation is loose in the world doing harm, like Edom was, then it is not merciful of God to ignore that nation and look the other way. The just and merciful thing is to give that nation the opportunity to change their ways and if they don’t change, then the next step is to stop that nation from continuing to do harm.

God has every right to protect his creation from those who abuse it. That’s what God’s vengeance is, a just and merciful response to stop evil.

In Isaiah 34, the prophet is dressing an old wound. The Israelites have suffered much at the hands of the Edomites and Isaiah wants to clean up the wound so it can heal without becoming septic.

Think of it this way. If someone does serious violence to you or someone you love, then you will quite rightly feel angry with them and want that person stopped. You will also need to find a way to safely vent your rage, so it doesn’t eat away at you from the inside out and turn you bitter.

Forgiveness is a process which involves letting go of your anger in a way that does no harm. The poetry of Isaiah 34 provided Israel with a way to release their anger and their fear so they could forgive the past and not turn septic.

The words of Isaiah 34 give the people of God faith to leave vengeance in the Lord’s hands and move forward with hope. If you believe that God is going to carry out justice on your behalf, then it protects you (to some degree) from going down the path of violence yourself.

We have heard recently how Christians in the state of Manipur, in India, are being persecuted, with many churches burned to the ground. We feel for the believers in Manipur and pray for God to protect them and help them.

I’m not sure how I would respond if faced with that sort of violence. I pray that we would never have to find out. Lord, save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.

Isaiah 34, with its graphic description of God’s vengeance, may be confronting to many of us, but I imagine it is a comfort to those who are abused for their faith. It helps to know God will right the wrongs committed against his people.

Okay, so we have heard how owls are associated with death and the aftermath of God’s vengeance. But vengeance does not have the last word, for the prophets generally follow a message of judgement with a message of hope.

God’s salvation

God’s vengeance serves his greater plan of salvation. Later, in Isaiah, owls are depicted as honouring God.  From chapter 43, verses 18-21, we read…  

16 This is what the Lord says… 18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. 20 The wild animals honour me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

In a nutshell, Isaiah’s message in these verses is: don’t be blinded by the past, be open to the future.

There’s an advertisement on TV at the moment for Ford motorcars. It quotes Henry Ford saying: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said, faster horses.” Henry Ford was a man of vision, an innovator. He was not blinded by the past. He was open to the future and to new possibilities. 

Isaiah 43 was written for the Jewish exiles in Babylon. The exiles probably felt a bit like the owl; lonely and alienated, living in a spiritually desolate place, surrounded by evil. Remembering the stories of their past (how God had delivered them from slavery in Egypt) had a soothing affect. The old familiar stories were a comfort, like a security blanket.

Isaiah was aware that dwelling on the past was holding people back. The past can become an idealised world into which we retreat when the future becomes too frightening to face. The Jewish exiles were at risk of looking so long at a door that had closed that they would miss the new door of salvation God was opening.

Don’t dwell on the past can also mean, let go of your hurt and anger. There is a time and place for contemplating God’s vengeance and for venting your rage but, once you have got it out of your system, don’t wallow in self-pity and resentment. Move forward. Don’t be blinded by the hurts of the past.

In verse 19 the Lord says: See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  This is a call to be open to the future.

After some decades the Babylonian empire was conquered by the Medes who took a different approach. In 538 BC (around 50 years after the fall of Jerusalem) King Cyrus released the Jewish exiles, allowing them to return to their homeland to rebuild the Jerusalem temple.

On the one hand this was good news but, at the same time, it was also challenging. The Jewish exiles had become quite settled in Babylon. The prospect of picking up sticks and making a long journey through the wilderness to resettle in Palestine would have been daunting.

They were returning to ruins. They would have to rebuild from scratch. They needed reassurance and encouragement, so the Lord says…

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

God was promising to provide what the people needed to return and rebuild a new life in Jerusalem. 

Are you facing a daunting prospect at the moment? Are you facing challenges that feel overwhelming? Let me say to you: The Lord is able to make a way for you when you cannot see a way for yourself. Look to him to lead you.

The idea of God making a way in the wilderness continues in verse 20, where the Lord talks about the jackals and the owls honouring him because of the new thing he is doing.

Previously, in Isaiah 34, we read how the jackals and owls prowled among the ruins. They were associated with God’s vengeance, with chaos and evil spirits. Now, in chapter 43, Isaiah reintroduces the jackals and owls, not as sinister prowlers, but this time as giving honour to God. This is new and different.

The image here is one of salvation. Given that God can transform the owl from an omen of evil and death to a symbol of praise and new life, how much more will the Lord redeem his people.

Isaiah’s words are full of hope. The Lord Almighty is a creative, redemptive God, committed to the healing of his entire creation. Ultimately, even owls and jackals have a place, serving a positive purpose in God’s plan of salvation.

Conclusion:

The very things we dread and fear are often the things God uses to redeem us. We see the way of God’s salvation fulfilled in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. God used the cross, an instrument of cruelty, vengeance and shame, to serve his purpose of forgiveness, reconciliation and salvation.

May the Lord bless you and keep. May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you peace. 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?

  • How do you feel when you hear an owl (or Morepork) calling at night? What comes to mind when you think of an owl?
  • Why does God declare vengeance on Edom? What purpose does God’s vengeance serve? How might the idea of God’s vengeance help us to let go of our anger and forgive those who do harm?
  • Why does Isaiah tell the Jewish exiles to forget the former things? Are there things from the past you need to let go of? 
  • What is your life situation at the moment? Are you facing a daunting prospect? Are you facing challenges that feel overwhelming? Whatever your situation, can you sense God’s presence, making a way for you? If so, how?
  • In what way(s) is the characterisation of the owl in Isaiah 34, different from Isaiah 43? What does this change show us about God’s ultimate purpose?