Tawa Baptist

Paul’s Parenting

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12

Video Link: https://youtu.be/-WsJU41EXAg

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Paul’s love
  • Paul’s model
  • Paul’s coaching
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Today is Father’s Day. You might wonder when and where Father’s Day originated. Well, it depends on what part of the world you come from.

The Eastern Orthodox church has been celebrating Father’s Day for centuries. However, in their tradition it is not a celebration of your own dad. It is called Sunday of the Forefathers and commemorates the ancestors of Christ, listed in Jesus’ genealogy near the beginning of Matthew and Luke’s gospels.

In the Catholic countries of Europe, Father’s Day has been celebrated since the 1500’s. Although again, it’s different from the way we celebrate Father’s Day. The focus is on Joseph, the step-father of Jesus.

Our modern version of Father’s Day, which is about honouring our own dads, comes from a movement among Christian women in early 20th Century America.

Saint Matthews Church in Auckland first celebrated Father’s Day, as we know it, in 1929. By the early 1930’s other kiwi churches began adopting it as well.

People these days have mixed feelings about Father’s Day. For some it is a day of joy and coming together as a family. For others it is a day of sadness or regret, perhaps a day to avoid coming to church.   

Our reading this morning comes from First Thessalonians chapter 2, verses 7-12. In this passage, the apostle Paul describes his parenting style. From First Thessalonians 2, verse 7, we read…

7 … Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. 9 Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

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

As I said earlier, in this reading Paul describes his parenting style. But before we get into the detail, I need to clarify; there is more than one way to be a parent.

The weight of Biblical and historical evidence strongly suggests the apostle Paul did not have a wife or biological children. Paul chose singleness as this freed him to do the work of an apostle. Although Paul did not have children of his own, he was a spiritual parent to many.

In First Thessalonians chapter 2, Paul is not giving advice to parents specifically, although what he writes here is helpful to parents. Rather, Paul is describing how he was a like a mother and a father, in a spiritual sense, to the new believers in Thessalonica.       

There is more than one way to be a parent. Like Paul, you may not have children of your own, but if you provide pastoral care for others, then you are a spiritual parent to those you care for.

Maybe you serve as a leader in kids’ church or youth group or run a Bible study, or otherwise support, nurture, feed and protect someone in their faith. This sermon is for you, as much as it is for mums and dads with young children at home.

Three verbs to describe Paul’s parenting style: love, model and coach.

Paul loved the Thessalonians. He modelled a good example for them. And Paul coached the Thessalonians in the Christian faith. Let us begin with love, because that is a very good place to start.

Paul’s love:

The Sound of Music tells the story of a young woman, Maria, who is sent to be a nanny for seven children who have lost their mother.

The children’s father, Captain Von Trapp, is a retired naval officer and a strict disciplinarian. He controls his children with a whistle. Since loosing his wife, the captain has become distant and cold. Fraulein Maria is quite the opposite.

She is kind and warm, fun but also firm. 

One of my favourite scenes in the movie is when Fraulein Maria has a stand-up argument with Captain Von Trapp in which she tells him off for being such a grump. Maria says to the captain…

Maria: Children can’t do all the things they’re supposed to if they have to worry about spoiling their precious clothes.

Captain: They haven’t complained yet.

Maria: Well, they wouldn’t dare! They love you too much. They fear you too much!

Captain: I don’t wish you to discuss my children in this manner.

Maria: Well, you’ve got to hear from someone! You’re never home long enough to know them.

Captain: I said I don’t want to hear anymore from you about my children!

Maria: I know you don’t, but you’ve got to! …Friedrich, he’s a boy, but he wants to be a man and there’s no one to show him how.

Captain: Don’t you dare tell me about my son.

Maria: Brigitta could tell you about him if you let her get close to you. She notices everything… And Kurt pretends he’s tough not to show how hurt he is when you brush him aside, the way you do all of them… and the little ones just want to be loved. Oh, please, Captain, love them! Love them all!

Eventually, Captain Von Trapp comes round to seeing it Maria’s way. Through love and music, something inside the captain is healed and the father is restored to his children once more.  

In verse 7 Paul describes his way of relating with the Thessalonians. Paul is much like Fraulein Maria. Paul says: Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.

There is a real tenderness in Paul’s words here. The Thessalonian believers were brand new Christians, toddlers in the faith. Paul, Silas and Timothy cared for their spiritual needs like a mother nursing young children.

One of the characteristics of a true parent is that they know their children and the child knows them as well. Personal knowledge goes hand in hand with love. One of Fraulein Maria’s points was that Captain Von Trapp did not know his children and they did not know him. There was a distance between them.

This was not the case with Paul, for he not only shared the gospel with the Thessalonians; he shared his very life with them. They knew him as a real person and he knew them as a mother knows her children.    

Love, in a Christian understanding, is a commitment to another person’s wellbeing. Love is not out for what it can get. Love wants to give.  

In verse 9 we see the evidence of Paul’s love. Paul, Silas and Timothy worked night and day to support themselves in order not to be a burden to anyone while they preached the gospel to the Thessalonians. Paul’s love was the real deal.

We are talking about Paul’s parenting. Paul loves the Thessalonians like a mother and one of the ways he expresses that love is by modelling a good example for them.

Paul’s model:

Years ago, before we had children, Robyn and I had a dog, a little Jack Russell we called Chip. He was a good-natured dog, full of beans.

Chip had been abused as a pup by his previous owners and consequently would hide under the house if he could, whether he was in trouble or not. Although we were quite soft with Chip, his first owners had left an impression of fear on him by the way they had behaved.

I remember one sweltering hot summers day in Papamoa, when a swarm of flies came into the house. I rolled up a newspaper and went around swatting the insects. After a few minutes, we noticed Chip was cowering under a chair.

The poor little dog was trembling all over, scared out of his wits.

I had never used a newspaper on Chip, but we guessed his original owner had. Swatting the flies seemed to trigger Chip’s PTSD. I quickly stopped my fly killing spree and gave Chip a cuddle to calm him down and show I wasn’t angry.     

The model Chip had been given, as a young pup, was one of cruelty and anger. Consequently, he lived in fear and interpreted otherwise benign actions as a threat.

People and dogs are similar in that both are shaped by the example they are exposed to. If a child is given the model of fairness, consistency and kindness, they will learn to feel secure and be more likely to make better choices in life.

But if a child is treated like Chip was as a puppy, well they need to be shown a better model.  

In verse 10 of Thessalonians 2, Paul writes: You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.

Paul is talking here about the example he modelled for the Thessalonians.

Holiness is about being whole, being one, having integrity, being the same on the inside as you are on the outside. Righteousness is about relating to other people in a right way and being blameless is about doing no harm.

The three go together. They speak of treating God and the people around you with fairness and respect. Paul provided a good model for the Thessalonians in the way he lived his life and related with others.

Paul’s model, his regular pattern of behaviour, created a pathway for the young Thessalonian believers to follow. They learned how to be Christians by imitating Paul.

So, when Paul was abused or treated unfairly because of his testimony for Christ, they learned how a Christian responds in a situation like that, by observing Paul’s example. Paul did not retaliate with violence. But he did defend himself with words of grace and truth.

The question for us is this: What are others learning about Jesus from our example? Are they learning Jesus is someone to be trusted? Or are they put off by our example?

This question applies whether we have children of our own or not.

If you are a leader in kids’ church or youth group, know that the children and young people you work with are watching your example and learning from you. Some will be leaders themselves in another 5 or 10 years.

For those of you who are a bit older and maybe have less energy to serve in programmes these days, let me ask: what are those in their 30’s or 40’s or 50’s learning about Jesus from the way you live your life and relate with others?     

The older people in our congregation model a wonderful example of what it looks like to provide pastoral care and support for one another. You check in on your neighbours, your church attendance is great, you have lunch together regularly and you pray for others.

We are talking about what it means to parent well, whether you have kids of your own or not. Paul loved the Thessalonians. He modelled a good example for them and Paul coached them.

Paul’s coaching:

Being a father is a bit like being a coach. The coach does not do everything for his players. He teaches them to do things for themselves. After all, the coach cannot be on the field with the players. He can only watch and cheer from the side lines.

Like a coach, a father believes in his children. You show your kids you believe in them by trusting them with responsibility; this builds confidence. Giving kids responsibility is a bit like adding salt to food. Too much and you ruin the meal. Too little and the meal lacks taste. A father’s trust ought to bring out the best in his kids.

One of the most important roles of a father is to be there for their children, in a good way, to remind them they are not alone. Like a coach, a father comes alongside his kids when he is needed, to lend strength and understanding.

Or simply to share the experience.   

The right kind of fatherly presence is like being handed a torch when you are lost and in the dark. It is light for your mind.

The right kind of fatherly presence is like coming inside to sit by a fireplace when you have been outside in the freezing cold. It is warmth for your spirit.

The right kind of fatherly presence is like being served your favourite home cooked meal when you are famished. It is nourishment for your soul.

The right kind of fatherly presence is like crawling into a freshly made bed at the end of the day when you are exhausted. It is rest for your whole being.      

Who is there for you, when you need it? Who can you be there for? 

From verse 11 Paul says: For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 

Notice here that Paul dealt with each of the Thessalonians personally.

Paul came alongside them and got to know each one in a fatherly way.

How do fathers come alongside their children? How do they get to know them? By playing with them of course. The father / child relationship is not a formal relationship. It is a fun relationship. The father / child relationship is not an awkward or cold relationship. It is an affectionate, warm relationship.

By the same token, the father / child relationship is not a permissive relationship, in which the child can do whatever they want. It is a safe relationship, in which the father protects the child by putting reasonable boundaries in place.     

The next thing we notice (in verse 12) is the three verbs Paul uses to characterise the way in which he relates as a spiritual father to his Thessalonian children: encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God…

There’s quite a bit of overlap with encouraging, comforting and urging.

They are not three separate things. They offer three lenses on the same thing.

Encouraging, comforting and urging are done by teaching, believing in and being there.

To encourage literally means to put courage into someone. Children need courage to face the world; they don’t need fear. We put courage into children by speaking good words into their life and soul.

We also put courage into children by believing in them; trusting them with an appropriate amount of responsibility (when they are ready for it) and rewarding them when they do well.

Children need comfort from their fathers too. Comfort is not about spoiling your kids. Comfort is about showing kindness and tenderness, especially when a child has gone through a hard time. We comfort children by being there for them, being reliable. This makes our kids feel less alone, more brave.

Setting reasonable boundaries also creates a sense of security and comfort.

Last Friday’s Our Daily Bread devotional talked about boundaries. Elisa Morgan writes…

“A team of landscape architects studied the effects of providing fencing around a preschool playground. On playgrounds without fences, children tended to gather close to the school buildings and their teacher and didn’t stray away. But on fenced-in playgrounds, they enjoyed the entire area. The researchers concluded that boundaries can create a greater sense of freedom.”

Urging is about pointing children in the right direction, teaching them to find the right path for themselves. Urging is quite different from controlling or forcing or driving. Urging is about providing internal motivation to achieve a particular goal.

One of the best ways to urge children in the right direction is to tell them stories. Stories of redemption and hope. Stories where the hero wins against the odds. Stories that motivate the child to live the values of God’s kingdom. Gospel stories.  

The main goal with all of this is to live lives worthy of God. In other words, practice justice, mercy and humility. Practice living now how you will one day live when God’s kingdom is realised in its fullness. 

Conclusion:

Whether you have natural children of your own or not, you can still be a parent to others in the faith by loving them, modelling a good example and coming alongside to provide comfort and encouragement.

Let us pray…

Father God, we thank you for loving us. Lord Jesus, we thank you for modelling the best example for us. And Holy Spirit, we thank you for coaching us to live lives worthy of God. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. Discuss reflect on the various ways one can be a parent. In what ways have you been a parent to others?
  3. What might love look like in a parenting relationship?
  4. Why is the example we model for others important? What example did Paul model for the believers in Thessalonica? What are others learning about Jesus from your example?
  5. How might we come alongside someone and get to know them?
  6. In the context of 1 Thessalonians 2, what does it mean to encourage, comfort and urge others in the Christian faith? How might we do this?
  7. Who has God used to encourage, comfort and urge you? Give thanks for them. Who can you encourage, comfort and urge to live a life worthy of God?    
Tawa Baptist

Paul in Rome

Scripture: Acts 28:16-31

Video Link: https://youtu.be/VwbRDZnsO7g

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Paul’s perseverance
  • Israel’s denial
  • Jesus’ sovereignty
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

You may have heard of the phrase, “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.”

This comes from William Shakespeare’s play, Henry V, in a scene where the king rallies his troops to attack through a gap in the city walls of Harfleur. It is a call to action in the face of overwhelming odds. It means, ‘let us try one more time’. “Once more unto the breach…” is about perseverance and not giving up.   

In Shakespeare’s play, the king ends up defeating his enemies despite being greatly outnumbered.

Today we conclude our three week series in the book of Acts in support of the Arotahi Renew Together campaign. Arotahi is the missions arm of New Zealand Baptists. Once a year we renew our commitment to pray for and support the work of spreading the gospel in New Zealand and overseas. 

Two weeks ago we heard about Paul in Athens. Then last week we learned about Paul’s mission in Ephesus. This week’s sermon focuses on Acts chapter 28, where we find the apostle Paul in the capital city of Rome, under house arrest.

After the better part of 30 years, Paul is still persevering in proclaiming the gospel. Time and time again he faces opposition, but every time he obeys the call of King Jesus, once more unto the breach dear friend, once more.

From Acts 28, verse 16, we read

16 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him. 17 Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18 They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. 19 The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. 

I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. 20 For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.” 21 They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. 22 But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.” 23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. 25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet: 26 “‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” 27 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ 28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” 29 After he said this, the Jews left, arguing vigorously among themselves. 30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!

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

This morning I want to highlight three things from these closing words in the book of Acts: Paul’s perseverance, Israel’s denial and Jesus’ sovereignty.

Let us begin with Paul’s perseverance.

Paul’s perseverance:

One day a farmer’s donkey fell down an unused well. The farmer could not think of any way to get his donkey out and did not care much for the donkey anyway, so he decided to bury the poor animal where it had fallen.

As he started shovelling dirt into the well, the donkey cried in distress, but before long the crying stopped. After about 20 minutes of backfilling the farmer took a break and looked into the hole to see his progress. To his amazement the farmer saw the donkey had not been buried.

With every shovelful of dirt that hit his back the donkey would shake it off and take a step up. The farmer kept shovelling and soon the donkey was able to step out and walk away. [1]

Paul was a bit like the donkey. He was in a hole so to speak, chained to a Roman guard under house arrest. The Jewish religious leaders of Jerusalem had kept throwing dirt on him. They wanted to bury him. But with each shovelful Paul shook it off and took a step up. Paul did not give in, he persevered.

You may be wondering how Paul came to be in Rome under house arrest.

Well, after a fruitful time in Ephesus, Paul made his way to Jerusalem. The Jews there plotted against him and he was arrested. Paul stood trial in Jerusalem and then later in Caesarea.

The Jewish leaders were trying to use the Romans to execute Paul, much like they used Pilate to execute Jesus. But none of the charges against Paul would stick. The Romans found Paul innocent

Due to a corrupt governor, however, Paul remained in prison in Caesarea for two years, after which he stood trial before the Romans yet again. To avoid being handed over to the Jews, Paul was forced to appeal to the Emperor. That meant being transported to Rome by ship.

The journey from Caesarea to Rome was fraught with difficulty. Paul’s ship was wreaked in a storm and the passengers and crew were forced to swim ashore on the island of Malta. They were stranded on Malta for three months before boarding another ship to Italy.

When Paul eventually did arrive in Rome, he was allowed to stay in a rented house, chained by the wrist to a Roman soldier 24-7. The guards took it in shifts to mind Paul. Paul had a captive audience. I’m sure every one of those guards heard the gospel about Jesus.     

Just three days after arriving in Rome, Paul called together the local Jews to explain why he was there. Paul wanted to reassure them that he did not mean them any harm. He was there because he was compelled to appeal to Caesar to save his own life.

The Jews were probably relieved to hear this. Some years earlier the Emperor Claudius had temporarily banned all Jews from living in Rome because of disputes between the Jews and Christians. Paul wants the Jews to know he is not there to make trouble for them.  

Paul is also keen to talk with people about the hope of Israel. The hope of Israel is code for the Messiah. Paul wants to share the good news about Jesus the Messiah.

Now when you think about all that Paul has suffered because of the Jews,

all the dirt they had thrown on him, all the floggings he endured, all the false accusations and trials, not to mention all those years in prison, it is a wonder that Paul would risk even more rejection by setting up a meeting with the Jews of Rome. Who knows what people had been saying about him behind his back.

Jesus teaches us to turn the other cheek and forgive others as often as they need it. The Jews had not sought Paul’s forgiveness and yet he shakes off their condemnation and continues to face them with grace and courage. Paul perseveres in his love for those who mean him harm. He keeps on trying to reach his fellow Israelites with the truth about Jesus.

In reply, the Jewish leaders said they had not heard any bad reports about Paul. This seems unlikely. Some commentators think the Jews here were pretending to be ignorant about Paul because it was politically expedient. If the Jews started throwing more dirt on Paul and Paul gained a favourable hearing from Caesar, they might be expelled from Rome again or worse.

The Jews arranged to meet with Paul on a certain day to hear what he had to say. Even more people turned up the second time. Paul talked with them all day about the kingdom of God. He tried to persuade them that Jesus is the Messiah using the common ground of the Hebrew Scriptures.    

Some were convinced by Paul, others would not believe. As usual the gospel about Jesus confronts people with the truth; it compels people to choose. Will we accept the reality of our situation or will we live in denial of the problem.

Israel’s denial

In 1915 the Mexican boll weevil came to Alabama and destroyed 60% of the cotton crop. In desperation the farmers turned to planting peanuts and then diversified into other crops. The diversification saved the local economy.

Had it not been for the boll weevil, the farmers may not have stumbled across a better crop. In gratitude, the people of the town put up a statue of the boll weevil together with a plaque which reads: “In profound appreciation of the boll weevil and what it has done as the herald of prosperity.”

Personally, I think the boll weevil got too much credit. It was really the people’s willingness to face the reality of their situation that saved them. Had the farmers denied there was a weevil problem and refused to change from planting cotton to growing peanuts, the people would have been ruined.

To those Jews who rejected his message about Jesus, Paul quoted the prophet Isaiah…

26 “‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” 27 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’    

These verses from Isaiah are talking about Israel’s refusal to believe.

The prophet is saying the people are living in denial of reality. They have closed their hearts and minds to the truth of the situation.

Unlike the cotton farmers of Alabama, they don’t want to admit they have a problem. But if they did, God would heal them.

So what exactly is the problem Paul’s compatriots are denying? The problem is this: they killed Jesus, God’s Messiah. To admit that Jesus is the Messiah is to admit they got it terribly wrong when they crucified Jesus.

As painful as the Jews’ rejection of Jesus is, Paul sees an opportunity for those outside of Israel. Pauls says: “God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”  

When Paul tells his fellow Jews they are living in denial of the Messiah, they leave arguing vigorously among themselves. Clearly, Paul’s words have hit a raw nerve. They know Paul is right, but they don’t want to admit it.   

Now at this point I need to say that Israel do not have the monopoly on denial. We are all prone to denial in our own way, regardless of our cultural heritage.

Indeed, when we find ourselves protesting too much, that is often a sign that we are denying an inconvenient truth about ourselves.

So what is the cure for the blindness of denial? Well, for the cotton farmers it came in the form of the boll weevil which destroyed their crops. Sometimes God’s cure for stubborn denial is suffering and loss. The kind of suffering that wakes us up to the reality of our situation. The kind of loss that makes us aware of our need for God.

Jesus said, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The poor in spirit are those who are at the end of their rope. They have suffered loss and humiliation. They are under no illusions about the reality of their situation. They have been cured of their denial and they know their need for God’s grace.  

You see, to be able to enjoy a meal, you must first become hungry. To be able to receive the salvation God offers, your hands must first be empty. To be able to experience the good news of Jesus, you must first face the bad news about yourself and the world. I wish there was an easier way, but there isn’t.   

The other thing we note here is that there are limits to Paul’s perseverance.

As much as Paul valiantly attempts to reach his own people time and time again with the gospel, if the Jews in a particular place refuse to believe, if they persist in their denial, Paul shakes it off and moves on to those who will listen.

Okay, so we have heard about Paul’s perseverance in reaching people with the gospel. And we have heard about Israel’s denial of Jesus the Messiah. What about Jesus’ sovereignty. How does that fit with today’s reading.

Jesus’ sovereignty:   

A sovereign is a king, a ruler. Someone with power and authority to reign.

One of the undercurrents running throughout the book of Acts is the idea that Jesus is sovereign; he is in control of the events that transpire. Nothing hinders Jesus’ purpose of salvation.

This idea of Jesus’ sovereignty may be lost in translation for us. For us a sovereign is someone like Queen Elizabeth or King Charles. A figure head, a wealthy monarch with no real power. But Jesus is not a King like that. Jesus is more than a figure head. Jesus has real power. Power over life and death. Power to heal, deliver and redeem.  

Again, we should not confuse Jesus’ power with the kind of political power we are familiar with. Political leaders in our world tend to use a carrot and stick approach to get what they want. Carrots represent rewards and the stick represents punishments; things like tariffs and tanks.     

Jesus does not exercise his power in the same way earthly rulers do. Jesus does not coerce or manipulate people. Jesus’ power often flies under the radar; it operates at a deeper level. Jesus, the King in heaven, exercises his power on earth through the Holy Spirit at work in and among human beings.

In the freezing waters around Greenland there are countless icebergs. Some are small, others large. If you watch them carefully, you notice that the smaller ice floes often move in one direction, while the big ones flow in another direction.

Surface winds drive the little ones, whereas the larger icebergs are carried along by deep ocean currents.

When we consider all that Paul suffered and indeed when we consider our own trials and tragedies, it may be helpful to see our lives as being subject to two forces: surface winds and deeper ocean currents.

The surface winds represent that which is changeable, unpredictable and distressing. The manipulations of men and the wielding of political power for example. Or the slings and arrows of personal misfortune and poor health.

But operating simultaneously, with the gusts and gales, is another more powerful force. The sure movement of God’s wise and sovereign purpose.

The deep flow of his unchanging love. [2]     

In the book of Acts we see both the surface winds of human opposition and the deeper movement of God’s Spirit.

Right at the beginning of Acts, the risen Jesus made plain the sovereign movement of God’s plan of salvation, when he said to his apostles…

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.    

The book of Acts starts in Jersualem and finishes in Rome, the capital of the empire. And from Rome the gospel moves outward to all corners of the earth.

The deeper current of God’s love and Spirit carries the gospel message to the whole world.

Paul had no control over how people responded to his preaching about Jesus. Some believed, others did not. Some reacted violently, with the result that Paul found himself standing trial before the authorities.

These negative reactions were surface winds, which the Spirit of God was able to use in service to Jesus’ sovereign purpose. Every time Paul stood trial, whether before a Roman official or the Jewish leadership, he gave his testimony about Christ. Paul spoke gospel truth to those in power.

Paul’s two years under house arrest in Rome was not wasted time. During those years Paul wrote letters to the Philippians, the Ephesians, the Colossians and to Philemon. These letters are still with us today and contain some of our richest insights about Jesus and his purpose. In Philippians Paul writes…

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

The fickle surface winds of human opposition do not alter the deep movement of Jesus’ sovereign purpose.

Conclusion:

The book of Acts finishes on a note of triumph: 30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!

Paul may have been a prisoner, but the sovereign purpose of Jesus remained free and prospered.

Let us pray…

Gracious God, give us strength to persevere in your purpose for us. Give us grace to face the truth without denial. And when we feel buffeted by the surface winds of trial and opposition, keep us mindful of your deeper sovereign purpose. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.  

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. Why did Paul persevere is the face of opposition and hardship? When did Paul stop persevering and move on to tell others about Jesus? How might we know when to keep persevering and when to shake it off and move on? 
  3. How did God use Paul’s trials and suffering to forward the work of the gospel?
  4. Why did the Jews have such a difficult time accepting Paul’s message that Jesus is the Messiah?
  5. What is denial? How might we know we are in denial about something? Have there been times in your life when you struggled with denial? What happened? How did God deliver you?
  6. Discuss / reflect on Jesus’ sovereignty. How is Jesus’ power different from earthly rulers’ power?
  7. What surface winds of difficulty and opposition have you experienced lately? Can you discern Jesus’ deeper sovereign purpose at work in your life? If so, how? 

[1] Adapted from a story in J. John and Mark Stibbe’s book, ‘A Barrel of Fun’, page 116.

[2] Adapted from an excerpt in J. John and Mark Stibbe’s book, ‘A Barrel of Fun’, page 194.

Tawa Baptist

Paul in Ephesus

Scripture: Acts 19:1-12

Video Link: https://youtu.be/k3K5R935iaQ

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Christian initiation
  • Evangelism strategy
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

In his book, ‘That they may have life’, Sri Lankan pastor, Daniel Niles writes: “Evangelism is witness. It is one beggar telling another beggar where to find food.”

Evangelism comes from a Greek word meaning ‘good news’. For Christians evangelism is telling others the good news about Jesus Christ. Evangelism can be as simple as one person telling another person how Jesus has helped them.

Evangelism is as necessary for life and survival as eating food. Evangelism is not a top-down thing, it’s a side-by-side thing. Those who do the evangelising are not better than those being evangelised, both need the bread of salvation.

Evangelism can be quite challenging in our society because most people do not think of themselves as beggars. Most people are not aware of their spiritual need.      

Today we continue our three week series in the book of Acts in support of the Arotahi Renew Together campaign. Arotahi is the missions arm of New Zealand Baptists. Once a year we renew our commitment to pray for and support the work of spreading the gospel in New Zealand and overseas. 

This week’s sermon focuses on Acts chapter 19, verses 1-12, where we learn how the apostle Paul did evangelism in the city of Ephesus. From Acts 19, verse 1, we read…

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit whenyou believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tonguesand prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all. 8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9 But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. 11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

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

There are two halves to our message today. In the first half we consider Christian initiation; that is, what’s involved in becoming a Christian.

And in the second half we observe Paul’s strategy of evangelism; in other words, how Paul went about reaching people with the gospel of Jesus. We begin with Christian initiation.

Christian Initiation:

For seeds to germinate they need the right amount of four things: water, oxygen, temperature and light.

Water is essential for seed germination. A baptism in water softens the seed so it swells and ruptures. Most seeds need to absorb between 25% and 50% of their weight in water before they will germinate.

Oxygen provides the energy the seed needs to grow. If seeds are planted too deep in the soil, they might not get the oxygen they need to sprout.

The temperature has to be right too. Different seeds germinate at different temperatures, but most activate between 16 and 25 degrees Celsius.

The fourth requirement for seed germination is the right amount of light or, in the case of some plants, the right amount of darkness.

In the same way the germination of a seed involves the right amount of water, oxygen, temperature and light, so too Christian initiation involves four things: repentance, faith in Jesus, baptism in water and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Repentance means turning away from sin. Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a positive change in behaviour. Repentance is when we stop walking away from God and start walking towards him.

Faith in Jesus means trusting our lives and our eternity to Jesus. Believing in his death and resurrection. Relying on Jesus’ righteousness and not our own. Holding to the sure hope that Jesus will save us.

Faith in Jesus is made possible by the work of the Holy Spirit. Without God’s Spirit, we cannot truly believe in Jesus or start walking toward God.

Baptism in water is an outward and visible sign of our faith in Jesus.

Water is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. To be baptised then is to signify that you have begun to follow Jesus with the help of the Holy Spirit.     

In the New Testament, repentance, faith in Jesus, baptism and the Holy Spirit are always present when someone becomes a Christian. The order in which these things happen may vary, but all four belong together when it comes to Christian initiation.

When Paul arrived in Ephesus he found some disciples. As he talks with them Paul notices something is off. These men seem to be missing something.

So Paul asks them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit whenyou believed?”     

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

Now, that cannot be right. The Holy Spirit is mentioned many times throughout the Hebrew Scriptures and during his earthly ministry Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to his followers. Clearly, there is a gap in these disciples’ understanding of what it means to follow Jesus.

Paul knows that no one can truly believe in Jesus without the Holy Spirit, so he asks, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied. Now everything becomes clear. They are not disciples of Jesus; they are disciples of John the Baptist. 

 Paul explains, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”

These 12 men could not have been Christian before meeting Paul, because they had not believed in Jesus up to that point. They were aware of their sin and committed to repentance, but they did not know Jesus personally, through the Holy Spirit.  

From verse 5 we read: 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tonguesand prophesied.

As I understand it, the Ephesian disciples received the Spirit and believed in Jesus on the same day they were baptised. When Paul laid his hands on them to baptise them in water, they received the Spirit as a gift from Jesus.

How were you initiated into the Christian faith? As I reflect on the Ephesians’ experience, I’m conscious of how different it was from my own experience of Christian initiation. When I came to faith in the early 1980’s, there seemed to be three stages to becoming a Christian.

Praying the sinners’ prayer and asking Jesus into your heart, stage one.

Then, after some time had passed, getting baptised in water, stage two.

And then after some more waiting, being prayed for to receive the Holy Spirit.   

Others of you may have a had different experience again. Perhaps you were baptised as a baby, then later confirmed your faith in Jesus as a young person.   

This idea of Christian initiation involving two or three separate events over a period of years was a foreign concept to Paul and the other apostles. Must Christian initiation conform to the pattern we read of in the book of Acts?

Hmmm. We should not be too dogmatic about how the Spirit of God brings people to faith in Jesus. The Holy Spirit does not have to conform to our rules and formulas. Our part is to be open to the work of the Spirit and to trust and obey Jesus out of love for God.

What we can say with confidence is that Christian initiation, both now and then, involves repentance, faith in Jesus, baptism in water and the gift of the Holy Spirit. But the order and timing may vary from person to person. Are any of these four aspects missing for you? What might God be saying?

Another question we may stew over is how do we know we have received the gift of the Holy Spirit? Repentance can be measured and baptism in water can be seen, but it may be more difficult to sense the Spirit.

Verse 6 says the Ephesians spoke in tongues and prophesied when they received the Holy Spirit. Does that mean tongues and prophecy are the signs you have received the Spirit? Well, they can be. But not always.

The Holy Spirit gives all sorts of different gifts. Not everyone who receives the Spirit speaks in tongues or utters words of prophesy like the Ephesians did.

So if you don’t speak in tongues, then don’t worry. The Spirit may give you assurance of your salvation in other ways. Some may feel their heart strangely warmed. Others may be filled with a profound sense of peace.

For me, the Spirit sometimes comes with tears. It is the feeling of being overwhelmed by grace. Humbled by God’s goodness so I cannot talk. Speechless in the presence of the Lord.

Whether you have had a special experience or not, the primary sign of the Spirit is faith in Jesus. You know the Holy Spirit has been given to you when you trust in Jesus. The Spirit makes Jesus close and real.

The question remains for each one of us, do we believe in Jesus? Believing in Jesus is not just a one-off event. Faith in Jesus is on-going, the journey of a lifetime. Therefore, we need to go on being filled with the Holy Spirit to keep faith with Jesus. Don’t stop believing.   

Evangelism strategy:

Okay, that is Christian initiation. Now let us consider Paul’s strategy for evangelism. How did Paul share the good news about Jesus with the people of Ephesus?

You’ve probably heard of the story of the three little pigs. You know the one. The first pig built his house out of straw and the big bad wolf blew his house down and ate the little pig. The second pig built his house out of sticks and the wolf blew his house down and ate him too.

But the third little pig built her house out of bricks and no matter how much the wolf blew, he could not blow her house down.

I suppose the moral of the story is this: to keep the wolf from your door you need to be prepared. It may take longer to build your house out of bricks and it may cost more, but it will be worth it in the end.

In line with the wisdom of being prepared, there’s a Chinese proverb which says: “If you are planning for a year, plant rice. If you are planning for a decade, plant trees. If you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.”

When Paul went about evangelising, he planned for a lifetime. Paul invested a lot of time and energy educating people in the way of Jesus, so their faith would be brick house strong, built to last.

When Paul arrived in Ephesus, he started in the Jewish synagogue. Paul spoke boldly about the kingdom of God, using reason to persuade people that Jesus is the Messiah and therefore people should repent and believe in him.

Starting with the Jews was good evangelism strategy. There was already common ground; Paul did not have to start from scratch. Jesus and Paul were both Jewish and the Hebrew Scriptures point to Jesus.    

Despite the common ground though, some of the Jews refused to believe Paul’s message and started to bad mouth the Way. The Way is code for the way of Christ. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Jesus the Son.

Being maligned and rejected by his own people grieved Paul deeply. It was no easy thing for him walk away. In Acts 20, verse 19, Paul says of his time in Ephesus: “I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the Jews”. 

When Paul’s evangelism was rejected, Paul did not waste energy fighting those who were entrenched and stuck in their ways. He left the synagogue and took the disciples he had baptised with him.

Paul then carried on educating people about Jesus and the kingdom of God in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This lecture hall was neutral ground. It was a public space that anyone (Jew or Greek) could access.

Paul did not just give lectures though. Paul held discussions, he dialogued with people, using reasoned arguments to educate and persuade. The Alpha Course is a contemporary version of evangelism modelled off Paul’s strategy of reasoned discussion and persuasion. Alpha is worth doing.

Not everyone goes down the Alpha path though. Some come to faith in Jesus after hearing an emotional appeal. The music plays, the smoke machine purrs, the mood lighting comes on and the speaker pulls on everyone’s heart strings (or guilt strings). Then, in the heat of the moment, people come forward to make a commitment to Jesus.

These sorts of emotionally based commitments don’t usually last, unless followed up by someone who intentionally comes alongside the new believer to nurture and disciple them.   

Paul did not build his house with the straw and sticks of raw emotion and stage tricks. Paul built his house with the bricks and reinforcing steel of sound argument and truth. Paul planned for a lifetime.

Verse 10 tells us; this went on for two years so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.       

Ephesus was like a hub for the province of Asia in the first century. People from the surrounding towns came to Ephesus to do their shopping, visit their family or watch the games. While in Ephesus they got to hear the gospel through Paul.

Some took what they heard back home with them. And so the gospel spread by word of mouth.  

In Acts 20, verse 20, we learn that Paul also went house to house telling people to repent and have faith in Jesus. A strong work ethic was woven through Paul’s evangelism strategy. And the Spirit of God was clearly with Paul, upholding and empowering him every step of the way.

In verses 11 and 12 of Acts 19, we read how God did extraordinary miracles through Paul. The people of ancient Ephesus were spiritually aware. Some dabbled in magic and the occult. When people saw the power of God to heal and deliver, many turned away from sorcery and the dark arts to follow Jesus.

The miraculous signs and wonders done by God, verified Paul’s gospel message as authentic and true. If you read on in Acts 19 you will see how Paul’s evangelism eventually divided the city. People were confronted with the truth about Jesus and had to choose a side. Evangelism takes ground for God’s kingdom.

Although it is not covered in our reading today, an important part of Paul’s evangelism strategy was establishing an organisational structure to take care of the young church after he was gone. In Acts 20 we learn that Paul had appointed pastors and elders to protect and care for the new believers.

In verse 28 Paul says to the elders of the church at Ephesus: Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. 

Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

Perhaps the most important part of any evangelism strategy is love. Persuasive arguments and intelligent apologetics only get you so far. If we do not love the people we are trying to reach, the message won’t sound true.

Paul’s love for the Ephesians and their love for him is evident in Paul’s farewell speech to them in Acts 20. From verse 37 we read: They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. 

Conclusion:

Paul’s Herculean efforts of evangelism are intimidating. It may feel like too much of a leap to try and imitate Paul exactly. Let me offer a few practical strategies for evangelism which most Christians can attempt…

Look for people of peace. That is, people who are open to talking about faith and friendly in their attitude to things Christian. Paul started with the disciples of John the Baptist, people of peace. He did not start with the witches and gangsters of Ephesus.    

Pray for someone who does not yet know Jesus. Pray for them by name, daily, that the Holy Spirit would make Jesus close and real for them.

Know what you believe. Educate yourself. Read your Bible and think about how Jesus has been good for you personally. Be ready, prepared to talk about what Jesus means to you and what you really believe.

Love others. To love others means being kind and fair.  Listening generously. Showing up when you are needed. Doing no harm. Being patient and respectful.

And when you are given the opportunity to talk about Jesus, be brave without being arrogant. Don’t be ashamed or embarrassed. Be straight up. Own your faith with humility. Stand by it and trust your testimony to the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray…    

Gracious God, you love those who don’t yet know you. May the good news about Jesus be real for each of us, personally. Give us wise words and a winsome Spirit to tell others about Christ. Glorify yourself we pray. Amen.   

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. Who first told you about Jesus? How did they do this?
  3. What is evangelism? Why is evangelism important?
  4. How were you initiated into the Christian faith? Are any of the four aspects of Christian initiation missing for you? If so, which aspect(s)? What might God be saying to you?
  5. How do we know we have received the gift of the Holy Spirit? How does the Spirit make Jesus close and real for you?
  6. Discuss / reflect on Paul’s evangelism strategy in Ephesus.
  7. What can you do to share the love and truth of Jesus with others?
Tawa Baptist

Paul in Athens

Scripture: Acts 17:22-34

Video Link: https://youtu.be/mhKLM8nneqs

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Context
  • Ignorance
  • Orthodoxy
  • Conclusion – Response

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

What would you say if someone asked you to explain your faith? What are the most important things to communicate and what is your best point of connection, the way in, so your listeners can hear and understand?  

Today we begin a short (three week) series in the book of Acts in support of the Arotahi Renew Together campaign. Arotahi is the missions arm of New Zealand Baptists. Once a year we renew our commitment to pray for and support the work of spreading the gospel in New Zealand and overseas.  

This week’s sermon focuses on Acts chapter 17, verses 22-34, where the apostle Paul is asked to explain the Christian faith to a group of intellectuals who know nothing about Jesus or the Bible. From Acts 17, verse 22, we read…

22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. 24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29 “Therefore, since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” 32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

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

Context:

Screws come with a variety of different heads. It’s no good trying to use a flat head screwdriver on a Philips screw. You’ll just end up wreaking the screw.

A Philips screw needs a Philips screwdriver. You need to use the right tool for the job.

The first thing Paul does when he comes to Athens is look and listen. He walks around the city and gets a feel for the culture. He seeks to understand the context, the people and the place. What type of screw head (metaphorical speaking) does the city of Athens have?    

Well, the city of Athens was full of idols, statues of wood and stone which people worshipped. Most of the people of Athens had no background in the Hebrew Scriptures and no real understanding of the God of Israel, much less any knowledge of the person of Jesus or the work of the Spirit.

Just as it won’t work to use a flat head screwdriver on a Philips screw, so too in the city of Athens it won’t work to explain the gospel using Old Testament symbols. Paul can see this and adapts to his context, presenting the gospel in a way which connects with his listeners, without compromising the truth.

Athens was made famous by men like Socrates and Plato and Aristotle. The sort of old guys you might study in a Classics class at university. So Paul uses the screwdriver of logic and philosophy to reason with the people of Athens, much like Socrates did before him.        

In verse 18 we read how a group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began debating with Paul in the marketplace. We might think of these philosophers like professors or university lecturers.

Epicureans believed the gods existed but were remote and uninterested in human beings, so there was no need to worry about them. For Epicureans all life is random, determined by chance. They did not believe in the after-life nor in a day of judgement.

The Epicureans believed in enjoying pleasure and escaping the pains and stresses of this life. They did this by not caring too much about anything.

They reasoned, if this life is all there is, then it’s best to avoid suffering by disengaging and not getting carried away by your passions.  

Stoics had a different philosophy. They believed the universe was god and that all life was fated or predetermined by the universe, so nothing happened by chance. In their minds the universe had everything rigged.

Stoics thought you cannot change the hand you are dealt, so the best thing is to submit to your fate. For stoics, enduring pain with a stiff upper lip was virtue and hope was folly.

Stoic philosophy probably had a greater influence on first century Athens than Epicureanism. These days we still see traces of Stoic and Epicurean belief in secular society.

Both these schools of thought are a long way from the Jewish / Christian understanding of a just and compassionate God who cares deeply about his creation and intervenes to save people.

These learned men of Athens had not heard the gospel before. Paul’s ideas were all new to them. Some were curious. Others may have viewed Paul as entertainment. So they invited Paul to the Areopagus (also known as Mars Hill) to hear what he had to say.  

Paul selects the right screwdriver. Paul begins with something familiar in their context, an altar to an unknown god.

Many in the ancient world lived in fear and anxiety of what the gods might do to them. So, as a kind of insurance policy against unintentionally offending a god they did not know about, the Athenians put up an altar to an unknown god, to cover all their bases.

Ignorance:

Paul does not flatter his audience in any way. He points out that their worship of an unknown god is evidence of their ignorance and therefore of their need to learn. It’s a brave man who tells a group of intellectuals they are ignorant.

But in a way this builds trust. Paul’s listeners would likely smell a rat if Paul was too smooth or complementary.

Sometimes we Christians can be too nice, too accommodating, too eager to please people of other faiths or no faith. But not Paul. The apostle is respectful of others but also confident of what he believes. He is humble, without pandering to people’s egos. Grace and truth, that’s the Spirit of Jesus.  

The philosophers of ancient Athens were ignorant and pretending otherwise is not going to help. Paul means to give them a better understanding of God.     

A couple of weeks ago our gas heater stopped working at home. We have had this heater for over 20 years. We know how it is supposed to sound when you turn it on. This time it made a different sound. I guessed it was a problem with the ignition, but I wasn’t sure.

I’m not an electrician or a gas fitter. I’m ignorant about the inner workings of our gas heater. I could have blindly experimented with the wires to try and fix it myself but decided not to take the risk of blowing myself up. Instead, I phoned Fergus and he took a look.

Turned out my instinct was right; it was a problem with the ignition. One of the wires had come loose and needed to be reconnected.

Now the heater is working again. I did not know which wire to look for or where to reconnect it, but after seeing Fergus fix it, I have the right knowledge. Not that I’m ready to give up preaching and become a gas fitter. Please don’t ask me to fix your heater. Call Fergus, he’s the expert.  

The people of ancient Athens knew that things were not right with the world. They correctly guessed the problem was spiritual, something to do with humanity’s relationship with God.

But they did not have the right knowledge. They were ignorant. They were groping in the dark, experimenting with different spiritual wires or connections to see what might work. The result was hit and miss, mostly miss.

Paul was like a spiritual gas fitter for the Athenians. Paul could see the problem and knew how to make the right connection with God, through Jesus. 

Orthodoxy:

You may have heard of the word orthodoxy. Orthodoxy comes from two Greek words. Ortho meaning right or true, and doxy meaning praise or worship. Therefore, orthodoxy means right praise or true worship.

As religious as they were, the Athenians’ praise and worship of God was not right or true. They had got their wires crossed so there was no real connection with God and consequently no warmth.

Paul is trying to help his listeners to realise God’s goodness and love so they can praise God in an orthodox way, in a way that is right and true.

The unknown god serves as a segue to talking about God almighty, the Lord of heaven and earth.  

In verse 24 Paul says, The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.

Paul is correcting the Stoic belief here that the universe is god. The universe is not god. God created the universe but he is not the same as the universe.

Given that God created the universe he must be bigger than the universe and therefore cannot be contained in a temple built by human hands.

Scientists are not sure how big the universe is. From what we can see so far, it appears to be about 93 billion light years across. But there is probably more to the universe than we can see. How big is your vision of God?  It’s probably too small. We cannot put God in a box.

Paul goes on to say that God our creator gives life and breath and everything else we need. In other words, we depend on God’s goodness, whether we know it or not. God sustains our lives. He does not need anything from us.

This means we cannot domesticate God. We cannot tame him or bring him under our control.

In verses 26-27 Paul makes the point that God is involved with his creation, steering the course of history. Indeed, God is near to us. This corrects the Epicurean idea that the gods are distant and uninterested in human affairs.

Our lives do not unfold at the whim of randomness and chance. God has a plan and he is in control.

God’s plan and control of human history is not the same as the Stoics’ idea of fatalism though. God’s plan and purpose is not rigid like a brick wall.

It is flexible like a backbone. When you pray, God listens and he may sometimes bend to accommodate your soul’s desire, where that aligns with his will.   

In verse 28 Paul quotes the words of other pagan philosophers who the Athenians knew and respected. There was no point in quoting the Hebrew Scriptures. This would mean nothing to the intellectuals of Athens.

‘For in him we live and move and have our being’, is a quote from the sixth century BC poet Epimenides of Crete. And ‘We are his offspring’, is a quote from the third century BC Stoic philosopher Aratus of Cilicia. [1]

Paul is quoting the Athenians’ own poets to support his argument that they are wrong to worship idols. Hoisted on their own petard.

29 “Therefore, since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 

Paul does not compromise or dilute the inconvenient truth. The Athenians’ idolatry is wrong and Paul uses logic to prove it. Paul is not trying here to be clever just to win an argument. He is being compassionate to win souls and minds.

If the intellectuals of the city are convinced idol worship is wrong and repent, they will in turn influence the thinking and behaviour of the rest of the city.   

In verse 31 Paul talks about the day of judgement, when God will judge the world with justice. This truth provides a critique of both Stoic and Epicurean philosophies.

The Epicureans did not believe in judgement day. They thought the gods did not care what people did. Paul is saying the Epicureans are wrong on this count. God does care how people live their lives and will call us to account.

The Stoics believed life is fated or predetermined. If that is the case, then freewill is meaningless and people’s choices make no difference. Paul is saying the Stoics are wrong too. The fact there is a day of judgement shows that human freewill is meaningful and the choices we make do matter.

But notice how God will judge the world: by the man he has appointed.

The man appointed by God is Jesus. We will be judged by our response to Jesus the Christ. If we accept Jesus, God will accept us. If we reject Jesus, God will reject us. This means there is hope for everyone who puts their trust in Jesus.

God has given proof of this by raising Jesus from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of the Christian faith. Our hope, our meaning, our purpose, our joy, our very identity as Christians rests on the belief that God raised Jesus from the dead.  

The resurrection of Jesus confronts us with an important decision.

Will we believe in the risen Christ, even though resurrection is outside of our experience? Will we believe in the risen Christ, even though others ridicule our belief? Will we believe in the risen Christ, even in the face of death?

Conclusion – Response:

There are basically three responses to Paul’s message in Acts 17.

Unable to find a flaw in Paul’s logic, some sneered, too proud to admit Paul was right. Sneering is an angry, dismissive response. People sneer when they are frustrated, when they know they are wrong but don’t want to admit it.

Not everyone sneered though. Others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” That is a more honest response. Even though it is sitting on the fence, at least it leaves the door open.

The third response was the response of faith. Some became followers of Paul and believed. It takes humility to admit when we are wrong and faith to believe Jesus still accepts us. Belief in Jesus is an orthodox response, a response that leads to right praise and true worship of God.

What is our response to Jesus? Do we become angry when Jesus points out we are wrong in some way? Or do we keep the door open, sitting on the fence?

Or do we have the courage and humility to accept the truth about ourselves and still believe that Jesus accepts us?

Among those who believed was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, 

As a member of the Areopagus, Dionysius was probably somewhere near the top of the social ladder in Athens. He was one of the academic elite.

This shows us the Christian faith has intellectual integrity. You don’t have to check your brain out when you become a Christ follower. If anything, Christian faith is a catalyst to stimulate our thinking and enhance our understanding.    

A woman named Damaris, was also among those who believed Paul’s message about Jesus. We don’t know much about Damaris. As a woman in Athenian society, she was probably somewhere near the bottom of the social ladder.

Damaris was wise to believe in Jesus, but she would never be allowed to mix in the intellectual circles that Dionysius did. This shows us Jesus is for everyone, from the least to the greatest. You don’t have to be a university professor to believe in Jesus. In fact, being super smart may get in the way of faith.    

In Matthew 18, Jesus says: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Let us pray…

Wise and gracious God, you are far greater than we can imagine. Thank you for your love and care for all creation. Fill us with your Holy Spirit and with understanding that we would be able to proclaim the risen Christ with sensitivity and confidence. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.  

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. What would you say if someone asked you to explain your faith? What are the most important things to say? What is your best point of connection, the way in, so your listeners hear and understand? 
  3. Discuss / reflect on Stoic and Epicurean philosophies. Do you see remnants of these philosophies in our contemporary society? In what ways? How is Christian faith different from Stoic and Epicurean philosophies?
  4. Why is it important to understand the culture we live in? How is Christian belief different from the predominant worldview of the society we live in today? How has the culture we live in shaped your framework of belief? 
  5. How big is your vision of God?
  6. Why does God judge the world? Why is belief in a day of judgement important? How does God judge the world?
  7. What do you believe about the resurrection of Jesus? What is your response to Jesus?

[1] Refer John Stott’s commentary on Acts, page 286.

Tawa Baptist

Steering Wheel Prayer

Scripture: Luke 18:1-14

Video Link: https://youtu.be/FTbBKTCQdT0

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The persistent widow
  • The pharisee and the tax collector
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Corrie Ten Boom asks the question, “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tyre?”

A steering wheel is what we use to control the car. A steering wheel keeps us on course and headed in the right direction. When you are driving, you never take your hands off the steering wheel.

By contrast, a spare tyre is only ever used in emergencies. The rest of the time it is forgotten baggage.

Prayer is how we steer our life. Are we in conversation with God, daily seeking his will, or do we only ever call on God in emergencies?

As mentioned earlier in the service, we have a focus on prayer this week while we carry the Pou Karakia (the prayer baton). With this in view our sermon today is based on Jesus’ twin parables about prayer, in Luke 18.

We will start with the parable of the persistent widow, before considering the parable of the pharisee and the tax collector. From Luke 18, verse 1, we read…  

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out!’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tyre?

The persistent widow

The Chinese pianist and composer, Liu Shikun, was born in 1939, just before the second world war. He began his piano training at the age of three and started performing in public at the age of five.

He placed highly in prestigious international piano competitions in 1956 and 1958, while still a teenager. Liu became one of China’s top concert performers. Sadly, with the cultural revolution in 1966, western music was banned and Liu, along with many other artists, was arrested and sent to prison for eight years.

During his whole time in prison, Liu was denied access to a piano. Soon after his release though, in the 1970’s, he was back on tour. Critics were astonished that after eight years without a piano, Liu’s musicianship was better than ever.

‘How did you do this?’ one critic asked. ‘You had no chance to practise for eight years.’

‘I did practise’, Liu replied. ‘Every day I rehearsed every piece I ever played, note by note, in my mind.’ [1]

It seems Liu never gave up hope. He kept faith that he would one day be released and allowed to play piano again. And his faith was rewarded.

As followers of Jesus, the disciples would soon be mistreated and denied justice. So Jesus gave his disciples the parable of the persistent widow to show them they should always pray and not give up.  

There are two people in Jesus’ parable. The first is a wicked judge who does not fear God and does not care what people think. Most likely this judge was accustomed to taking bribes. He wasn’t concerned with doing what is right; he had no shame. The wicked judge is not like God at all.

The second person is a widow. If the judge is the villain, then the widow is the heroine. In a society which generally devalued women, Jesus makes a woman the hero of his story.   

In first century Jewish culture women did not normally get involved in legal matters. The magistrate’s court was the domain of men. The fact that this widow has to advocate for herself shows she is socially powerless, with no one to come to her rescue.

Although she is most likely too poor to offer the judge any sort of bribe, she is persistent. For her, prayer is the steering wheel. She kept coming to the judge with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

The widow was in the right. She was not asking for special treatment. She just wanted a fair go. Hers was a reasonable request.

For some time the judge refused, but eventually he gave her justice, not because he cared about her or God, but because he wanted some peace for himself.

Jesus is reasoning from the lesser to the greater. If an unjust, uncaring judge can be persuaded to vindicate the widow, just to get some peace, then how much more will God (who is gracious and compassionate) vindicate the followers of Jesus when we are denied justice.

After Jesus’ death the disciples would find themselves in a similar position to the poor widow and Liu Shikun; treated unjustly and essentially powerless from a social and political point of view.

Prayer is one thing no one can take away from you. Whatever our situation we are to keep our hands on the steering wheel of prayer, just as the widow continued to ask for justice and just as Liu Shikun continued to practice music.

Indeed, prayer is to Christians, what practising the piano is to a concert musician. We must remain faithful in prayer if we are to go the distance.

Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tyre?

Verse 8 says that God’s people will get justice quickly. Justice came relatively quickly for Jesus. It was less than three days between Jesus’ crucifixion and his resurrection from the dead. The resurrection being God’s vindication of Jesus.

From our human perspective though, justice does not always feel quick. More often it feels like a slow train coming. So how are we to understand this verse?

In his commentary on Luke, Bible scholar Darrell Bock offers two thoughts here. Perhaps Jesus meant our vindication comes in the form of protection that God offers his own. Even though God’s people may suffer injustice, they do not perish and that is the sign of their vindication.

Another way to understand verse 8 is to say that our vindication as believers in Christ will come very quickly upon Jesus’ return in glory. [2] In the meantime, however, it may be a long wait.

In relation to unanswered prayer, Fred Craddock asks the question…

‘Is the petitioner being hammered, through long days and nights of prayer, into a vessel that will be able to hold the answer when it comes?’ [3]

Sometimes being made to wait is one of the ways God shapes us. From my own experience of seemingly unanswered prayer, I have learned my place. I am not in charge. I do not call the shots. Jesus is Lord and master and I am his servant.

I might have my hands on the steering wheel, but the Spirit of Jesus is telling me which way to turn.  

How has prayer shaped your soul and spirit?

In all of this we should not lose sight of the main point of the parable. God is greater than any obstacle we may face. He is stronger than any opponent we might confront. More than that, God loves us. He is just and merciful and does not need convincing to do the right thing.  

Jesus encourages the believer to persist in prayer, but if God says ‘no’ to our request or offers a solution other than the one we asked for, the faithful person is expected to respond with, “Your will be done God”.

Accepting God’s will is part of prayer. You don’t take your hands off the wheel every time there’s a bump in the road.  

Jesus finishes the parable with a question: “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Jesus is referring to his second coming here.

History is not random or without purpose, rather it moves toward a goal. The future is secured for those who are in Christ. God will vindicate those who put their trust in Jesus.

But will we be found with our hands on the steering wheel of prayer when Jesus returns in glory?

Personally, I think it is a brave thing to call on God for justice. A prayer for justice isn’t just a call for others to get what they deserve. It’s a call for us to get what we deserve as well. I would prefer not to get what I deserve but rather what I need, which is God’s grace – His mercy.

The pharisee and tax collector

Which brings us to Jesus’ second parable of the pharisee and the tax collector. From Luke 18, verse 9 we read…

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tyre?

This parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector shares a number of things in common with the parable of the persistent widow. Both parables are about prayer and both are about who God vindicates or accepts.

In the first parable, the widow asks for justice and gets it. In the second parable, the pharisee asks for nothing and gets nothing, while the tax collector asks for mercy and goes home justified before God.    

Verse 9 tells us that Jesus told this parable to some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else.

In the Bible a righteous person is someone who has been given a special relationship of acceptance in the presence of God. This acceptance is a gift, it is unearned. The relationship is then maintained by acting in loyalty to God.

Righteousness, in this sense, is sort of like getting an invitation to a royal wedding. You cannot buy an invitation, you must be asked by the royal couple. But once you have received the invitation you have a special relationship of acceptance in the presence of the royal family. And you maintain that relationship by acting in loyalty to your hosts.

There were some people in Jesus’ day (and indeed in our day as well) who got things around the wrong way. They thought they had earned righteousness (or acceptance with God) by fulfilling a certain ethical code. It is to these people that Jesus directs his parable.

Jesus’ parable contrasts two people who go to the temple to pray. A Pharisee and a tax collector. The temple is a place of worship and prayer. It is also a place of reconciliation, where people go to make their peace with God.  

The Pharisees were a religious sect that focused on the Law of Moses. In their zealousness for the Law, they added a whole lot of their own rules to stop people breaking Moses’ rules. This of course made life more difficult.

Jesus wasn’t picking on the Pharisees here. They weren’t all bad. The Pharisee in this parable represents anyone who looks down on others in self-righteous contempt. So, if we look down on the Pharisee in this parable we are behaving just like him and the parable is meant for us.

Anyway, this pharisee stands apart from others because he thinks he is better than everyone else. And then he prays; except his words are not really a prayer, they are more of an advertisement, a self-promotion.

Prayer isn’t just the words we say. It can be the tears we shed and the groans and sighs from deep within our spirit. Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire. Said another way, prayer is our yearning for God. In prayer we are basically asking God to be God and provide for us and others in accordance with his will. Prayer is an attitude of dependence on God.

But the pharisee in Jesus’ parable does not ask anything of God. He is self-possessed and self-satisfied. This pharisee does not have his hands on the steering wheel of prayer. He is looking at himself in the rear vision mirror. 

The pharisee compares himself to other people who he considers to be bad.

If we must measure ourselves then it should not be against other people but alongside God’s standard.

And what is God’s standard? That we love him and love our neighbour.  

It appears the Pharisee in this parable did not do either, although he did do things that God did not require, like fasting twice a week for example. God does not ask us to do that.

The Pharisee in Jesus’ parable went away without being justified by God because he did not think he needed God.  

But the tax collector approached God with an entirely different attitude.

Tax collectors had a bad reputation in Jesus’ day. They were hated by their own people because they sided with the Romans for personal gain.

They were considered dishonest, taking more than was necessary in order to line their own pockets. Not all tax collectors were like this, but many were. 

In any case, the tax collector in this parable represents anyone who is aware of their need for God and approaches Him with a contrite and broken heart.  

Like the Pharisee, the tax collector also stands apart but not because he thinks he is better than anyone else. The tax collector does not compare himself with others at all. He measures himself alongside God’s standard. He stands at a distance because he knows he has failed miserably to meet God’s law of love.

Unlike the Pharisee, the tax collector’s prayer is not an exercise in self-promotion. The tax collector’s soul sincerely desires God’s grace and so he prays: God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

The tax collector is clinging to the steering wheel of prayer, desperately aware of his need for God. He is deeply grieved by his own sins and wants to have his relationship with God restored and made right again. He is seeking atonement.

For this reason, the tax collector (and not the Pharisee) goes away justified (or accepted) by God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

At some point we have all taken our hands off the steering wheel of prayer.

We have all done things in our lives that we are not proud of, things we know don’t measure up to God’s standard. The good news is that Jesus went to the cross for our atonement. We are justified or made right with God, not by what we have done, but by trusting in what Jesus has done on our behalf.

Conclusion:

In both of today’s parables, the heroes pray for themselves. It’s okay to pray for yourself. But this week, while we carry the Pou Karakia, we are encouraging you to take the steering wheel of prayer for others. Let me finish then with a little story about praying for others…

Two men were travelling by sea when their boat was hit by a storm and wrecked on a deserted island. To increase their chances of being found, they decided to stay on opposite sides of the island looking out for passing ships. But before leaving each other, they agreed to pray to God for help every day.

After relocating to the far side of the island and waking up hungry, the first man prayed saying, “O Lord, let fruit trees and vegetables grow on this side of the island, so I can satisfy my hunger.” God heard his prayer and the next day food bearing plants appeared. It was a miracle.

After eating his fill, he sat down and prayed again, “Lord, I need a house to live in, please give me house.” Soon, a shipping container washed ashore with all the tools and materials needed to build a modest shelter.

When the man realised his prayers were being answered, he thought, why not ask God for a way off this island. So he prayed, “Lord, please give me a boat with a GPS so I can find my way back to the mainland.”

The next day he saw a boat floating in his bay. He boarded the boat and found it abandoned but seaworthy. Having become accustomed to using prayer like a spare tyre, the man decided to leave the island right away. He had lost his sense of spiritual direction.

Just then he heard a voice from heaven, “Will you not take your friend with you?”

The man replied, “My blessings are mine alone since I was the one who prayed for them. His prayers were unanswered so he must not deserve to be saved.”

The voice said, “You are mistaken. Your friend had only one prayer. Without his prayer you would not have received any of my blessings.”

“Tell me”, the man asked, “what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?”

And the voice from heaven replied, “He prayed that all your prayers would be answered.” [4]

May the Lord bless you as you intercede for others this week.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. When do you pray? Why do you pray? How do you pray? Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tyre?
  3. Why did Jesus give his disciples the parable of the persistent widow? What is the main point of the story?
  4. Have there been times in your life when God seemed slow to answer your prayers? Conversely, have there been times when God was quick to answer your prayers? Either way, what affect did this have on you? How has God shaped your soul and spirit through prayer?
  5. Why did Jesus tell the parable of the pharisee and the tax collector? What is the main point of the story?
  6. What is the heart of prayer? How does the tax collector exemplify genuine prayer?
  7. Compare and contrast the two parables in Luke 18:1-14. How are they similar? How are they different?
  8. Make time this week to pray for others.

[1] Liu Shikun story references: Wikipedia and ‘A Bundle of Laughs’ by J. John and Mark Stibbe, page 142.

[2] Refer Darrell Bock’s NIVAC on Luke, page 455.

[3] Refer Fred Craddock’s Interpretation commentary on Luke, pages 209-210.

[4] (Adapted from J. John and Mark Stibbe’s book, ‘A Bundle of Laughs’, page 159.)

Tawa Baptist

Connections

Scripture: Matthew 14:13-21

Video Link: https://youtu.be/4V8DB8BO2FE

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Jesus’ leadership
  • Jesus’ faith
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Most nights Robyn and I do some of the New York Times word puzzles. There’s Wordle of course, but we normally start with the lesser known Connections.

With Connections you are given 16 words; that is, four sets of four words which are related in some way. The object is to find the right connections.   

For example, among the 16 words you are given, you might have four names like Holyoake, Muldoon, Lange and Ardern. The connection there is pretty obvious. They are all former Prime Ministers of New Zealand.    

What about Multitude, Wilderness, Loaves and Fishes? What connection do you see with those words? Yes, Jesus’ feeding of the 5000. Today our message focuses on Matthew 14, verses 13-21, which describes Jesus’ miracle of feeding a multitude with just a handful of loaves and fishes.

This event is recorded in all four gospels and it finds multiple connections with the Old Testament as well. The feeding of the 5000 is a nexus point of Biblical connections. From Matthew 14, verse 13 we read…

13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

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

Two main things I want to draw your attention to in this passage:

Jesus’ leadership and Jesus’ faith. We begin with Jesus’ leadership. The light of Jesus’ leadership shines brightly against the darkness of Herod’s reign.  

Leadership:

When you see (or hear) the words, Herod, platter, John and Herodias, what do you think of? Surely the beheading of John the Baptist.

John was the forerunner to Jesus, the prophet who came to prepare the way for the Messiah. John was Jesus’ ally, his wing man if you like. More than that, they were cousins.

In Matthew 14, verses 1-12, we read how Herod Antipas had John the Baptist killed. Herod was the puppet ruler of Galilee during the time of Jesus. He was a ruthless and depraved man.

When John the Baptist called Herod out on some of the bad stuff he was doing, Herod had John thrown in prison. Then when the daughter of Herodias danced for Herod, he promised to give her whatever she wanted. Herodias told her daughter to ask for John’s head on a platter.

After John had been beheaded, John’s disciples buried his body and told Jesus what had happened.

Given these facts, Jesus’ response to Herod is interesting. Jesus did not confront Herod; he did not organize a protest outside Herod’s palace or lead a revolt against Herod. Jesus did not seek revenge. Instead, Jesus quietly withdrew to a solitary place. Why?

Well, there was probably more than one reason. Perhaps Jesus did not want to inflame an already volatile situation. What Herod had done was a gross injustice. Anger and outrage are the natural response to injustice.

If Jesus confronted Herod or led a protest against him, it would have resulted in more violence. A calm head and a strategic withdrawal were necessary for the sake of peace. This was not a time for Jesus to be distracted from his core mission.

It appears too that Jesus needed some alone time; a short spiritual retreat to deal with his own feelings arising from John’s murder, but also to commune with God and seek his Father’s will on what his next move should be.   

With God, small things can make a big difference. Seeking solitude may seem like a small thing, but (in the context of Matthew 14) it accomplished much good and avoided even greater evil.

I wonder if Jesus had Psalm 37 in mind when he chose to put distance between himself and Herod. In verse 7, David writes…

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. 8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. 9 For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

Jesus had faith that God Almighty would deal with Herod, and the Lord did deal with him. Some years later, in Acts 12, we read how an angel of the Lord struck Herod down. He was eaten by worms and died. God is just.

When the crowds worked out where Jesus was headed, they walked around the lake on foot and met him on the other side, in the wilderness. Seeing the large crowd, Jesus had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Compassion is the key word here. Compassion, in this context, is that deep feeling of empathy which moves a person to acts of kindness. Compassion speaks of an intimate connection, a heart and hand response to others in need. Compassion puts aside any thought of personal convenience or comfort for the sake of another person’s wellbeing.

Seeing all those people lost and confused, by what Herod had done to John, evoked a gut response from Jesus. The Lord was deeply moved in the core of his being. Rather than venting his spleen at Herod, Jesus used his emotional energy to heal and feed people.

By putting the account of Herod’s murder of John the Baptist alongside the account of Jesus’ compassion for the people, we (the reader) are invited to compare and contrast Herod’s leadership with Jesus’ leadership.

Herod was self-indulgent, brutal and destructive. Herod threw wild parties at the expense of the poor. He showed no restraint and it resulted in him taking the life of a righteous man. Herod’s leadership was toxic to the people.

In contrast, Jesus shows compassion for the poor. Jesus heals the sick, feeds the hungry and protects the vulnerable. Jesus demonstrates the kind of good shepherd leadership God wants for his people.

Those who are familiar with the Old Testament will see here a connection between Jesus and God’s word through the prophet Ezekiel…  

11 “I, the Sovereign Lord, tell you that I myself will look for my sheep and take care of them 12 in the same way as shepherds take care of their sheep that were scattered and are brought together again. … 14 I will let them graze in safety in the mountain meadows and the valleys and in all the green pastures of the land of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will find them a place to rest. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.

By caring for the people in the wilderness, Jesus was acting as the divine shepherd leader of Israel, who has compassion on his people.

Okay, so we have talked about Jesus’ leadership, in contrast to Herod’s abuse of power. We also notice Jesus’ faith. Jesus models for us complete trust in God the Father.

Jesus’ faith:

The story is told of a soldier who was separated from his unit. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the confusion, he had lost touch with his mates.

Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves.

Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed.

As he waited, he prayed, “Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen.”

After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close.

He thought, “Well, I guess the Lord isn’t going to help me out of this one.”

Just then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave. As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave.

“Hah” he thought, “what I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humour.”

As the enemy drew closer, he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching, one cave after another. When they came to his cave, he got ready to face his end. To his amazement, though, they moved on.

Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered it for quite a while.

“Lord, forgive me,” the soldier prayed, “I had forgotten that in you a spider’s web is stronger than a brick wall.”

With God, small things can make a big difference. 

Take plankton for example. Plankton are small. Many types of plankton are microscopic in fact, smaller than a human blood cell, and yet they feed whales, the largest of mammals.

More than simply being a food source though, phytoplankton produce somewhere between 50% and 80% of the earth’s oxygen. God supports life on earth using tiny plankton.

Phytoplankton also absorb carbon dioxide helping to regulate the earth’s climate by removing greenhouse gas, from circulation.

With God, small things can make a big difference.  

Returning to Matthew 14. Jesus (the shepherd leader) had been ministering to people most of the day. It was getting late, so the disciples suggested to Jesus that he send the crowd away to the nearby villages to buy some food for themselves.

Given there were well over 5000 people present, this was not really a practical solution. It is unlikely the surrounding villages could cater for that number of people.

Jesus has another idea. ‘You give them something to eat’, he tells his disciples.

The disciples raise the obvious objection that they only have five loaves and two fish.  

In the gospel of John, we learn that these five loaves and two fish belonged to a boy. The loaves were made from barley. Barley bread was the food of the poor and the fish was probably small and pickled (like sardines).

It appears this boy was not well connected. He did not come from a wealthy family and his lunch was pretty ordinary.

Jesus is not phased though. He says, ‘bring them here to me’. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Green grass does not grow all year round in the middle east, like it does in New Zealand. The mention, therefore, that there is grass tells us it is springtime, Passover season.  

The Jewish Passover celebrates God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. We (the reader) are meant to see a connection here between God’s deliverance under Moses and the deliverance God brings under Jesus’ leadership.

In verse 19 we read how Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 

Here we see Jesus acting in faith that God would provide. As one commentator puts it, Jesus simply gave thanks for the food, confident that he represents the Father’s will.

In Jesus’ hands those five loaves and two fish fill the bellies of well over 5000 people, so that everyone had more than enough to eat.

Some people try to explain this miracle away, in various rational ways, but doing that empties this event of its meaning, robbing us of wonder and hope in the process. Jesus trusted God his Father completely and the Father honoured Jesus’ faith.

With God, small things can make a big difference.

Looking at our game of Connections once again we see there are four words left, names actually: Jesus, Moses, Elijah and Elisha. What do these four men share in common?

They were all prophets of the living God, offering spiritual leadership for the people. More than that, they all trusted God to provide for their needs and consequently participated in a feeding miracle. 

When the people of Israel cried out to Moses for food in the Sinai desert, Moses did not try to engineer a solution himself. He turned to God in prayer and the Lord God provided an abundance of manna and quail.

When God told the prophet Elijah to hide in the wilderness east of the Jordan, with no supermarket in sight, Elijah obeyed the Lord in faith, and God had ravens bring bread to feed him.

When a man brought the prophet Elisha 20 loaves of barley bread, Elisha told the man (in faith) to give the bread to the people. The 20 loaves fed 100 men and there was some left over.  

So, when we read how Jesus had faith in God to multiply five loaves and two fish to feed over 5000 people in the wilderness of Galilee, we see that in Jesus someone greater than Moses, Elijah and Elisha has come. Jesus is more than a prophet.

With God, small things can make a big difference.

Now in saying this, I do not mean to imply that we can be stingy with God, giving him our scrapes. The boy who offered his five loaves and two fish, gave Jesus everything he had. The boy was generous.

The point is, even when we give our best and our all, it may seem like a drop in the bucket. Our best and our all will usually fall short of the ocean of human need. But that is no reason to give up in despair. We can only do what is in our power to do and trust God with the outcome.   

Hearing this miracle story of Jesus feeding the multitudes is lovely and inspiring, but when we watch the news, we become painfully aware of the millions in our world today who are starving. Why doesn’t God feed them?

Well, God has provided enough to feed everyone on the planet. It’s not a production problem; it’s a distribution problem. Human greed and fear often get in the way.

Jesus trusted his disciples to distribute the food to the multitude and the disciples were faithful in carrying out the task Jesus gave them. In the end, there were 12 basketfuls left over, one for each of the disciples.  

Conclusion:

This morning we have observed multiple connections, all orbiting around Jesus and the miraculous feeding of the 5000 in the wilderness. There’s just one more connection we need to make. This too finds its fulfilment in Christ.

Centuries before Jesus came, the Lord God gave the prophet Isaiah a glimpse of a future heavenly banquet, with food far richer than barley bread and pickled fish. From Isaiah 25 we read…

6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. 7 And he will swallow up on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.

Jesus is the one who removes the shroud of death. It is through faith in Jesus (his death and resurrection) that we have sure hope of participating in God’s heavenly banquet.

Let us pray…

Gracious God, you know our every need and you care for us. Thank you for Jesus, the good shepherd, who leads us in paths of righteousness and restores our soul. Grant us the grace to follow Jesus all the days of our life and enjoy you forever. Amen.   

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. Why did Jesus withdraw to a solitary place after hearing how Herod had killed John? What good did Jesus’ retreat accomplish? (What evil did it prevent?)
  3. What is compassion? What (or who) moves you to acts of kindness?
  4. Compare and contrast Jesus’ shepherd leadership with Herod’s abuse of power. How do you experience Jesus’ care and provision?
  5. Discuss / reflect on the connections you notice between Jesus’ feeding of the 5000 in Matthew 14 and other feeding miracles in the Bible. How are these miracles similar? How are they different?
  6. In what ways do we see Jesus’ faith operating in Matthew 14?
  7. What small thing can you do (in faith) to show God’s love and care for others?     
Tawa Baptist

Oneness

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6

Video Link: https://youtu.be/7ScfYPCmH4s

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Oneness
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Today, for Campbell’s baptismal service, I have chosen a Scripture reading from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. In the book of Ephesians, Paul explores the mystery and wonder of the Christian church. From Ephesians chapter 4, verses 1-6, Paul writes…

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

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

Oneness:

The largest living organism on the planet is a tree, known as Pando. On the surface Pando looks like a forest of individual trees, but underneath it is connected by one huge root system. Pando is, in fact, one tree with 47,000 stems.

Pando stands as a parable for the Christian church. On the surface, the church appears like a forest of individual trees, but underneath it is connected by one huge root system. The church is, in fact, one giant living organism with hundreds of thousands of congregations.

In verses 4-6 of Ephesians 4 we come across 7 ones: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.

These 7 ones are not separate or independent of each other; they are all inter-related. The 7 ones are one. Paul is reminding us here of the root system all believers share in common.

The one body is the church universal, all Christians everywhere throughout history. The church may seem fragmented and divided from our perspective, with all its different denominations and controversies, but from God’s perspective the church is one, like a tapestry with many different coloured threads, or like a human body with many different parts.

Baptism is entry to the church. By being baptised we become part of the body of Christ, one of the stems growing from the ancient root system of the church.

There is one Spirit, the Holy Spirit who gives life and breath to the body. Indeed, the Greek word for Spirit also means breath. As believers in Jesus, we all breathe the same air, the same Spirit of God. The Spirit gives life to the body of Christ. Without the Spirit the church is dead.

Baptism is a sign of life, a new beginning, made possible by the Spirit of Jesus.  

There is one hope. Jesus is our hope. Because God raised Jesus from the dead, we have hope of eternal life, through faith in Jesus. No more suffering, no more sickness, no more tears.  

Baptism is a parable of resurrection. Going down under the water is a picture of dying to our old way of life. And coming up out of the water anticipates our resurrection when Jesus returns in glory.

There is one Lord, that is the Lord Jesus Christ. To say that ‘Jesus is Lord’ means that Jesus has authority over all things in heaven and on earth. Jesus has conquered sin and death. He is worthy of our love and obedience.

Baptism is submission to Christ. We no longer live for ourselves. We live for Jesus and God’s kingdom purpose. 

Because there is one Lord it naturally follows there is one faith.

Jesus is the object of our faith. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to God the Father except through Jesus the Son.

Baptism is an act of trust. We don’t know where our journey of faith will take us. We don’t know what the future holds, but we trust Jesus to be present with us wherever he leads.

There is one baptism. Although different Christian denominations practice baptism in different ways (for example some sprinkle and some immerse),

we are all baptised into the same person, that is into Jesus Christ.

Regardless of the amount of water, baptism is a commitment to learn from Jesus. To be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ is to become a disciple of Jesus, his apprentice.  

The seventh ‘one’, in Paul’s list, is the one God and Father of all. God is our creator; we are made in His image. Although we appear different or separate, we (who believe in Jesus) all stem from the same root.

With this in mind, we are called to unity, to oneness. Our unity comes from God. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one.

But unity also requires some effort on our part. We need to be humble, gentle and patient, bearing with one another in love.

Baptism is an important step in responding to God’s call to unity.

Campbell, we are blessed and encouraged by your baptism today. You are not alone. You are one with us and you are in Christ. Remain in him.

Let us pray…

Gracious God, help us to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Tawa Baptist

Distraction

Scripture: Acts 6:1-7

Video Link: https://youtu.be/E0fq28Wa49A

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The problem
  • The proposal
  • The growth
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Most weeks we find a police car in our church car park watching the roundabout. Or at least I think they are watching the roundabout. They might be staking the church out for criminal activity. Brodie’s name is known to the police.

Sometimes I talk to the police. Once I asked them what they were looking out for and they said, people using their cell phones while driving. Driving while distracted is a major contributor to car accidents in New Zealand.

Driver distractions include things like talking with passengers, using cell phones, looking at scenery, eating, smoking, or searching for objects in the car.       

According to transport New Zealand statistics, in 2023 there were 15 fatal crashes, 98 serious injury crashes, and 796 minor injury crashes where driver distraction was to blame. Distraction can be a dangerous thing, not just with driving, but in life generally.  

Today our message focuses on Acts chapter 6, verses 1-7. The book of Acts tells Luke’s account of the early church and the spread of the gospel. In Acts 6 we read how the apostles avoided distraction and saved the church from crashing.

From Acts 6, verse 1 we read…

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jewsamong them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men of good standing from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

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

There’s a lot going on in Acts 6:1-7; it would be easy to become distracted.

To give you a road map, the church in Acts 6 faced a problem. The apostles came up with a proposal to sort the problem and the outcome was growth.

Let us begin with the problem.

The problem:

One person you almost never see on an airplane flight is the pilot. If the captain in charge of the plane started walking down the aisle handing out boiled sweets, the passengers would likely feel quite disturbed, and rightly so. If the pilot is in the back with us, who’s flying this plane?

Although the pilot is the person in charge, they don’t usually fly the plane by themselves. The co-pilot supports the captain and the navigator makes sure the plane stays on course. 

It is important for the pilot to not be distracted while flying, especially when taking off and landing. Those in the cockpit also need to keep an eye on all the dials and gauges to make sure fuel levels, cabin pressure and other vital systems are as they should be.

The pilot could not do their job without the flight attendants. It’s the role of the flight attendants to ensure the safety and comfort of the passengers. If the passengers have a problem, then the flight attendants deal with it.

Say for example, one of the passengers had a medical emergency. The flight attendant would help that person. If the pilot had to respond to the medical emergency themselves, that would put the lives of everyone else on board at risk. The pilot cannot afford to be distracted.

In Acts 6, verse 1, we read how the early church had a problem. The church was growing quickly, which was a good thing. But fast growth also comes with challenges.

The apostles were not aware of the problem at first. It only came to their attention when frustration boiled over into complaint and grumbling. There were at least three aspects to the problem. An organisational aspect, a cultural aspect and a welfare aspect.

The cultural aspect was the deeper underlying issue. Before addressing the organisational and welfare concerns, the apostles had to deal with the cultural disconnect.

At this point the Christian church was almost entirely comprised of people of Jewish descent. However, not all Jews of the first century were the same.

There were basically two cultures in the early Jerusalem church. The Hebraic Jews and the Hellenistic Jews. Hebraic as in Hebrew and Hellenistic as in Greek.

The Hebraic Jews were those Israelites who had been born and raised as Hebrews living in Palestine. They mainly spoke Aramaic. Jesus and the apostles were Hebraic Jews.

The Hellenistic Jews were those Israelites who had been born and raised outside of Palestine. They grew up speaking Greek and had been immersed in Greek culture for most of their lives.

The members of the Jerusalem church may have all been descended from Abraham, but they did not think or communicate in the same way. I suppose in contemporary terms it would be like the difference between Middle Eastern Jews and American Jews. Same ancestry, different culture.

The Greek speaking Jewish widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. The daily distribution of food was sort of like a food bank for those in poverty. This was the welfare aspect of the problem.

Widows were especially vulnerable in the first century. There was no social security benefit from the government and work opportunities were often limited for women. If a widow did not have a way of supporting herself or if her family wasn’t able to help, then the church provided for her.  

That the Hellenistic widows were being overlooked was probably unintentional. The disconnect was likely caused by a cultural misunderstanding. Some cultures have no difficulty speaking up for themselves, while other cultures feel it is rude or impolite to ask for help or to put themselves forward.

Perhaps the Hellenistic Jews expected the Hebraic Jews to read between the lines and see what was needed without having to be explicitly told. When that didn’t happen, tensions rose.

The twelve apostles were like the pilots of the plane; they could not afford to be distracted from their work of bearing witness to the risen Jesus. They could not deal with this concern themselves without putting the whole church at risk. This was the organisational aspect of the problem.

What would they do? It is to the apostles’ proposal we turn now.

The proposal:

A hospital is a complex organisation. There are many different jobs needing to be done by different people, all of them vital to the health and wellbeing of the patients.

The surgeon’s role is essential of course. What is a hospital without doctors.

It is imperative that surgeons not be distracted from their work, especially while in theatre. And when they are not in theatre, surgeons are often on call, needing to be ready to respond to emergencies. 

It would not be right for the surgeon to spend their time and energy changing bed sheets or emptying bed pans. That would be a waste of their training and skill. More good can be achieved if the surgical team are allowed to focus on doing operations.

This is not to imply that the role of nurses, orderlies and cleaners is somehow less. If no one changed sheets or cleaned up bodily fluids, disease would spread, patients would suffer and the doctors’ work would be undermined.

In verse 2 we read how the apostles called all the disciples together to address the problem. They did not react defensively when people complained. Nor did they sweep the problem under the carpet or minimise it. They faced the problem with humility and wisdom, dealing with it in a timely manner.

Another thing we notice here is the way the twelve apostles functioned as a team. Just as it takes a team of people to fly a plane and a team of people to perform a surgery, so too it requires a team of people to lead a church. 

Notice too how the whole church was asked to come together. Now, it is not necessary or wise to involve the whole church with every pastoral problem. As a rule, you address the issue with those who are affected.  If just two or three people are affected, then the whole church doesn’t need to know about it.

But the situation in Acts 6 did affect the whole church and so the apostles wisely included everyone in discussing their proposal. This was a big deal. If left alone the issue threatened to split the church, which would not be good for anyone.

Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The church’s greatest witness for Christ is the way its members relate with each other. 

The apostles start by saying to the congregation, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.”

Ministry is simply another word for service. A ‘minister of the word of God’ is someone who serves God’s word, like a prophet or a preacher or an evangelist. A minister of God’s word seeks to understand God’s message and communicate that message to others.

Usually this is done by prayerful study of the Scriptures. As the minister reads the Bible, the Holy Spirit illuminates God’s word in the Scriptures. Other times God’s word comes to the minister through providence or in a dream or through another person or by divine inspiration.

As ministers of God’s word, the apostles were like surgeons on call, needing to be ready to respond to God’s word and Spirit.

When God’s word does come, there is usually a process of discernment, which takes time. God’s word is a weighty thing; it carries a lot of meaning. And it often has sharp edges, like a scalpel, so it needs to be handled with care.

It requires a high degree of concentration to deliver God’s word. You cannot afford too many distractions.    

For the apostles in Acts 6, neglecting the ministry of the word of God to wait on tables would be like surgeons neglecting the operating theatre to change bed pans or the pilot neglecting the landing of the plane to hand out biscuits.

It’s not that waiting on tables or serving the poor is somehow less important than preaching. Both are important. Indeed, those who cared for the widows gave credibility to the apostles’ message of love.

But the apostles had been entrusted by God with a special task. The twelve knew Jesus personally, had heard his teaching first hand and had witnessed Jesus’ death and resurrection. It would be a waste of their training and experience to wait on tables when others were able to do this. 

The apostles did not want to become distracted, like Martha. They wanted to remain attentive to Jesus, like Mary.

In verses 3 and 4, the apostles present their proposal saying…

“Brothers and sisters, choose seven men of good standing from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

Wow, this is impressive. The apostles do not impose a solution on the church. Nor do they try and fix the problem themselves. They propose a democratic approach; they admit their own limitations, trusting the congregation and the Holy Spirit to find the right team of people to handle this responsibility.

5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.

The interesting thing about this list is that they are all Greek names, most likely from a variety of different places. This is a multi-cultural group. The Hellenistic widows would not be overlooked now, because the people in charge of the foodbank had the cultural understanding to meet their needs.   

What has God given you to do? When we are young and have lots of energy, the temptation is to try and do everything ourselves. But as we get older, we learn to be more strategic with how we spend our life.

If you don’t know yet what your niche is in God’s purpose, you might ask yourself: What am I good at? What do I enjoy doing? What can I do that most other people can’t?

The apostles did not try to do everything themselves. They did not allow themselves to become distracted. They kept the main thing the main thing. They gave themselves to God’s calling on their lives and it resulted in growth. 

Growth:

In verse 7 of Acts 6 we read of the growth that happened in the early church. The word of God spread, the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

When we look at this verse, we probably notice the numerical growth before anything else. Afterall, it talks about the number of disciples increasing rapidly and a large number of priests coming to faith. Numbers have their place, but they don’t tell the whole story.

We also read how the word of God grew (or spread). The word of God is like seed planted in the soil of the human heart. Just as a seed grows into a plant which is good for the soil, preventing erosion, so too the word of God grows inside our mind and is good for the soul, giving integrity to our inner life.   

Hearing God’s word may stop someone from doing something bad or it may prompt them (on an unconscious level) to perform some kindness, without them realising God is in it. Christian values (inspired by God’s word) influence our secular society for good, in ways most people are not aware of. 

The other type of growth we read about in verse 7 is growth in the obedience of faith. Faith is not just an idea we agree with in our head. True faith leads to action. If faith is the root, obedience is the fruit. How is your fruit? Are you growing in things like kindness, faithfulness, patience and generosity?    

The kind of growth described in Acts 6 does not happen by human effort alone. Yes, we have our part to play in sowing the seed of God’s word and in being obedient to the faith, but ultimately it is God’s Spirit who makes our efforts fruitful. 

Conclusion:

With today’s message I’ve highlighted the dangers of distraction. But I also need to acknowledge the benefits. Sometimes distraction can be a good thing, something helpful for our wellbeing.

Watching cricket in summer provides a pleasant distraction for Robyn and I. Kane Williamson is perhaps the greatest batsman New Zealand cricket has ever produced. He has played 105 test matches, scoring over 9,200 runs at an average of 54.9. This is to say nothing of his records in other forms of the game.

Kane is wonderful to watch. He plays the ball late, finding the gaps in the field. He seems to go into his own little bubble, blocking out all distractions and staying calm. You wouldn’t put Kane in to bat at number 10 or 11; it would be a waste. He does more good higher up the order, batting at 3 or 4.  

I once saw Kane in person walking around Mount Maunganui. He was pushing a buggy with one of his children in it. He acknowledged me with a nod and a smile. I smiled back but I didn’t interrupt him. It gave me joy to see Kane spending time with his kids. I’m pleased he has a life outside of cricket. 

If Kane (or anyone else for that matter) were focused on cricket all the time, it would do their head in. As human beings we need other interests. We need to spend time connecting with people and nature, doing things unrelated to our work. Too much of anything is not good for you.

At the end of the day the pilot and the surgeon need time away from the cockpit and the operating theatre. Just as the preacher needs time away from the Bible and the pulpit.

Some distractions are bad, some are good, and others are unavoidable.

Even though the ministry of God’s word was Jesus’ main priority, he often turned aside to heal people. How can he ignore human need. Jesus’ words were accompanied by miraculous deeds of power. The ministry of God’s word goes hand in hand with the ministry of God’s compassion.

The risk with miracles, of course, is that they can distract people from the message. Discernment is required.     

We need to ask ourselves, is God in this distraction?

It appears at least two of the seven chosen to take care of widows were distracted from their task of managing the food bank. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, both Stephen and Philip became ministers of the word of God, preaching to people in Jerusalem and Samaria.   

Focus on what God wants you to do. Give your life to it. But remain open to the Spirit. Sometimes God may want to distract you; he might want to restore your soul or lead you to something new.

May the Spirit of God make us fruitful as we abide in Christ. Amen.   

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. Discuss / reflect on the apostles’ response to the problem in Acts 6. Why do the apostles choose not to get involved (in a hands-on way) with the daily distribution of food? What can we learn from the apostle’s response?
  3. What has God given you to do? What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing? What can you do that most other people can’t?
  4. Are you doing what God has given you to do? What sorts of things distract you from God’s purpose for you? How might you avoid these unhelpful distractions? 
  5. What kinds of distractions are helpful to you? How might we discern when God is wanting to distract us?
  6. How is your growth in obedience to the faith going? Are you growing in the fruits of the Spirit?  
Tawa Baptist

Non-Essentials

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1

Video Link: https://youtu.be/VCYych5ltnc

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Brass tacks
  • Guiding principles
  • Christ’s example
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

There’s a well known saying among Christians: In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love.

Essentials are not negotiable. We do not depart from those things which are essential to the Christian faith. Essentials include things like our belief that there is only one God and that He raised Jesus from the dead.

Non-essentials are those aspects of faith which are less crucial. For example, how much water is used at baptism and whether we gather for worship on a Saturday or a Sunday. We have freedom to decide for ourselves with the non-essentials.

The kind of love in view here is self-giving love, the sort of love which seeks the good of others. Love of God and love of neighbour needs to be our motivation in all things.     

In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love.

We are not sure where this saying comes from. It is often attributed to St Augustine, but no one has been able to substantiate that. More likely it comes from a 17th Century Lutheran theologian by the name of Rupertus Meldenius.

Whoever coined this phrase though was probably reading the apostle Paul at the time. Over the past several weeks we have been working our way through First Corinthians chapters 8-10, where Paul writes about Christian freedom.

Two weeks ago, in Corinthians 10, verses 14-22, we heard about one of the essentials of Christian faith. Namely, avoiding idolatry. Christians are not to participate in pagan worship, that is not negotiable. We believe in one true God and we worship only him.    

Today we conclude our series in Corinthians by focusing on the remainder of chapter 10, where Paul writes about the exercise of liberty in non-essentials. From verse 23 we read…

23 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. 

“I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 24 No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. 25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26 for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” 27 If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28 But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. 29 I am referring to the other person’s conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience? 30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33 even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. 1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

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

We are talking about the exercise of Christian liberty in non-essentials. Today’s message has three parts. Brass tacks, guiding principles and Christ’s example. Let’s begin with Paul’s brass tacks.

Brass Tacks:

The idiom ‘getting down to brass tacks’ is a way of saying let’s focus on the practical details. Let’s go beyond pleasantries and determine how this is going to work out in reality.

There is little agreement on where the saying originated from. Some think it refers to the brass tacks used to hold furniture upholstery in place. Others reckon brass tacks is like a Cockney rhyme for ‘hard facts’.

And then there are those who say brass tacks alludes to the metal tacks on a shop counter which are used for measuring things, like lengths of rope or rolls of dress fabric.

Whatever the origin of the saying, in First Corinthians 10, Paul gets down to brass tacks. When it comes to the question of meat sacrificed to idols, this is what it looks like, practically, to exercise Christian freedom.

Can I eat meat sacrificed to idols as part of pagan worship, in a pagan temple?

No. Never, this is idolatry. We covered this a couple of weeks ago. Pagan worship is the worship of demons. You cannot worship Jesus and demons at the same time; those two things are mutually exclusive. In essentials unity.

What about meat that I buy in the market? In all likelihood some of the meat sold in the Corinthian market place had been offered to idols when it was butchered. So, can I eat idol meat that I purchased in the market place?

In verses 25-26 Paul says: Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26 for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”

Verse 26 is a quote from Psalm 24. God created the lamb and the cow and the chicken. All meat belongs to God and comes from God, so it is kosher.

What if a pagan invites me to dinner in their home? Can I eat the meat they serve me? Yes, but not if someone else is negatively affected. The other person may be quite wrong in thinking you shouldn’t eat idol meat, but being right is not the point. Do all things in love; that is for the good of the other.      

You may wonder how this brass tacks discussion about idol meat might be relevant to us. Well, given the increasing ethnic diversity in New Zealand it is becoming more relevant every day. For one thing it means you don’t have to worry about where you order your takeaways from or what restaurant you might go to with friends.

Let me give you a real-life (brass tacks) example, something that happened to me a year ago. Every now and then I bake a brownie for morning tea at Robyn’s school. One time one of the staff asked Robyn if I would make her a brownie.

I was a little surprised by the request, because this person follows a religion with strict food rules. She has to be careful about what she eats. Apparently, my brownie is okay though, probably because it’s meat free. 

I was more than happy to bake her a brownie. She offered to pay but I wasn’t having any of that. A few days later the container came back (via Robyn) filled with some of her cooking. It was delicious.

I didn’t raise questions of conscience. I wasn’t worried that eating her chicken samosas would somehow displease God. How could it. God made the chicken.

Food is something God uses to connect people. Eating someone else’s food is an act of trust. It brings us closer to one another and therefore better able to see the image of God in those who are different from us.

Guiding Principles:

In essentials unity. In non-essentials liberty. In all things love. Our main focus today is how to exercise Christian liberty in non-essentials. We have heard about Paul’s brass tacks. Now let’s consider his guiding principles.

If you think about it, our freedom generally as human beings is fairly limited. Most of the really important things in life, the things that make a real difference, are decided for us.

We don’t have a choice about when or where we are born. We don’t decide what kind of family we grow up in. We are not free to choose our genetic make-up and we have little to no choice about who we fall in love with.

And yet all those things set us on a particular path in life. 

Millions of people in this world live in poverty through no choice of their own. Poverty isn’t just a lack of money. It’s a lack of options, an imposed restriction of freedom. When it comes to freedom, we need to acknowledge that it’s not an even playing field. The grass is greener for some people. 

Brass tacks may be useful up to a point, but they only go so far. We need guiding principles in the exercise of freedom because every person’s situation is different.  

In simple terms, Paul has two guiding principles when it comes to liberty in non-essentials: God’s glory and other people’s good. Whatever we do, we need to be asking ourselves, does this glorify God and is it beneficial to others?

God’s glory is a constant theme throughout Scripture. We don’t have time to explore every aspect of God’s glory today. Suffice to say that in the context of Corinthians 10, verses 30-31, giving glory to God means thanking God for his provision, in all things.

More broadly, we glorify God by living in a way that reflects his character. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, so too the people of God are to reflect the glory of God. We see God’s character most clearly in the person of Jesus.

Giving glory to God is intimately connected with seeking the good of others.

In verses 23-24 Paul makes the point that just because you have the freedom or the right to do something, it doesn’t automatically follow that you should. Our primary consideration needs to be the good of others.

Paul repeats this principle in verses 32-33 where he writes…

32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33 even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

Paul uses his freedom to help others come to faith Christ. If eating meat is going to create an obstacle for someone getting to know Jesus, then Paul will give up his right to eat meat. Likewise, Paul would not refuse the hospitality of an unbeliever if doing so would turn that person away from Jesus.

For Paul, the best way to glorify God and seek the good of others is to help people to receive Jesus.

Now in hearing that Paul tries to please everyone in every way, we need to be clear, Paul was not a Chameleon. Paul did not compromise the gospel. Paul held fast to the essentials of Christian faith. At the same time, he was flexible with the non-essentials.   

When it comes to freedom, the Christian believer needs to be a bit like bull kelp. Bull kelp is a type of seaweed which is incredibly strong and flexible.

The holdfast, which anchors the bull kelp to rocks, is very difficult to remove and can withstand forces equivalent to 1100 km/h on land. The stem is flexible and can stretch by up to 40% of its length before breaking. This allows it to absorb the energy of waves, preventing it from snapping. 

The strength and flexibility of the bull kelp enables it to grow in strong ocean currents, forming kelp forests which are essential to the survival of many marine species. 

As believers in Jesus, we need to be like bull kelp, strong and flexible. Anchored to the rock of Christ, but also flexible enough in non-essential matters, that others may come to faith in Jesus.   

Christ’s Example:

In essentials unity. In non-essentials liberty. In all things love. We are talking about how to exercise Christian liberty in non-essentials.

We have heard about Paul’s brass tacks and his guiding principles. While these are helpful, there’s nothing like seeing a model of what Christian freedom looks like in practice. And so, it is to Christ’s example we turn now. 

In verse 1 of Corinthians 11, Paul concludes his commentary on Christian freedom by saying: Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

Paul did not come up with these ideas about freedom and responsibility on his own. Paul took his lead from the example of Christ. The gospels are peppered with story after story of different ways in which Jesus demonstrated what liberty in non-essentials looks like.

When Jesus sent his disciples out on a short-term mission trip, he told them to eat what was put in front of them, for it is not what goes into a person’s stomach that makes them unclean. It is what comes out of the human heart that matters.

On other occasions Jesus touched lepers and helped people who were technically excluded, thus showing what it looks like to exercise liberty in non-essentials for the glory of God and the good of others.

Of course, not everyone can agree on what is essential and what is non-essential. For example, Jesus often came into conflict with the Jewish leadership over what was acceptable to do on the Sabbath.

Keeping the Sabbath holy by resting from work is one of the ten commandments, given by God, and therefore essential.

By the time of Jesus, Sabbath keeping had become integral to Jewish identity, with literally hundreds of manmade rules surrounding it. Rules like not healing people on the Sabbath, because that was considered work.

To the Jews these man-made rules were essential, but to Jesus they were non-essential. In fact, they obscured God’s purpose for the Sabbath. In Luke 13 we read how Jesus exercised his God given liberty in the non-essentials…

10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. 14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” 15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

In this vignette, we see how Jesus glorifies God by bringing the Lord’s purpose for the Sabbath into focus. At the same time, Jesus also seeks the good of the woman that she may be saved. To do this though, Jesus had to break the non-essential manmade rules, and that got him into trouble.  

Conclusion:

Exercising liberty in the non-essentials requires us to find a right balance. Jesus was challenging a narrow legalism which, although well intentioned, actually undermined God’s purpose. We too need to avoid that kind of legalism.

However, the context in which Jesus was serving is not the same as our contemporary New Zealand context. Our society is highly secular and relatively permissive by comparison with first century Jewish society.

Narrow legalism is probably not a significant risk factor for most of us today. We are more likely to go to the opposite extreme of compromising the essentials. Whatever context we find ourselves in, Jesus is our guide. We must follow his example of love with truth.

Let us pray…

Gracious God, may the love and truth of Jesus guide us, that we would keep unity with the essential elements of our faith and wisely exercise liberty in the non-essentials, to the praise of your glory. Amen. 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. What are some of the essentials of the Christian faith, which we must hold to? Why are these essential?
  3. What are Paul’s brass tacks when it comes to eating idol meat? How might this apply in our world today?  
  4. Discuss / reflect on Paul’s guiding principles in relation to exercising liberty in non-essentials? How do we work out these principles in our daily life? 
  5. How can we discern what is essential to Christian faith and what is non-essential?
  6. Discuss / reflect on the ways Jesus (in the gospels) held fast to the essentials while remaining flexible in the non-essentials?
  7. How might we reach out to others without compromising the essentials of our faith?
Tawa Baptist

Mutually Exclusive

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:14-22

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

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Blood Connections
  • Bread Connections
  • Unseen Connections
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Some things cannot happen at the same time. For example, if you flip a coin, you will get either heads or tails. You can’t get both heads and tails simultaneously.

Likewise, if you take one card from a standard playing deck, then you cannot draw both an ace of diamonds and a two of spades at once. That’s not how cards work.

Or if you are invited to a party then you either attend or you don’t attend. You cannot attend and not attend at the same time. Just as you cannot have your cake and eat it too.

The technical word for this is ‘mutually exclusive’. Mutually exclusive events cannot take place at the same time. Basically, the occurrence of one event means the other event cannot happen.

Today we continue our series in First Corinthians chapters 8-10, where Paul writes about Christian freedom. When it comes to Christian freedom, there are some things which are mutually exclusive. For example, you cannot be a follower of Jesus and be involved with pagan worship at the same time.

Now, in using a term like mutually exclusive, I don’t mean to imply that the Christian faith is closed off from the world or insular. At its heart Christian faith is outward looking. Jesus and Paul were missionaries. They were seeking people they could include.

At the same time, they were not willing to include everything. They held onto their belief in the oneness and goodness of God. They did not sacrifice what they knew to be true.

There is a tension with Christian freedom. On the one hand, we are free to reach out to others with the love of Jesus. But on the other hand, we don’t have a license to compromise our belief or loyalty to Christ. We need to be mindful of this tension as we listen this morning.

From First Corinthians chapter 10, verse 14 we read…

14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf. 18 Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19 Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 22 Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

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

As we heard last week, some of the Corinthian believers were walking on thin ice by eating the meat of idols in pagan temples. In today’s reading Paul says quite plainly, you cannot do this. Taking holy communion and joining in pagan worship are mutually exclusive. You cannot do both.

Just beneath the surface of these verses is the idea of spiritual connection or partnership. In particular Paul highlights two things that connect people to God and to one another: blood and bread. Let’s begin with the blood connection.

Blood Connections:

Many of you knew the late Bruce Murray. Bruce played cricket for New Zealand during the 1960’s. He toured India and Pakistan with the Black Caps. Bruce told me of an incident that happened during the third test against India in Hyderabad in October 1969.

The Indian crowd had greatly enjoyed watching two of their batsmen play. When these two men (Venkat and Bedi) were leaving the cricket pitch some of the spectators were so excited they jumped the fence and ran on to the field to congratulate Venkat and Bedi.

Now a cricket pitch is a mutually exclusive place. You cannot have players and spectators on the field at the same time. A good number of auxiliary police (armed with long sticks) saw what was happening and intervened to protect the two Indian batsmen from over-zealous fans.

A young boy slipped past the police. One policeman threw his stick at the boy and missed. When the boy bent down to pick up the stick, another policeman hit him over the head.

The boy put his handkerchief to the wound and saw he was bleeding. When he held the bloodied cloth up to the crowd, the people rioted. The sight of blood created an instant connection. The police had done this to one of their own.

The crowd broke down a wire gate, set the score board on fire and ripped hundreds of chairs out of the grandstands, throwing them on the field.

Players were told to stay in their rooms that night. Bruce recalled the uneasy feeling among his teammates.

There’s something about blood that connects us in a deep and visceral way. Blood ties speak of family connections of course, but it’s more than that.

Blood is life to the body. Blood is pumped through the heart, sustaining every limb and digit. If blood flow is cut off, then the limb dies.

In ancient worship rituals, blood was shed in sacrifice to atone for sin, to make people right (or at one) with God. A life for a life.

In verse 16 Paul writes, is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the bloodof Christ?   

Paul is referring to the Christian ritual of communion here, also known as Mass or the Eucharist or the Lord’s supper. Communion was first instituted by Jesus.

On the night before his crucifixion and death, Jesus was celebrating the Jewish Passover meal with his disciples in the upper room. During the meal, Jesus gave the cup of wine new meaning. For Christians the cup signifies God’s new covenant, sealed with the blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sin. 

Jesus’ blood, poured out on the cross, atones for the sin of the world. Through faith in Jesus’ sacrifice we are made right with God.

Paul is saying that when we share the cup at communion, we are participating in the blood of Christ. That word translated as participating comes from the Greek word koinonia. Koinonia and its related cognates appear six times in today’s passage. So koinonia is key to understanding Paul’s thought.

The meaning of koinonia is difficult to translate directly into English. It can mean participation or partnership or fellowship or communion depending on the context. In the New Testament, koinonia speaks of a special bond or deep connection between the people of God.

Koinonia is not a light or superficial connection. Men who have participated in combat together, sharing blood, sweat and tears, have a koinonia connection.

Indeed, people who have survived a long ordeal together are bound by koinonia. They share an intimate and unspoken understanding that can only be gained through a common (and often painful) experience.     

What then does it mean to participate in the blood of Christ? Well, there is a certain mystery here that cannot be penetrated by mere words. But you need some explanation, no matter how inadequate, so here goes…  

In one sense, participating in the blood of Christ, means sharing in the benefits of forgiveness and atonement through faith in Jesus’ death on the cross.

Paul’s argument is this: You cannot be clean and dirty at the same time.

Those two things are mutually exclusive. It’s similar with the blood of Christ.

You cannot participate in the atonement of Christ and participate in pagan rituals at the same time. The cleansing blood of Christ and the defiling blood of pagan sacrifice are mutually exclusive. 

Going a little deeper, participating in the blood of Christ, could also mean sharing in the sufferings of Jesus. We probably won’t be crucified like Jesus was (thankfully), but we may suffer smaller injustices and humiliations because of our connection with Jesus.

You know those times when (through no fault of your own) you feel powerless and vulnerable; they are opportunities for creating koinonia (or communion) with Jesus. Our Lord set aside his power, making himself vulnerable for us, even unto death on a cross. 

Although unpleasant, these smaller sufferings enable us to know Jesus more intimately. There is a surprising joy in sharing Jesus’ suffering. Joy and suffering are not mutually exclusive.

We are talking about the things that connect us. The blood of Christ connects us, as does the bread of Christ. 

Bread Connections:

The English word ‘companion’ literally means to ‘share bread with’.

A companion therefore is someone you eat with. There’s something about sharing a meal that connects people and makes them our companions.

When people eat together, they talk and as they talk, they get to know each other; barriers come down and trust forms. Food has a way too of lingering in our memory. A shared meal creates a feeling of belonging and connection.

Food is a conduit for love. When you cook something special for someone, it is an act of love. And when you eat that meal, you receive that person’s love.

There has been a lot of love put into the shared lunch today.

In verses 16 and 17 Paul talks about the bread of the communion meal saying…

And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf. Again, that word participation comes from the Greek koinonia.

Later, in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul will go on to talk about the church being the body of Christ. Paul’s emphasis in this verse is on unity. Sharing the bread of communion is an act of koinonia with the people of God.

Just as bread nourishes body and soul, so too participating in church life nourishes our relationships together. Koinonia with others who share our faith banishes loneliness, creates trust and fosters a sense of identity and belonging.

In verse 18 Paul draws an analogy saying: Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 

The Old Testament background here is that people would bring their food to the priest to be offered in sacrifice to God. Some of the food sacrificed was given to the priest and the rest was returned to the worshippers who shared a meal together. This sacred meal was a participation in the altar.

There’s that word again; participation, koinonia.

One of the things on Israel’s altar was the shew bread, 12 loaves symbolising God’s holy presence. The imagery is clear; God is the one who provides for all the people’s needs. God is the host of the sacred meal in other words. And, as host, God is present at the meal.   

Our communion bread (symbolising the body of Christ) is sometimes referred to as the host. Christ is the host of the communion table. Jesus is God’s provision for our needs. When we share communion, Jesus is present, by his Spirit. We cannot see Jesus, but we know by faith that Christ is in the room.

The koinonia of the communion table takes us into the realm of mystery, what someone once called ‘the cloud of unknowing’. Some people are comfortable with mystery. Others not so much.

If you like a rational explanation for everything, if you want all your questions answered, then mystery can make you feel uneasy, vulnerable even. The realm of mystery requires us to exercise faith, to trust ourselves to the unseen presence of God.

We’ve talked about the connections created by blood and bread. Now let’s consider those unseen connections in the spiritual realm.

Unseen Connections:

One of the difficulties with spiritual things is that we cannot see them. Spiritual reality may be felt or sensed, but it is seldom seen. In truth, there is an unseen reality to our lives.

There are many things in the physical / material world which we cannot see and yet we know are real because of the effects they have on our lives.

Gravity is perhaps the most obvious invisible force. The gravitational pull of the moon causes the oceans tidal movement. Gravity also keeps our feet on the ground and can inflict some pain if we get on the wrong side of it.

Atmospheric pressure is another invisible force at work in our world. High pressure usually means sunshine and low pressure often means bad weather.

We cannot see the movement of tectonic plates below the earth’s surface, but we know about it when the plates do move.

Love is another unseen power which affects us, not unlike gravity or tectonic plates. Love is not a substance. You cannot put love under a microscope and analyse it like bacteria or dissect it like a frog. But love still makes itself known, holding sway over our thoughts and feelings, like the moon holds sway over the ocean.

The greatest unseen power, of course, is God himself. God is Spirit so we cannot see him, but we can see where he has been. The whole earth and everything in it, is his masterpiece, both beautiful and functional at the same time. 

In verses 19 and 20 Paul talks about the malevolent unseen forces behind idols.

19 Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 

The idols which littered ancient Corinth were just lumps of wood and stone. They were dead, impotent, with no power at all in themselves.

However, behind the idols and pagan temples were demons; evil spiritual beings, aligned with the devil. While we cannot see demons physically, we can see their detrimental effect in this world. Things like greed, exploitation, fear, racism, sexual abuse, poverty, violence and so on. 

The really twisted thing about pagan idolatry is that those who worship idols think they are doing something righteous or good. They are often very devout and sincere people who are not aware of the unseen reality. The evil one presents himself as an angel of light. 

I’m not saying these things to make you afraid. If you remain in Christ, then you have nothing to fear.

Having unveiled the truth about idol worship, that it really is the worship of demons, Paul then states the obvious, in verse 21…

21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.

In other words, you cannot partake of holy communion and indulge in the dinner parties held in pagan temples. These two things are mutually exclusive. You cannot serve Jesus and the devil at the same time. You cannot be in partnership with unseen evil forces and remain in Christ. 

To do so would be to court disaster. For one thing it would arouse the Lord’s jealousy. Jealousy is not the same as envy. Envy is bad. Envy is when you want something that doesn’t belong to you. Envy ultimately destroys.

Jealousy is different from envy. Jealousy is the righteous indignation you feel when someone threatens what is rightfully yours to care for. Jealousy ultimately protects. A jealous father protects his children, just like a good shepherd protects his sheep.   

You may wonder what relevance Paul’s advice has in our world today.

Well, for those who live in countries where people offer food and incense to idols in temples, the connection is clear. If you want to follow Jesus, you cannot go to those temples and participate in worship.

Idolatry is usually more subtle in New Zealand though. While we do have an attachment to certain objects (like our cell phones), I don’t expect anyone here bows down in worship to those objects.

We are more inclined to internalise our idols. For example, we may at times give a greater place to work and wealth than we do to Jesus. Or we might prioritise entertainment and our own comfort over obedience to Christ. Freedom itself can become an idol.  

The problem with internalising our idols is that we cannot see them, which means we are less aware of our own idolatry. We risk becoming like the devout pagans who are unaware of their spiritual reality.

Another danger for us in New Zealand is syncretism. Dipping into more than one religion at the same time. Maybe practicing aspects of Christianity alongside some other belief system. That won’t work.

Just like it doesn’t work to use a Ouija board on Saturday night and then take communion on Sunday morning. Mutually exclusive.

Mixing religions and dabbling in the occult are obvious things to avoid. What about those things that are less black and white, more grey? 

When in doubt, let peace be your guide. If you are uncomfortable, if it feels like something is off but you can’t quite put your finger on it, listen to your instinct. The Spirit of God often nudges our instinct. If someone invites you to an event or activity and you don’t have peace within yourself about it, don’t go there.  

Conclusion:

At the beginning of our message today I talked about the tension that exists with Christian freedom. While we don’t have a license to compromise our belief about God or our loyalty to Christ, we are free to reach out to others with the love of Jesus.

And that’s where our focus should be. Looking for common ground. Looking for those points of connection that allow us to be mutually inclusive so that others might experience koinonia with Christ.

Let us pray…

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, forgive us our idolatries. Help us to walk in freedom and righteousness we pray. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. Why does Paul warn the Corinthians against mixing pagan worship with taking communion?
  3. What connects you to Jesus? What connects you to other believers?
  4. Have you ever experienced koinonia? What happened? Why is koinonia important? What are the benefits of koinonia?
  5. What does it mean to participate in the blood of Christ?
  6. What does the ritual of holy communion mean to you? In what sense is Christ present when we share communion?
  7. What relevance does Paul’s advice, in 1 Corinthians 10:14-22, have for us today? What idols are you most vulnerable to?
  8. How might we decide whether something is compatible with Christ or not?