Tawa Baptist

May the mind of Christ

Scriptures: Romans 12:2, Luke 10:25-37, Philippians 2:2-5, Ephesians 3:19, Colossians 3:15-16, Hebrews 12:1-3 and 1 Peter 2:12.

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

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Monday & Tuesday – verses 1-2
  • Wednesday & Thursday – verses 3-4
  • Friday & Saturday – verses 5-6
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Last year we preached an anthems series, looking at some much loved worship songs of the Christian faith. Today we put our hair series on pause to focus on the hymn, May the mind of Christ my Saviour.

This song was written by Kate Wilkinson sometime prior to 1912. Kate was born in England in August 1859 and died in December 1928. So Kate was probably in her late 40’s or early 50’s when she wrote May the mind of Christ my Saviour. Her song is just over 100 years old.  

Kate Wilkinson was a keen Christian and worked with young women in West London. I suppose she was sort of like a 24-7 youth worker. Kate was actively involved with the Keswick Convention, also known as the Deeper Life movement. Apparently Kate was quite intentional about personal discipleship and public faith. 

The Baptist Hymnal shows five verses of the song May the mind of Christ my Saviour but there were originally six verses, one for each day of the week (Monday to Saturday).

The original idea was to cultivate one’s faith throughout the whole week by making one verse a focus of meditation each day. We could think of each of the six verses of the song as six days of re-creation.

Monday & Tuesday – Verses 1-2:

Verses one & two, which would be contemplated on a Monday and Tuesday respectively, read…

May the mind of Christ, my Saviour, live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling all I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly in my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph only through His power.

One of the song’s themes, evident in these verses, is the importance of one’s inner life. By ‘inner life’ we mean what goes on in our heart, mind and imagination. Making sure we get our thinking patterns, our attitudes and feelings in line with Christ. If we get our inner life on track, then this will naturally result in actions which are life-giving both for ourselves and others.

Kate Wilkinson believed in transformation from the inside out. Like the apostle Paul says in Romans 12: Be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Or said another way, discipleship (learning to be like Christ) involves consciously thinking: what would Jesus do in this situation?  

Picture your mind as a garden. The thoughts you cultivate produce fruit in the form of words, feelings and actions. If we cultivate bad thoughts, if we focus on things that are not edifying, or if we give in too easily to thinking the worst all the time, then this will shape what we say and how we conduct ourselves.

For example, if we imagine that nobody likes us and that someone out there in the world wants to do us harm, then we will probably feel quite fearful a lot of the time. If we have to leave the house, then we might avoid eye contact with people and not talk to them. We will miss the friendly wave and the kind smile of the people around us. Life will start to feel pretty grim.

Of course, we don’t know what we don’t know. We may be stuck in a negative and false pattern of thinking because that’s all we know. Jesus gives us a better model for being human. As we think about Jesus, as we populate our mind and imagination with the stories and teachings of Jesus, we cultivate words and deeds which are Christ-like.     

So, if we catch ourselves beginning to imagine that someone wants to do us harm, then we stop that negative thought by taking time to reflect on what Jesus has to say about this. We might consider the parable of the good Samaritan and actually imagine ourselves in the story.

Through Jesus’ parable of the good Samaritan we are able to face our fear in a safe way. Someone does get beaten up in the story. Sometimes bad things happen to people. So we need to be careful. Don’t walk down a dark alley. Don’t swim with sharks. Don’t put yourself in harm’s way. But even when we are being careful, bad things can still happen. Fortunately, that’s not where the story ends.

Two out three people walk past the wounded man on the side of the road but one stops to help. Think about that for a moment. One person is all that is needed to redeem a bad situation. One person can undo harm and bring healing. One person can inspire others to hope and good deeds. One person can make a world of difference, even when the world seems indifferent. You might be that one person.  

The masterful thing about the way Jesus’ story works in our imagination is that the one who stopped to help was the one we would least expect to stop and help. The hero of the story is a Samaritan. Someone different to us. Someone we would normally avoid. Someone we would ordinarily think of as dangerous. 

In this way the parable undermines our worst fear and challenges our prejudice. Because it is the one who we thought was the most dangerous who shows the most kindness.

The parable also invites us to be the good Samaritan, to not think of ourselves as the victim but rather to imagine ourselves as the hero, the one who redeems.

Thinking of the original context, Jesus told this parable in response to a question about loving your neighbour. When our mind-set changes from being afraid of our neighbour to loving our neighbour, a whole new world of possibility opens up. So rather than avoiding eye contact and not talking to people, we walk around with our eyes open looking for some small way to help.   

The point is, when we let the word of God take root in our hearts and minds, the Spirit of Jesus grows something good in the soil of our imagination to produce words and actions that are life giving to ourselves and others.

The opening line of the song, May the mind of Christ, my Saviour, live in me from day to day, finds its inspiration from Philippians 2, where Paul writes…

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.

Those of us from a European background may be more inclined to interpret this phrase individually or personally, as Kate Wilkinson appears to. And while it can be embraced by individuals, as I’ve just illustrated, Paul’s original meaning was more social and relational.

Paul’s concern is not merely with the inner [mind set and] attitudes of individual believers, but with the concrete expressions of their attitudes in their day-to-day encounters with each other. [1] 

In other words, the collective values and culture of our faith community should be characterised by Christ’s way of thinking. When a group of individuals are of one mind, all contemplating the example of Jesus together, the benefit is multiplied. 

In Philippians 2 Paul writes: make my joy complete: be of one mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others.

Paul’s words here describe a Christ-like way of being in community with other believers. This is what it looks like to have the mind of Christ live in us (plural).

The line in verse 1 of Kate Wilkinson’s hymn where it says, by his love and power controlling all I do or say, also connects with Galatians 2 where Paul writes: I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.

The idea is that Christian believers are the body of Christ. Jesus is the head or the brain of the church and we are his arms and legs, his hands and feet. Just as the brain controls the body’s movement and action, so too we (the church) want Christ to control our movements and actions.

It’s not that Jesus overpowers our free will. We are not robots. Rather we find our meaning and purpose as instruments of Christ. Just as a pen finds its purpose in the hands of a gifted writer or a bat fulfils its purpose in the hands of a talented cricketer, so too we fulfil our purpose when guided by Jesus. It is when we cooperate with God’s Spirit that we bring glory to Him.

Verse 2 of the song, which talks about the word of God dwelling richly in my heart from hour to hour, comes from Colossians 3:16 where Paul writes…

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to God.

Having the mind of Christ live in us and letting the word of God dwell in our hearts are really two ways of saying the same thing. We cannot live a Godly life in our own strength.

Wednesday & Thursday – verses 3 & 4:

Moving on to verse 3 of the song, which we might contemplate on a Wednesday, Kate writes…  

May the peace of God my Father rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort sick and sorrowing.

This verse finds its inspiration from Colossians 3:15 where Paul says…

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body…

Or as the Amplified Bible puts it: Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers].

Knowing that God is our Father gives us peace in our inner being. When we have to make decisions then we let the peace of Christ guide us. Kate Wilkinson has interpreted Colossians 3:15 from a personal perspective. So, if we have a bad feeling or a caution in our spirit about doing such and such a thing, then we must listen to our conscience and not do it.

However, in the original context of Colossians 3, Paul is talking more about having a collective sense of peace within the faith community. So we get peace, not by making decisions in isolation, but by talking about things with other believers and making decisions that take care of our relationships.

For example, the decision to undertake seismic strengthening works on our church buildings was not made by any one individual. Rather, the Deacons and pastors talked about it together, we did the due diligence and then brought the decision to the wider congregation. We proceeded with strengthening works because we all had a peace that this was the right thing to do for the well-being of all.

In many ways peace, both personally and collectively, is the foundation for making good decisions and helping others. If we are clear about why we are doing something and we feel good about it, then the lake of our soul can be still and calm to comfort those who are sick and sorrowing.

Verse 4 of the hymn, which Kate Wilkinson would have us think about on a Thursday, reads…

May the love of Jesus fill me as the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing, this is victory.

The love of Jesus is as abundant as the sea. We can’t exhaust the love of Christ.

To be filled with the love of Jesus is to be filled with God Himself. In Ephesians 3 Paul talks about knowing the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

The knowledge of Christ’s love is an experiential knowledge, not just an abstract academic knowledge. The best (and possibly only) way to learn to love others is by receiving love ourselves. We can’t give what we don’t have.   

To exalt Christ means to recognise that Jesus is Lord and to give him number one place in our lives. But those two words, self abasing, are problematic. Self abasing means belittling or degrading yourself. To abase oneself is to behave in a way that makes one seem lower or less deserving of respect. To abase yourself is to pull the rug out from under your own feet. It is remove the foundation on which you stand.

Perhaps Kate Wilkinson was trying to find a way of picking up on what Paul says in Philippians 2 about thinking of others as better than yourself? If so, then I don’t agree with her interpretation of Paul’s thought here.            

To think of others as better than yourself does not mean comparing yourself to others and deciding that, in your estimation, they are better or more valuable than you. That can’t be right. Jesus said don’t judge others.

In the context of Philippians 2, to think of others as better than yourself, means caring for others in your community of faith and putting their needs ahead of your own.[2] Letting others go first, in other words. Putting the needs of others before your own is not the same as being self abasing.   

It could be that Kate Wilkinson had the words of Jesus in mind, about denying yourself and picking up your cross, when she penned the phrase self abasing? But that doesn’t really fit either. The self-denial Jesus had in mind was about putting aside what we want in order to obey God in faith. Denying yourself for the sake of God’s purpose does not imply belittling yourself. Obeying God is the most valuable and honourable thing you can do with your life.

Exalting Christ does not require us to belittle ourselves. Jesus’ exaltation does not depend on us. Self abasement is not victory.

Part of our purpose in this life is to become aware of our true self, that is, the person God created us to be. Your true self is not the same as the persona that you project in public. To be your true self you have to take off your masks.

Your true self is your soul, the essence of your being, where the image of God is found. We must never say or do anything to diminish our true self because that is like defacing the image of God.

Far from belittling yourself, God wants you to accept your true self and to share yourself with others. When we do that people catch a glimpse of the image of God reflected in the lake of our soul and the Lord is glorified.

Rather than singing Christ exalting, self abasing, I would prefer we sang something like, Christ exalting, self controlling or Christ exalting, self giving orbetter still, Christ exalting, soul affirming, because that is victory.   

Friday & Saturday – verses 5 & 6:

We now turn to verses 5 & 6, our meditations for Friday and Saturday.

Verse 5 reads… 

May I run the race before me, strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus as I onward go.

It seems that Kate Wilkinson was reflecting on Hebrews 12 when she wrote verse 5 of her song. In Hebrews 12:1-3 we read…

Therefore… let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

The Christian faith is a marathon, not a sprint. And the running of that marathon is across country with many obstacles. It’s not always a flat and even track.

The key to going the distance is keeping our eyes on Jesus. Some years ago during a Baptismal service I talked about sunflowers. Sunflowers are helio-tropic. That means the flower actually turns to face the sun and tracks the sunlight across the sky. So, when you see a field of sunflowers, they will normally all be facing the same way, towards the sun.

As followers of Jesus we are to be Christo-tropic. Just as sunflowers track the sun across the sky, so too we thrive as we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, God’s Son, the author and perfecter of our faith.

In a practical sense we keep our eyes on Jesus by maintaining a regular devotional life and by staying in relationship with other Christian believers. Going a bit deeper than that though, we maintain our devotional life and our community life by staying in touch with our need for God. The poor in spirit are blessed because they know their need for God.  

The final verse of Kate Wilkinson’s song reads…

May His beauty rest upon me, as I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel, seeing only Him.

For some reason this verse is not published in the Baptist hymnal, which is a shame for it makes plain the purpose of the song.  

The channel, in the last line of the song there, refers to us. Anyone who passes on the love and truth of Jesus is his channel. Just as a tap acts as a channel for water, so too we (the followers of Jesus) are to act as a channel for God’s grace in Christ. That means it’s not about us. It’s about Him.   

In 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 12, the apostle writes: Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

We looked at this verse last year. The main point here, and with verse 6 of Kate’s hymn, is that we are to be a winsome witness. To be winsome is to be attractive or charming or appealing in a fresh and innocent way. Winsomeness describes the beauty of Christ which we want to rest upon us.

Winsomeness is not loud or self-conscious. Winsomeness is pure and authentic. Winsomeness can be easily overlooked because it is not self-promoting. It is beautiful to those who have the eyes to see it.

When Naomi left Moab to return to Bethlehem and Ruth said to her, ‘Wherever you go I will go there with you’, that was winsome.

When Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, in John 8, ‘Is there no one left to condemn you… Then neither do I condemn you’, that was winsome.

When the father, in Luke 15, welcomed his prodigal son home with genuine joy and warmth, that was winsome.

When the Samaritan, in Luke 10, tenderly dressed the wounds of the stranger left for dead on the side of the road, that was winsome.

When Jesus wept outside the tomb of his dear friend Lazarus, in John 11, that was winsome.

When Mary, the mother of Jesus, said to the angel Gabriel, ‘I am the Lord’s servant; let it be with me according to your word’, that was winsome.

When Captain America, in the Marvel movie, Civil War, turned the other cheek as his old friend Bucky (the Winter Soldier) kept hitting him, that was winsome.

When Jesus said from the cross, ‘Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do’, that was winsome.  

I could go on but you get the point. We are to be a winsome witness to the world. Our deeds are to be attractive, appealing, fresh and innocent. Who knows, by God’s grace we might win some for Christ.  

Conclusion:

Let us pray…

Father God, we thank you for your son Jesus who shows us the way to be human.

May you fill us with the Spirit of Jesus, that our thought patterns and our imagination, our words and our actions would be shaped to fit the contours of your will. 

Give us the grace of discovering and accepting our true self, that we may better reflect your image to those around us. May we never diminish ourselves or others but rather bear witness to the risen and exalted Christ.

Clothe us with the winsomeness of Jesus. Make us a channel of your justice and peace, your love and truth, your commitment and compassion, that we would glorify you and be a blessing to your world.

We pray these things in the name of Jesus, our Lord and friend. Amen.  

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

  • How is your inner life at the moment? What path is your imagination taking you down? What might Jesus have to say about this?
  • Discuss / reflect on Philippians 2:2-5. What did Paul mean when he said, ‘consider others better than yourselves?’ How might this find expression in our relationships with others?
  • What does it mean to let the peace of Christ guide our decisions? Why is peace an important guide?
  • Why is the phrase self abasing problematic? What might be a better phrase to use here?
  • What can we do to keep our eyes on Jesus?
  • Can you think of any examples of winsomeness, either from the Bible or from your own experience?  
  • You might like to contemplate a verse of the song each day this week and write down any thoughts that nourish your soul.     

Hymn Lyrics

May the mind of Christ, my Saviour, live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling all I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly in my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph only through His power.

May the peace of God my Father rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me as the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing, this is victory.

May I run the race before me, strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus as I onward go.

May His beauty rest upon me, as I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel, seeing only Him.

[1] Refer Frank Thielman’s NIVAC on Philippians, page 115. 

[2] Refer Gordon Fee’s commentary on Philippians, page 88.

Tawa Baptist

Absalom

Scriptures: Second Samuel 15-18, Psalms 3 & 63

Video Link: https://youtu.be/rIG7o5p1DRg

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Absalom’s plot
  • David’s retreat
  • The Lord’s hand
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

On the wall here is a painting of Narcissus. In Greek mythology, Narcissus was distinguished for his beauty. A prophet told Narcissus’ mother that her son would live a long life provided he never recognised himself.

Sadly, Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection in the waters of a spring and that was the beginning of the end for him. The flower that bears his name sprang up where he died.  

These days the term narcissism is used to describe someone who has an excessive amount of self-esteem or who admires themselves too much.

A couple of months ago we started a sermon series on hair and hairy people in the Bible. We heard about Esau, Samson and Samuel. Then we took a few weeks break to focus on other things. Today we return to our hair series by looking at Absalom, the third son of king David. Absalom was a narcissist. He fancied himself a little too much.

For those who are familiar with the Marvel universe, Samson is like the Hulk, Samuel is like a hairy Vision and Absalom is like Loki. In case you don’t know, Loki is a prince of Asgard and the brother of Thor. Loki is charming, good looking and intelligent but also a master manipulator and a deceiver. Wherever he goes destruction and grief follow. Absalom (like Loki) is vain and narcissistic; always looking for a way to promote himself.

Absalom’s plot:

This is how Second Samuel 14:25-26 describes Absalom…   

There was no one in Israel as famous for his good looks as Absalom; he had no defect from head to toe. His hair was very thick, and he had to cut it once a year, when it grew too long and heavy. It would weigh about five pounds according to the royal standard of weights.

I don’t know anyone who goes to the trouble of weighing their hair, but apparently Absalom did.

Please turn with me to Second Samuel chapter 15, page 315 toward the front of your pew Bibles. Although Absalom’s story starts in Second Samuel 13, we are picking up the narrative from chapter 15, where Absalom plots to steal the throne from his father David. From chapter 15, verse 1, we read…

After this, Absalom provided a chariot and horses for himself, and an escort of fifty men. 2 He would get up early and go and stand by the road at the city gate. Whenever someone came there with a dispute that he wanted the king to settle, Absalom would call him over and ask him where he was from. And after the man had told him what tribe he was from, 3 Absalom would say, “Look, the law is on your side, but there is no representative of the king to hear your case.” 4 And he would add, “How I wish I were a judge! Then anyone who had a dispute or a claim could come to me, and I would give him justice.” 5 When the man would approach Absalom to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out, take hold of him, and kiss him. 6 Absalom did this with every Israelite who came to the king for judgment, and so he won their loyalty.

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

This passage gives us a picture of Absalom’s character. Absalom fancies himself as king. Even though he is next in line to inherit the throne anyway, Absalom is not willing to wait for his father to die. Like the prodigal son, in Jesus’ parable, Absalom wants his inheritance now.

Not only does Absalom dishonour his father in the worst possible way, he fails to consider God in this situation. He can’t. His ego has left no room for God.

In ancient Israel it was the king’s job to dispense justice and settle disputes. Was king David doing this adequately? Some people did not think so. Absalom used this to his advantage, offering himself as an alternative candidate for king.

They say in politics, ‘perception is reality’. Absalom goes out of his way to cultivate a favourable perception of himself at the expense of his father.

Absalom implies that David is failing in his administration of justice. He sympathizes with the people without actually doing anything constructive to help them. It is all smoke and mirrors.

Absalom is completely beguiled by his own image. He works hard at stealing the people’s hearts for four years. Then, using the cloak of worship to hide his true motives, Absalom asks David’s permission to go to Hebron to make some sacrifices. Offering sacrifices is supposed to be about expressing love for God. But Absalom is in love with himself. God is not on his radar.

On his way to Hebron, Absalom sends messengers throughout the towns of Israel to proclaim he is king. Then Absalom sends for Ahithophel, one of the king’s advisors. Up to that point Ahithophel had served David. He was highly regarded for his wise advice. But Ahithophel switched allegiances and backed Absalom. 

David’s retreat:

When king David learned that public perception was against him and the loyalty of the people was with Absalom, David left the palace in Jerusalem with his family and his officials.

Verse 30 of Second Samuel 15 says that David went up the Mount of Olives weeping; he was barefoot and had his head covered as a sign of grief. This reminds us of Jesus on the Mount of Olives, weeping and praying in great anguish the night of his betrayal and arrest. But while David was leaving Jerusalem to save his life, Jesus came to Jerusalem to die.

It is a strange thing that when life is relatively easy for David, he tends to make poor choices and show a lack of moral fibre. It was when he was comfortably installed in his palace that David committed adultery with Bathsheba and plotted to have Uriah killed in battle.

But when life is tough and David is forced out of his comfort zone and into the wilderness, this seems to bring the best out of him. Some of David’s best poetry was written when he was on the run, first from king Saul and then later from and his son Absalom.

It is thought that David wrote Psalm 63 while in the wilderness because of Absalom. In verse 1 of Psalm 63 David says: “O God, you are my God, and I long for you. My whole being desires you; like a dry, worn-out, and waterless land, my soul is thirsty for you.” Unlike Absalom, who was proud and yearned for power and applause, David longs for the Lord his God.

Likewise, David was at his most gracious when people were treating him with gross injustice. Like a light that shines brightest when the night is darkest, so too David’s goodness is most evident when the odds are stacked against him.

As David leaves Jerusalem, grief stricken, he has a series of encounters with various individuals and each encounter reveals David’s generosity of spirit, his wisdom and his faith in God.

David’s first conversation is with a man named Ittai. Ittai is a foreigner, a Gentile refugee who has only just found his place in the land of Israel. Unlike Absalom, who is completely absorbed with himself, David thinks of others. In particular, David considers for Ittai’s well-being. David does not want Ittai to become a refugee all over again, so he gives Ittai the option of leaving to save his own skin.

But Ittai binds himself to David with an oath saying, Your majesty, I swear to you in the Lord’s name that I will always go with you wherever you go, even if it means death. We are reminded of Ruth (the Moabite) who pledged her loyalty (her hesed) to Naomi.

It is somewhat ironic that foreigners, in the Bible, often have more faith in the God of Israel and his chosen king than the Lord’s own people do. We are mindful of the Roman centurion of whom Jesus said, I have not seen faith like this in all of Israel.  

The next encounter David has is with the priests, Zadok & Abiathar. They are loyal to David and have brought the Covenant box with them in support of David. The Covenant box was a symbol of God’s presence.

But David says to them, Take the Covenant box back to the city. If the Lord is pleased with me, some day he will let me come back to see it and the place where it stays. But if he isn’t pleased with me – well then, let him do to me what he wishes.

Again we see the contrast between David and Absalom here. Absalom is quite prepared to use the cloak of religion to mask his true intent and make himself look good in the eyes of others. But David will not misuse God in that way. David is well aware that he is not perfect and makes no pretence of it.

David knows that God withdrew divine support for king Saul after Saul disobeyed. David is perhaps conscious of his failing with Bathsheba and does not presume upon God’s grace. David has the faith to let God be God.

David also has the faith to believe that God is not a prisoner of the Covenant box. God is more than able to be present with David in the wilderness, with or without a religious artefact.

This is not to imply that David’s trust equates to mindless resignation. David is not being fatalistic. He’s not throwing the dice and letting luck decide. David sends the priests back to Jerusalem asking them to be his informers. So there is strategy in sending Zadok & Abiathar back with the Covenant box.

There is a saying which is attributed to Oliver Cromwell: Trust in God and keep your powder dry. The powder here is gunpowder. Trusting in God does not mean folding your hands and doing nothing. Trusting God goes hand in hand with being prepared. David trusts in God and he keeps his powder dry. David is prepared.

In Matthew 10:16, Jesus said his disciples: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.”

We see David’s wisdom and innocence in the request he makes of Hushai. Hushai is a royal advisor, similar to Ahithophel, except Hushai is loyal to David. The king tells Hushai to go to Absalom and pretend he has defected.

Once Hushai has gained Absalom’s confidence, he is to muddy the waters and mislead Absalom with advice that will give David an advantage. Hushai returns to Jerusalem just as Absalom is arriving to make himself king. Hushai proves to be as wise as a serpent and as innocent as a dove.  

Not everyone was so friendly though. After David has travelled a bit further toward the Jordan river, he meets one of Saul’s relatives, a man named Shimei. When Shimei sees David he curses the king and starts throwing stones at him.

Shimei criticizes David saying: You took Saul’s kingdom and now the Lord is punishing you for murdering so many of Saul’s family. The Lord has given the kingdom to your son Absalom and you are ruined, you murderer.

In actual fact David did not murder Saul’s family and he did not take Saul’s kingdom. The kingdom belongs to God and the Lord chose David to replace Saul as king. And, even though David had more than one opportunity to kill Saul, David refused to lift a hand against the Lord’s anointed.

Although Shimei is misinformed of the details, his words do strike a chord of truth. David did effectively arrange for Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, to be murdered. David is not guilty of crimes against Saul’s family but he does have blood on his hands and he knows it.

Some of David’s men wanted to cut Shimei’s head off but David would not let them.

David said to his men: “My own son is trying to kill me; so why should you be surprised at this Benjaminite? The Lord told him to curse; so leave him alone and let him do it. Perhaps the Lord will notice my miseryand give me some blessings to take the place of his curse.”         

Once again we see David’s wisdom and faith revealed under extreme pressure.

David is theological in his response and this helps him keep his perspective. My own son is trying to kill me, he says. That’s the more important issue to deal with at the moment. Shimei is the least of my worries.

David remembers the sovereignty of God. David believes that ultimately God is in control, not Shimei. Perhaps Shimei is doing God’s work. If that is the case, then David cannot argue with God. David knows he is a murderer and on some level recognises that he deserves the criticism, even if Shimei has the details wrong.

David believes that God is both just and merciful. To the extent that Shimei is too heavy handed in his abuse of David, the Lord can make that right by blessing David. David shows incredible trust in the goodness of God here.

David’s response to Shimei is wise. If he were to kill Shimei it would only prove Shimei’s point. By showing mercy to Shimei, David provides evidence that Shimei has no case.      

In his poem, The Divided World, Owen Marshal writes this wonderfully witty line: The world is divided between those who would try themselves and those who seek a less corrupt judge.

The point is, we should not judge ourselves because we have an inherent conflict of interest. We cannot be relied upon to give a fair verdict.

Absalom judged himself to be a better king than his father. David refused to judge himself. David left the matter in God’s hands, for God knows better and is completely fair in his judgements. As it turned out, God vindicated David and afterwards Shimei apologised to David.

You know, sometimes people make criticisms of us and it hurts, especially if what they are saying is not all that accurate. No one enjoys being misunderstood or misrepresented. In that situation we need to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.

The temptation is to react in the heat of the moment. We do well to take some time to consider our response. Maybe God is trying to say something to us through that person. What is the kernel of truth in what they are saying and what is the husk that we can discard?

Perhaps, like David, the wisest thing is to say nothing. Don’t major on the minors and leave the matter in God’s hands. Or it may be better, both for your own soul and for the other person, to speak your truth and put their ignorance to the sword of reason and fact.  

So far we have heard about Absalom’s narcissistic plot and David’s wise retreat. Also woven through this narrative is the Lord’s providential hand.

God is at work to achieve his purpose quietly and unobtrusively through human beings. The war with Absalom is won as much behind the scenes as it is on the battlefield. 

The Lord’s hand:

When Absalom entered Jerusalem to take David’s throne, Hushai (David’s double agent) greeted Absalom with the words, ‘Long live the king’. This is a wonderfully ambiguous greeting. Who is Hushai referring to as king, David or Absalom?

We, the reader know that Hushai is backing David as king, but Absalom is vain enough to assume that Hushai is referring to him as king. Hushai is as wise as a serpent and as innocent as a dove. 

When Absalom questions Hushai’s loyalty, Hushai responds with another ambiguous remark, I am on the side of the one chosen by the Lord…

Absalom’s ego does not allow him to imagine that God would choose anyone else to be king but Absalom himself. Absalom thinks he is God’s gift.

Not long after Absalom has made himself at home in David’s palace, Ahithophel (the wise advisor who turned against David) proposed a way ahead for Absalom. From verse 1 of chapter 17 we hear Ahithophel’s plan…

“Let me choose twelve thousand men, and tonight I will set out after David. 2 I will attack him while he is tired and discouraged. He will be frightened, and all his men will run away. I will kill only the king 3 and then bring back all his men to you, like a bride returning to her husband. You want to kill only one man;the rest of the people will be safe.”

From a strategic point of view this was actually really good advice. It is full of common sense and would probably have worked, except for the Lord’s providential hand. God had not chosen Absalom to be king. God was still with David. The Lord used Hushai (David’s plant) to throw a spanner in the works.

It appears that God robbed Absalom of common sense in this moment so that Absalom asked Hushai for a second opinion. Hushai (who was really there to help David) answered…

“The advice Ahithophel gave you this time is no good. 8 You know that your father David and his men are hard fighters and that they are as fierce as a mother bear robbed of her cubs. Your father is an experienced soldier and does not stay with his men at night. 9 Right now he is probably hiding in a cave or some other place. As soon as David attacks your men, whoever hears about it will say that your men have been defeated. 10 Then even the bravest men, as fearless as lions, will be afraid because everyone in Israel knows that your father is a great soldier and that his men are hard fighters. 11 My advice is that you bring all the Israelites together from one end of the country to the other, as many as the grains of sand on the seashore, and that you lead them personally in battle. 12 We will find David wherever he is, and attack him before he knows what’s happening. Neither he nor any of his men will survive. 13 If he retreats into a city, our people will all bring ropes and just pull the cityinto the valley below. Not a single stone will be left there on top of the hill.”   

Hushai’s plan is not as good as Ahithophel’s clever strategy. Hushai’s plan buys David time to get organised and it puts Absalom in danger. But the grandness and glory of Hushai’s plan appeals to Absalom’s ego, so that Absalom overlooks the practical realities involved. God makes sure Absalom swallows the bait; hook, line and sinker.

Once Absalom decides to go with Hushai’s plan of attack, the priests who are loyal to David get word to their king in the wilderness, who then organises his troops in anticipation of Absalom’s onslaught.

From verse 6 of chapter 18 we read what happened…

David’s army went out into the countryside and fought the Israelites in Ephraim Forest. 7 The Israelites were defeated by David’s men; it was a terrible defeat, with twenty thousand men killed that day. 8 The fighting spread over the countryside, and more men died in the forest than were killed in battle.

David’s men were outnumbered and yet they still won. Those of you who are fans of The Lord of the Rings may remember how the trees of the forest fought with the Hobbits against the Orcs. Verse 8 tells us more men died in the forest than were killed in battle. Even the forest was on David’s side. This is another sign of the Lord’s providential hand.

This civil war was such a tragedy. It didn’t need to happen and probably wouldn’t have happened except for Absalom’s narcissism. Nevertheless, God is sovereign. Yes, he gives human beings a certain amount of freedom but that freedom always has it limits. God won’t let things get too out of control. The hand of the Lord made sure Absalom didn’t get away with the havoc he had caused.     

From verse 9 of Second Samuel 18 we read…

Suddenly Absalom met some of David’s men. Absalom was riding a mule, and as it went under a large oak tree, Absalom’s head got caught in the branches. The mule ran on and Absalom was left hanging in mid-air.

How ironic is that? Absalom’s long beautiful hair got him tangled in the branches of a tree, so that he was held in limbo, between heaven and earth. It must have been painful and terrifying for him to be held there powerless like that.

Walter Brueggemann puts it like this: Absalom is suspended between life and death, between the sentence of a rebel and the value of a son, between the severity of the king and the yearning of a father. [1]

David did not want his son harmed. As a parent you are never so vulnerable as with your kids. But when Joab (one of David’s generals) heard about it, he killed Absalom and buried him in the forest. If we want to find some redemption in this story, we have to look to the gospel of Jesus.

Conclusion:

I don’t imagine anyone here is quite as bad as Absalom was but that is only by the grace of God and a lack of opportunity. Everyone has at least a bit of Absalom in them. You might not think you do but neither did Absalom.

The truth is, each of us has rebelled against God’s chosen King, against Jesus. Each of us have taken matters into our own hands and tried to usurp God’s authority in our lives. Each of us, in this world, is suspended between eternal life and death. Each of us deserves the sentence of a traitor and yet we are valued as God’s sons and daughters.   

The gospel tells us that Jesus, God’s chosen King, died on a cross in our place, suspended between heaven and earth. And nailed to that cross was Absalom’s narcissism and ours. The good news is that through faith in Jesus’ death & resurrection we are set free from the tyranny of pride and the futility of vanity. We are set free to glorify God and enjoy him forever. 

May God satisfy the longing of your soul with his presence.  

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

  • Why do you think Absalom wanted to usurp David as king of Israel? Have you ever wanted to be king?
  • How do you imagine David felt when he learned of Absalom’s plot?  Have you ever felt this way? How did you handle yourself in that situation? 
  • In what ways does David’s experience and conduct, in Second Samuel 15 & 16, remind us of Jesus?
  • What can we learn from David’s response to Shimei’s abuse? When is it right to remain silent in the face of insult (as David did) and when is it better to speak our truth?
  • What did it mean for David and his loyalists to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves? What does it mean for us today (as people loyal to Jesus) to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves?
  • In what ways do we see the Lord’s providential hand at work to ensure David remains king? In what ways are you aware of God’s hand for good in your life?
  • Take some time this week to read either Psalm 3 or Psalm 63 and reflect on these songs in light of David’s experience in the wilderness as he fled from Absalom.  What (or who) do you long for? Consider the ways God is present with and for you and give thanks to him. 

[1] Refer Walter Brueggemann’s Interpretation Commentary on First and Second Samuel, page 313. 

Tawa Baptist

Gospel Renewal

Scriptures: 1st Corinthians 12:12-13, 2nd Samuel 21, Revelation 21:1-5,

Mark 2:1-12, John 15:5, John 4:22-24, Acts 2:43-47, Matthew 5:14-16.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/WS4tjOIcTks

Structure

  • Introduction
  • Collective of faith communities
  • Bringing gospel renewal
  • In local neighbourhoods
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Did you know there are typically around 210 bones in the human body, give or take? Although babies have a few more. Most of those 200 plus bones are small, in the hands and feet. The femur (in the top part of your leg) is the largest bone in your body and the stapes (in your middle ear) is the smallest bone.

All the bones serve an important purpose. The stapes may wish it were bigger (like the femur) but if it were, we wouldn’t be able to hear properly. In 1st Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul tells us…

12 Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body, even though it is made up of different parts. 13 In the same way, all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free, have been baptized into the one body by the same Spirit, and we have all been given the one Spirit to drink.   

This morning our message focuses on the bones (or structure) of the body of Baptist churches in New Zealand.

Charles Hewlett, the national leader of the Baptist Union, describes our movement like this…

The Baptist Union is a collective of faith communities, bringing gospel renewal to people and places, in their local neighbourhoods. 

There are three main parts to that statement. So what do we mean by the first part, a collective of faith communities?

A collective of faith communities:

Well, there are currently 240 Baptist churches throughout New Zealand, and another 10 overseas. Each of these churches is different. We are genuinely diverse. The Baptist Union is not a franchise. It’s not like going to McDonalds or KFC where you know you will get the same recipe wherever you are in the country.

Some Baptist churches are more charismatic than others. Some have a focus on personal evangelism and some lean more towards social justice, while others combine both. Some churches are predominantly European while others are more ethnically diverse.   

Although Baptist churches are diverse, they are not completely independent or autonomous. Baptists believe in the principle of association and that’s where the idea of being a network or collective of churches comes in.

In addition to the Holy Spirit, there are a number of things that keep these 250 Baptist churches connected. We could call these things ‘Baptist Union glue’.

  • Baptist beliefs – DNA
  • Assembly Council / Hui – governance
  • National Resource Centre – admin support
  • Regional Associations – local support
  • NZBMS – overseas mission arm
  • Carey Baptist College – training seminary
  • Christian Savings – Baptist bank

Firstly, to be part of the Baptist Union, a local church must agree to the four main Baptist beliefs. I spoke about these a couple of months ago: freedom of conscience, congregational government, the authority of Scripture and believers’ baptism. These are the DNA of the Baptist movement.    

The Baptist Union also has a governing board called Assembly Council. Assembly Council have a policy development role and they ensure the National Resource Centre are implementing effective management procedures. 

The Assembly Council are elected at what is now called the Hui. Hui is a Maori word which means meeting or gathering. Baptist Hui is basically the AGM for the Baptist Union. Delegates from Baptist churches attend hui to network and vote and to hear a broader perspective on various issues.

In addition to the National Hui, there are also Regional Hui that happen from time to time.

One of the things that keeps coming up consistently at various Hui is the Baptist Union’s desire to relate well with Maori and to honour our commitments under the Treaty of Waitangi. There is a genuine effort to incorporate Tikanga Maori when we gather. In practical terms this means having Powhiri and Poroporoaki and other protocols.

Some people may wonder why the Treaty of Waitangi is important. Why should a document signed in 1840 still hold sway over us today? Something shared at the Regional Hui in June was helpful.

In 2nd Samuel 21 we read there was a famine in the land of Israel, for three years in a row. King David sought the Lord about this and the Lord said it was because Saul broke the Treaty with the Gibeonites. Now David did not make this Treaty with the Gibeonites, Joshua did. Nor did David break the Treaty, Saul did. And yet God still required David to keep the Treaty.

Can you see the parallel? None of us here signed the Treaty of Waitangi and most of us probably don’t feel like we (personally) broke it, but God still requires us to honour the Treaty with Maori. We seek to honour the Treaty because God is a faithful covenant keeping God and it is the right thing to do.        

The National Resource Centre, based in Auckland, is also part of the glue that holds the Baptist Union together. The National Resource Centre provides administrative support for Baptist churches around the country.

Eight Regional Associations also operate around the country, providing more grass roots support to local churches and pastors.

The New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society (NZBMS) is our overseas mission arm. We take up the annual Self Denial appeal to support our Baptist missionaries.

Carey Baptist College is our training seminary for pastors and missionaries.

And Christian Savings is like a Baptist bank. They lend money to churches for building projects.

So that gives you a bit of an overview of the bones (or structure) of the Baptist Union. That is how the collective of 250 New Zealand Baptist churches are connected.

Bringing gospel renewal:

What about the second part of that sentence describing the Baptist Union? What does it mean to bring gospel renewal to people and places? Well, this phrase is really talking about how we see our mission or our purpose in this world.

The Greek word translated as gospel literally means ‘good news’. If you see a sign saying that New World has a discount on chocolate, that is good news. That is a gospel message in the broader sense.

Of course, the gospel message in view here is not to do with chocolate but with Jesus. The Christian gospel is the good news that Jesus is Lord. Jesus is the King and he has come to save the world.

Interestingly, the Maori word for gospel is Rongo pai. Rongo means to hear or to listen and pai means good (as in ka pai). There’s a lovely poetry to it.

In the book of Revelation, chapter 21, the apostle John describes the gospel vision he received. This is the ultimate reality Jesus brings about…

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” 

In John’s vision heaven comes to earth. God himself comes to live with us.

The good news is that Jesus, the King, has come to make all things new.

During his earthly ministry Jesus indicated the newness he came to bring in many ways. Through healing people who were sick, through setting people free from evil spirits, by granting a pardon for sins, by challenging systems and institutions that had become corrupt and by giving people a new perspective on God and his Law.

In Mark chapter 2 we come across one such story of gospel renewal. Jesus was in Capernaum. So many people came to see him there wasn’t enough room in the house. Four men arrived carrying their friend on a mat. They couldn’t get through the door so they dug a hole in the roof and lowered their friend down to Jesus.

Seeing how much faith they had, Jesus said to the man who was paralysed, ‘My son, your sins are forgiven.’ This was unexpected. Everyone would have been expecting Jesus to heal the man, but instead Jesus forgives the man for his sins.

Jesus’ priorities are often different from ours. Jesus’ action in declaring the man forgiven shows the importance of the unseen spiritual aspect of our lives. It is our relationship with God that needs renewal first. We need the renewal that comes from being set free from our guilt and shame.  

The teachers of the Law of Moses thought this was blasphemy. In their minds only God could forgive sins. They did not realise that Jesus is King and as King Jesus has authority to issue a royal pardon.

Jesus knew what they were thinking and, to help people understand, the Lord brought physical renewal to the man by healing him of his paralysis. The people praised God.

All this happened because of the faith and awareness of the man’s four friends. They knew where Jesus was at work in their neighbourhood and they knew the needs of their friend. They helped to bring gospel renewal to the man by bringing him to Jesus. In a sense, they made Jesus accessible.

We too have a part to play in gospel renewal. It’s not that we bring the newness ourselves. No. Jesus brings the newness. Our job is to stay close to Jesus.

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

As we do this, as we keep faith and remain in Christ, we make Jesus accessible for those who are stuck.

There are many other stories of renewal in the gospels. More than anything else though, we see the newness Jesus came to bring through his death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. The good news is that Jesus, our King, has conquered sin and death.  

It should be noted that while God does bring renewal through the local church, the Lord is not limited to working through the church. At a recent Regional Hui, we heard about a growth in ‘insider movements’. This is when people become followers of Jesus from inside another faith.      

For example, there are Muslims who have never met a Christian missionary who are having dreams in which Jesus appears to them. Through this profound encounter they then become followers of Jesus from within Islam.

We see an example of an insider movement in John 4, where Jesus has a conversation with a Samaritan woman at the well.

The relationship between Samaritans and Jews 2000 years ago was similar, in some ways, to the relationship between Muslims and Christians today. Even though Jews and Samaritans worshipped the same God, they had some differences in belief concerning where and how God should be worshipped. As a consequence, there was more than a little tension between them.

The Samaritans thought the temple should be at Mt Gerizim and the Jews thought Jerusalem was the proper site for the temple.

Jesus said, “Believe me, woman, the time will come when people will not worship the Father either on this mountain or in Jerusalem… 23 But the time is coming and is already here, when by the power of God’s Spirit people will worship the Father as he really is, offering him the true worship that he wants. 24 God is Spirit, and only by the power of his Spirit can people worship him as he really is.”

After her encounter with Jesus at the well, the Samaritan woman became an enthusiastic follower of Jesus. But in becoming a believer in Jesus she did not stop being a Samaritan. Jesus did not require her to convert to Judaism and travel to Jerusalem to worship God. She could still be a follower of Jesus and a Samaritan. (Although she probably was encouraged to tidy up her lifestyle.)

The point is, through Jesus we can worship God from anywhere. Not only that but no one is out of God’s reach. Gospel renewal is not limited to our church programmes.    

In their local neighbourhoods:

The Baptist Union is a collective of faith communities bringing gospel renewal to people and places in their local neighbourhood.

I’ve talked about being a collective of faith communities and bringing gospel renewal. What about the local neighbourhood part of that sentence?

In his book, Rural Poverty Unperceived, Robert Chambers points out that if there was a child, dressed in rags and starving, on the floor of your living room, you would take immediate action. You would feed the child, find some warm, clean clothes for the child and give them a hug. You would show practical kindness.

At the same time, we know the world is full of children who are starving and neglected, and yet we are not so quickly moved to help them. Yes, we might sponsor a child through World Vision or Tear Fund, and that is a good thing to do, but we are not affected as deeply or in the same way. The automatic payment goes out of our bank account and we hardly give it a second thought.

Why is that? Well, Robert Chambers reckons it has to do with proximity. There is a certain gravity in being close to someone in need. Proximity demands our action. Proximity does not allow us to be ambivalent or detached.      

The local neighbourhood speaks of proximity. Seeing a need in our local neighbourhood does not allow us to be ambivalent. It demands our action.

When the body of Christ’s followers are active and engaged in the local neighbourhood, Jesus is accessible.  

Gospel renewal can happen in a whole variety of ways in our neighbourhood. One way is through something called community neighbourhoods.

The name community neighbourhoods comes from South West Baptist. This is something they are doing in Christchurch. But you may have heard of the same concept by a different name. Around the world there is a movement among Christians which some call the new monasticism, others the missional church or the emerging church or radical community.

Whatever you want to call it, the idea with community neighbourhoods is that a group of Christians intentionally relocate to a particular street or neighbourhood for the purpose of relational discipleship and mission in that area. 

In practical terms, this could mean one house with a number of Christians in it who open their home to the poor for meals once a week. Or it could mean two houses, close by each other, who meet for regular rhythms of prayer and Bible study in their home. This small faith community would also work together to engage with people in their local neighbourhood.

Some of these groups might use the ‘3M’ or ‘Saturate’ discipleship material. Others might simply use the Anglican Prayer book or the lectionary. Each community neighbourhood agrees to its own ‘rule’. When we say ‘rule’ we mean an agreed pattern or lifestyle for living together in community, much like the monasteries of old.

Community neighbourhoods is really a new take on a very ancient idea. Acts 2 describes the way of life of the first Christian believers. From verse 43 we read,

43 Many miracles and wonders were being done through the apostles, and everyone was filled with awe. 44 All the believers continued together in close fellowship and shared their belongings with one another. 45 They would sell their property and possessions, and distribute the money among all, according to what each one needed. 46 Day after day they met as a group in the Temple, and they had their meals together in their homes, eating with glad and humble hearts, 47 praising God, and enjoying the good will of all the people. And every day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.

That passage describes a first century version of community neighbourhoods, in a pure form.

Whatever particular shape the community neighbourhood group may take, whatever ‘rule’ they may agree to, they have four main things in common… 

They are grounded in the neighbourhood. Which means people live in the neighbourhood they serve in. They don’t come in from a different suburb, do their thing and then leave again. They are grounded in that place. 

Community neighbourhood groups are committed to their faith community. I take this to mean they are committed to one another in love. So they are aiming for quality in their relationships with other believers in their faith community. By this will all people know you are my disciples, by your love for one another.

Community neighbourhood groups are focused on relational discipleship. A disciple is an apprentice or a student. And so discipleship is the process of being Jesus’ apprentice; learning how to be like Jesus in other words. The idea here is that one doesn’t learn to be like Jesus in isolation. We learn to be like Jesus in a relational way; by being part of a community of other Christ followers.

Jesus’ disciples learned how to be like Jesus by actually following him around, watching what he did and having a go at it themselves. In the Christian life understanding comes with immersion and with practice.

For example, we learn to pray not just by reading what Jesus taught about prayer, but also by listening to other Christians pray and by praying ourselves. Likewise, we learn patience by not having all our prayers answered quickly but by being made to wait sometimes. And we learn forgiveness by being part of an imperfect community of faith where we are forgiven for our mistakes & have to forgive others for theirs.

Fourthly, community neighbourhood groups are intentional about mission and they are willing to sacrifice for it. By mission we mean reaching out to your neighbours. This might start with something as simple as a conversation over the fence or knocking on their door to introduce yourself or inviting people for a meal.

In Matthew 5 Jesus says to his disciples…

14 “You are like light for the whole world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl; instead it is put on the lampstand, where it gives light for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.

The purpose with community neighbourhood groups is to make the church a better place. A safe place with better quality relationships, a place of reconciliation and creativity and so on. When that happens the world will look to the church as a shining example and want to become part of its authentic faith community. This is an attractional model, where church is like a light on a hill.

There are a number of faith communities operating like this in New Zealand and around the world. Some of you may have heard of Still Waters, which is connected with Wellington Central Baptist. You may also have heard of Urban Vision here in Wellington and on the Kapiti Coast. Or Iona in Scotland, Taize in France, Peace Tree in Perth and Jacob’s Well in Vancouver, to name a few.   

A number in this church are putting some of these ideas into practice already, although perhaps not to the same degree as proponents of the new monastic movement are advocating.

The amount of energy and level of commitment required to establish and sustain a community neighbourhood group is quite significant. So, if you are interested in exploring this further, perhaps it is wise to take little steps to start with.

If you want to learn more about community neighbourhoods and the new monastic movement then one place to start is by reading Jenny & Justin Duckworth’s book, Against the Tide, Towards the Kingdom.

Whatever your level of enthusiasm for this idea, each of us can borrow something helpful from the new monastic movement. When community neighbourhood groups function well, they serve as a prophetic sign of gospel renewal.

Conclusion:

In order to participate in gospel renewal, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus. Christ the King is God’s vision for humanity and for a world made new.   

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

  • Have you ever broken a bone? What happened? How did you feel while recovering? Did you learn anything from the experience?
  • Why is the Treaty of Waitangi still important today?
  • Read Revelation 21:1-5a. What is this telling us about the future? Why is this good news?
  • How did Jesus bring renewal to the man who was paralysed in Mark 2? How did the man’s four friends partner with Jesus in bringing gospel renewal?
  • Reflect on / discuss the four main elements of community neighbourhood groups
  • Grounded in the neighbourhood
  • Committed to their faith community
  • Focused on relational discipleship
  • Intentional about mission (and willing to sacrifice for it)

What is your level of enthusiasm for this idea? What can you borrow and implement in your faith journey? What little (or big) steps can you take in this direction?  

  • Where is Jesus at work in your neighbourhood? Where do you see gospel renewal happening? How might God want you to engage with your local neighbourhood?
Tawa Baptist

Water

Scriptures: Acts 22:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 2:38, John 7:37-39, Mark 1:8

Video Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTRtKBEhDz8

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Cleansing
  • New life
  • Holy Spirit
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Today is such a special day because two of our congregation are being baptized.

The word baptize literally means to submerge or to plunge under water. 

Baptism also refers to the Christian ritual of initiation. Baptism is not a badge that says “I’ve made it.” Rather, baptism is a beginning.

Baptism naturally involves water. Some traditions of Christian faith sprinkle or pour water over a person’s head and other traditions (like ours) immerse the person under water completely. The amount of water that is used is not the main thing. The main thing is the attitude of the person’s heart toward Jesus.

So why use water for baptizing people? Why not anoint a person with oil or wave incense around them or something else? What is the significance of water in baptism? Well, the water of baptism signifies three main things: cleansing, new life and the Holy Spirit.

Cleansing:

Water is patient. It has the ability to soften things. If you have a cooking pot or a casserole dish with stubborn baked on food and grime, then soaking that dish in water over night softens the hardened crust so that in the morning the mess washes off easily.

The water of baptism represents cleansing. When people pass through the waters of baptism we are reminded that, through faith in Jesus and repentance, we are cleansed from our sin.

In Acts 22, when the apostle Paul is giving his testimony of conversion, he recalls how Ananias told him to, ‘Get up, be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’  The name we call on in baptism is Jesus.

It’s not that the water people are baptized in has any sort of magical power. The power is in the name of Jesus and his blood shed on the cross. The water is a symbol of cleansing, cleansing from the inside out.

The human body is a sacred thing. God gave us our bodies to worship him. When we are baptized we are dedicating our bodies to God, for his purpose. Full immersion baptism is a symbol that our whole lives, all of our self, is dedicated to God.

Whatever you may have done with your body and whatever may have been done to your body by others, through faith in Jesus, it is washed away and you can have a clean conscience.    

The water of baptism signifies cleansing and therefore new life and a new start.

New life:

Water is one of the most ancient elements on earth and yet it is always renewing itself in a never ending cycle of transformation, which includes condensation (when clouds form), precipitation (when it rains) and evaporation (when water molecules rise up into the air again).

Over time this cycle of condensation, precipitation and evaporation has a purifying effect on water. Which means the water we drink from our taps is actually recycled and has probably been used by other people for drinking, washing and cooking down through the centuries. 

If you think about the history of the water in this baptistery, it could have been all round the world. Perhaps some of this water was present during the great flood of Noah’s time. Maybe some of it was parted when the people of Israel walked through the Red Sea.

It is even conceivable that a few molecules of this H2O flowed through the Jordan River when John baptized Jesus 2000 years ago (although there is no way of knowing of course).     

Water is essential to our survival. They say the human body is roughly around 60-70% water, give or take, and that we can only last about 3 or 4 days without water. Water then is life to us.

Baptism is a kind of acted out parable of the death and resurrection of Jesus. When we lay a person down in the waters of baptism we recall Jesus’ body laid in the tomb and when we raise that same person up out of the water again we remember Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.    

In Paul’s letter to the Romans 6:3-4, we read, ‘Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.’

In other words, when we are baptized we are saying good bye to our old way of life, in which we did whatever we wanted, and we are committing to a new way of life in following Jesus. 

Closely connected with this newness of life, baptism signals entry into the church universal. When someone is baptized they become part of the body of Christ and part of the family of God.

The water of baptism symbolizes cleansing, new life and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit:

It seems lately there are a lot more news reports of flooding and landslides and catastrophic weather events. We hardly need further reminders that water is powerful and can be quite dangerous, if you get on the wrong side of it.

Little wonder then that some of the main images used to describe the Holy Spirit (wind, fire and water) are all powerful forces.

The Holy Spirit is the power of God; only God’s Spirit is not a destructive or chaotic power. God’s Spirit is a creative power bringing order and making life functional.  

In preparing the way for Jesus, John the Baptist said (in Mark 1:8), I baptize you with water, but he [meaning Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

Then later, during his public ministry, Jesus said to the people: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. (John 7:37-39)

About seven weeks after Jesus’ resurrection, on the day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter stood up and said to the crowd: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

The waters of baptism are a reminder of the gift of God’s Holy Spirit.

Being a Christian is not easy. It can be a rough and confusing road to walk at times. But we don’t do it by ourselves or in our own strength. We follow Jesus with the help of the Holy Spirit flowing within. The Holy Spirit is there to guide us into truth and give us strength and courage to obey Jesus in faith.

Conclusion:

Cleansing, new life and the gift of the Spirit. This is what the waters of baptism symbolize. 

There may be times in our lives when we hit a dead end or we may feel like we are stuck between a rock and a hard place, with nowhere to turn. Sometimes the way ahead seems impossible.

Let me say to you, water finds a way.

Whatever challenges you may face in the weeks, months and years ahead, remember that you are not alone. You are part of a world wide body of believers, the Christian church. And God gives us His Spirit. The water of God’s Spirit always finds a way, even when we think there is none.

May you be blessed and may the presence of Jesus be close and real for you always.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

  • Have you been baptized? Describe / reflect on your experience (if you can remember).

Why do we need a ritual of initiation like baptism?

  • If you have been baptized, what does your baptism mean to you? If not, is there anything stopping you? 
  • What are some of the qualities and characteristics of water? (E.g. water is patient, powerful, ancient, etc.) What significance might these qualities imply for baptism?
  • Discuss / reflect on some of the stories from the Bible involving water. What light might these stories shed on the significance of water in baptism?
  • In what ways is the Holy Spirit like water? 
  • Can you think of a situation (either from the Bible or from your own experience) when the way ahead seemed impossible but God (by His Spirit) found a way through? What happened?
Tawa Baptist

Samuel

Scriptures: 1st Samuel 7 & 8

YouTube Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6MRCFooFNw

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Samuel – prophet, priest and judge
  • Conclusion  

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

How often do you get your hair cut? Is it once a month, every two or three months or maybe once a year?

If you go to the hairdresser once every three months, then you might have close to 300 haircuts in your lifetime (depending how long you live).

But if your hair grows relatively quickly and you get a cut say once every 4-6 weeks, then you might have more than 800 haircuts in your lifetime. Interestingly, men tend to get more haircuts than women (on average). 

Today we continue our series on hair and hairy people in the Bible. Last week we heard about Samson who, because he was a Nazarite for life, was not supposed to cut his hair. Sadly, Samson’s first and only haircut resulted in him losing his strength. 

This morning we hear about another Nazarite, Samuel. In case you missed last week’s sermon, a Nazarite was someone (in ancient Israel) who was dedicated to God. During the time of their dedication to God a Nazarite was under a vow to not do three things. A Nazarite could not drink alcohol, they were not to come in contact with a dead body, and they could not cut their hair.

Normally a Nazarite vow was voluntary and for a limited period of time but in the case of Samson and Samuel, it was for life.

Although Samson & Samuel were both Nazarites, Samuel was a very different character to Samson. As we heard last week, Samson broke all the rules and was not very holy at all. Nevertheless, God still worked his purpose through Samson. 

Samuel was almost the complete opposite of Samson. Samuel was the quintessential holy man, serving God and Israel as a prophet, priest and judge. Samson was alienated from his own people, whereas Samuel brought the nation of Israel together. Samson relied on his fists and brute strength, while Samuel relied on God’s word and prayer.

If Samson’s super power was super strength, then Samuel’s super power was communication. Samuel had the ability to listen to God and speak difficult truths to the people. For those who are familiar with the Marvel Universe, Samson was like the Hulk and Samuel was more like Vision, except with long hair.

Samson was hairy, both in the physical sense and in the metaphorical sense of being a bit scary and less than perfect. In contrast, Samuel was thoughtful and forthright. He had God given discernment and insight, combined with moral integrity. Samuel was the ideal leader.  

Samuel, prophet, priest & judge:

Samuel’s story begins with his mother Hannah. Hannah was not able to have children and, in deep distress, went to the house of the Lord in Shiloh and cried out bitterly to God in prayer. From verse 11 of 1st Samuel chapter 1, Hannah prays…

“Lord Almighty, look at me, your servant! See my trouble and remember me! Don’t forget me! If you give me a son, I promise that I will dedicate him to you for his whole life and that he will never have his hair cut.”

Hannah was desperate and made a deal with God. If God gave her a son she would dedicate him to the Lord’s service as a Nazarite.

You may be wondering why a Nazarite can never drink wine, never touch a corpse and never cut their hair. Well, all of those things are about the body. The idea is that the Nazarite’s body belongs to God. Even the hairs on their head belong to God and therefore the Nazarite’s life is not their own. They can’t do whatever they want with their body – it is set apart as sacred or holy for the Lord’s use.    

The principle is similar for Christians. As followers of Jesus our body is not ours to do with as we please. Our body belongs to Christ. We are set apart for the Lord’s use. As the apostle Paul says in his letter to the Romans: offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — for this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1)

To be clear, we are not under the obligations of a Nazarite vow and so we can still get our haircut and maybe have the odd wine or beer, in moderation. Being in Christ does give us some degree of freedom. But we also need to remember that our body is sacred – it is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1st Corinthians 6:19).  

God heard Hannah’s prayer and she became pregnant, giving birth to Samuel. Then, when Samuel had been weaned, she made good on her promise and left her young son at the temple in Shiloh, with Eli, the priest. This was quite an act of faith as the priesthood at that time in Israel was a bit rotten.  

But God looked after Samuel and started speaking to him from a young age. In chapter 3, the boy Samuel hears a voice calling his name. At first he thinks it is Eli, the aging priest. But when he goes to Eli, the old man sends him back to bed. After this keeps happening Eli realises it is God who is speaking to Samuel and tells the boy to respond with, “Speak; your servant is listening.”

Samuel does as he is told and the Lord gives Samuel a message of judgment against Eli’s family. When Eli asks Samuel what the Lord said, Samuel tells his mentor the difficult truth. God is going to end Eli’s family because of the evil Eli’s sons have done.

From verse 19 of Samuel chapter 3 we read…

As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and made everything that Samuel said come true. So all the people of Israel, from one end of the country to the other, knew that Samuel was indeed a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to reveal himself at Shiloh, where he had appeared to Samuel and had spoken to him. And when Samuel spoke, all Israel listened. 

Samuel was sort of like the sign language interpreters we see on TV. He provided the communication link between God and his people. God’s word through Samuel came true.

In chapter 7 of 1st Samuel we read that twenty years go past and during that time the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help. It seems they continued to suffer at the hands of the Philistines.

Earlier in the week I was doing some baking for a baby shower. I preheated the oven, mixed the ingredients, then put the raw brownie batter in a tray and into the oven.

Timing is particularly important with a brownie. If you leave your brownie in the oven too long, it will burn and taste bitter. But if you don’t leave it long enough it will be too raw and runny, it won’t hold together in your hand. I find that 18 minutes on 180 degrees, in a reliable oven, is normally just right to give you a firm outer crust with a lovely warm gooey centre.

Unfortunately, while my brownie was in the oven, I got distracted with work emails and, instead of 18 minutes, the brownie got 33 minutes. Needless to say it was overdone. The brownie was just edible for our family but there was no way I was going to let it leave the house. So, after a few minutes berating myself, I started again and made a new one.

We can’t be sure if Samuel made brownie but if he did I expect his timing would have been perfect. Certainly his prophetic timing was spot on.    

The Israelites cried out to the Lord for 20 years. Imagine that, twenty years cooking in the oven of oppression. Twenty years under the thumb. Twenty years with the monkey on your back. Twenty years living with anxiety and fear. Twenty years putting up with the harsh voice of the critic. Twenty years of regret.

During that time Samuel faithfully serves the Lord as prophet and judge for the people. As a prophet, Samuel listened to the Lord and spoke truth from God. The sort of truth that sets people free. And as a judge, Samuel listened to the people and settled disputes in a way which was just and fair. The kind of justice that leads to community peace and right relationship.

As you can imagine, after 20 years of faithfully ministering truth and justice, Samuel would have created a pretty significant bank of trust with the nation. And with that trust came authority and respect. The kind of authority and respect which is hard earned.

Samuel could have abused that trust or used it to his own advantage, but he doesn’t. Instead he spends that trust for the well-being of the people.

Samuel had the insight to sense when the people had been suffering long enough. He could see they were ready for genuine repentance (they were firm on the outside and gooey in the middle) and so he says to the people of Israel… 

“If you are going to turn to the Lord with all your hearts, you must get rid of all the foreign gods and the images of the goddess Astarte. Dedicate yourselves completely to the Lord and worship only him, and he will rescue you from the power of the Philistines.” 

True repentance isn’t just about feeling sorry. True repentance may start with sadness but it must lead to a change of heart; a change from the inside out. The sorrow of repentance provides the motivation for a change of mind that leads to a change in behaviour.

Apparently the Israelites were mixing their worship of Yahweh with the worship of the pagan fertility gods of the Canaanites. In practice this pagan worship involved things like sacrificing to idols and performing sexual rituals at local Canaanite shrines. [1] 

Samuel is saying, you can’t do that and worship the one true God at the same time. Samuel won’t abide cheap grace. He uses the bank of trust he has earned over 20 years to insist on costly grace.

According to Bonhoeffer, cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance. Cheap grace is grace without the cross. Cheap grace, for example, says to the man who beats his wife, ‘You are forgiven and you can continue abusing your wife.’ Or it says to the gossiper, ‘You are forgiven, and you are free to carry on destroying other people’s reputations.’ 

In contrast, costly grace says to the wife beater, ‘Stop hitting your wife and treat her with kindness and respect.’ Costly grace says to the gossiper, ‘Do not speak badly of others but instead see the good in them.’ Costly grace comes as a word of forgiveness to the broken spirit and the contrite heart. It is costly because it compels a person to submit to the yoke of Christ and follow him.

From verse 4 of 1st Samuel 7 we read…  

So the Israelites got rid of their idols of Baal and Astarte, and worshiped only the Lord. 5 Then Samuel called for all the Israelites to meet at Mizpah, telling them, “I will pray to the Lord for you there.” 6 So they all gathered at Mizpah. They drew some water and poured it out as an offering to the Lord and fasted that whole day. They said, “We have sinned against the Lord.”

Here we see Samuel acting in his capacity as a priest, carrying out a religious ritual which solemnises or validates the people’s act of repentance. The ritual includes three things:

The pouring out of water, which is a symbol of sacrifice and cleansing.

Going without food for a day, which is an act of cleansing one’s body in dedication to the Lord God Almighty.

And a verbal confession, which is a declaration of their collective truth.

This ritual may seem strange to us but rituals are necessary for people both spiritually and psychologically. When our heart is in it, and we are not just going through the motions, rituals make things real. They seal the deal and leave an impression on our minds.

As prophet and priest, Samuel calls for costly grace and in so doing he cleans and dresses the nation’s wound in their relationship with God.

From verse 7 of Samuel 7 we continue the story…

When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the five Philistine kings started out with their men to attack them. The Israelites heard about it and were afraid, 8 and said to Samuel, “Keep praying to the Lord our God to save us from the Philistines.” 9 Samuel killed a young lamb and burned it whole as a sacrifice to the Lord. Then he prayed to the Lord to help Israel, and the Lord answered his prayer. 10 While Samuel was offering the sacrifice, the Philistines moved forward to attack; but just then the Lord thundered from heaven against them. They became completely confused and fled in panic. 11 The Israelites marched out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines almost as far as Bethcar, killing them along the way.

The main thing we notice here is that Samuel and the Israelites rely on prayer to defeat their enemies. Samuel’s mum believed in prayer and so does Samuel. He intercedes for the people. Not by might, nor by power but by my Spirit sayeth the Lord.

During my training for ministry I spent three months working as a chaplain at Greenlane Hospital in Auckland (before they shut it down). For most of that three months I felt quite powerless. There I was surrounded by doctors and nurses who were all highly skilled and useful, saving people’s lives. And then there was me, the padre (the chaplain), wanting to be useful and hoping I wasn’t in the way.

Next to the wonders of modern medical science I felt quite inadequate. All I had to offer was three things: my presence, my listening and my prayers. I had no way of measuring whether I was making a positive difference or not. Everything I did was done in faith that God would somehow use it for good.

Presence, listening and prayer. These were the same things Samuel offered as chaplain to the Israelites. No doubt he had more faith than I do but, to the casual observer, those three simple things (presence, listening and prayer) seem so ineffectual and inadequate, especially as your enemies are closing in fast. The temptation is to abandon prayer and reach for the sword. 

But there is more power in Samuel’s prayer than in all the military might of the five Philistine kings combined, because Samuel has cleansed the wound and helped the people make their peace with God.

There may be times or circumstances when you wish you had some kind of super power or special skill to fix the situation or heal the person or save the day, when in reality you don’t. You may feel inadequate or overwhelmed. But we must not despise the seemingly small or ordinary things. God can use your presence, your listening and your prayers.

Focus on what you can do and don’t worry about what you can’t control. Trust Jesus with it all. Remember how Jesus used the lunch of a young boy to feed the multitudes. In the Lord’s hands our little becomes great.        

God is quick to forgive the Israelites for their disloyalty. He answers Samuel’s prayer on the spot and confuses the Philistines so they flee in a panic. Israel is set free. The timing is perfect. 

The rest of 1st Samuel chapter 7 summarises Samuel’s work. From verse 13…

So the Philistines were defeated, and the Lord prevented them from invading Israel’s territory as long as Samuel lived. 14 All the cities which the Philistines had captured between Ekron and Gath were returned to Israel, and so Israel got back all its territory. And there was peace also between the Israelites and the Canaanites.

15 Samuel ruled Israel as long as he lived. 16 Every year he would go around to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and in these places he would settle disputes. 17 Then he would go back to his home in Ramah, where also he would serve as judge.

Here we see how Samuel’s approach was so completely different from Samson’s. While Samson would have gone on a one-man rampage, smashing everything in his path, Samuel puts God first and he communicates.

He uses God’s word and a discerning mind to maintain justice in the land. And with justice comes peace. It speaks volumes that when God’s people make peace with the Lord and with each other, the Canaanites and the Philistines enjoy peace as well.    

That would be a nice place for a happy ending, but we know by now that if we want a story with a happy ending, then we should read some other book.

Many years pass between the end of chapter 7 and the beginning of chapter 8, where we read…

When Samuel grew old, he made his sons judges in Israel. 2 The older son was named Joel and the younger one Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 But they did not follow their father’s example; they were interested only in making money, so they accepted bribes and did not decide cases honestly.

4 Then all the leaders of Israel met together, went to Samuel in Ramah, 5 and said to him, “Look, you are getting old and your sons don’t follow your example. So then, appoint a king to rule over us, so that we will have a king, as other countries have.” 6 Samuel was displeased with their request for a king; so he prayed to the Lord, 7 and the Lord said, “Listen to everything the people say to you. You are not the one they have rejected; I am the one they have rejected as their king. 8 Ever since I brought them out of Egypt, they have turned away from me and worshiped other gods; and now they are doing to you what they have always done to me. 9 So then, listen to them, but give them strict warnings and explain how their kings will treat them.”

Anyone who has been in leadership for a reasonable amount of time will probably feel for Samuel here. He has given himself generously in service to the people and it hasn’t been easy. Dealing with the public, particularly the disgruntled public, is demanding work.

Now, after a lifetime of service and self-sacrifice, the elders get together and say they want to replace Samuel with someone else, a king like the other nations have. Ouch. That must have hurt. The sting of rejection.

They are making Samuel redundant and it’s not fair. Samuel has done nothing wrong. In fact, Israel has never had it so good. It’s just that Samuel is getting old, his sons are crooked and the elders have to be practical and look to the future.

God is not that pleased either. He says to Samuel, ‘It’s really me they are rejecting. They always have’. The loneliness of leadership. Samuel stands with God, apart from the people.     

They say that, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, but that is not the case with Samuel or with God. Samuel has the moral integrity to remain unaffected by any temptation to power.

The Lord tells Samuel to listen to the people and to warn them of the negative consequences of having a king. Yet again Samuel has to confront the people with the difficult truth; a king, like the other nations, will take and take and take, the best and the brightest. But the people don’t listen.

To his credit, Samuel does not throw his toys out of the cot. Nor does he try to cling to power. He doesn’t set himself up as king. A servant leader, humble to the end, Samuel supports the people in their decision, even though he does not agree with it.      

First, Samuel anoints Saul as king and then later David, to succeed Saul. And all of Samuel’s warnings come true in their time.

Conclusion:

Samuel is the ideal leader. He points us to Jesus in so many ways. His courage in having difficult conversations. His life of service to the people. His complete dedication and loyalty to God. His spiritual discernment in knowing the right time to call people to repentance. His unrelenting commitment to justice. His reliance on prayer. Not to mention his grace and humility in facing rejection.

Samuel, like Jesus, shows us what it means to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — for this is our true and proper worship.

Let us pray…  

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, help us to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with you. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

  • How often do you get your haircut? How would you manage your hair if you were not allowed to cut it?
  • In what ways are Samson & Samuel similar? In what ways are they different? 
  • Can you identify with Hannah? Have you ever been so desperate that you made a deal with God? What happened? How did God respond. Did you keep the deal?
  • The apostle Paul says we are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — for this is our true and proper worship. What does this mean? How might we do this? 
  • What is the difference between cheap grace and costly grace? Why is repentance the necessary companion of forgiveness?
  • Can you think of a time when God used yours (or someone else’s) presence, listening and/or prayer to save the day? What happened?
  • In what ways does Samuel remind us of Jesus?   

[1] Refer Bill T. Arnold, NIVAC 1 & 2 Samuel, pages 131-132.

Tawa Baptist

Samson

Scripture: Judges 13-16

MP3 Audio Link: https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/sermon-recording-4-jul-2021-samson

YouTube Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEr9ntmv-eI

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Colonisation
  • Alienation
  • Desolation
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Lemony Snicket begins his book, A Series of Unfortunate Events, with the words: “If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book.” 

Quite a few of the stories in the Bible could do with the same sort of warning. Of course, an introduction like that just makes us to want to read more.  

Today we continue our sermon series on hair and hairy people in the Bible.

If we say something is a bit ‘hairy’; for example, ‘the weather was a bit hairy’ or ‘the umpiring was a bit hairy’, we mean that it was a bit rough & ready or less than perfect, perhaps even a little scary. Hairiness is the opposite of refinement and good quality. The opposite of safe.

The English language has a few weird and wonderful idioms involving hair. For example, ‘She gave me the hairy eyeball’, meaning she looked at me with utter disdain or contempt. No one wants to get the hairy eyeball.

Last week we heard about hairy Esau and his relationship with smooth Jacob. This morning we hear about Samson who, of course, was never supposed to cut his hair. Not only was Samson physically hairy, he also lived at a pretty hairy time in Israel’s history and he did some hairy things.

Samson’s story is told in the Old Testament book of Judges. Quite frankly, “If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book.” 

Between the time of Joshua and the prophet Samuel, while the people of Israel were settling into the Promised Land, God raised up certain men and women to be judges or leaders of the nation. People like Gideon, Deborah and Jephthah.

There is a refrain running through the book of Judges to the effect that each person did what seemed right in their own eyes. In other words, the people of God did not follow God’s law faithfully. We notice a downward spiral of moral degradation as we read through the book of Judges. Both the people and their leaders seemed to get progressively worse.

Please turn with me to Judges chapter 13. Samson is the last of the judges during this period and he is perhaps the hairiest and the most tragic of them all. From Judges 13, verse 1, we read…

The Israelites sinned against the Lord again, and he let the Philistines rule them for forty years.

2 At that time there was a man named Manoah from the town of Zorah. He was a member of the tribe of Dan. His wife had never been able to have children. 3 The Lord‘s angel appeared to her and said, “You have never been able to have children, but you will soon be pregnant and have a son. 4 Be sure not to drink any wine or beer, or eat any forbidden food; 5 and after your son is born, you must never cut his hair, because from the day of his birth he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite.He will begin the work of rescuing Israel from the Philistines.”

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

Colonisation:

Israel’s pattern of behaviour during the time of the judges went like this. They would turn away from the Lord and follow the practices of the nations around them. Then God would give them over to what they had chosen. He would let the nations they copied rule over them and oppress them. This is not what God wanted for Israel, but it seems God did this to try and vaccinate Israel against pagan worship. 

Eventually Israel would cry out to God for deliverance from their enemies and God would raise up a hero leader to save his people. But, by the time we get to Samson, the last of the judges, the people have given up crying out to God for help. They just don’t seem to have any fight left in them. They have become docile and compliant. This is a dangerous position for God’s people to be in. God had to do something to wake Israel out of her stupor. 

These days, when we hear the name Philistine, we tend to think of someone who is uncouth, or uncultured. A bit rough and ready, a bit hairy and perhaps also ignorant. To call someone a ‘Philistine’ then is an insult. But the actual Philistines, who lived during the time of the judges, were anything but uncultured and ignorant. They were actually quite smooth and savy.

The Philistines were a seafaring people who came to the land of Israel a few decades after Israel had settled there. To put it in terms we can relate with, the Philistines were sort of like colonists. They came after the Israelites with a view to establishing their own ways at the expense of God’s people.          

In the early stages of their colonisation, so the experts tell us, the Philistines were not especially heavy handed or aggressive. The violence and aggression came later. At first, they inveigled their way into Israelite life through trade and intermarriage. Gradually their pagan religion became normalised and palatable, so that it didn’t seem threatening or hairy.   

But God could see the threat to Israel. If Israel just kept drifting along, accommodating the Philistines’ way of life, soon there would be no Israel and the people of God would be neutered.  God’s plan was to bless the nations of the world through Israel, so it was crucial that Israel maintain its identity and God given way of life.

The angel of the Lord told Samson’s parents that their son was to be a Nazarite. The word Nazarite means set apart or separated out for God. Normally the taking of a Nazarite vow was voluntary and for a limited period of time. But in Samson’s case, it was compulsory and for all of his life.

In Matthew 5:33-37 Jesus warned against making vows. Jesus said: Do not make a vow when you make a promise… Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your yes be yes and your no be no.

Samson’s situation is not exactly the same as this because Samson had little choice in the matter. Samson was commanded to never cut his hair, never drink wine and never come in contact with a dead body.

If we were reading Samson’s story for the first time we might think, ‘this is different’. God is calling Samson to be a holy man. The part about not coming in contact with a corpse might lead us to think that Samson was going to deliver Israel without killing anyone. That would be unique.

Sadly, the story does not unfold that way. More often than not redemption involves violence. This should not surprise us because redemption is about being set free from someone or something more powerful than us. And the one holding the power is usually unwilling to let go without a fight. Jesus certainly suffered violence in the process of setting us free.

Samson was far from holy though. He manages to break all three of the Nazarite no no’s and other things beside. And yet, God’s grace is sufficient for him. God works with Samson’s choices, making those choices serve the divine plan of salvation.

In chapter 14 of the book of Judges, we read how Samson takes a fancy to a Philistine girl in a nearby village. He wants to marry the girl and asks his Dad to set it up. Samson’s parents are deeply grieved by this. Their son has asked them to do a very hairy thing in their eyes. They want Samson to find a nice Jewish girl but Samson won’t budge. From verse 4 of Judges 14 we read…

His parents did not know that it was the Lord who was leading Samson to do this [to marry a Philistine], for the Lord was looking for a chance to fight the Philistines. At this time the Philistines were ruling Israel.

God was not happy with the status quo. The Philistines were in charge of Israel and God did not like that arrangement. It was only ever meant to be temporary. The Israelites were being too accepting, too inclusive and bending over for the Philistines too easily. God wants his people to put up some resistance and so God uses Samson’s wedding to pick a fight.

Samson gave a wedding banquet at the Philistine’s house. In that culture a wedding banquet meant seven days of eating and drinking. The text doesn’t say explicitly that Samson consumed wine but it seems to imply that he did. In any case, Samson supplied wine for the guests. Not what you would expect from a tee-totalling Nazarite.

During the banquet Samson has a bet with some of the men there. If they can solve his riddle he will give each of them a new set of clothes. But if they can’t, they must give him new clothes. They can’t solve the riddle of course and so they threaten Samson’s fiancé, saying that if she doesn’t tell them the answer they will burn her father’s house to the ground with her in it. That’s the Philistine mafia for you.

After much nagging, emotional blackmail and giving of the hairy eyeball, Samson’s bride to be finally gets the answer out of Samson and she tells the guests. Samson is furious. He knows they cheated to get the answer but a bet is a bet. From verse 19 of Judges 14 we read…

Suddenly the power of the Lord made him [Samson] strong, and he went down to Ashkelon, where he killed thirty men, stripped them and gave their fine clothes to the men who solved the riddle.

Alienation:

I grew up watching a TV series called the Incredible Hulk. You know the story, of the scientist David Banner, who tried to come up with a serum to enable people to control their anger. But it all went wrong and now, whenever David Banner gets angry he turns into the Incredible Hulk; a green muscle bound monster with super strength. Sort of like a Viking berserker.

The cool thing about the Hulk is that, whenever he got angry and started smashing things, he always ended up helping some poor innocent soul. His anger had a redemptive effect. The Hulk set people free. He delivered the oppressed from those who abused their power. 

The sad thing about the Hulk though was he could never get too close to people or settle down. He was always on the run, trying to hide his true identity. So David Banner (aka the Hulk) lived a lonely existence.     

I don’t imagine Samson turned green when he got angry but he did become unusually strong. What we notice is that his strength came from the Spirit of the Lord, from God’s presence. We are a long way from that image of the Spirit as a gentle dove descending on Jesus at his baptism. God’s Spirit will not be pigeon holed. He is more like a hurricane in this situation.              

Once Samson’s anger had cooled down he returned to his fiancé with a young goat. In those days, and in that culture, you didn’t give red roses to your sweet heart, you gave goats. Samson was hoping to consummate the marriage. But when Samson arrived he found his fiancé had been married off to his best man.

Samson went on a rampage again. This time he caught 300 foxes (or more likely jackals), tied flaming torches to their tales and set them loose in the Philistine’s cornfields. The fire spread to the olive orchards as well.      

This would have been devastating to the local economy and put many Philistine families on the edge of starvation. The Philistines got their own back by burning to death the woman Samson had wanted to marry. This is such an awful story. I did warn you though. Samson’s stories don’t have a happy ending.

Samson was not inclined to turn the other cheek. He retaliated by attacking the Philistines fiercely and killing many of them. Then he went to find sanctuary in a cave, alone.   

This tit for tat situation continued to escalate, as it always does. The Philistines went down to the territory of Judah and attacked one of the Israelite towns there. When the men of Judah found out the Philistines really wanted Samson, 3000 of them went to the cave where Samson was holed out and gave him the hairy eyeball, saying…

“Don’t you know that the Philistines are our rulers? What have you done to us?”

He answered, “I did to them just what they did to me.”

12 They told him, “We have come here to tie you up, so we can hand you over to them.”

Samson said, “Give me your word that you won’t kill me yourselves.”

13 “All right,” they said, “we are only going to tie you up and hand you over to them. We won’t kill you.” So they tied him up with two new ropes and brought him back from the cave.

Now, I tell you this part of the story because it is sooo sad. The 3000 men of Judah are supposed to be on Samson’s side. Granted, Samson is from the tribe of Dan, just north of Judah, but they are all still Israelites. There are 3000 of them for crying out loud, plus they have Samson, the Hebrew Hulk. They could have taken the Philistine’s on. They could have said to Samson, ‘Fight with us against the Philistines. Let’s throw off the yoke of oppression. God is clearly with you and we are with you too.’

But instead they say, “What have you done to us? Don’t you know that the Philistines are our rulers?” The men of Judah can’t imagine a reality in which the Philistines are not in charge. They can’t picture their own redemption. They are scared and defensive. All they can think to do is hand Israel’s most powerful weapon over to their enemies.

That’s what colonisation does. It creeps up on you, destroying a people’s identity, purpose and hope right under their nose. We shouldn’t be too hard on the men of Judah though. They have been lulled into a false sense of security and they don’t have any fight left in them. Would we behave any differently if we were in their shoes?

You know the church in the west has lost a lot of ground in recent decades. We need to resist being colonised by an anti-Christian world view. As followers of Jesus we need to maintain our identity and our hope in Christ.

This is not to imply that the society we live in is completely bad. Our society still enjoys the benefits of many Christian values, but we are not perfect. New Zealand is a mixture isn’t it. We need to discern what is Godly and what is not of God. Jesus calls us to be salt & light. That is, to hold to Christ without resorting to violence and without withdrawing from society.

We feel for Samson too. He is isolated, alienated and alone, and he knows it. All he has is his long hair, his smouldering anger and his brutal strength. When the men of Judah hand Samson over to the Philistines, he breaks the ropes he is bound with, takes the jaw bone of a recently deceased donkey and uses it to smash the skulls of his enemies.

From verse 16 of Judges 15 we read: So Samson sang, “With the jaw-bone of a donkey I killed a thousand men; With the jaw-bone of a donkey I piled them up in piles. So much for avoiding contact with dead bodies.

Verse 20 of Judges 15 says that Samson led Israel for 20 years. But it seems he was a leader without followers. He was a man set apart, a man alone.

 You may have heard the news this past week that the Guinness World Record for the most M&M’s stacked on top of each other was broken by Will Cutbill of the UK. When I heard that news I wondered to myself how many M&M’s did Will manage to stack. Was it 20? Was it 30? Not even close.

Will managed to balance just five M&M’s on top of each other. The previous record was four. It is obviously a lot harder than it looks. Will’s advice was ‘take your time’. It took him many hours and I imagine lots of patience. The things we do in lockdown.

Why am I telling you this? Well, partly as light relief in what is an otherwise gruelling tragedy. But also because Samson’s story is as frustrating as trying to balance M&M’s.    

Despite his supernatural physical strength, Samson was as fragile as an M&M stack. Samson had a weakness for Philistine girls. He kept falling in love with women who only wanted to manipulate and use him.

In this way, at least, Samson mirrors the nation of Israel. Samson’s life showed Israel what they were like. A bit hairy. Not particularly faithful to the Lord. Always getting in bed with foreign gods. Never quite living up to their potential. And yet, by God’s grace, still serving God’s purpose of salvation.    

Perhaps it was Samson’s isolation which made him vulnerable. He does not appear to have had any companionship or community with his own people. As we’ve heard, the men of Judah resented Samson for disturbing the peace and putting them in a difficult position with the Philistines.

Samson was like Mikey Rourke in the film The Wrestler. Sure, he was famous and good at hurting people, but that fame and his freakish strength only alienated him from his kin. He came to his own but his own received him not. Over time, loneliness like that has a corrosive effect on the human soul.

Desolation:

May be that is why he looked for comfort in the arms of a prostitute at the Philistine city of Gaza. As always, that sort of rendezvous resulted in another confrontation with his enemies. At least this time no one died.

In Judges chapter 16 we read how Samson uprooted the gates of Gaza and carried them 40 miles away. The gates of an ancient city symbolised that city’s security, among other things. Samson’s feat was perhaps a prophetic sign to Israel that they don’t need to fear the Philistines, for Gaza’s security was no match for the strength of God. 

Straight after the incident with the prostitute from Gaza we read how Samson hooks up with Delilah, another Philistine woman of ill repute. We can sense by now that this is not going to end well for anyone.

Verse 4 of Judges 16 tells us Samson fell in love with Delilah. As most of us know, falling in love makes us blind to the one we fall for. Samson could not see Delilah for who she was.

The five Philistine kings (each representing a city) see an opportunity and approach Delilah. They offer to pay her 1100 pieces of silver each, if she will trick Samson into telling her the secret of his super strength.

Delilah didn’t have to think about it. Straight away she went about her work. Three times she asked Samson what made him so strong and each time Samson led her up the garden path with a false answer. Clearly they had trust issues.

So when the Philistines came rushing in to get Samson, they failed. Samson could not be restrained by seven new bowstrings, nor by new ropes that have never been used and not by weaving the seven locks of his hair into a loom either.

In verse 15 of chapter 16 Delilah gives Samson the ‘hairy eyeball’. She says to him: How can you say you love me, when you don’t mean it? You’ve made a fool of me three times and you still haven’t told me what makes you so strong.    

Now you would think that after the three attempts on his life, in which Delilah has been instrumental, Samson would see that this woman could not be trusted. We, the reader, desperately want Samson to learn, but he doesn’t. Like a stack of M&M’s, Samson keeps falling over. If you want a story with a happy ending, then don’t read Judges. 

When Delilah asks Samson a fourth time, Samson tells her the truth. If you cut my hair, I would lose my strength. So Delilah lulled Samson to sleep. (And isn’t that so typical of the smooth Philistine approach. The Philistines had enchanted Israel, lulling God’s people to into a false sense of security. Which is why God had sent Samson; to wake the people up and bring them to their senses.)

Once Samson is asleep a man comes in and cuts Samson’s hair. This time when the Philistines come, Samson is powerless to defend himself. They put Samson’s eyes out (they blind him permanently) then take him to the city of Gaza and put him to work grinding grain at the mill. Grinding grain in that culture was women’s work, so the idea here is to humiliate Samson, the strong man of Israel. Meanwhile, Samson’s hair starts to grow back.

When the five Philistine kings gather to celebrate and offer sacrifices to their god, Dagon, they bring Samson in for entertainment. The house is packed and there are 3000 on the roof as well.

Samson asks the boy leading him to let him rest against the pillars that support the building. Then Samson prays one last time, asking God for strength. With his final words he cries out: Let me die with the Philistines. Pushing the pillars with all his might, the building fell down on the five kings and everyone else. Many people died that day.     

Conclusion:

Samson’s story starts with colonisation. His life is filled alienation and loneliness, and it ends in desolation. So much suffering. What was the point of Samson’s life? Was it all in vain?

No. We need to take a longer view. You see, Samson’s life is part of God’s bigger story of salvation. Samson’s task was to begin the work of delivering Israel from the Philistines. So the story does not end with Samson’s death. Samuel and Saul continued the work of deliverance. But it was king David who finally managed to subdue the Philistines. Samson had the difficult and lonely job of ploughing the hard ground, allowing others to sow, water and reap the fruits of freedom with justice.

More importantly though, Samson’s life and death points to Jesus.

Like Samson, Jesus was set apart before he was born for special service to God; to deliver people from oppression.

Unlike Samson though, Jesus accomplished his God given purpose with words and deeds of truth and grace, not by smashing skulls or burning crops.

Like Samson, Jesus was rejected by his own people.

But unlike Samson, Jesus found comfort & strength in prayer.

Like Samson, Jesus died a sacrificial death in the presence of his enemies.

But unlike Samson, Jesus forgave his enemies and opened the way to friendship with God.  

Grace and peace to you.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

  • Have you ever been given the hairy eyeball by someone? How did this make you feel? How did you respond? 
  • Why does redemption so often involve violence? Why does God use Samson to pick a fight with the Philistines?
  • Why do you think the men of Judah handed Samson over to the Philistines? How do you think this made Samson feel? Is there someone you know, who is isolated, that God would have you come alongside? 
  • How might we (the church) resist colonization and maintain our identity and hope, in Christ, in this rapidly changing world?
  • How many M&M’s can you balance on top of each other?
  • In what ways does Samson show Israel a mirror?
  • In what ways does Samson point to Jesus? In what ways is Jesus different from Samson?
Tawa Baptist

Esau

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

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

Structure:

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

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

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

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

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

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

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

Esau is hairy:

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

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

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

May the Lord bless the reading of his word.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Esau despises his birthright:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May God bless the reading of his word.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jacobs deceives Isaac:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion:

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

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

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

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

Esau forgave Jacob and welcomed him with genuine affection.

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

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

Let us pray…

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

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

Give us patience to wait for you and your timing.

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

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

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

Questions for discussion or reflection

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

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

Being Baptist

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

Structure:

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

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Liberty of conscience:

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

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

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

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

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

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

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Biblical authority:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Liberty of conscience, Biblical authority and congregational government. 

Congregational government:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And then in verse 9 Peter says…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion:

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

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

So let me finish by saying two things…

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

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

May grace and peace be yours in abundance.

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

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

Baptist distinctives

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

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

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

Communion

Scripture: Luke 22:14-20

Structure:

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

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Exodus:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Bread:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Cup:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion:

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

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

Pansies to symbolize thoughtfulness and remembrance,

Chrysanthemums to keep us honest,

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

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

Sweet Peas to say ‘thank you’,

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

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

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

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

May grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

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

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

Tawa Baptist

Soul

Scripture: John 14:1-7

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Jesus connects the physical with the spiritual
  • Jesus is the way, the truth and the life
  • Jesus is the soul of creation
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Blood vessels are extremely important. Blood vessels include things like arteries, veins and capillaries. They transport blood cells, nutrients and oxygen throughout the human body. They also remove waste and carbon dioxide. Blood vessels connect the different parts of the body. We need blood vessels to sustain life.

Blood vessels look a bit like tree roots and they are the source of healing. For example, if you have an infection in your leg, then you need blood vessels to bring anti-bodies to the wound site to fight the infection. Without blood vessels there is no blood flow and therefore no healing and no life. Jesus is a bit like the blood vessel system for humanity.

Today we conclude our sermon series on the I am sayings of Jesus in the gospel of John. Jesus uses a number of I am statements to describe himself. These sayings tell us about Jesus’ being, his identity.

Please turn with me to John chapter 14, page 137 toward the back of your pew Bibles. Last week we heard how Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. This morning we hear how Jesus says to his disciples: I am the way, the truth and the life. The main point here is that Jesus connects us with God, the source of life. From John 14, verses 1-7 we read…

“Do not be worried and upset,” Jesus told them. “Believein God and believe also in me. 2 There are many rooms in my Father’s house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it were not so. 3 And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am. 4 You know the way that leads to the place where I am going.”

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; so how can we know the way to get there?”

6 Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me. 7 Now that you have known me,” he said to them, “you will knowmy Father also, and from now on you do know him and you have seen him.”

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

Jesus connects the physical with the spiritual:

A yacht moves by harnessing the power of the wind. Which means, for a yacht to truly be called a yacht, it must have a mast and sails. The mast and sails are really the soul of the yacht because they create the harness of a meaningful connection with the wind.  Without the mast and sails the boat is just a raft, floating lifeless on the water.

In this morning’s reading from John 14, Jesus is talking with his disciples on the eve of his crucifixion and death. He has told the disciples he must die and they are distraught. They have formed a close bond with Jesus after following him all this time. They love him and now he is talking about leaving.

What will this mean for them? They have given up everything to be with Jesus. I suppose they must have felt a bit like sailors on the open sea being told they were about to lose their mast and sails. Or they may have felt like a patient in a hospital being told the blood vessels in their leg were so damaged that the blood flow had ceased and the leg would have to be amputated.

Jesus senses their distress and reassures them that his death does not spell the end. His going away will not sever the bond between them. Jesus is going to prepare a place for his disciples. Not just any old place but a room in God’s house. That means Jesus’ departure from this world is actually a good thing for his disciples because he is creating a permanent and secure connection for them with God the Father.

Jesus is talking here about the connection he creates between the physical world and the spiritual realm, through his death, resurrection and ascension to heaven.

Thomas, one of the disciples, doesn’t understand Jesus’ meaning and he is too honest to pretend otherwise. He says, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; so how can we know the way to get there?” 

The blood in our body does not need to know where to go. As long as the blood remains inside the blood vessel (inside the vein or the artery) it will end up where it needs to be. It is the same with us. As long as we remain in Christ, we will end up where we need to be; with God in the heavenly realm.

And so Jesus says to Thomas (and to us), “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me.

Trying to go to God the Father without Jesus is like trying to cross the ocean in a yacht without a sail and a mast. Or it’s like a single blood cell trying to reach the heart without being in a vein. 

The way, the truth and the life:

Now those three terms, the way, the truth and the life, need a little bit of explanation.

When we hear the word way, we might think method. This is the way (or the method by which) you cook a steak. This is the way you fold a fitted sheet. Or this is the way you parent a child. Jesus does give us a method for living. Jesus does show us the way to be human. Christ shows us how to face the difficulties of this world and the limitations of our humanity, with faith.

But Jesus has more in mind than a mere method for living when he talks about being the way. Jesus is saying he is the pathway to God the Father. He is the pilot boat who guides the ship of humanity to the harbour of heaven. He is the blood vessel who carries us to the heart of the Father. He is the mast and sails who harnesses us to the wind of God’s Spirit.

Jesus is the way in the sense that he connects the physical world with the spiritual realm. Jesus connects us to God. This is what Jesus is getting at in verse 7 when he says: Now that you have known me, you will knowmy Father also, and from now on you do know him and you have seen him.”

When we hear the word truth, we tend think facts and figures and abstract philosophical statements. The sun always rises in the east. There are 1000 millilitres in a litre. A square has four sides. The Nile is the longest river in the world. Jesus is the Son of God. All these statements are true but I think Jesus meant something more when he said, ‘I am the truth’.

If you have to jump out of an aeroplane then you need a parachute and you want to know the parachute is true; that it will work and save you. Likewise, if you have to abandon ship in the middle of the ocean then you need a life boat or at least a life jacket. And you want to know the life boat is true; that it won’t sink and the life jacket will support you.

Or if you are sick and the doctor makes a diagnosis and prescribes some medicine, you want to know the qualifications hanging on the wall are true and that the doctor knows what he or she is doing.   

When Jesus said, ‘I am the truth’, he meant, ‘I am the real deal.’ Jesus is completely trustworthy and reliable. He is who he says he is and he will accomplish what he promises to do. He will return for us and bring us home to God our Father.

Remember, in this context, the disciples are upset. They are worried and anxious about the future. They don’t need cold facts or heavy doctrinal statements at this point. They need a warm commitment from Jesus, something they can hold on to. Something that will support them, like a properly functioning parachute or life jacket. They need to know that Jesus, the good doctor, is prescribing the right treatment.   

In thinking of the truth we are reminded of Pontius Pilate. When Jesus said to Pilate at his trial, “Whoever belongs to the truth listens to me”,  Pilate responded, perhaps a bit cynically, ‘And what is truth?’ Little did Pilate know that truth is not just an idea or a body of information. Truth is a living person. Jesus is the truth.    

When we hear the word life, we might think in terms of physical life only. Eating and sleeping. Working and breathing. Making a crust and getting by. But, as we have heard throughout this sermon series, when Jesus talks about life he is thinking in more comprehensive terms.

Life, in a Christian understanding, isn’t just physical. It is mental and emotional and social and spiritual as well. Life has to do with how we relate with our inner self, how we relate to others and how we relate to God. Love God, love your neighbour, love yourself. Following this way of thinking, eternal life isn’t just existing forever. Eternal life means union with God, intimacy with Him, enjoying the Father’s presence always.

Jesus is the soul of creation:

Okay, so having dissected verse 6 into three parts, what happens when we hold the way, the truth and the life together? Well, we get soul.

The word soul can mean different things in different contexts. Sometimes it refers to an individual person, their whole self, body and soul. Like when you hear people say, there were 232 souls on board.

Other times though people use the word soul to mean the life force of a person. The soul, in this sense, is what animates the body, giving it energy and vitality. In fact, the Latin word for soul is anima, from which we get animate (as in movement).

If you have ever seen a corpse it is quite clear that the soul has departed. While a dead body is physically recognizable, there is no one home so to speak. A dead body is inanimate; without a soul in other words.  

This implies that it is the soul that enables connection and relationship. It is the soul which connects the body and the spirit.  

Then there is the sense in which soul refers to a person’s true essence. Who they are at their core. Their inner self. We might say for example that someone is a kind soul or they have a gentle soul. Or, she sang with real soul. Meaning she sang from a place deep within herself that was real and authentic. She wasn’t faking it or putting on an act.  

When we hold the way, the truth and the life together, we see that Jesus is the soul of humanity. But not just humanity. Jesus is the soul of all of God’s creation.

Jesus is the life force – he animates our lives with energy and vitality. As John says at the beginning of his gospel: Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him. The Word was the source of life and this life brought light to humankind.     

Jesus is the truth – he is the real deal, 100% reliable. Jesus embodies the true essence of what it means to be human. We discover who we are at our core (we discover our true essence) through Jesus. Jesus is light to our soul.    

And Jesus is the way – more than just showing us the way, Jesus is the soul of creation, holding together the physical with the spiritual. He connects us to God in other words. Jesus makes right relationship possible.

Conclusion:

The life force (or soul) of Jesus is more powerful than death. Jesus is resurrected from the dead. So even if we feel like our energy and vitality is waning as we get older, we know Jesus has the ability to restore our soul once we have passed through the gate of death.   

Let us pray…

Lord Jesus Christ, we pray for those who have lost their way. Restore them to yourself.

Lord Jesus Christ, we pray for those who are seeking the truth. Reveal yourself to them.

Lord Jesus Christ, we pray for those who are tired of this life. Renew their connection with yourself.

Lord Jesus Christ, we pray for our own soul. Help us to remain in you.

Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection

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

  • Why does Jesus tell his disciples he is going to prepare a place for them? Can you imagine Jesus saying the same thing to you? How would you like to respond to Jesus?
  • What did Jesus mean when he said, ‘I am the way’?
  • What did Jesus mean when he said, ‘I am the truth’?
  • What did Jesus mean when he said, ‘I am the life’?
  • Discuss/reflect on the meaning and function of the soul.
  • What does your soul need at this time? How might you take care of your soul this week?