Tawa Baptist

Leadership

Scripture: 1st Peter 5:1-5

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • What?
  • Why?
  • How?
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Dee Dee Myers once made the wry comment…

“I am endlessly fascinated that playing football is considered a training ground for leadership, but raising children isn’t.”

Dee Dee worked in the white house during the Clinton administration. Her observation reveals the western world’s often misplaced values when it comes to the question of what makes a good leader.

Today we continue our series in the New Testament letter of first Peter, focusing on chapter 5, verses 1-5. In this passage the apostle Peter addresses the elders of the church, giving guidance on the what, why and how of church leadership. Peter’s wisdom shows us what we need to look for in a leader.

From 1st Peter 5, verse 1 we read…

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elderand a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be;not greedy for money,but eager to serve; 3 not lording it overthose entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherdappears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humilitytoward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

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

In these verses Peter lays out the what, why and how of church leadership. First let’s consider what the role a Christian leader is.

What?

There is a lovely term in cricket called ‘shepherding the tail’. The tail here refers to the lower order batsmen, those who are usually better at bowling than batting and therefore more vulnerable when at the cress.

Shepherding the tail is when the more skilled batsman, in this scenario, supports and protects the weaker batsman. This support may come in the form of words of encouragement and advice between balls. It may also mean the stronger of the two batsman facing more of the strike.

In verse 2 Peter appeals to the elders of the church to be shepherds and overseers of God’s flock.    

What is the role of the elders or leadership of the church? To be shepherds.

The thing we notice here is that Peter doesn’t get into a detailed job description about what the leaders of the church are to do. He doesn’t start with the specific tasks of leadership. No. He starts deeper than that, at the level of their being. Peter’s logic is that if the leaders of the church get their being right, the doing will take care of itself.  

People tend to do what they are. Doing comes out of being. If you are a builder, you will naturally be inclined to lay a good foundation, measure twice and cut once. If you are an accountant, you will look to reconcile things and take a prudent approach. If you are a nurse, you will want to provide practical care for people.

A shepherd is inclined to watch, protect, feed, care for, count and heal their flock. Shepherds are used to long hours, hard work and difficult conditions. A shepherd thinks in terms of the whole flock collectively as well as the individual sheep and lambs. A shepherd is vigilant, aware and present.

Shepherding is like parenting. It is a better training ground for leadership than playing football.     

God seems to have a thing for shepherds. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were all shepherds, as were Moses and king David. Jesus was a carpenter but he described himself as the good shepherd. God often chose shepherds to lead his people because shepherds are wired up to take care of living things.

Earlier in the service we heard a conversation between Jesus and Peter, from chapter 21 of John’s gospel. The risen Lord Jesus appears to his disciples and has breakfast with them. After breakfast Jesus takes Peter aside and asks him three times to care for his sheep. (Some versions say ‘feed my sheep’)

Peter had it imprinted in the very fiber of his being that Jesus wanted him to be a shepherd to other believers in Christ. Peter is asking the leaders of the church to do the same – to be shepherds to the people entrusted to them.  

The image of the early church as a flock of sheep and the elders of the church as shepherds was very appropriate to Peter’s readers. Sheep are basically defenseless. They can’t run very fast, they are not naturally camouflaged and they don’t have sharp teeth or claws to defend themselves.

As we have heard over the past few months, the church in Asia Minor during the first century, was small and vulnerable, like sheep. Christians were marginalized, misunderstood and hated. Eventually Peter’s readers would be persecuted. They didn’t need a CEO style leader or a military commander. They needed leaders with the heart of a shepherd who would care for, guide, feed and protect them.

So how does this translate to our church context today? Shepherding is more of an attitude, or a mind-set, than a task. Doing comes out of being.

The equivalent of elders or leaders at Tawa Baptist are our Deacons and pastors. One of the Deacons’ tasks is to make decisions in the life of the congregation. Making decisions in itself is not necessarily shepherding. What makes the Deacons shepherds is their care for the congregation. So when the Deacons make a decision they are thinking about the welfare of the people in parallel with God’s will & purpose.

One of the classic expressions of shepherding a congregation is preaching. It is not the preacher’s job to entertain you or make you laugh, although it is okay if he or she does. It is the preacher’s job to lead you to the green pastures and still waters of God’s word, in the Scriptures, so you can find the guidance and nourishment you need for your souls.

Not everyone can preach but most of you can visit. When you make a pastoral visit to someone the main purpose is to listen and seek to understand the person you are visiting. You can’t help someone unless you know them. You may feel a bit useless just sitting and listening and drinking tea, but actually your presence has more power than you think. Your listening with empathy is a salve for loneliness. It creates a connection that God can use.

Of course, shepherding is not limited to preaching & visiting. There is a lot of administration and compliance involved with church leadership these days. A shepherding attitude does not ignore the necessary admin but rather looks to see how it can serve the well-being of the people. For this reason, health & safety is important to us, not because we like paper work, but because we want to protect people.

You may have twigged by now that shepherding isn’t just something the deacons and pastors do. In reality we all have a shepherding role to play. If you are the leader of a home group or if you are a Sunday school teacher or a crèche worker or youth leader, then you are a shepherd to those in your care.

But even if you don’t have an official role in one of our church programmes, you can still be a shepherd to someone in an informal way. Maybe by being present when someone is going through a difficult time. Or helping in a practical way with a meal. Or looking after their kids. Or simply noticing a change in them and asking, ‘Are you okay?’

Doing a particular set of tasks does not make you a shepherd. Shepherding is an attitude, or a mind-set, out of which a task of care is born.

Having addressed the what of church leadership (to be shepherds), Peter then talks about the why of leadership.              

Why?

The question of why one should be a leader has to do with motivation and purpose. Peter says…

Be shepherds of God’s flock… not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be;not greedy for money,but eager to serve…

Leadership is not easy. Like being a shepherd, the hours are long, the work is hard and the conditions are often difficult. There are certain pressures, both internal and external, that come with leadership. Often in leadership one is caught between a rock and a hard place. Sometimes a leader has to make decisions that are unpopular and lonely.

As Max Lucado says, “A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.”

Being a leader in the church of the first century was not easy. The elders Peter was addressing were coping with enormous pressures from the society around them. Being a leader in that context required them to turn their back on the crowd in order to lead the orchestra of the church. It took real commitment.

Before you accept the mantle of leadership, you need to be very clear about why you are doing it. You can’t afford to go into leadership half-hearted. You need to embrace the commitment fully. You need to be willing.

It appears from verse 2 that ‘the church felt an obligation to provide financially for those whose Christian service prevented them from earning what they needed to live.’ [1] So some of the church leaders probably received a modest stipend.

While there is nothing wrong with paying people for their service to the church (don’t muzzle an ox while it treads the grain and all that), money in itself is not an adequate reason to serve in Christian leadership. You have to find an intrinsic motivation.

Although Peter doesn’t explicitly say in these verses, the motivation of love must surely have been in his mind. You remember that when Jesus asked Simon Peter to feed his lambs (in John 21), Jesus prefaced that request each time with the question: ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’

In this way Jesus helped Peter to be clear about his why. The primary motivation for any Christian leader has to be love for Jesus. You might start out enjoying the tasks of Christian ministry but that won’t be enough to sustain you. You might feel a certain affection for people but people will inevitably let you down.

The number one priority for any Christian leader is to keep the fire of their love for Christ alive. Love for Jesus is our why.       

There is a plant that produces a lovely deep coloured flower, known as the Amaranth plant. The name Amaranth derives from a Greek word meaning ‘the unfading flower’. The Amaranth flower is so called because it does not fade. It retains its rich deep colour.

In ancient times the Greeks would show honour to someone by putting a wreath or crown of flowers on that person’s head, much like we might award a medal to an Olympic champion. The wreath could be made of any kind of foliage but an Amaranth wreath was special because it did not fade in the same way other crowns did.

The Amaranth doesn’t just look good though, it is also good for your health. People use the plant to make medicine to treat ulcers, diarrhoea, swollen mouths and to reduce high cholesterol.  

In verse 4 Peter gives another reason why Christian leaders should serve…

4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

A more literal translation of the original Greek reads…

4 And when the Chief Shepherdappears, you will obtain the amaranth crown of glory.

The ‘amaranth crown’ is paraphrased by most English translations as ‘the crown of glory that will never fade’, because the metaphor is lost on modern readers. The Chief Shepherd refers to Jesus and the amaranth crown is the eternal reward Jesus gives to those who go the distance in God’s will for them.

The Lord is no one’s debtor. He does not expect his servants to work for nothing. Those who shepherd God’s people have much to look forward to.

So then, we have two answers to the why of Christian leadership. Our motivation needs to be love for Christ and the hope of glory.

We have heard about the what and the why of church leadership. Now let’s consider how a church elder is to lead or shepherd God’s people?

How?    

There is a Chinese Proverb which says: ‘Not the cry, but the flight of a wild duck, leads the flock to fly and follow’.

I take this to mean that the best way to lead is by your example.

One of the shepherds, in my life when I was younger, was a man called Gus Row. Gus was the director of Youth for Christ Waikato when I was involved with YFC during the late 1980’s and early 90’s.  He was nicknamed ‘the Ox’.

Among his many gifts Gus was a wonderful speaker. He fed us with his words.  One of Gus’ illustrations was of a pair of oxen. He said in days of old, when oxen were used to plough fields, they would often pair an old ox with a young ox. The young ox had the strength and vigour to spur the older ox on. While the older ox had the patience and steadiness to guide and pace the younger ox so it could go the distance. The older ox acted as an example to the younger ox.

Gus used this metaphor to encourage older leaders to come alongside and mentor younger ones. There is a mutual benefit.

In verse 3 Peter appeals to the elders of the church not to lord it overthose entrusted to you, but be examples to the flock.

This recalls Jesus’ words to his disciples in Matthew 20:25-28…

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

How are Christian elders to lead the church? By coming alongside and being an example of the way of Christ.

Or, to put it another way, “Leaders don’t inflict pain, they share pain.” [2]

Peter practiced what he preached as well. In verse 1 of chapter 5, Peter comes alongside his readers saying…

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elderand a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed:

Notice how Peter does not pull rank on his readers here. Peter is the premiere apostle but he doesn’t issue an edict or a command from on high. He doesn’t lord it over them or use his status to demand obedience. No. He humbly comes alongside and appeals to the elders of the church in Asia Minor as a fellow elder on the same footing.

In effect Peter says, “I’m an elder like you. I know what it’s like. I feel your pain. We are on the same side with the same goal. We both share in Christ’s sufferings and will share in his glory too.”

Peter learned the how of Christian leadership directly from Jesus of course. After Peter had denied Jesus three times, the Lord did not stand on high and reprimand Peter. He did not use the guilt Peter obviously felt to leverage Peter into doing him a favour. He didn’t say to Peter, ‘Look, you let me down and now you owe me. But you can make it up to me by taking care of my flock. Then we’ll be even.’

No. As we heard in John 21 earlier, Jesus came alongside Peter and restored him. No recrimination, no guilt, no shame, no leveraging, just the undeserved trust of a second chance. That is grace. That is the way of Jesus. That is the how of Christ’s example.

When we think of coming alongside and being an example to others we are reminded of the philosophy of 24-7 youth work. 24-7 uses a presence based (shepherding type) model. The idea is for youth workers to come alongside students and be hand holders, not problem solvers.

Now in saying that the how of Christian leadership is to come alongside and be an example, we do not mean to imply that church leaders can’t speak difficult truths to those in their care. Sometimes it is necessary for shepherds to discipline the flock. But to discipline means to teach, more than to punish. And the most powerful teaching method is our example.

Conclusion:

Sam Rayburn is quoted as saying, “You cannot be a leader, and ask other people to follow you, unless you know how to follow, too.”

Our reading today concludes with Peter’s appeal to young people and indeed to all people in the church. Peter says in verse 5…             

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humilitytoward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

We have talked about humility a bit recently so there is no need to labour the point now. Suffice to say that humility is not putting yourself down. Humility requires a healthy self-awareness, not thinking too much or too little of yourself.

Humility is the necessary companion to Godly submission. Submitting to others is not popular. We are too infatuated with the illusion of personal freedom. We need to recover a right understanding of what Christian submission is.

Peter is not suggesting believers should submit to immoral leadership, without question. The kind of leadership Peter is asking his readers to submit to is a shepherding style of leadership modelled after the example of Christ.

As Joel Green reminds us, to submit is to find and occupy responsibly one’s place in the community of faith. To submit oneself is the opposite of withdrawal. Submission is not about numbing or negating yourself. Submission is about embracing one’s personhood. [3]   

Likewise, humility is about going with the grain of who you are, who God made you to be. The way of Christ is not to revolt and rebel. The way of Christ is to understand who you are and where you fit in God’s purpose.

By appealing to the young people to submit to their elders, Peter is in fact putting them on a path to becoming leaders themselves one day. Submitting to legitimate authority is one of the lessons every leader needs to learn.   

“You cannot be a leader, and ask other people to follow you, unless you know how to follow, too.”

This morning we’ve heard Peter’s what, why and how for Christian leaders.

A Christian leader is a shepherd. Their motivation is love for Christ and the hope of unfading glory. A Christian leader leads by coming alongside and being an example. 

Whether you are a leader or not we all need God’s grace. With this in mind let’s stand and sing Gracious Spirit dwell with me. Make this your prayer…         

[If you would like prayer, there will be someone available to pray with you after the service at front on the north side of the auditorium.]

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

  • What leadership lessons might we learn from raising or caring for children?
  • Why do you think God often chose shepherds to lead his people?  
  • What does it mean to be a shepherd leader? Who has God entrusted to your care and how do you shepherd them?
  • Why is love for Jesus so important for a Christian leader? What can you do to keep the fire of your love for Jesus alive?
  • What does it mean to ‘come alongside’?
  • Why does Peter appeal to the young people to submit to their elders? How does submission to legitimate authority prepare us for leadership?
  • Take some time this week to reflect on your own style of leadership. What might those in your care be learning from your example? 

[1] Refer Howard Marshall’s commentary on 1st Peter, page 163.

[2] Quote by Max Depree.

[3] Refer Joel Green’s commentary on 1st Peter, page 171.

Tawa Baptist

Suffering

Scripture: 1st Peter 4:12-19

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Manage your expectations
  • Suffering is evidence
  • Entrust yourself to God
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Today we continue our series in the New Testament letter of first Peter, focusing on chapter 4, verses 12-19. Peter was writing to encourage the fledging church in Asia Minor who were suffering because of their faith in Jesus.

In today’s reading Peter gives some practical advice on how Christian believers can handle suffering for their faith in a positive way. From 1st Peter, chapter 4, verse 12 we read…

12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you that is taking place to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ,so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed,for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household;and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s willshould entrust themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

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

As I mentioned at the beginning, this reading contains Peter’s advice on how Christians can handle suffering for their faith in a way that is life giving.

Three things Peter suggests: Manage your expectations. Think of suffering as evidence and entrust yourself to God.   

Manage your expectations

Peter, as you know, was a fisherman by trade. Fishing can be a fickle business and involves a fair bit of suffering. It is heavy, dangerous work. Sometimes you can be out all night and come home cold, wet and tired, with nothing to show for your efforts. It doesn’t seem fair. Eventually though, if you persevere, you get a reward. I guess through his work as a fisherman Peter learned to manage his expectations. 

Some of you, over the holidays, may have completed a jigsaw puzzle. Those puzzlers who like a bit of a challenge might be familiar with the Wasgij range of puzzles. Wasgij is simply the word ‘Jigsaw’ spelt backwards.

With a regular puzzle you have the advantage of seeing the picture you are putting together on the box. You know what to expect. But with a Wasgij the picture on the box is not the same as the picture you are assembling. So you don’t know what to expect. Often it is the inverse of the image you are given on the box.

In some ways the journey of Christian faith is a bit like working on a Wasgij. When we become a Christian we may (for whatever reason) have this picture in mind about how our life is going to be. We may think life will be easier now that we believe in Jesus because we have God on our side. We might imagine people will be okay with our decision to become a Christian and want to join us, but that is not necessarily a realistic expectation.

While it is true that God is on our side when we put our faith in Jesus, it does not automatically follow that our life will get better or that others will welcome our decision. Your life may improve in some ways but it will probably get harder in other ways. Some people may be tolerant of your decision to follow Christ, but you may also lose some friends.

Jesus of course was very clear that following him would be no picnic. He did not mislead anyone.

In verses 12 & 13 of chapter 4 Peter writes…

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you that is taking place to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ,   

Peter, the veteran fisherman, is gently telling his readers to manage their expectations. People are naturally surprised when something does not happen as they expect. Peter is removing the element of surprise by reminding them that they can’t expect everyone to celebrate their decision to follow Jesus. They should expect a bit of push back. Christ suffered, therefore as his followers, you can expect to suffer as well, although probably not to the same extent.

Christianity, at that stage in history, was a brand new religion. It was not an established tradition and so the general population did not really know it or trust it. Most of the people Peter was writing to were Gentiles. For them converting to Christianity meant a comprehensive change of lifestyle.

At the time of Peter’s letter, it wasn’t that Christians were systematically persecuted as such. That came later. It was more that they were socially marginalized. People spoke against them to heap shame on them.    

Peter describes the rejection they are facing as a ‘fiery ordeal to test them’. This is a metaphor. Just as precious metals, like silver and gold, are tested and proved through fire, so too the precious metal of Christian faith is tested by the fiery ordeal of being insulted and put to shame. If Peter’s readers stayed loyal to Christ, even though people who were once their friends and family rejected them, then the metal of their faith was proved true.

Now in saying that we need to manage our expectations Peter does not mean always thinking the worst will happen. If we do that we will soon lose hope. Peter wants his readers to replace their surprise (or disappointment) with the joy that comes from hope. So, while we need to be prepared to suffer in the short to medium term, we still remain confident that God will work things for good in the long run. That is our hope and that is where our joy comes from.  

Last year we baptized a new believer here in our church. A few weeks ago we prayed for him as he had to return home to India. His prayer request was that he be able to confess the name of Jesus before his family and his community and that this would go well. But even if he was rejected he wanted to stay true to Jesus. This man was managing his expectations, just like Peter said. He was expecting a fiery ordeal but still hoping for the best.

Most of us have not had to suffer the kind of test of faith that many of our Christian brothers and sisters overseas have. But even so we still do come under some scrutiny and pressure for our faith in Jesus. The wider NZ society in which we live is not as friendly toward Christians as it once was. There is a certain loss of face and loneliness that comes with following Jesus, which is one reason why we need to love one another. 

I remember when I left my job in Tauranga to train for ministry in Auckland, I got a mixed response. Some people were encouraging and supportive. Some couldn’t understand it and told me so. Others didn’t really care. Then there were one or two who, after I had left, said some things that were unkind and untrue. We can’t expect everyone to like us let alone understand or accept us.

The journey of faith is like a Wasgij puzzle. The picture we have in our mind beforehand is seldom, if ever, the same as the reality we end up experiencing. One strategy for handling suffering is managing our expectations. Another strategy is to think of suffering as evidence.            

Suffering is evidence

When we suffer in some way we tend to ask ourselves, why? Why is this happening to me? Why does this sort of thing happen to anyone?

If you are a person of faith, then your mind may take you down one of a number of different paths. If you have a sensitive conscience you might, for example, ask, ‘What have I done wrong? Is God angry with me? Am I being punished, is that why I’m suffering?’

On the other hand, you could go down another path in your mind and think to yourself, ‘This isn’t fair. God must have abandoned me. He doesn’t care.’

Or you might try to give meaning to your suffering by telling yourself, ‘This is character building. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’

Peter’s first century audience were suffering injustice for their obedience to Christ and Peter offers a completely different way to think about it. Peter’s advice is not to think of suffering as a mystery or a problem to be solved. (Don’t go down that rabbit hole. You risk getting lost.) Instead think of suffering as evidence. In particular, suffering for Christ is evidence that the Spirit of God is with you. It’s also evidence that you belong to the household of God. From verse 14 Peter writes…

14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed,for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

Now when Peter says, if you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, he does not mean that suffering and insult are a blessing. They are not. Suffering and insult hurt. Under certain circumstances suffering can be character building but it is more likely to destroy character. It is more accurate to say that suffering reveals character. Suffering provides evidence of what a person is like on the inside.

In any case the blessing is not in the suffering. The blessing is in the presence of God’s Spirit. 

Suffering for Christ is no cause for guilt or shame. God is not punishing you. To the contrary, being insulted for the name of Christ is evidence of the Spirit of glory. Suffering injustice, in a noble way, is the prerequisite of glory.  

What’s more, suffering for your association with Jesus does not imply that God has abandoned you. Far from being abandoned, suffering for Christ is evidence of God’s presence. The Holy Spirit being the manifestation of God’s presence.

Most of you would have heard of the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The thing that people seem to overlook about Goldie Locks is that she was a burglar, a vandal and a meddler. She broke into someone else’s house, ate their porridge, wreaked their furniture and messed up their beds. Being blonde and cute is no excuse for bad behavior. You have to ask yourself, what was a small child doing on her own in a bear’s house? I expect her family and friends told her to go and play in the woods because she was annoying them. 

The real heroes in this story are the three bears because (in one version of the story at least) they showed Christian love and forbearance to the delinquent child. Despite the bad reputation bears get in the media they didn’t eat her or take revenge in anyway. They didn’t even file a complaint with the police or try to press charges. They simply let Goldilocks go, cleaned up her mess and quietly got on with their lives.  

In verses 15 & 16 Peter makes it clear that not all suffering qualifies for the blessing of God’s Spirit. Peter says…

15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

We all have a bit of Goldie Locks in us, don’t we. You know, we are not easily satisfied. We want things ‘just right’. It’s like Peter is saying, ‘Don’t be like Goldilocks. Be like the three bears’.

The label ‘Christian’ was not thought up by the followers of Jesus. The nickname ‘Christian’ was coined by unbelievers. It was not a term of endearment either. It was an insult. Like bears, Christians had a bad reputation. People hated them because they were different. Christians wouldn’t bow to idols or participate in pagan rituals.

To most people in the first century Christians were a detestable lot and lumped in the same category as criminals. Not because they broke any laws or did anything wrong. But simply because their religion was new and unusual.  

Peter’s point is that you cannot expect the blessing of God’s Spirit, the Spirit of glory, if you do things that are clearly wrong (like murder and theft). Nor can you expect God’s blessing if you do things that are simply annoying (like meddling in other people’s business). If someone suffers for being bad or foolish (like Goldilocks did) then they are not suffering according to God’s will; they are suffering by their own hand and deserve what they get.     

The suffering Peter has in mind is suffering for bearing the name of Christ. It is undeserved suffering, similar to what the bears endured as a result of Goldilocks’ visit. 

But wait, suffering provides even more evidence. Suffering for Christ now (in this life) proves you are part of the household of God and therefore will be saved in the long run. From verse 17 Peter writes…

17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household;and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

Judgment has become almost a swear word in the English language today. It has undertones of condemnation and punishment. However, there is more to God’s judgment than that. Judgment also includes the process of discerning or sorting or deciding. And that is probably the sense in which Peter is using the word in relation to God’s household.  

Peter is implying that the hostility his readers are experiencing is an integral part of God’s end-times judgment. [1] It has the effect of sorting out those who are loyal to Christ and those who are not. If it was too easy to obey Jesus everyone would do it and how would you know who was truly loyal.  

Everyone, whether they are a Christian or not, must face God’s judgment at some stage. Believers get judged first but if we remain loyal to Christ we do not need to fear. Suffering for Christ now is, in fact, evidence that you belong to God’s household and that is something to celebrate.

Okay, so Peter’s first two pieces of advice for handling suffering are:

Take the element of surprise out by managing your expectations, and

Don’t approach suffering as though it were a mystery to be solved, rather think of suffering as hard evidence that God is with you and for you.

Peter’s third piece of advice is, entrust yourself to God.

Entrust yourself to God

When you reach a certain age, or when you get married or when you have children, it is advisable to update your will. When you go to the solicitor they normally ask you who you would like to appoint as your power of attorney. And if you have children they want to know who you will entrust with the care of your children.

You go to the solicitor imagining it is going to be a quick appointment and you come away thinking who can I really trust with my children and my money? 

In verse 19 of chapter 4 Peter says quite plainly…

19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s willshould entrust themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

In the first Century they didn’t have banks like we do today. So if you wanted to go away for a while you had to find a friend (someone you trusted completely) to look after your life savings. You committed or entrusted your nest egg to that person and on your return they were honour bound to give it all back to you.

The Greek word Peter uses for entrust, in verse 19, is the technical word for depositing money with a trusted friend. It is the same word used by Jesus on the cross, in Luke 23:46, when he said: “Father, into your hands I commit (or entrust) my spirit.”  

Peter is saying, when we suffer according to God’s will (and not as a murderer or a thief or a meddler) we should entrust ourselves to our faithful Creator and continue to do good.

The implication is that God is a close friend to those who suffer according to his will; close enough to be your power of attorney and banker all rolled into one. Except it isn’t just your money you are entrusting to God. It is your reputation, your job, the rightness of your cause, your family and your very life you are placing in God’s hands.

Peter describes God here as a faithful Creator. This speaks of God’s trustworthiness and also his wisdom and power to make things new and to restore order to the world.

The message here is that we are not defined by what others say about us or do to us. Therefore, we do not need to waste our time and energy trying to justify ourselves to others. We have nothing to prove. God will vindicate us in the end. So we can invest our time and energy into doing good now.

Suffering drains life and vitality from you. Too much suffering is soul destroying; it weakens your character. Doing good, on the other hand, nourishes your soul; it affirms your identity in Christ and builds character.               

Conclusion:

This morning we have heard three pieces of advice, from Peter, for those who suffer for being a Christian.

Do not let suffering take you by surprise. Manage your expectations.

Do not try to solve the problem of suffering in some deep philosophical way. Instead think of suffering as hard evidence that God is with you and for you.

And thirdly, when you suffer injustice, entrust yourself to God and do those things that are good for you and good for others. In this way you will restore what the locusts have eaten.

May God give us the strength to remain loyal to Christ when our faith is tested and the grace to apply Peter’s advice when we suffer.

If you are going through a hard time at the moment and would like prayer, then there will be someone available to pray with you after the service at the front by the water cooler.

The musicians will lead us now in our closing hymn.  

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 suffered because of your association with Christ? What happened and how did you feel?
  • How might we manage our expectations, without always thinking the worst?
  • When you suffer, what path does your mind go down? (E.g. do you think you are being punished or do you think God has abandoned you or do you think this is character building or something else?)
  • What difference does it make thinking of suffering for Christ as evidence that God is with you and for you? What is the blessing in being insulted for bearing the name of Christ?    
  • What does it mean to entrust yourself to God and do good? How might we do this? What good things can you do for yourself and others that will nourish your soul and build your character?

[1] Karen Jobes, Commentary on 1st Peter, page 292

Tawa Baptist

Lifestyle

Scripture: 1st Peter 4:7-11

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Pray with clarity
  • Love with forbearance
  • Eat with others
  • Serve with faithfulness
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

In 2010 a movie came out called Eat, Pray Love, based on a book by the same name.  I never got round to watching it so I can’t make any comment on its content but the title of the film connects in some ways with today’s Scripture reading.

This morning we pick up our series in the New Testament letter of 1st Peter, which we began last year. You may remember the apostle Peter was writing to encourage the fledging church in Asia Minor who, in the first century, were initially marginalized and then later persecuted for their faith in Jesus.     

We continue our series in 1st Peter from chapter 4, verses 7-11. In this passage Peter instructs his readers to pray, love, eat and serve. From verse 7 of chapter 4 we read…

7 The end of all things is near.Therefore, be clear minded and self-controlledso that you can pray. 8 Above all, love each other earnestly,because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitalityto one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,as faithfulstewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God.If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides,so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

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

Apart from being the title of a book and a movie, Eat, Pray, Love, sounds like good general lifestyle advice. It speaks of finding a healthy balance for your whole self, body & soul. Peter’s advice, in chapter 4, isn’t exactly the same though. The priority order is different. It’s not Eat, Pray, Love but rather Pray, Love, Eat and Serve. Peter starts with prayer. In essence he says, pray with clarity.         

Pray with clarity:

School has started back for many this past week and with it homework and assignments. One way or another we all tend to be motivated by a deadline or a goal to aim for. Some people like to get organized a long way in advance and others become more motivated as the date for handing in the assignment gets closer.

When we were at University, Robyn used to sit down at her type writer and smash out an essay the night before it was due. This was before we could afford a computer. Every time, without fail, she would get an A. It was astonishing.

When I asked her how she did it Robyn explained that for about two weeks beforehand she would lie awake at night organizing the ideas in her head. Then at the last minute, when she was clear in her mind what she wanted to say, she typed it all out.

My process is a bit different to that. I can’t hold too many things in my mind at the same time. In fact, it is in the process of writing that ideas and clarity come. Writing unblocks my mind in a way.

In verse 7 of chapter 4 Peter says: The end of all things is near.Therefore, be clear minded and self-controlledso that you can pray.   

‘The end of all things’ refers to the goal of salvation history. The nearness of the end is defined by Christ’s resurrection. [1] The resurrection of Jesus is the motivation to get your act together so you can pray with clarity. That is, with a clear mind and self-control.  

When we are young we imagine we can do almost everything because we have energy to burn and time is on our side. But as we get older we begin to realise that we don’t have all the time in the world to achieve everything we had hoped. So, in mid-life, we feel the need to prioritize. We say to ourselves, I may only have 15-20 good years left. What’s important to me, what’s the goal here, and how am I going to spend that precious time?

There’s nothing like a funeral to give you clarity. As the end draws near we become more clear minded, more focused, about what we need to do with our lives.

This is not to imply that we are to be reckless or careless, far from it. When the great reformer Martin Luther was asked what he would do if the end were to come today, he replied that he would plant a tree and pay his taxes. Planting a tree is something you do for the future and paying your taxes is about meeting your obligations in the present. ‘Luther meant that he lived every day in light of the end and hence he would do the appointed task of that day.’ [2]

Stepping back and taking a broader look at the arc of human history, Jesus’ coming (2000 years ago) signals a kind of mid-life crisis for humanity. Peter is saying, given where we stand in history (in relation to Jesus’ resurrection), we need to get some clarity on what really matters and therefore what to give our lives to. And we need to pray; we need to talk about this with God, because God stands on both sides of the divide.

Prayer isn’t just asking God for stuff in this life. Prayer is primarily about strengthening our relationship with God, by communicating with him. Prayer, in that sense, helps us in this life and the next.

Okay, so that’s the first thing Peter says: understand where you are in relation to the end goal, get things clear in your mind and pray. Pray with clarity.

The next thing is love – love with forbearance.

Love with forbearance

When you cook a roast dinner it always pays to make plenty of gravy. If you don’t quite get the timing right, if you over cook the meat so it dries out, then covering it with gravy saves the dinner. 

In verse 8 Peter writes: Above all, love each other earnestly,because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Now the kind of love that is in view here is not an emotional warm fuzzy feeling, like falling in love. It is deeper than that. The love in view here is a thoughtful commitment to the well-being of others, even when they irritate you. Love, in this context, means treating others in the Christian community in a way that takes care of relationships. It is an earnest love that persists despite little rubs and difficulties.

If our relationships in the church together are like a roast dinner, then earnest love is like the gravy; it covers over a multitude of sins.

This does not mean that if we love others God will forgive or cover our sins. No, our sins were taken care of by Jesus on the cross. Nor is Peter saying that serious sin in the church should be ignored or denied or covered up. [3] Rather sin needs to be dealt with in a way that sets people free to live righteous lives.  

Peter is probably drawing on Proverbs 10:12 which says: Hatred stirs up dissension but love covers over all wrongs.

The point seems to be that when we love someone we don’t allow the little irritations to create a rift or bitterness between us.

In the church hall kitchen, we have a fire blanket. If something catches alight, you can throw the fire blanket over the flames and it suffocates the fire. Love covers sins sort of like a fire blanket covers flames and extinguishers the fire before it gets out of control. Love suffocates sin to stop it from spreading.

Or, to use another metaphor, you might go out for lunch with someone and when it comes time to pay they realise they have left their wallet behind. Because you love the person (because you care about the relationship more than money) you don’t give way to irritation but quietly cover the cost for them, without making a fuss. Love covers over a multitude of sins.

Quite a lot of the tensions we experience in our relationships, whether in the church or at work or school or in the home, aren’t actually sins. They are merely differences in personality or simple misunderstandings.

For example, some people like to be organized well in advance. Others are real last minute, seat of your pants types. It’s not a sin to be last minute but it can be irritating to those who like to have things settled days beforehand. Personality differences like this can be covered or overlooked with earnest love.

Many years ago, before we lived in Tawa, we had some friends over to our house. I happened to be folding towels at the time, putting the washing away, and one of our friends pointed out that I was doing it all wrong. Apparently my towel folding was offensive (or at least mildly irritating) to her. It didn’t bother me, nor was it sinful. It just wasn’t worth getting into an argument about. So I waited until she left and folded the washing in my own unique (Will) way.

An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of repair. Earnest love prevents those little irritations from getting a foothold and turning into full blown sins.  

Some of you may remember JP. JP passed away a couple of years ago but when he was alive I would sometimes visit him at his home in W. On more than one occasion, as men are inclined to do, we ended up talking in his shed. JP’s garden tools, his spade and trowel especially, were quite old and well used but he always kept them pristine and gleaming.

A coastal environment can be quite corrosive on metal tools but JP prevented any rust by always washing his tools after he had used them and then applying a thin coat of oil on the exposed metal.

Love that covers all wrongs is like the oil on JP’s tools. The oil of love actually protects relationships from corrosion and prevents sin from getting a foothold in the first place.         

Pray with clarity, love with forbearance and eat with others.

Eat with others

To be more accurate, Peter doesn’t literally say, ‘Eat with others’. He says offer hospitality to one another, or as the Good News translation puts it, open your homes to each other without complaining. Eating with others is of course something that normally accompanies the offer of hospitality.

In practical terms hospitality could mean giving people a meal or a bed for the night. But at a deeper level hospitality is about making room for people, creating a comfortable space for others, where they can feel safe to be themselves. In this deeper sense, making space to listen to others is one of the primary expressions of hospitality.   

In the context of the first century, hospitality was essential to the survival of the church. Missionaries and apostles relied on the hospitality of others as they travelled around preaching the gospel. The person who delivered Peter’s letter to the churches in Asia Minor would also have trusted the Christian community to give him a bed for the night.

Not only that but the early church didn’t have dedicated buildings for gathered worship. People used to meet in one another’s homes. It was a house church arrangement, sort of like when we were in level 2 lockdown and small groups of you got together for on-line services in each other’s living rooms.

For most of Jesus’ ministry he and his disciples were guests in other people’s homes. Luke 10 famously describes Jesus’ stay in the home of Mary and Martha. Martha became upset because she was left to do all the house work by herself while Mary sat at Jesus’ feet. Poor Martha was too frazzled to see that Mary was showing a greater form of hospitality by making space to listen to Jesus. Jesus defended Mary, without condemning Martha. 

Jesus wasn’t always the guest though. He showed hospitality to others as well. Jesus made himself available. He created a safe space in and around himself. He fed people with the word of God and he restored lost souls.

Jesus took the role of host on a number of occasions, most notably when he fed the multitudes in the wilderness and at the last supper when he washed the disciples’ feet. In some traditions the priest actually calls the communion bread ‘the host’ because it represents Christ’s body. When we share communion, Jesus is the host and we are his guests.

Hospitality, when it is preceded by prayer and love, creates the opportunity for intimacy and intimacy dissolves loneliness.

Pray, love, eat and serve. Servewith faithfulness.  

Serve with faithfulness

In verse 10 of chapter 4 Peter writes:

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,as faithfulstewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

A steward is a manager. Management or stewardship is about the effective and efficient use of resources. In this case the resources are the gift God has given you. To be a faithful manager, one must be thoughtful and diligent.

The thing about being a manager is that you don’t own the resource yourself. Someone else owns it and you are responsible for taking care of it and making the most of it. That means being clear in your own mind about what the purpose of the gift is and discerning in the way you use it.

Let me tell you a story to illustrate what it means to be a faithful manager.

Once, in the days before electricity and automation, there was a lighthouse keeper who had but one job – to keep the lamp burning at night so ships could find their way and not come aground on the rocks.

The lighthouse keeper was given an allowance of oil as fuel for the lamp. Each week he received a new batch of oil, just enough to keep the lamp of the lighthouse burning for seven nights until a new batch came. He could not afford to spare any oil or the lamp would go out.

One day a travelling merchant came by and asked the lighthouse keeper to sell him some oil at a fair price. But the lighthouse keeper refused and the merchant went away complaining about how unreasonable the lighthouse keeper was.

The next day a farmer came and asked to borrow some oil for the wheels of his wagon. But the lighthouse keeper refused and the farmer went away grumbling about how mean spirited the lighthouse keeper was.

Then on Saturday the minister of the local church came by asking for oil for the evening service the next day. But the lighthouse keeper refused him too and the minister went away to preach a vigorous sermon on the evils of greed.

The following day a poor widow came and asked the lighthouse keeper for some oil for her stove, because her children were hungry and her house was cold. The lighthouse keeper made an exception for her but he didn’t touch the oil set aside for the lighthouse lamp. Instead he gave her oil from his own stove and went hungry himself that night. He only had one condition: that she didn’t tell anyone.

Every day someone came wanting oil for some good reason or other and, except for the poor widow, the lighthouse keeper turned them all away empty handed. The lighthouse keeper remained faithful to his calling, always keeping the lamp lit.       

One night the merchant, the farmer and the minister all found themselves on a ship off the coast of where they lived. As they sat together, each with a glass of brandy in hand, complaining about the lighthouse keeper and the price of oil, a strong wind picked up and the seas began to swell.

Thick clouds blotted out the moon and stars, casting a heavy darkness over the sea and their thoughts. How would the captain find the harbour? How would he avoid the rocks? The conversation grew quiet.

Just then they saw it – the slow arc of the lighthouse keeper’s beacon, reaching out its giant arm of hope. Now they understood why the lighthouse keeper refused them oil. Now they were thankful. Never again would they say a word against the lighthouse keeper.

The ship made it safely to shore and over the next few days the three men put things right. The merchant brought a gift of oil to the lighthouse keeper for his stove. The farmer left ham and eggs on the lighthouse keeper’s door step and the minister preached a sermon on ‘Jesus the light of the world’, giving thanks for the keeper of our souls.           

What I like about this story is that it shows us we don’t have to be all things to all people. We are each given oil (a particular gift from God) in some form another. Our job is to be faithful managers of that oil, clear minded about the purpose of our gift and discerning about how best to use it in service to others.    

From verse 11 of chapter 4 Peter continues…

If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God.If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides,so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.

Peter is saying here that we have all been given a different gift from God. Our job is to be faithful managers of what God has entrusted to us. We are not to hoard our gift or hide it away. Nor are we to waste it or treat it cheaply. We are to be thoughtful in how we make the most of it in service to others.    

If God’s gifts to us are like water, then we are like a smart tap. A tap that knows when to turn on and when to turn off. We don’t produce the water ourselves, God does that. Our job is to release the water when it is needed. We don’t leave the tap running unnecessarily. Nor do we shut off the water supply altogether. We give drink to the thirsty and cleansing to the filthy.  

You may have heard me compare preaching to making a cup of tea. If the sermon is the tea, then the preacher is the tea pot. God puts the tea bags and hot water of his word into the preacher and lets it brew during the week. It is not comfortable for the preacher but it is necessary to the process. Then, on a Sunday, the preacher pours the tea. (Biblical preaching is one form of God’s hospitality for you.)

The purpose of our faithful service is that God may be praised through Jesus Christ. God gives a meaning and dignity to our service of others which makes it all worthwhile. Like the townsfolk in the story of the lighthouse keeper, people may not appreciate the way you manage the gift God has given you. But you are not doing it just for them. You are doing it primarily for God.     

Conclusion

Today’s passage ends with a doxology,

To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

A doxology is a short hymn of praise to God, a declaration of his glory.

A declaration of God’s glory often follows the contemplation of his gifts.      

Pray, love, eat and serve. This is Peter’s lifestyle advice for his readers.

What we notice with these practices is that they are ordinary everyday things. There are no grand gestures in view here, just small things done with great love.

In a few minutes we will share communion together.

Communion is a time to pray, love, eat and serve.

The musicians will come now to lead us in song as we prepare our hearts.

We love him because he first loved us…

Communion

If you would like prayer there will be someone available to pray with you after this morning’s service, at the front by the water cooler.   

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

  • What helps you to be ready and able to pray? How does a clear mind and self-control support prayer?
  • What would you do if the end were to come today?
  • What does Peter mean by ‘earnest love’, in verse 8? What does he mean when he says, ‘love covers over a multitude of sins’?  
  • Why is hospitality important to the Christian community? What is at the heart of true hospitality? How did Jesus practice hospitality? How do you practice hospitality?
  • What gift has God given you? What is the purpose of this gift? How are you managing the gift/grace God has entrusted you with?
  • Take some time to reflect on Peter’s four pieces of lifestyle advice: pray, love, eat and serve. Which of these do you sense needs your attention?  

[1] Refer Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1st Peter, page 275.

[2] Refer Thomas Schreiner’s commentary on 1st Peter, page 211.  

[3] Refer Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1st Peter, page 279. 

Tawa Baptist

Kevin

Scripture: Luke 17:11-19

  • Introduction
  • Kevin
  • Trevor
  • Jesus
  • Conclusion

Introduction

Sometimes we go through life unaware. Unaware of ourselves. Unaware of the burdens our neighbours carry. Unaware of the way our actions affect others, for good or ill. Unaware of what is just around the corner. No one thinks it will happen to them.

Kevin

Hi. My full name is a bit of a mouthful so you can just call me Kevin for short. It will make it easier for you. I know what you’re thinking, Will and I look exactly the same. The likeness is uncanny I know. But I’m actually slightly more handsome than Will (especially for my age) and better at preaching. Don’t say anything to Will though. He can be a bit sensitive about that sort of stuff.

Anyway, Will asked me to speak to you this morning because it is world leprosy day. I was born around 2000 years ago and lived in what you know as the middle east – on a hill in central Palestine, in the West Bank territory, to be more precise.

My father sold figs and other fruit in the local market. He was a kind man, probably too kind for his own good in his line of work. I loved being with him and he was happy for me to tag along.

Working in the markets as we did, bartering and haggling, you learned to be aware. Aware of who was around you and who was missing. Aware of regulars and tourists. Aware of small kindnesses and large injustices. Aware of those willing to pay a fair price and those who would rob you if they could. Aware of changes in mood and atmosphere – like the way people stiffened and closed up around occupation soldiers and then relaxed when the threat was gone. Always we were aware of honour and shame.

It’s not like that today. The people I see here, in your world, often seem unaware – plugged in and tuned out. It’s a self-preservation thing I suppose. You are saturated with information. Distractions are constant. I don’t blame you for using a filter. But it’s not good for you to be too closed off. You still need to let some light in.

My dad was aware. He let the light in. At the end of each day, when we were packing up and walking home he would always find something to be thankful for. Even on the seemingly bad days when we didn’t sell much fruit he still found something positive to focus on. Years later I came to realise it was his thankful attitude that funded his kindness.   

None of us know what’s around the corner. I certainly didn’t. My dad’s heart stopped when I was 14, which meant I became responsible for feeding the family. Just my mum and my younger sister. I carried on selling figs and I tried to be thankful but it wasn’t the same without dad. I made enough to get by but, financially, we sailed pretty close to the wind, like almost everyone else.

Things were okay for a couple of years and then I became aware of patches of discoloured skin on my body. There was a numbness in my finger-tips too, which was weird. I ignored it for a while. No one thinks it will happen to them.

Besides, I couldn’t afford to have anything wrong with me. I had to provide for my family. As the patches spread I did my best to cover them up. No one wants to buy fruit off someone who looks sick. But eventually I was found out. It was impossible for me to hide the loss of my eyebrows and eyelashes.  

One of my customers, the mother of a girl I quite liked actually, saw me fumble some fruit. It’s hard to hold onto things when you can’t feel them. She looked at my hand first, then at my missing eyebrows, before drawing a breath in horror and walking off quickly. The shame and humiliation of it was overwhelming.

Shortly afterwards I was aware of a change in the atmosphere. She must have told her neighbours because it wasn’t long before people in the market were whispering to each other and looking at me with disgust and fear, like I was an occupation soldier.    

Nothing is as dangerous as a crowd with an idea in mind. I packed up my fruit stand and headed home as quickly as I could. I didn’t get far though. The first blow was soft and hit me in the back of the head. Never saw it coming. Just a fig. The next blow was a lot harder though and hit me in the chest. A rock. Things were about to get ugly.  

It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. In Leviticus the law laid down protocols for dealing with people with skin diseases. I should be examined by a priest, in private. The priest was supposed to make the decision about whether I was clean or unclean and even then there was a seven-day self-isolation period. If my skin disease had not improved in a week then I was to leave.

But the crowd had taken matters into their own hands. They didn’t want my kind around. So I ran as hard as I could and I didn’t look back.

With tears streaming down my face, I wondered if I would ever see my mother and sister again. I couldn’t go home because that would put their lives in danger. What would happen to them now I wasn’t there to provide? There was no government welfare system.

People often aren’t aware of the burdens their neighbours carry or how their own actions affect others.

That night I took shelter under a mustard tree, hungry, cold and exhausted. My feet were bleeding but I couldn’t feel any pain. Not physical pain anyway. There was another kind of pain though, like an emptiness in my heart, that I was all too aware of. Some of you might know it as loneliness. Despite the emptiness I couldn’t find room to be thankful.

I never thought this would happen to me. And by ‘this’ I mean leprosy. We always think it will happen to someone else. But why shouldn’t it happen to me? It happens to someone around the world almost every hour. I wasn’t so special.

There is a randomness to life, it seems, that is as cruel as it is blind. Why should one person be born rich and another poor? Why should one man die in battle and another live? Why should some women lose their husband and their son while others never grieve? God is moral. I know that to be true. But the world we live in is not. We do not get what we deserve. We get what we get.    

I waited for sleep to overcome me, hoping I would never wake up. But God, who is intimately aware of the thoughts of the human heart, sent his angel to watch over me.

Trevor

We often think of angels as perfect heavenly beings, all clothed in purest white, with beautiful faces, fresh breath and soft wings. Yea, nah. The angel God assigned to me was a real fright to look at. His clothes were stained and ripped, his breath smelled like rotten fish and where his wings should have been there was just an unsightly hump.

But he was perfect. Had God sent someone clean and healthy and well-groomed I would have only hated myself all the more for being none of those things. Instead God sent me someone beautifully imperfect, someone I could feel comfortable with.

Trevor, whose real name you could never pronounce, may have been hard to look at but he was the kindest person I have ever met. In that way, at least, he reminded me of my dad. Trevor took care of me. He bandaged my feet, gave me food to eat and water to drink, introduced me to others like us and taught me how to survive.       

Not just physical survival but mental survival. Each of us walks a tight rope in our mind you see. Trevor helped me to keep my balance – to avoid self-pity, resentment, bitterness and other forms of self-harm. By his own example Trevor showed me how to keep a sense of humour, maintain healthy boundaries and take care of myself without disrespecting those around me.  

And he understood the Scriptures in a way that was fresh and simple and profound all at the same time. Ironically, Trevor used to be a Jewish priest. That’s especially ironic because I am a Samaritan, from the West Bank. I suppose in today’s terms that’s like saying I’m a Palestinian.

Traditionally Jews and Samaritans have a long history of tit for tat reprisals and enmity. We hate each other or at least we are expected to. But Trevor didn’t get that email. He loved everyone. It hardly matters when you have leprosy anyway. Leprosy effectively puts Jews & Samaritans, rich & poor, black & white in the same category – unclean, outcast, to be avoided at all costs.     

Trevor explained to me that being unclean was not a moral thing. It was a ceremonial thing. We were not bad people or at least not worse than anyone else. Having leprosy was not a punishment from God. We may have been unlucky but our misfortune did not make us any less loved by God.

Likewise, although we were not able to participate in rituals of community worship, we could still praise God. Trevor taught me that God doesn’t just live in a temple. He fills the whole earth. God is not impressed by aesthetics or how something looks on the outside. True worship comes from a thankful heart, he said. This reminded me of my dad. 

Not everyone in our community was as positive or enlightened as Trevor though. Living with leprosy, being estranged from your family, not knowing where your next meal is coming from, all that sort of stuff is hard. It’s next level hard. And when life is tough it tends to create callouses on the heart. Thankfulness is too easily swallowed up by cynicism.  

But Trevor’s heart never lost its feeling. I think this was because Trevor was aware. Aware of himself and aware of his neighbours. He understood the way his actions affected others. I suppose you might call that empathy or compassion. No one knows what is just around the corner though, not even Trevor.

He died, suddenly one night. Just went to sleep and didn’t wake up. Like my father I guess he was too good for this world. Death happened all the time in our community but that didn’t make Trevor’s passing any easier.

After Trevor’s death I almost lost my balance and fell off that tight rope in my mind. Somehow I managed to hold on by my fingertips. I wasn’t strong or wise or inspirational like Trevor. But I was aware there was no safety net for people like me. Holding on was all I could do. Sometimes though holding on is all you need to do.

Jesus

No one ever thinks it will happen to them. People never think they will win Lotto, but they still buy a ticket anyway, just in case. I never thought I would see my family again, but I still thought about them often and asked God to look after them.

It started out like any other day, no breakfast, just a gnawing hunger and the now familiar numbness. One of the men in our community, he used to be a doctor (leprosy doesn’t discriminate) asked me if I was coming with them. The man they called Jesus was rumoured to be passing by a couple of miles away.

This seemed strange to me. What was Jesus doing all the way out here on the border between Galilee and Samaria? I had nothing else to do so I joined the group. We had all heard about this man called Jesus, who apparently spoke with real authority, stood up to the religious authorities, drove out demons and healed people of all sorts of ailments. 

The ten of us walked in silence. There was no one around and therefore no reason to warn others we were coming. As we walked I felt something stir inside me. I didn’t recognise it at first because it had been a long time since I had felt it. It was hope. Hope is a frightening thing. Misplaced hope, hope that lifts you up only to dump you in a heap of disappointment, is dangerous.

Living with leprosy one learns to manage their hope. I had got into the habit of insuring against the loss of hope by thinking the worst. But that’s no way to live. You have to let some light in. You have to give yourself something to look forward to. Nothing too big. Just enough to keep you going.

So there I was, walking along in silence, aware of this tension within me. Torn between risking it all on this man they called Jesus and holding on to the security blanket of my despair. What if the rumours of Jesus passing our way were not true? Or even worse, what if the rumours were true but he rejected us? Rejection, by now, was my majority experience and it is very difficult to argue with your own experience.  

Unlike the other nine I had two strikes against me. Not only did I live with leprosy, I was a Palestinian from the West Bank and Jesus was an Israeli.

We came round a bend in the road and there he was. It’s strange how we had never seen the man before but somehow we knew it was him. Jesus had this presence about him. He was so centred, so completely at home in his own skin, so confident, without being a poser.

In your English Bibles it says that we stood at a distance and shouted out in a loud voice, ‘Jesus! Master! Have pity on us.’ The part about standing at a distance and shouting is true but that word translated in English as ‘pity’ isn’t quite right.

‘Pity’ urinates on dignity. It has a corrosive effect on your soul after a while. The pity of others makes you feel less somehow. It reminds you that you have nothing to offer, nothing the other person wants anyway. And it leaves you feeling worse than before. No, ‘pity’ is the wrong word.

In the Maori version of the New Testament, it says that we cried out for Jesus to have ‘aroha’ on us. Aroha is a better word. Aroha means love, affection or compassion. Aroha is what we wanted. Not money, not stones turned into bread, not a sign in the sky and certainly not pity. We wanted to be loved because when you are loved the emptiness in your heart is filled. When you are loved there is no room for loneliness but plenty of room for thankfulness.

Jesus saw us. I can’t begin to tell you what it means to be seen by Jesus. When you live with leprosy, people avoid looking at you. They pretend not to see you. They suddenly become interested in something on the ground. They don’t want to see you. But Jesus saw us. He looked at us and he understood the pain we were in, on the inside. My heart felt strangely warmed.   

Thinking about it later I reckon Jesus saw us because he was like us. Rejected, despised, misunderstood. There may have been a physical distance between us and Jesus on that road but there was communion with Christ in our hearts.

Jesus simply told us to ‘go and let the priests examine you’. This was in accordance with the law. Jesus was no liberal. Jesus did things by the book. Nor was he conservative though. Jesus transcended our categories and was in a class all of his own. He did something no one else has ever done. He fulfilled the law.

We hadn’t recovered from our leprosy though. At that point we were still unclean but we understood this was a test of faith. Naaman, the Syrian, was told by Elisha to wash in the River Jordan. Jesus told us to go and see the priests. So we obeyed, because Jesus had seen us and we trusted him.

I don’t remember the precise moment it happened but we hadn’t walked far when I became aware that the skin against my clothes was smooth again. Feeling had returned to my hands and feet. I felt around my eyes. The eyebrows and eyelashes had regrown. The ten of us looked around at each other. We had all been healed.

It was over. Our exile was ended. We were clean at last. We could finally go home to our families. We could find work and participate in worship once more. Maybe find a wife and start a family. All those things I hadn’t dared to hope for were now suddenly possible again.

We quickened our pace, looking for a priest to pronounce us clean as the law required. Then it occurred to me; Jesus was a priest of far higher standing than any in Jerusalem or Samaria. None of those priests could actually heal a person of leprosy. Jesus had healed me and so surely he could pronounce me clean.

I left the others and ran back to find Jesus. True worship comes from a thankful heart. I needed to worship God at the feet of Jesus. And so that’s what I did. Jesus is high priest and temple all rolled into one. In him the presence of God dwells.

When the man they call Jesus saw me do this he said to his disciples, “There were ten men who were healed; where are the other nine? Why is this foreigner the only one who came back to give thanks to God?”

Jesus was pointing out the irony to his disciples, that a Palestinian from the West Bank was more spiritually aware than the average Israelite was.

He called me a ‘foreigner’ because, from the disciples’ perspective, that’s what I was, a Samaritan. A traditional enemy to them. Someone they despised and thought was outside of God’s grace. Perhaps Jesus wanted his followers to become aware of their own prejudice. Maybe he wanted them to see that God loves all people, even Palestinian lepers.  

I’m not sure the disciples fully comprehended what Jesus was implying but eventually they would. Some years later a couple of those men came to the West Bank to tell us about Jesus, how he had been crucified and then raised to life on the third day. I welcomed them and they remembered me. 

I would have stayed there all day at Jesus’ feet but he said to me, “Get up and go; your faith has made you well.”

Jesus honoured me with his words. Those words gave me my dignity back. He is so generous. The credit for the healing belonged entirely to him and yet he shared the credit with me. He acknowledged the mustard seed of faith that I brought to the situation, respecting it like a precious pearl. For indeed it is.

Do you trust Jesus? Our trust is incredibly valuable to God. He treasures it more than we know.

Conclusion:

Sometimes we go through life unaware. Unaware of the hundreds of small miracles God performs for us each day. True worship comes from a thankful heart. A thankful heart funds kindness. My prayer for you is that you would let the light in and be aware that you are loved.

And if that seems impossible to believe right now, if you don’t want to take that kind of risk with your hope, then hold on. Jesus sees you.     

Will tells me you are going to sing a song now and collect a special offering for the leprosy mission.

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?

  • Who do you identify with most in the story Kevin told? Why is that do you think?
  • What does it mean to ‘let the light in’?  How might you let the light into your life?
  • In what ways did Jesus fulfill the law for the men he cured of leprosy?
  • Kevin made the comment that Jesus is high priest and temple all rolled into one. In what ways does Jesus function as a priest? In what ways does he function as a temple?
  • True worship comes from a thankful heart. Think of one thing from the past 24 hours that you are thankful for? Take some time to remain present to that thing in your mind. Write it down in your journal. Hold it in your awareness through the day. How might you express your gratitude to God? Repeat this ritual every day for a week (or as long as you can).
Tawa Baptist

Power

Scripture: Jonah

Audio Link: https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/sermon-recording-24-jan-2021

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Patient & Omnipotent
  • Wise & Equitable
  • Redemptive
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

You may have heard the saying: ‘Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men…’

This phrase was coined by Lord Acton, who was a British historian and politician during the 1800’s. He wrote this in a letter to an Anglican bishop. Whatever Lord Acton’s reason for writing about power in this way, it has stuck. It resonates with people. Generally speaking, we human beings are suspicious of power and reluctant to trust those who hold it.

Certainly we can think of many people throughout history who have abused power but really the problem is not power itself, the problem is with the human heart. Power simply reveals the contents of a person’s character. 

Sadly, a negative attitude to power tends to taint our faith in God. By definition God is the most powerful being there is and if we think that power corrupts then we may struggle to trust God.

We need to understand that God’s heart and character are quite different from that of a human being. This morning we are looking at five aspects of God’s character through the story of Jonah. That is, God’s patience, God’s omnipotence, God’s wisdom, God’s equity (or fairness) and God’s redemption. Firstly, let’s consider God’s patience and omnipotence.

Patient & Omnipotent:

Over the past couple of weeks, we have been fortunate enough to spend some time walking on the beach. The ocean is both powerful and patient. A beach is created over thousands of years as the surf gradually pounds stone and shell into sand. The work of the ocean points to the power and patience of God in transforming the human heart.

Patience is the ability to wait something out or endure something tedious, without losing your temper. Having patience means you can remain calm, even when you have been waiting ages or dealing with something painstakingly slow or trying to teach someone how to do something and they just don’t get it.

In Corinthians 13, when Paul writes about love, patience is the very first descriptor he uses. “Love is patient, love is kind…”

Patience, therefore, is an expression of love. 

Omnipotence simply means ‘all powerful’. Omni means ‘all’ or ‘everything’ and potence refers to ‘power’. Power is the ability to do something. To say that God is omnipotent, therefore, is to say that God can do all things; there is nothing beyond God’s ability or reach.

In the book of Jeremiah 32:27 the Lord says to the prophet, “Is anything too difficult for me?” It is a rhetorical question. The answer is clearly, ‘No, nothing is too difficult for the Lord’. God is omnipotent – all powerful.   

We see God’s patience and power in the story of Jonah…

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Ninevehand preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa,where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

You see, Jonah was an Israelite and Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria, the headquarters of Israel’s enemies. Most of the time when God told his prophets to preach a message against Israel’s enemies the prophets had the luxury of doing so from the relative comfort and safety of home. But God wanted Jonah to physically go to Nineveh and tell the Assyrians how bad they were.

Talk about a hospital pass. Jonah knew it was a bad assignment and so he got on a ship headed in the opposite direction. It was not that Jonah doubted God’s power. Jonah was quite convinced God could make the mission successful. And that was precisely the problem. Jonah did not want to be involved with saving his enemies. That would feel like a betrayal of his own people.

But God was patient with Jonah. In truth, God’s omnipotence (his power) is tempered or controlled by his patience. God waited for the ship to get out to sea and then he sent a storm. The storm was a frightening display of God’s omnipotence.

The pagan sailors did everything they could to save the ship but the storm just got worse. Meanwhile Jonah was asleep below deck. When the sailors woke him up he explained that he was running away from the Lord of heaven and earth, who made the land and sea. Their best chance of survival was to throw him overboard.

The sailors were honourable men and did not want to do this but eventually Jonah persuaded them and as soon as the prophet hit the water the storm stopped. Once again God’s omnipotence was on display, this time to bring a great calm.     

God’s omnipotence is not limited to the weather though. God has power over all things. God sent a giant fish to swallow Jonah whole. The incredible thing here is not that Jonah was eaten by a fish. The truly incredible thing is that Jonah was able to remain alive inside the fish. 

This may seem impossible to some of us but that is precisely the point: God is omnipotent, nothing is too difficult for the Lord. Not only that but God is in control, not Jonah and not us, which is just as well.

A giant fish that can swallow a man whole, without digesting him, is a symbol of God’s patient omnipotence. The Lord has the power to destroy Jonah but instead God uses the very same power to save his messenger.   

God’s omnipotence and patience go together. God did not get frustrated with Jonah. God did not use his power to kill Jonah. Nor did God use his power to overthrow Jonah’s will. It may have been much easier and quicker for God to find someone else to go. But God’s ways are not our ways.

God waits for Jonah and his patience is rewarded. After Jonah had repented from the belly of the fish, the fish spat him out on dry land and Jonah went to Nineveh in obedience to God. 

God’s patience (his fuse) is very long indeed. When the nation of Israel turned away from him, the Lord patiently waited for them to return for a couple of hundred years.

And he waits patiently for the world to turn to him again. As we read in 2nd Peter 3:9, The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.     

God’s omnipotence is tempered by his patience. What’s more, God is wise and equitable in his dealings with creation.

Wise & Equitable:

We live in a democracy but the Kingdom of God is not a democracy. The Kingdom of God is a theocracy, which means it is ruled by God. Heaven is a place where God’s will is done. This is not to imply that God is a dictator. No. Dictators are closed to the voice of the people and tend to eliminate anyone who disagrees with them. By contrast, God is secure enough within himself to be open to what his subjects have to say. God listens to people and takes our thoughts and feelings into account when making his decisions. That is one of the reasons we pray.

When Jonah finally made it to Nineveh his preaching was simple. “In forty days Nineveh will be destroyed.” At first that sounds like a very closed message. There is no hope in it. No call to repentance. No nuance. No clever illustrations. No compassion. No redemption. No PR. No subtle maneuvering of the media. Just doom and destruction.

Nevertheless, Jonah’s message was wise and fair. While God is patient, he is no one’s fool. God’s omnipotence includes the capacity to destroy. God must be worshipped. If we do not put God first (if we worship something else in God’s place) then God is well within his rights to exercise his power either to destroy the things we worship or to destroy us.

God gave Jonah that message for Nineveh because the people’s behavior was very bad. They were incredibly violent and ruthless. God’s sentence on the people may have seemed harsh but it was wise and equitable, it was fair. God could not, in good conscience, allow the Assyrians to run amuck oppressing other people groups. That would not be kind or just. 

Jesus said the measure we use for others is the measure God will use for us. If we are generous with others, God will be generous with us and vice versa. The Assyrians were violent in their treatment of others so God gave them fair warning, he would destroy them.    

We can see God’s wisdom in sending Jonah. While Jonah’s preaching was incredibly blunt, it was also without pretense or guile. He did not disguise his contempt for the Assyrians and this (paradoxically) made his message all the more believable. Had God sent a diplomat to speak smooth words, the people of Nineveh probably would not have believed the message.

In response the people of Nineveh decided that everyone should fast, which means go without food. And everyone from the least to the greatest was to put on sackcloth to show they had repented.

The king of Nineveh issued a decree that all people must pray earnestly to God and must give up their evil ways. Perhaps God will change his mind and we will not die, they thought. 

God saw what they did; he saw that they had given up their wicked behavior. So he changed his mind and did not punish them as he had said he would.      

The people were open to change their ways and so God was open to give them another chance. 

As much as it grated with Jonah to preach to his enemies, actually, it was in Israel’s interests. Having their enemies bow to Yahweh was a victory of sorts. From a political point of view, Nineveh’s repentance meant some respite for Israel.

Not only that but God’s mercy with the Assyrians offered hope to Israel when they strayed from God’s path. If God relented with the Assyrians, then how much more when Israel repented.

God is patient and omnipotent. He is also wise and equitable. Ultimately though, the Lord’s patience & power, wisdom & justice, all serve the purpose of redemption.

Redemption:

As I mentioned earlier, we were fortunate enough to walk the beach during our holiday. The beaches between Pekapeka and Paekakariki collect quite a bit of drift wood. As a consequence, you see these wooden structures at regular intervals along the beach. People have redeemed the drift wood and detritus for a creative and useful purpose. Human beings seem to have this insatiable urge to build shelters with whatever is at hand. 

I wonder if this urge to build and create and redeem reflects something of the residue of God’s image in us. It is interesting that when God became a man (in the person of Jesus) he chose to apprentice himself to a carpenter, a builder.

In any building or renovation project there is usually some demolition involved. But this demolition serves the ultimate purpose of creating and constructing something new and better.      

To redeem something is to reclaim it, to save it or restore it. God’s heart, his preference, is to redeem whatever he can. The story of Jonah is full of God’s redemption. Let me touch briefly on three examples.

First there is the way God redeems Jonah’s running away. God used Jonah’s disobedience to inspire the sailors’ worship.

I said before that the sailors were honourable men. They may have been pagans but they were good pagans. They had a moral compass and wanted to do the right thing. At the height of the storm, just before they reluctantly threw Jonah overboard, the sailors cried out to the Lord saying…   

14 “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man,for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly fearedthe Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vowsto him.

If Jonah had not done a runner, the sailors would not have encountered the Lord in the way they did. The sailors’ prayer shows us they believed the God of Israel to be powerful, just and wise. Jonah’s attempt to get away from the Lord actually resulted in the sailors getting closer to the Lord. That is the power of God’s redemption.

The second main act of redemption is seen when God changes his mind and decides not to destroy Nineveh. The people of Nineveh are similar to the pagan sailors in that they recognize the power and justice of God and submit themselves to the Lord in fear and hope.

The Assyrians’ redemption is not unconditional or automatic. Their redemption hinges on their response to Jonah, their enemy. Paradoxically they are saved by trusting the word of their enemy. Sort of like in the second Terminator movie when Sarah Connor is confronted by a Terminator who she thinks is out to kill her. But the Terminator (played by Arnie) says, ‘Come with me if you want to live’. The people of Nineveh were helped by their enemy. This shows God’s wise redemption.

But the one who is offered more redemption than anyone else is Jonah himself. At the beginning of the story Jonah is like the younger prodigal son who has run away from home. But God redeems Jonah and puts him on the right path again using a storm and a sea monster. 

By the end of the story though, after God relented and saved Nineveh, Jonah is more like the older son in Jesus’ parable (in Luke 15). Just as the older son stood outside the party refusing to celebrate the return of his younger prodigal brother, so too Jonah sat outside the city of Nineveh refusing to celebrate the Assyrians’ repentance and salvation. In chapter 4 of the book of Jonah we read,

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is why I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knewthat you are a graciousand compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life,for it is better for me to diethan to live.”

Jonah acknowledges that it is God’s heart and character to redeem but strangely this makes Jonah depressed. He’s had enough and wants it to be over.

There are any number of reasons why someone might become depressed, human beings are complex. But the cause of Jonah’s depression is related to his anger. If you hold onto your anger and resentment, if you bury it deep inside, the in-rage you feel will eventually result in depression.

This is not to suggest that all depression is caused by repressed anger. But we know it was the case for Jonah because God says to the prophet, “Is it right for you to be angry?”   

This is another rhetorical question. We all know it was not right for Jonah to be angry but Jonah has to arrive at that conclusion himself. Even though God is omnipotent he does not click his fingers and resolve the issue for Jonah. He makes Jonah do some inner (soul) work.

Jonah was angry and depressed but God did not give Jonah a pill or counselling or a support group or cognitive behavioural therapy, as helpful as some of those things may be. God patiently sought to redeem Jonah by giving him a parable. 

5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. [I imagine this shelter was similar to what one might see on the beach along the Kapiti Coast.] The Lord God provideda leafy plantand made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die,and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”

“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concernfor the great city of Nineveh,in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

And that is how the story of Jonah ends. God has the last word.

The Lord’s message to Jonah seems to be that Jonah is the one who is not being fair and equitable.

If it was up to Jonah the city of Nineveh would be destroyed but God’s power (his omnipotence) is different from the way human beings exercise power. God’s power is tempered with patience, guided by wisdom and equity and used to serve his redemptive purpose.  

Conclusion:

God is free to use his power as he wishes. Sometimes that will disappoint us and make us angry, as it did with Jonah. We do not control God and we cannot leverage his power for our own ends. We have to make peace with the fact that we are not in the place of God. We are not omnipotent. We have to embrace our powerlessness and let God be God. Or, as Jesus put it, we must pick up our cross and follow him.

Like Jesus’ parable of the two sons in, Luke 15, we don’t know how the story of Jonah ends. We don’t know whether the older son let go of his anger and joined the party. Nor do we know how Jonah responded. Did he sit with his resentment or did he find redemption?

This is not a rhetorical question. It is not an abstract theoretical debate about a man who lived thousands of years ago. It is a very real existential question that we must all face. If it hasn’t happened already it is just a matter of time before you will feel disappointed by God. When that day comes (and I expect for many of us here it has already arrived) I pray that we will be able to forgive.

Forgiveness is the greatest power available to us. It is the pathway to redemption.  

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  • What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  • How does God’s power make you feel? In what ways is God’s power different from the way human beings exercise power?
  • In what ways do we see God’s patience and power at work in the story of Jonah? In what ways are you aware of God’s patience and power at work in your own life?  
  • In what ways do we see God’s wisdom and equity (fairness) in the story of Jonah?
  • Discuss / reflect on the various aspects of God’s redemption in Jonah. For example, how does God redeem Jonah’s running away? How has God redeemed your mistakes?      
  • The people of Nineveh were saved by believing the word of Jonah, their enemy. Can you think of a time in your own life when God has used an enemy to help or save you?
  • Why does Jonah want his life to end? How does God help Jonah? What does Jonah need to do to find redemption? Have you ever felt disappointed by God, like Jonah? If so, how did you find redemption from resentment?
Tawa Baptist

Power

Scripture: Jonah

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Patient & Omnipotent
  • Wise & Equitable
  • Redemptive
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

You may have heard the saying: ‘Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men…’

This phrase was coined by Lord Acton, who was a British historian and politician during the 1800’s. He wrote this in a letter to an Anglican bishop. Whatever Lord Acton’s reason for writing about power in this way, it has stuck. It resonates with people. Generally speaking, we human beings are suspicious of power and reluctant to trust those who hold it.

Certainly we can think of many people throughout history who have abused power but really the problem is not power itself, the problem is with the human heart. Power simply reveals the contents of a person’s character. 

Sadly, a negative attitude to power tends to taint our faith in God. By definition God is the most powerful being there is and if we think that power corrupts then we may struggle to trust God.

We need to understand that God’s heart and character are quite different from that of a human being. This morning we are looking at five aspects of God’s character through the story of Jonah. That is, God’s patience, God’s omnipotence, God’s wisdom, God’s equity (or fairness) and God’s redemption. Firstly, let’s consider God’s patience and omnipotence.

Patient & Omnipotent:

Over the past couple of weeks, we have been fortunate enough to spend some time walking on the beach. The ocean is both powerful and patient. A beach is created over thousands of years as the surf gradually pounds stone and shell into sand. The work of the ocean points to the power and patience of God in transforming the human heart.

Patience is the ability to wait something out or endure something tedious, without losing your temper. Having patience means you can remain calm, even when you have been waiting ages or dealing with something painstakingly slow or trying to teach someone how to do something and they just don’t get it.

In Corinthians 13, when Paul writes about love, patience is the very first descriptor he uses. “Love is patient, love is kind…”

Patience, therefore, is an expression of love. 

Omnipotence simply means ‘all powerful’. Omni means ‘all’ or ‘everything’ and potence refers to ‘power’. Power is the ability to do something. To say that God is omnipotent, therefore, is to say that God can do all things; there is nothing beyond God’s ability or reach.

In the book of Jeremiah 32:27 the Lord says to the prophet, “Is anything too difficult for me?” It is a rhetorical question. The answer is clearly, ‘No, nothing is too difficult for the Lord’. God is omnipotent – all powerful.   

We see God’s patience and power in the story of Jonah…

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Ninevehand preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa,where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

You see, Jonah was an Israelite and Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria, the headquarters of Israel’s enemies. Most of the time when God told his prophets to preach a message against Israel’s enemies the prophets had the luxury of doing so from the relative comfort and safety of home. But God wanted Jonah to physically go to Nineveh and tell the Assyrians how bad they were.

Talk about a hospital pass. Jonah knew it was a bad assignment and so he got on a ship headed in the opposite direction. It was not that Jonah doubted God’s power. Jonah was quite convinced God could make the mission successful. And that was precisely the problem. Jonah did not want to be involved with saving his enemies. That would feel like a betrayal of his own people.

But God was patient with Jonah. In truth, God’s omnipotence (his power) is tempered or controlled by his patience. God waited for the ship to get out to sea and then he sent a storm. The storm was a frightening display of God’s omnipotence.

The pagan sailors did everything they could to save the ship but the storm just got worse. Meanwhile Jonah was asleep below deck. When the sailors woke him up he explained that he was running away from the Lord of heaven and earth, who made the land and sea. Their best chance of survival was to throw him overboard.

The sailors were honourable men and did not want to do this but eventually Jonah persuaded them and as soon as the prophet hit the water the storm stopped. Once again God’s omnipotence was on display, this time to bring a great calm.     

God’s omnipotence is not limited to the weather though. God has power over all things. God sent a giant fish to swallow Jonah whole. The incredible thing here is not that Jonah was eaten by a fish. The truly incredible thing is that Jonah was able to remain alive inside the fish. 

This may seem impossible to some of us but that is precisely the point: God is omnipotent, nothing is too difficult for the Lord. Not only that but God is in control, not Jonah and not us, which is just as well.

A giant fish that can swallow a man whole, without digesting him, is a symbol of God’s patient omnipotence. The Lord has the power to destroy Jonah but instead God uses the very same power to save his messenger.   

God’s omnipotence and patience go together. God did not get frustrated with Jonah. God did not use his power to kill Jonah. Nor did God use his power to overthrow Jonah’s will. It may have been much easier and quicker for God to find someone else to go. But God’s ways are not our ways.

God waits for Jonah and his patience is rewarded. After Jonah had repented from the belly of the fish, the fish spat him out on dry land and Jonah went to Nineveh in obedience to God. 

God’s patience (his fuse) is very long indeed. When the nation of Israel turned away from him, the Lord patiently waited for them to return for a couple of hundred years.

And he waits patiently for the world to turn to him again. As we read in 2nd Peter 3:9, The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.     

God’s omnipotence is tempered by his patience. What’s more, God is wise and equitable in his dealings with creation.

Wise & Equitable:

We live in a democracy but the Kingdom of God is not a democracy. The Kingdom of God is a theocracy, which means it is ruled by God. Heaven is a place where God’s will is done. This is not to imply that God is a dictator. No. Dictators are closed to the voice of the people and tend to eliminate anyone who disagrees with them. By contrast, God is secure enough within himself to be open to what his subjects have to say. God listens to people and takes our thoughts and feelings into account when making his decisions. That is one of the reasons we pray.

When Jonah finally made it to Nineveh his preaching was simple. “In forty days Nineveh will be destroyed.” At first that sounds like a very closed message. There is no hope in it. No call to repentance. No nuance. No clever illustrations. No compassion. No redemption. No PR. No subtle maneuvering of the media. Just doom and destruction.

Nevertheless, Jonah’s message was wise and fair. While God is patient, he is no one’s fool. God’s omnipotence includes the capacity to destroy. God must be worshipped. If we do not put God first (if we worship something else in God’s place) then God is well within his rights to exercise his power either to destroy the things we worship or to destroy us.

God gave Jonah that message for Nineveh because the people’s behavior was very bad. They were incredibly violent and ruthless. God’s sentence on the people may have seemed harsh but it was wise and equitable, it was fair. God could not, in good conscience, allow the Assyrians to run amuck oppressing other people groups. That would not be kind or just. 

Jesus said the measure we use for others is the measure God will use for us. If we are generous with others, God will be generous with us and vice versa. The Assyrians were violent in their treatment of others so God gave them fair warning, he would destroy them.    

We can see God’s wisdom in sending Jonah. While Jonah’s preaching was incredibly blunt, it was also without pretense or guile. He did not disguise his contempt for the Assyrians and this (paradoxically) made his message all the more believable. Had God sent a diplomat to speak smooth words, the people of Nineveh probably would not have believed the message.

In response the people of Nineveh decided that everyone should fast, which means go without food. And everyone from the least to the greatest was to put on sackcloth to show they had repented.

The king of Nineveh issued a decree that all people must pray earnestly to God and must give up their evil ways. Perhaps God will change his mind and we will not die, they thought. 

God saw what they did; he saw that they had given up their wicked behavior. So he changed his mind and did not punish them as he had said he would.      

The people were open to change their ways and so God was open to give them another chance. 

As much as it grated with Jonah to preach to his enemies, actually, it was in Israel’s interests. Having their enemies bow to Yahweh was a victory of sorts. From a political point of view, Nineveh’s repentance meant some respite for Israel.

Not only that but God’s mercy with the Assyrians offered hope to Israel when they strayed from God’s path. If God relented with the Assyrians, then how much more when Israel repented.

God is patient and omnipotent. He is also wise and equitable. Ultimately though, the Lord’s patience & power, wisdom & justice, all serve the purpose of redemption.

Redemption:

As I mentioned earlier, we were fortunate enough to walk the beach during our holiday. The beaches between Pekapeka and Paekakariki collect quite a bit of drift wood. As a consequence, you see these wooden structures at regular intervals along the beach. People have redeemed the drift wood and detritus for a creative and useful purpose. Human beings seem to have this insatiable urge to build shelters with whatever is at hand. 

I wonder if this urge to build and create and redeem reflects something of the residue of God’s image in us. It is interesting that when God became a man (in the person of Jesus) he chose to apprentice himself to a carpenter, a builder.

In any building or renovation project there is usually some demolition involved. But this demolition serves the ultimate purpose of creating and constructing something new and better.      

To redeem something is to reclaim it, to save it or restore it. God’s heart, his preference, is to redeem whatever he can. The story of Jonah is full of God’s redemption. Let me touch briefly on three examples.

First there is the way God redeems Jonah’s running away. God used Jonah’s disobedience to inspire the sailors’ worship.

I said before that the sailors were honourable men. They may have been pagans but they were good pagans. They had a moral compass and wanted to do the right thing. At the height of the storm, just before they reluctantly threw Jonah overboard, the sailors cried out to the Lord saying…   

14 “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man,for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly fearedthe Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vowsto him.

If Jonah had not done a runner, the sailors would not have encountered the Lord in the way they did. The sailors’ prayer shows us they believed the God of Israel to be powerful, just and wise. Jonah’s attempt to get away from the Lord actually resulted in the sailors getting closer to the Lord. That is the power of God’s redemption.

The second main act of redemption is seen when God changes his mind and decides not to destroy Nineveh. The people of Nineveh are similar to the pagan sailors in that they recognize the power and justice of God and submit themselves to the Lord in fear and hope.

The Assyrians’ redemption is not unconditional or automatic. Their redemption hinges on their response to Jonah, their enemy. Paradoxically they are saved by trusting the word of their enemy. Sort of like in the second Terminator movie when Sarah Connor is confronted by a Terminator who she thinks is out to kill her. But the Terminator (played by Arnie) says, ‘Come with me if you want to live’. The people of Nineveh were helped by their enemy. This shows God’s wise redemption.

But the one who is offered more redemption than anyone else is Jonah himself. At the beginning of the story Jonah is like the younger prodigal son who has run away from home. But God redeems Jonah and puts him on the right path again using a storm and a sea monster. 

By the end of the story though, after God relented and saved Nineveh, Jonah is more like the older son in Jesus’ parable (in Luke 15). Just as the older son stood outside the party refusing to celebrate the return of his younger prodigal brother, so too Jonah sat outside the city of Nineveh refusing to celebrate the Assyrians’ repentance and salvation. In chapter 4 of the book of Jonah we read,

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is why I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knewthat you are a graciousand compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life,for it is better for me to diethan to live.”

Jonah acknowledges that it is God’s heart and character to redeem but strangely this makes Jonah depressed. He’s had enough and wants it to be over.

There are any number of reasons why someone might become depressed, human beings are complex. But the cause of Jonah’s depression is related to his anger. If you hold onto your anger and resentment, if you bury it deep inside, the in-rage you feel will eventually result in depression.

This is not to suggest that all depression is caused by repressed anger. But we know it was the case for Jonah because God says to the prophet, “Is it right for you to be angry?”   

This is another rhetorical question. We all know it was not right for Jonah to be angry but Jonah has to arrive at that conclusion himself. Even though God is omnipotent he does not click his fingers and resolve the issue for Jonah. He makes Jonah do some inner (soul) work.

Jonah was angry and depressed but God did not give Jonah a pill or counselling or a support group or cognitive behavioural therapy, as helpful as some of those things may be. God patiently sought to redeem Jonah by giving him a parable. 

5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. [I imagine this shelter was similar to what one might see on the beach along the Kapiti Coast.] The Lord God provideda leafy plantand made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die,and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”

“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concernfor the great city of Nineveh,in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

And that is how the story of Jonah ends. God has the last word.

The Lord’s message to Jonah seems to be that Jonah is the one who is not being fair and equitable.

If it was up to Jonah the city of Nineveh would be destroyed but God’s power (his omnipotence) is different from the way human beings exercise power. God’s power is tempered with patience, guided by wisdom and equity and used to serve his redemptive purpose.  

Conclusion:

God is free to use his power as he wishes. Sometimes that will disappoint us and make us angry, as it did with Jonah. We do not control God and we cannot leverage his power for our own ends. We have to make peace with the fact that we are not in the place of God. We are not omnipotent. We have to embrace our powerlessness and let God be God. Or, as Jesus put it, we must pick up our cross and follow him.

Like Jesus’ parable of the two sons in, Luke 15, we don’t know how the story of Jonah ends. We don’t know whether the older son let go of his anger and joined the party. Nor do we know how Jonah responded. Did he sit with his resentment or did he find redemption?

This is not a rhetorical question. It is not an abstract theoretical debate about a man who lived thousands of years ago. It is a very real existential question that we must all face. If it hasn’t happened already it is just a matter of time before you will feel disappointed by God. When that day comes (and I expect for many of us here it has already arrived) I pray that we will be able to forgive.

Forgiveness is the greatest power available to us. It is the pathway to redemption.  

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  • What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  • How does God’s power make you feel? In what ways is God’s power different from the way human beings exercise power?
  • In what ways do we see God’s patience and power at work in the story of Jonah? In what ways are you aware of God’s patience and power at work in your own life?  
  • In what ways do we see God’s wisdom and equity (fairness) in the story of Jonah?
  • Discuss / reflect on the various aspects of God’s redemption in Jonah. For example, how does God redeem Jonah’s running away? How has God redeemed your mistakes?      
  • The people of Nineveh were saved by believing the word of Jonah, their enemy. Can you think of a time in your own life when God has used an enemy to help or save you?
  • Why does Jonah want his life to end? How does God help Jonah? What does Jonah need to do to find redemption? Have you ever felt disappointed by God, like Jonah? If so, how did you find redemption from resentment?
Tawa Baptist

Joy to the World

Scripture: Psalm 98

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Joy
  • To the World
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

I have here in my hand a piece of fruit, an apple to be precise. Apples do not take long to eat. Maybe five minutes if you are not in a hurry. They take a lot longer to grow. If I were to plant the seeds out of this apple and nurture them, it could take anywhere between 5 to 12 years before the seeds produced more apples to eat. That’s a long time.

Earlier in the year we did an Anthems series, featuring some of the hymns and worship songs of the Christian faith. Today, because we are in the season of Christmas Advent, we take a break from our series in First Peter to focus on the well-known Christian anthem Joy to the World.

Joy is like an apple tree, it takes time to grow and produce fruit.

Joy to the World was written by Isaac Watts back in 1719, over 300 years ago. Isaac was the minister of the Mark Lane Congregational Chapel, a large independent church in London. Part of his ministry included training preachers.

Most of you would have heard of Eugene Peterson, who translated the entire Bible into an English paraphrase, for modern readers, called The Message. Well, the song Joy to the World is also a kind of paraphrase of Scripture. Isaac Watts did a similar thing with the Psalms of the Old Testament. Joy to the World is Isaac Watt’s poetic translation of Psalm 98, verses 4-9.

Let me read you the whole of Psalm 98 now…

Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has made his salvation known
    and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
3 He has rememberedhis love and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;
5 make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,
6 with trumpetsand the blast of the ram’s horn—

 shout for joybefore the Lord, the King.

7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountainssing together for joy;
9 let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

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

Joy:

Joy is not the same as happiness. Joy is more resilient, deeper, less fleeting. There is a certain happiness with eating an apple, but that happiness does not last for long. Once the apple is eaten, and hunger returns, the happiness fades. Joy is more like the whole tree. Joy has its roots in the soil of hope. The tree of joy goes on bearing fruit year after year.

I said before that joy takes time to grow. Although Isaac Watts wrote the words for Joy to the World in 1719, his poetry was not put to music until over 100 years later, in 1836, by Lowell Mason. Some say that Mason’s tune was borrowed from the composer George Handel. Others say the similarity is coincidence. Whatever the case, the song Joy to the World started as a poem, much like an apple starts as a seed.

Isaac Watts never really intended the poem to be a Christmas carol. He was simply reinterpreting the psalms through the lens of Christ. What are these ancient songs saying when we understand the Lord (Yahweh) as referring to Jesus?      

Lowell Mason was a music teacher in the United States. He published Joy to the World during the Christmas season and it caught on as a Christmas carol celebrating the birth of Jesus. 

There is a certain joy in doing something creative. Whether that’s writing a poem or a song or doing wood turning or baking or painting. Whatever it is we create, takes on a life of its own that may be used by God in ways that we could never have imagined, much like Isaac Watt’s paraphrase of Psalm 98. 

We have compared joy to a fruit tree. We might also compare joy to the keel of a yacht. The keel is that part of the hull of a boat that we do not see because it is underwater. The keel keeps the yacht upright, especially in high winds. Without the keel the yacht would be prone to capsizing.

In the same way a keel lends stability to a boat, so too joy (born from hope) lends stability to our soul, especially in the storms of life.   

We have come through a pretty tough year in many respects. 2020 has been a perfect storm in many ways. Covid has affected so many different aspects of life, even more so overseas than in New Zealand. We are a bit sick of hearing about 2020 and all its difficulties so I won’t go on about it. We look forward (tentatively) to what 2021 might hold – hopefully something better.

This hope of a better year ahead is not unfounded. We have seen reports on the news of how a vaccine against Covid is being rolled out across the UK. While it may take some months for the benefits of this to be felt across the world, there is a certain joy in hearing a remedy is on its way. This joy acts as a kind of keel for our soul; it helps to provide some stability to our lives now.  

Psalm 98 begins with the phrase: Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things;

There are a number of psalms which talk about singing a new song to the Lord. This does not mean checking out the latest release from Hillsong. It means we have been through hard times and we are sick of singing the old songs of lament. We are sick of hearing and talking about Covid. We want something good to look forward to. God has given us a reason to stop singing sad songs and start singing joyful songs in praise of the marvellous things He has done. 

Walter Brueggemann classifies Psalm 98 as a Psalm of new orientation. Psalms of new orientation are songs written after a community has come out of a difficult time. Sometimes life throws us curve balls or is not fair and we go through a period of suffering and disorientation, when we do not know what way is up. After we have passed through the crucible of disorientation we emerge with a new orientation, a new perspective, a new way of looking at things.    

Most of the book of Job describes one man’s dis-orientation. But at the end, after God has spoken, Job sees things differently and is able to sing a new song. He is able to praise the Lord again. Job’s perspective has been enlarged, so now he has a new orientation, one which is deeper and broader in its scope.

Psalm 98 resonates with a number of experiences in Israel’s history, especially their experience of being set free from exile in Babylon. After nearly 70 years as captives in a foreign land, God let the exiles return home to Jerusalem and gave them a whole new orientation. Psalm 98 served as a helpful vehicle for praise in that situation.

While 2020 is only one year, and does not really compare with the many years of oppression Israel suffered in Babylon, Psalm 98 is the kind of song a community might sing after emerging from a year like 2020. It may also be the sort of song one might sing after emerging from a period of sustained personal grief or a crisis of faith.

To the World:      

Returning to our image of joy as an apple tree. You cannot eat all the apples yourself. Apples were made for sharing. Joy is multiplied in the sharing. In sharing your apples, you make friends with your neighbours and you get to feel good about doing something life-giving for someone else.

Psalm 98 is made up of three sections. Verses 1-3 are a call for Israel to praise God as their Saviour. Verses 4-6 are a call for all the peoples of the world to praise God as King. And verses 7-9 are a call for all creation (including the non-human world) to praise God as Judge.

The joy in view here is not just for a select lucky few. The joy is for the whole world. The joy is universal in scope.

Verses 1, 2 & 4 of Isaac Watts’ song capture something of the universal scope of the joy associated with Christ’s coming. Verse 1 reads:

Joy to the World; the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing.

As I mentioned earlier the Lord that Isaac Watts has in mind here is Jesus. The Lord Jesus is a King. Not just any king but the King of kings. To call Jesus ‘King’ is to say that all power and authority rests with him. Jesus is to be honoured and obeyed, not out of fear of punishment, but enthusiastically and willingly because he is a good King.

The joy is in knowing that Christ is a King who brings salvation and peace to the world, not war, oppression and misery as other kings might.  

Jesus’ coming is past, present and future. Jesus has come to earth as a baby born in a manger 2000 years’ ago. But we also await his second coming in glory, at some point in the future. Then there is the sense in which Jesus comes to us in the present, by his Spirit entering our heart.

Now it needs to be said that Psalm 98 does not talk about preparing room in our heart for the Lord. Isaac Watts borrowed that idea from the New Testament. And we can easily see the Christmas connection, with Mary & Joseph struggling to find a room to stay in when they went to Bethlehem for the census. 

What then does it mean to prepare Jesus room in our heart? I think this phrase is talking about at least two things: intimacy and imitation.

Firstly, intimacy. Your heart is your inner most core. It is a private place and a sacred part of yourself. It is rightly closed off from public view. The door of your heart has no handle on the outside. It can only be opened from the inside. Most people are not allowed access to your heart but you may choose to let some people in.

To let Jesus into your heart means to show him hospitality and share with him at the deepest level. Preparing room in our heart for Christ requires us to the make ourselves vulnerable and trust the Lord. It means being honest with him and letting him see how poor we are on the inside. To let Jesus into our heart is to risk loving him.

When you let someone in like that you allow them to know the real you. At the end of the day the thing that matters is not how many sermons we preached or how many people we healed. What matters, when all is said and done, is whether Jesus knows us. [1] 

So making room for Jesus in our heart is about intimacy. But it’s also about imitation, as in the imitation of Christ.

Your heart is to your soul what ground control is to an astronaut – it is the command centre. To prepare room for Jesus in our heart means to imitate Christ by taking our instructions from him, like an astronaut following the orders of ground control.

Your heart is to your soul what the Beehive is to New Zealand – it is the parliament in which decisions are considered and made. To prepare room for Jesus in our heart means to imitate Christ by letting him be our Prime Minister and following his lead.

Your heart is to your soul what a cockpit is to an aeroplane – it is the place from which you control yourself and set the direction for your life. To prepare room for Jesus in our heart means to imitate Christ by being his co-pilot. He is the captain and His Spirit is the navigator. We are not passengers in our own lives, sitting in the back eating biscuits and drinking coffee. No. We are in the cockpit actively flying our soul with Jesus alongside us setting the course.    

To prepare him room in our heart is about intimacy and imitation. We need to let Jesus in and we need to follow his example, because he is our King.

The universal scope of Jesus’ salvation comes out again in verse 2 of the song, which reads…


Joy to the earth, the Saviour reigns! Let men their songs employ;
While fields & floods, rocks, hills & plains repeat the sounding joy.

Jesus is not just the Saviour of humanity, he is also the Saviour of non-human creation as well: fields & floods, rocks, hills & plains. This is a way of describing all things high and low. The reference to floods is perhaps a poetic way of including all sorts of weather. As we heard a couple of weeks ago, nothing is beyond Jesus’ reach.  

One thing about joy is that it must be expressed. The kind of joy Psalm 98 and Isaac Watts are writing about cannot be contained. It is graceful and dignified. A mountain or a field does not make a lot of noise but its very presence, its natural beauty, echoes the permanence and majesty of God the creator.

We have likened joy to an apple tree and to the keel of a boat. Psalm 98 makes it clear that joy is also a positive energy, the energy that comes from hope.

If hope is like a wind turbine, then joy is the electricity generated by the turbine. Or if hope is like a hydro dam, then joy is the power generated by the hydro dam. Or if hope is like an open fire, then joy is the heat given off by the fireplace. Or if hope is like a candle, then joy is the light shining from the wick.  

You know when you are climbing a mountain, just putting one foot in front of the other, it feels like it’s taking forever and you are never going to get there, when all of a sudden you turn a corner, see the summit and realise the end is in sight. It is at that point, that you get a second wind. You get a fresh surge of energy to keep going and finish the climb.

Joy is that positive energy generated by hope, when we see the end in sight. It must be expressed. And what better way to express joy than in praise to God.

Verse 3 of Isaac Watt’s song is probably not familiar to most of us. We tend not to sing it. Verse 3 reads…


No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found.

This verse of the song does not come from Psalm 98, at least not directly. It comes from Genesis 3, where God curses the ground after Adam & Eve sinned by eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge.

Jesus’ coming is joy to the world because Jesus reverses the curse of sin. The idea that all of creation, including the ground, is affected by Christ’s coming is touched on in Romans 8 where the apostle Paul writes…

19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 thatthe creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

Jesus’ coming means joy for all creation because Christ liberates the ground from the curse of sin and he liberates human beings from our bondage to sin as well.

The last verse of Joy to the World reads…

 
He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness, and wonders of His love.

This verse roughly equates to the end of Psalm 98 where the author writes…

9 let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

Isaac Watts does not directly talk about Christ as a ‘judge’ but that is what he means when he refers to Jesus as one who rules the world with truth and grace.  

We might tend to shy away from the thought of judgement and may prefer to not think of Jesus as our judge. This may be because we have a distorted view of what judgement is. For us, here in New Zealand, judgement is associated with destructive criticism and putting people down. (Tall poppy syndrome.) But that is not what is meant by Psalm 98 or Isaac Watts.

Jesus does not judge the world with harsh criticism and blind condemnation. No. Jesus judges the world in a compassionate and discerning way with truth and grace. Truth sets people free and grace is something good that we do not deserve. With Jesus truth and grace always go together.

Furthermore, Jesus judges us as someone who is human himself. Jesus understands how difficult it is to walk this life. He wrestled with suffering and temptation as we all do, except he was without sin. To have a judge who is one of us, and who gets us, makes all the difference.

The other thing we note is that Jesus judges the world in righteousness. This means that he is fair and equitable. More than that though it means that Jesus puts things right. His justice restores people and things. Jesus did not come to punish and condemn. He came to make all things new. 

You may have heard the story of Fiorello LaGuardia, who was mayor of New York City during the worst days of the Great Depression and all of WWII.

One bitterly cold night in January 1935, the mayor turned up at a night court that served the poorest ward of the city. LaGuardia dismissed the judge for the evening and took over the bench himself. Within a few minutes, a tattered old woman was brought before him, charged with stealing a loaf of bread. She told LaGuardia that her daughter’s husband had deserted her, her daughter was sick, and her two grandchildren were starving. But the shopkeeper, from whom the bread was stolen, refused to drop the charges.

“It’s a real bad neighbourhood, your Honour.” the man told the mayor. “She’s got to be punished to teach other people around here a lesson.” LaGuardia sighed. I expect he was sick of hearing the same old sad tune. So the mayor did something new. He did something creative. Something that would take on a life of its own.

He turned to the woman and said “I’ve got to punish you. The law makes no exceptions—ten dollars or ten days in jail.”

But even as he pronounced the sentence, the mayor was already reaching into his pocket. He took out a $10 bill and tossed it into his famous sombrero saying: “Here is the ten dollar fine which I now remit; and furthermore I am going to fine everyone in this courtroom fifty cents for living in a town where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat. Mr. Baliff, collect the fines and give them to the defendant.”

The following day the New York City newspapers reported that $47.50 was turned over to a bewildered old lady who had stolen a loaf of bread to feed her starving grandchildren. [2]

I am pretty sure not everyone who appeared before the judge that evening got bailed out by the mayor. I imagine those without a good excuse paid the fine or went to jail, but that’s not the point. LaGuardia’s message was, we need to sing a new song. We need to get a new orientation. We need to be kind and learn to love our neighbour in creative ways.  

Mayor LaGuardia’s justice was an imitation of Jesus’ justice. It is a justice that restores. Jesus is a judge who puts things right and in the process gives us a new orientation. Jesus’ righteousness puts the whole world right. He makes all things new.

Conclusion:

Psalm 98 and the song Joy to the World are a call to worship – a call to share the joy. This call starts with God’s people and enlarges to encompass all of humanity and indeed all of creation. 

Jesus comes as a Saviour, a King and a righteous Judge and that is cause for real joy because it means Jesus is going to put everything right.

One final observation. Unlike many other psalms, psalm 98 makes no mention of enemies. The joy that God brings eclipses all evil and fills our soul leaving no room for bitterness or grief.

May the goodness of God fill us with joy so completely that all fear and anxiety, all bitterness and resentment would be cleansed from our hearts.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

[1] Refer Matthew 7:21-23

[2] Brennan Manning, The Ragmuffin Gospel, Multnomah, 1990, pp. 91-2

Tawa Baptist

AAA

Scripture: 1st Peter 4:1-6

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Attitude
  • Abstinence
  • Accountability
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Some years ago, before the internet, each household with a landline phone was given a telephone book. This book was quite thick (thicker than it is today) and was divided into two sections, a white pages and a yellow pages.

Since the book was organized in alphabetical order, some tradesmen used to put three AAA’s in front of their name so they would be the first in the phone book. The three AAA’s did not stand for anything necessarily. The idea was that the triple AAA Plumbing company was going to get more business because it was easier for people to find their number.

The internet is not organized in the same way, so putting three AAA’s in front of your company’s name does not really work anymore.     

Today we continue our series in the New Testament letter of first Peter, focusing on chapter 4, verses 1-6. This is a kind of triple AAA passage, except these A’s do stand for something: Attitude, Abstinence and Accountability. From 1st Peter 4, verses 1-6, we read…   

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead,so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

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

In this reading Peter addresses the need for Christians to have the right attitude to suffering, to abstain from immoral behavior and he reminds us that everyone will be held accountable to God for the way they have behaved in this life. Let’s start with the first of Peter’s three A’s; Attitude.

Attitude:

If you are in the police force or the fire service or if you work in the emergency department of a hospital, then you know that in your line of work you are going to face some fairly confronting situations. Although you are there to help people and to do good, not everyone is going to cooperate with you or appreciate your presence. Therefore, in going to work, you prepare yourself mentally.

In the same way a police officer puts on a stab proof vest and a firefighter wears special protective clothing and a doctor or nurse puts on PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) so too they arm themselves mentally with the right kind of attitude or mindset to cope with the unpredictable nature of their work.

In verse 1 of chapter 4 Peter writes: Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.

Peter’s first century readers were (generally speaking) not understood and not liked by the wider society in which they lived. Earlier in the letter Peter had described the Christian community as aliens and strangers in this world.

With this in mind believers needed to have the right mental attitude to suffering. Like a police officer or a fire-fighter, they needed to go into the day with their eyes open, not expecting it to be easy but being prepared to suffer in some way.

It’s like when a rugby player places themselves to catch the high ball. They do so knowing they are likely to get pummeled in a running tackle. Or an opening batsman in a test match knows they have to stay sharp to avoid the bouncers and body blows coming their way from the fast bowlers fresh with the new ball.

When Peter, says whoever suffers in the body is done with sin, he does not mean that believers have attained sinless perfection. Rather he means those who commit themselves to suffer, who willingly endure scorn and mockery for their faith, show they have triumphed over sin. [1] They show that their commitment to a new way of life is greater than their commitment to their old way of life. They are not perfect yet, but they are on a completely different path.

Now in saying that Christians should be mentally prepared to suffer, we need to be careful not to misunderstand Peter’s intention. The suffering in view here is as representatives of Christ. While God does have ways of redeeming any kind of suffering, it does not automatically follow that all suffering is good. Sometimes suffering can cause us to walk in the way of righteousness and other times it actually makes us more vulnerable to sin.

For example, if you grew up with alcoholic parents and suffered as a child because of it, that suffering might motivate you to avoid the same mistakes that your parents made. But it might also make you more susceptible to following in their footsteps.

Or if you suffer from loneliness, then it could have the effect of softening your heart and making you more open, more kind, more available to those who don’t fit in easily. Then again it could drive you to drink or adultery.

Suffering, in the form of depression, can reduce your capacity to enjoy bodily pleasures (like eating and drinking and sex). But by the same token it can also rob you of hope and take away your ability to praise God. Losing all lust for life is not a good thing.

Suffering can take you down any number of paths. Suffering is not intrinsically virtuous. So we don’t want to go looking for suffering. There is enough suffering in this life without adding to it. The suffering of illness. The suffering of old age. The suffering of wars and pandemics and economic hardship. The list goes on. Better to try and enjoy life within God’s boundaries.

In any case, the kind of suffering Peter has in mind in these verses is not the random suffering anyone might experience in life. Rather it is suffering as a consequence of doing God’s will. Verse 2 of chapter 4 makes it clear that our attitude or mind set needs to be oriented towards God’s will, even if that means some discomfort for us in this life.

We won’t always get a hard time from non-Christians for being faithful to God. In fact, we may get respect. But Peter’s readers lived in a culture that earned them dishonor and disrespect for living a Christian lifestyle. Because the way of Jesus is foreign to the ways of the world, it is inevitable that Jesus’ followers will suffer through their association with Christ.    

Jesus certainly had a mindset, an attitude and an orientation of being obedient to his heavenly Father, even if that meant suffering. Jesus consciously and intentionally embraced his God given calling.

In Luke 9, we read that Jesus set his face like flint toward Jerusalem. Jesus knew it was God’s will for him to go to Jerusalem where he would suffer and die. Did he want to suffer like this? No, not really. But he set out resolutely – he steeled his mind, he armed himself with the right kind of mental attitude, to face the coming trial.

We see Jesus’ attitude to suffering for the will of God most clearly in the Garden of Gethsemane, where he prepared himself for the pain of the cross. In Luke 22:44 we read: And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

Jesus armed himself with the right attitude through anguished prayer.

Now, while it is true that we need to be mentally prepared to suffer for doing God’s will, wisdom requires us to maintain a healthy balance in our attitude. No one can function at high alert all the time. No one can sustain Gethsemane level intensity for very long.

When a police officer or fire-fighter or ED worker finishes their shift, they need to take time off to relax and decompress. They need to find something else to think about so the job does not swallow them whole.

While we can never really switch off from being a Christian (because it’s a 24-7 gig) we still need to make sacred time and space to enjoy life in a healthy way. We need to stop sometimes and recognize the good news. If we go into every day thinking: ‘Here we go again, another round of suffering for Jesus’, then we run the risk of developing a siege mentality and always expecting the worst.

So there is a balance to find here in our attitude, between being ready to suffer for righteousness and ready to celebrate the good things.

Okay, so having the right attitude is Peter’s first A. The second A stands for abstinence.

Abstinence:

Getting baptized and becoming a Christian means abstaining from certain behaviours that do not characterize Christ. To abstain means to not do something.

A couple of months ago there was a short series on TV3 called Match Fit. Match Fit featured a number of ex-All Blacks, who Graham Henry & Buck Shelford brought out of retirement to play in a one off game against a Barbarians side.                     

Most of these players were out of shape. The programme showed some of the things they did to get ready to play at Eden Park. A big part of the preparation was having the right mental fitness, the right attitude. They had to get their head sorted at the same time they worked on their bodies.

Getting match fit also required the players to make a radical change to their lifestyle. They had to re-establish healthy routines of eating, training and resting. This meant a certain amount of abstinence. No more eating pies and chips and lollies.

One of the things their trainer said, which stuck with me, was that when you take something bad out of your diet, replace it with something good. So don’t just abstain from eating chocolate biscuits. Don’t just go hungry. Eat a carrot or an apple instead because your body still needs fuel to function.

In verses 2-3 of chapter 4, Peter writes:      

As a result, they [meaning those who have the same attitude as Christ] do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.

Peter is talking here about abstaining from self-indulgence and immoral behavior. He is saying, when you abstain from debauchery, drunkenness, orgies and idolatry, replace these things with the will of God. The will of God is healthy food for us. The will of God is like fruit and vegetables for our soul. It might not always be to our taste but it is good for us and it sustains us.

Now some of the words in Peter’s vice list are self-explanatory, like drunkenness, we all know what that looks like. But there are a couple of words there that you may not be familiar with like ‘carousing’ for instance. Carousing is another word for a loud drinking party. The sort that brings noise control out. Like ‘crate day’.  Debauchery refers to an over indulgence in bodily pleasures, particularly sexual pleasures. And idolatry is the worship of anything other than the one true God.

Eating and drinking and having sex with temple prostitutes was often part and parcel of the pagan religions of Peter’s day. The Romans and Greeks had made a religion out of debauchery and carousing. For them getting drunk and having orgies was not considered bad behavior. For them it went hand in hand with appeasing the gods and being a good citizen. 

In contrast to the paganism of the first century, a Christian lifestyle is not characterized by excess, but by moderation. Balance is important. It is usually better to avoid extremes because the pendulum of desire has a way of swinging back in the other direction.

In other words, it is okay to drink alcohol so long as you don’t get drunk. Of course, if you are not able to stop at one drink then you are best not to start drinking at all. It does not work to go out on a bender on Friday night and then sing worship songs in church on a Sunday as if Friday night did not happen.

Likewise, it is okay to celebrate with a party but the purpose of the party should not be to get intoxicated. The purpose should be to express thanksgiving and build healthy relationships with others.

And, for Christians, there is nothing wrong with enjoying sex, so long as it is within a loving marriage relationship.

Worship is good too, but only worship of the living God. We must not put anything else in the place of God Almighty.

The point is, we need to abstain from self-indulgent excesses and instead replace that behavior with doing God’s will. This is more sustaining to our soul and more consistent with the life Jesus lived.     

Jesus famously went without food in the wilderness for 40 days. The rest of the time though he was quite happy to enjoy people’s hospitality and go to parties. Jesus abstained from lots of things during his life. He abstained from bitterness and revenge. He abstained from hypocrisy and deceit. He abstained from sex and bad language. Jesus had perfect control over himself – both his mind and his body. And there is a certain peace and empowerment that comes with that.

How was Jesus able to do this? In John 4, after speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus’ disciples urged him to eat something. But the Lord said to them, I have food to eat that you know nothing about… My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

There is a fulfilment and meaning in doing what God wants us to do, which satisfies and sustains our soul, in a way that nothing else can.

Jesus was able to abstain from self-indulgent excess because he had the right attitude. His mind set was to obey the will of God for him, even when that meant suffering.

The other thing that helps us to do the will of God is accountability.

Accountability:

In the Match Fit TV series, the players underwent a special body scan at the beginning of their training to measure their body fat and metabolic age. Then at the end of the series, after they had trained for a couple of months, they had a second scan to see what difference the training had made. All of them improved to some degree or other. That second scan was their accountability.

They had another measure of accountability too; a fitness test known as the Bronco. With the Bronco players run shuttles of 20, 40 and then 60 meters. This set is repeated 5 times. The goal is to do this as quickly as possible.

If you are going to be on national TV, you don’t want to make a fool of yourself. When the day of accountability comes and they measure your visceral fat you want to have better stats than when you started. Same thing with the Bronco. When the day of accountability comes you want to have a faster time.

From verse 4 of chapter 4 we read:

They [that is, the pagans] think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

Notice the poetry in that phrase, flood of dissipation. It creates a connection with God’s judgement through the flood of Noah’s day.  

Many of Peter’s readers used to live a pagan lifestyle, complete with orgies and wild drinking parties. But when they were baptised and became Christians they stopped all that. As a consequence, they were ridiculed and verbally abused by their ex-drinking buddies.

As I said earlier, the pagan society of the first century had made a religion out of debauchery so, in their mind, Christians were bad citizens for not appeasing the gods and going along with their rituals. In fact, the pagans used to refer to Christians as ‘atheists’ because they refused to participate in the worship of the Roman & Greek gods.

Peter is saying that those who criticize and malign Christians will have to give account to the one who judges the living and the dead. In other words, everyone who has ever lived, past, present and future will be accountable to God Almighty for the way they have conducted themselves in this life.

Some will be vindicated by God (because of their loyalty to Jesus) and others will condemn themselves by the choices they have made.         

In verse 6 of chapter 4 Peter continues the theme of accountability where he writes: For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead,so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

This is one of those bird’s nest verses, if you remember last week’s sermon. People have got themselves into all sorts of tangles trying to unpick the meaning here.

Some think this verse is talking about Jesus preaching the gospel to the dead so they can be saved. While that idea is attractive in some ways, it is not consistent with the teaching of Jesus and it is not what Peter is getting at here.

Let me explain. The pagans of Peter’s day could dismiss the Christian faith by saying that Christian believers died in the same way as unbelievers. So if everyone succumbs to the same fate (of physical death) then what is the point of suffering and abstaining from bodily pleasure as Christians do?

Good question. What is the point? The point is, this life is not all there is. Physical death is a kind of judgment but it is not the final judgment. Those Christians who are now dead might be judged by non-Christians to have wasted their lives. But actually death is not the last word for believers. Those people who are now dead, but who put their faith in Jesus while they were still alive, will one day be acquitted at the final judgement and raised to eternal life with Christ.

This might seem like old hat to us but it was welcome news for Peter’s readers. We need to remember that the death of Christians created a problem for the church in the time of the apostles. It made some people think those who died before Jesus returned had missed out on their reward. But that is not the case at all. The dead in Christ will be raised to life also. 

Peter probably had in mind the Wisdom of Solomon when he wrote verse 6. From chapter 3 of the Wisdom of Solomon we read:

“But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself…” [2]

In basic terms both Peter and the writer of the Wisdom of Solomon are saying:

The wicked wrongly think the death of the righteous is a punishment and so the righteous are no better off. What the wicked do not understand is the difficulties of the present are only temporary. Believers have a future hope of eternal life. [3]

Conclusion:

Peter’s triple AAA gospel not only offers the promise of heaven. It stands for something in this life as well: Attitude, Abstinence and Accountability.

Let me leave you with a couple of questions:

Which of the three A’s is most difficult for you?

And what do you think Jesus would suggest you do about that? 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

  • What attitude or mind-set do you face the world with? Is this working for you? How is your attitude similar to (or different from) the attitude Peter recommends in 4:1?
  • What examples do we see in the gospels of Jesus’ attitude to suffering and obedience to God?  How might we arm ourselves with the same attitude as Christ? How might we keep a healthy balance in our mind-set?
  • Why did the pagans of the first century ‘heap abuse’ on Christians? Why do we need to abstain from the vices Peter lists in 4:3? Why is moderation helpful to aim for?
  • In what sense is God’s judgement a source of hope for Christian believers?
  • What does Peter mean in 4:6? What first century issues / questions was Peter addressing in this verse?
  • Which of the three AAA’s (Attitude, Abstinence or Accountability) is most difficult for you? Why is this do you think? What little steps of improvement can you make in this area? 

[1] Refer Thomas Schreiner’s commentary on 1st Peter, page 201.

[2] Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-6.

[3] Refer Thomas Schreiner’s commentary on First Peter, page 209. 

Tawa Baptist

Reach

Scripture: 1st Peter 3:18-22

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Righteousness & Atonement
  • Exaltation & Confidence
  • Conclusion – Humanity

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

If you have ever been fishing with a rod and reel then you will know the importance of not getting your line in a tangle. If you let out the fishing line too quickly the nylon on the reel turns into a birds’ nest. When that happens you just have to slow down and let the line all the way out, until it is untangled, then wind it back up again.

Untangling fishing lines is good practice for brushing knots out of children’s hair and untangling your wife’s necklaces.

This morning we continue our series in first Peter, focusing on chapter 3, verses 18-22. This passage is a bit of birds’ nest. No disrespect to Peter but people throughout the centuries have got themselves into all sorts of knots trying to understand what Peter meant. Even the great reformer, Martin Luther, said he could not understand this passage. What may have been obvious to Peter’s first century audience is simply lost on us. So we approach this reading with humility, being honest about the limits of our knowledge.

From first Peter chapter 3, verses 18-22, we read…     

18 For Christ diedfor sins once for all,the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 through whom alsohe went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison 20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patientlyin the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were savedthrough water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also — not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good consciencetoward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand — with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

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

Just as it is important to avoid getting your fishing line in a tangle, so too we need to keep our thoughts in order when we read Scripture. To save any intellectual birds’ nests, the big idea of today’s message is: nothing is beyond Jesus’ reach. The victory and Lordship of Jesus is comprehensive in its scope, both in this world and in the spiritual realm. So that’s the headline: ‘Nothing is beyond Jesus’ reach.’

With that in mind, there are five things in today’s text that I want to draw your attention to, and they are all about Jesus. These verses speak of the righteousness of Christ, the exaltation of Christ, the atonement of Christ, the confidence we can have in Christ and the humanity of Christ.

Righteousness, Exaltation, Atonement, Confidence and Humanity. R.E.A.C.H. It spells reach. First let’s consider the righteousness of Christ and the atonement of Christ together – because they go hand in hand in Peter’s thought here.

Righteousness & Atonement:

Righteousness has to do with right relationship – acting with justice and kindness in our relationships with others. Loving God and loving our neighbour.

Atonement also has to do with relationship. In very simple terms, the meaning of atonement can be found in the syllables: At-one-ment. If we do something unrighteous (something unjust or unkind) in our relationship with another person, then the relationship is no longer one. It is damaged. Perhaps not broken into a thousand pieces but at least fractured, no longer whole.

For us to be in right relationship with that person again we must make atonement – we must do something to put the relationship right so we are at-one with that person.     

Let me illustrate what I mean. I have here a packet of biscuits from the kids’ Sunday school. This packet is unopened. It is one. It is whole. None of the biscuits are missing. But what if I were to open the packet and eat one or two of the biscuits?

Well, if I did that (and I’m not saying that I have) but if I did, then the packet of biscuits would not be one anymore. I could not, in good conscience, give the Flock Sunday school kids a half-eaten packet of biscuits. What would I need to do to make atonement in that situation do you think?

[Wait] That’s right. I would need to replace the biscuits. Then my relationship with the kids and my relationship with myself (my conscience) would be right again. It would be at-one and whole.   

Of course, replacing a packet of biscuits is an easy thing to atone for. But some things cannot be replaced. If you break someone’s heart or betray their trust or do something that cannot be undone, then it becomes far more difficult to put the relationship right again and atonement feels out of reach. Well, it might be out of reach for us but it is not out of reach for Jesus.  

In verse 18 of chapter 3 Peter writes: For Christ diedfor sins once for all,the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.

This verse is talking about the atonement Jesus made for humanity on the cross. Jesus was completely righteous in all his ways. He alone is the only human being to have lived a sinless life and so he alone is the only one who can atone for the rest of us who have sinned and cannot atone for ourselves.

In the Old Testament Jews would atone for their sins (they would replace the biscuits they had stolen) by sacrificing an animal, one without blemish, one that was whole and healthy. That was a ritual they had to keep repeating. It was like the atonement did not stick. It was only temporary. So righteousness, of a lasting kind, was always out of reach for them.

But Jesus died for sins once for all. The quality of his sacrifice was sufficient to atone for all sins through all time, so there is no need for any more animal sacrifices. Jesus does not just replace the packet of biscuits. He redeems the whole biscuit factory.

Jesus died for sins to bring us to God. You see, we have all broken trust with God. We have all done injury to God’s heart. We have all taken something that cannot be replaced. That’s the bad news. The good news is that Jesus’ death somehow makes us at-one with God again. Jesus’ death and resurrection brings right relationship, with God, within our reach.

Our salvation is not automatic though. While the atonement of Jesus is a permanent fix and while it does bring righteousness within reach, we still have to take hold of it by faith. And this is what Peter is getting at in verse 21 of chapter 3 when he talks about baptism:

…and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also — not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good consciencetoward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Baptism is the ritual of Christian initiation. It is a beginning.  It is how we demonstrate we want to be a Christian. Baptism is a way of publicly saying, ‘I want to take hold of the righteousness that is now within my reach because of Jesus’ death and resurrection.’

Notice that it’s not just Jesus’ death which saves us but his resurrection also. Jesus’ death and resurrection go together. Baptism is a symbolic re-enactment or identification with Jesus’ death and resurrection. When we go down under the water we are saying, ‘my old way of life is now dead to me’. And when we rise up out of the water we are saying, ‘I pledge to live for righteousness.’

Peter wants to make it clear that it is not the ritual of baptism itself that saves us. The water is not magic. It is Jesus’ death & resurrection that saves. Baptism is a way of asking God (on the basis of the atonement Jesus made) to cleanse our conscience and forgive our sins.

Sometimes people put off being baptised because they feel like they are not good enough yet. Baptism is not a badge that says you’ve made it. It is a confession that says you are a sinner (you’ve eaten the biscuits and you can’t replace them) but you want to live for righteousness. So you don’t you have to be perfect in order to be baptised but you do need to be prepared to make a few changes to your lifestyle. Baptism does not mean business as usual.  

Okay, so we are talking about how nothing is out of reach for Jesus and he brings righteousness and atonement within reach for us.

In this morning’s reading Peter also focuses on the exaltation of Christ and the confidence this gives to Christian believers.

Exaltation & Confidence:

We live in a relatively egalitarian society here in New Zealand. One which is quite flat in terms of its social structure. No one likes to stick out too much. In some ways this is good. We enjoy a certain degree of equality; of being on an even footing with others. But the shadow side to this is tall poppy syndrome. Tall poppy syndrome is a phrase which means cutting people down who might succeed or rise above the rest.

New Zealand is not like other countries. We are less inclined to celebrate success and more inclined to criticize those who do well. Which sounds crazy, when you say it like that, but it’s true.

A couple of weeks ago a guy called Jay came and spoke to a group of Wellington Baptist pastors. Jay is the national coordinator for 24-7 youth work in New Zealand and he is also the founder of a movement called E Tū Tāngata.

E Tū Tāngata is a Maori term.  E Tū means stand and Tāngata means people. But it translates as Stand Together. E Tū Tāngata is about people standing up together against tall poppy syndrome. That means valuing ourselves and others. Not putting ourselves or others down.

When speaking to groups of people Jay often asks the question, ‘On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate yourself?’ (10 being absolutely amazing and 1 being not great). Most people say they are a 6 or 7, because they live in New Zealand and that’s the right answer in kiwi culture. We want to be just above average but not too far above the rest because then we will get cut down. 

The problem with tall poppy syndrome is that it infects our mind-set. It puts us on a downward mental spiral. Life is hard enough without being hard on ourselves too. We need to be on our own side.       

When the Bible talks about the exaltation of Christ it means the lifting up of Jesus. The exaltation of Christ includes his resurrection from the dead, his ascension to heaven and his enthronement at the right hand of God. Peter spells this out in verse 22 where he says:   

[You are] saved by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand — with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

Jesus’ exaltation makes him the tallest poppy around and in New Zealand culture that also makes him (and his followers) a target.  

As kiwis we might hear those verses about Jesus’ exaltation and think: Not sure I like that image of Jesus. I liked him better when he was washing feet and being a carpenter and rubbing shoulders with ordinary people. I liked him better when he was more on my level.

The truth is Jesus has always been a 10 and that’s okay. In fact, it is good news, because Jesus being better than us (his being perfect) is what brings righteousness and atonement within reach. God wants to raise us up. He wants us to realise that, in Christ, we are 10’s also.   

You know, tall poppy syndrome makes us blind and deaf to certain things. When we read that verse in the gospels where Jesus talks about loving your neighbour as you love yourself, we might hear, ‘I must love my neighbour and whenever I fail to love my neighbour I’m no good, I’m a 1 or a 2’. Something else to feel stink about.  

But we can be slow to hear the second part of what Jesus is saying there which is love yourself. Love in this context means to seek the well-being of your neighbour and yourself. We cannot sustain love for our neighbour out of an empty well. Loving yourself means taking care of your own needs. Not being self-indulgent but having grace for yourself. Not being too hard on yourself. Not letting your inner critic dictate a mantra of negative self-talk. 

The exaltation of Jesus is something for us to celebrate because it gives us confidence. Who do you want to see exalted? Who do you want to see in charge? Do you want someone who doesn’t know what they are doing? Who makes poor decisions and cannot be trusted? Or do you want someone who is wise and kind and just? Someone who is firm but fair, strong but also compassionate. I think we all want the latter. We want Jesus to be lifted up because he can be trusted. The exaltation of Christ gives us confidence. Confidence to reach for righteousness and peace. Confidence to love our neighbour as we love ourselves.     

Verses 19 and 20 of chapter 3 are among the most knotty in the Bible. This is where the birds’ nest often comes into play. Peter writes:

Jesus was… made alive in the Spirit. 19 through whom alsohe went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison 20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patientlyin the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were savedthrough water,

Much ink has been spilt by scholars trying to understand these words. While we cannot fully comprehend exactly what Peter is saying here, the general gist seems to be that the exaltation of Christ gives Christian believers confidence.

Say whaaat? Let me explain.    

Peter says that Jesus made proclamation to the spirits in prison who disobeyed in the days of Noah. Who these spirits are and where the prison is exactly is disputed. I won’t confuse you with all the different theories but I will present you with the majority opinion among Bible experts today.

You may remember from the series on Noah, a few months ago, that the people of Noah’s day were so bad that God gave up on them and decided to start again with Noah and his family. It is thought that the spirits Peter refers to were the evil spiritual beings of Noah’s time who, according to Genesis 6, overstepped God’s boundaries by sleeping with human women.

In Jewish tradition these fallen angels were behind a lot of the bad stuff that happened in Noah’s day, so God locked them up in a prison somewhere in the spiritual realm. Jesus went to these spirits in prison to let them know he had conquered sin and death and so he is in charge. Sort of a victory speech.

The message to Peter’s readers is to be confident in their suffering for Christ because Jesus still reigns and rules. He has not surrendered believers to the power of evil forces. Jesus triumphed over all evil by his death & resurrection. By implication those who put their faith in Christ and share in his suffering will also share in his exaltation and reign with him. [1]

Suffering with and for Christ is a reason for confidence, because it is the path to exaltation.

Peter was comparing the fledgling church of the first Century to Noah and those with him in the ark. The Christians of Peter’s day were like Noah and his family; a small minority in a world that was hostile to them. But they could be confident that, like Noah, their future would be secure when the flood of God’s judgement came.

The fact that Jesus is exalted to the highest place means that nothing is out of reach for Jesus. As the psalmist says:

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

Nothing is out of reach for Jesus.

Conclusion:

The H in our REACH acrostic stands for the humanity of Jesus. Verse 18 tells us Jesus was put to death in the body. This is a reference to Jesus’ humanity. Jesus had a physical body like us. He experienced the weakness of the flesh like we do. He understood hunger and pain and temptation. And he died as all people must. Jesus was fully human. He was not just a heavenly tourist on this earth.

The fact that Jesus is from heaven and is human means that he can bring the kingdom of heaven within reach for us. Jesus offers us his righteousness, his exaltation, his atonement, his confidence and his humanity.

May grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

  • What is righteousness? What is atonement? How do we make (or find) atonement? Are there things in your life that you long to atone for?
  • How do we take hold of the righteousness and atonement that Christ offers?
  • On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate yourself? (10 being absolutely amazing and 1 being not great).  Why is that do you think? Would your private answer be different from your public answer? How so?
  • What is meant by the exaltation of Christ? Why is Jesus’ exaltation good news for us?
  • Why does Peter compare his readers to Noah and his family? In what ways was Noah’s situation parallel with Peter’s first century audience? In what ways is Noah’s situation parallel with ours?
  • What confidence do you take, personally, from Jesus’ exaltation and humanity?

[1] Refer Thomas Schreiner’s commentary on 1st Peter, page 198.

Tawa Baptist

Sanctuary

Scripture: 1st Peter 3:13-17

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Sanctuary
  • Transparency
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Before we start I just want to say ‘thank you’ to the mystery person who put peanut brownie cookies in my letterbox last Monday. That was a winsome thing to do. They were delicious and I appreciated the connection with the sermon.

Today we continue our series in first Peter, focusing on chapter 3, verses 13-17. Part of the purpose of Peter’s letter is to encourage Christians who were suffering for their faith in Jesus. At the time Peter was writing, the church in Asia Minor was probably not subject to full on persecution but Christians were a marginalized minority, viewed with suspicion. There was social pressure to hide one’s faith in Christ. Believers were apparently misunderstood, maligned and slandered. In a culture where reputation was everything, the church’s reputation was getting a beating.

In today’s passage, and the verses that follow, Peter talks about how the Christian community is to handle itself in that context.

From 1st Peter chapter 3, verses 13-17, we read… 

13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hopethat you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience,so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will,to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.  

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

Two words which give us a handle on this passage are sanctuary and transparency. We are to find sanctuary in Christ and we are to be transparent (or open) about our hope in Jesus.   

Sanctuary:

Last Monday, while someone was putting peanut brownie biscuits in my letterbox, I was at Zealandier, also known as the Karori Bird Sanctuary. As most of you probably know Zealandier has a special fence around it to keep predators out. The idea is to provide a secure environment which is attractive to birds. One which is filled with the kinds of trees native birds like to feed off.

In some ways Zealandier is to native birds what Christ is to Christians. Just as native birds find sanctuary at Zealandier, so too we Christian believers find our sanctuary, our security, our home and our nourishment in Christ. To be a Christian is to be in Christ. We thrive in Christ, just like native birds thrive in the Karori Sanctuary and just like branches thrive when connected to the vine.   

In verse 13, of chapter 3, Peter says: Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?

There is sanctuary, there is security, in doing good. If you do something bad, something which is outside of a Christian lifestyle, then you invite unnecessary risk and harm into your life. Sort of like a bird that chooses to make its nest outside Zealandier invites the threat of cats and other predators.   

In verse 14 Peter goes on to say: But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.

These words echo the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 5:10 where the Lord says: Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

It might seem contradictory to us that we are blessed if we suffer for doing what is right, because suffering for any reason does not feel good, it hurts. Being blessed is not measured by a subjective feeling though. Being blessed is an objective state of being.

If someone asks you to do something difficult it is actually a complement. It says, ‘I trust you to handle it.’ And that’s how Peter sees it.  For him it is a privilege, or a sign of God’s favour, to suffer for Christ (if that is God’s will).

Verse 16 also picks up the idea of finding sanctuary in doing good. Peter writes about, keeping a clear conscience,so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

It is never pleasant to be the subject of rumour and malicious talk. It feels unfair and something in us wants to cry out, ‘It’s not true’. But we know that the louder we protest in our own defence, the more guilty we appear. As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet: ‘The lady doth protest too much, me thinks’.

We heard last week that true humility means not responding to people’s insults but trusting God to vindicate us. One sanctuary, or safe place we take refuge in, when we are slandered, is a clear conscience. We can find strength and security in knowing we are not guilty of the things our adversaries accuse us of.

We also find sanctuary in the knowledge that God is just and all knowing. He will defend us in his good time. That’s what Peter means when he talks about his readers’ enemies being ashamed of their slander. It’s not that we wish our enemies to be embarrassed. Rather, we want the truth to win out in the end, because the truth is in everyone’s interests.

Following this train of thought, verse 17 reads: For it is better, if it is God’s will,to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.  

Peter’s point is that his readers’ present suffering, for doing good, is not a sign of God’s punishment or displeasure but rather a sign of his blessing, his favour. If we suffer for the sake of righteousness, we stand to receive a reward.   

From the second part of verse 14 Peter says: “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.

This is a reference to Isaiah 8, where the Lord (Yahweh) says to the prophet:

12 “Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy;
do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. 13 The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread. 14 and he will be a sanctuary;

In the context of Isaiah 8, the people of Judah were afraid of being invaded and overrun by their enemies. But the Lord’s message to Isaiah was, do not be afraid like the people. I, the Lord God Almighty, am in control. Fear me. Revere me. Regard me as holy and I will be a sanctuary for you. 

Peter’s first century readers may have been tempted to give in to fear of their neighbours. After all the Christian church was vulnerable; it was a marginalised minority in a potentially hostile environment. Peter’s message to them is do not be afraid of your pagan neighbours. The Lord Jesus is in control. Revere him. Notice how Peter equates Jesus with Yahweh, the Lord.  Peter is saying that Jesus is our sanctuary.  

To revere Jesus as Lord, in our heart, is to keep Jesus in the center of our lives – to orientate our whole lives around Christ and his teaching.  

There is a Baptist pastor from the South Island by the name of Andy Edwards who has worked in pastoral ministry for 30 years. Andy writes, “My biggest desire, which is my biggest challenge, is being ‘present’ to God, myself and others… and in this journey I have found slowing down and stillness to be the precondition of presence.”  

Stillness is the precondition of presence. I like that.

When I was at Zealandia last Monday, I found myself on the top of a ridge on the Lakeview Track, which overlooks the upper dam. As often happens in the bush I could hear many birds all around but I could not see any. So I sat down on a bench beside a couple of feeding stations. Just sat quietly in stillness, not really expecting anything to happen.

Within two minutes a male saddleback and a male bell bird turned up and started feeding on the sugar water. (You can tell the males because they usually have brighter feathers than the females, which is sort the opposite of the human species.) These birds were about a meter away and they stopped there to feed for a good five minutes, although I wasn’t really keeping track of the time. It was a beautiful moment; a moment of genuine sanctuary.

To revere Christ in our hearts includes being present to Jesus, present to ourselves and present to others. Stillness is the precondition of presence. Now obviously we cannot be still all the time. Much of the time life requires us to be active and on the move. But we need to stop and be still sometimes in order to revere Christ and be present to him.

Fear, anxiety, worry, conspiracy, these are the predators that rob the human soul of stillness. When we revere Jesus in our hearts, we find sanctuary from fear and a certain stillness for our soul, so that we may be nourished by the presence of God.

Transparency:

Zealandier is not like a zoo. It is not a cage where the birds are trapped inside. There is a fence to keep rats and cats and possums out but there is no roof to keep the birds in. Zealandier is transparent. It is open to the public and the birds are free to come and go as they please. The transparency of the sanctuary actually encourages native bird life in the greater Wellington area. 

Being in Christ is like being in a sanctuary that has a definite boundary fence or code of conduct, but it also has a gate to give access to the public and it has no roof, it is open to be shared.  

In verse 15, after having told his readers to revere Christ as Lord, Peter writes: Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hopethat you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…

So far, throughout this series, we have heard Peter encouraging his readers to be a winsome witness and let their distinctive Christian lifestyle do the talking. Here, in verse 15, Peter says be prepared to speak words of explanation as well.

The idea is that we Christians are to be open and transparent about our hope in Jesus. We are not to push our beliefs down people’s throats. (That would not be respectful or gentle.) Nor are we to keep our faith locked away like an animal in a cage. Rather we are to be prepared to speak when invited.

Peter had to learn this the hard way. On the night when Jesus was betrayed and arrested Peter was not prepared. He was standing outside warming himself by the fire when those with him asked if he was with Jesus. Sadly, Peter denied this three times without gentleness or respect.

But Peter found redemption. Later, after Jesus’ resurrection, when Peter was brought before the same Council who condemned Jesus, Peter was prepared to speak words of reason, with gentleness and respect. 

Okay, so what might you say if someone asks you why you are a Christian? Well, I’m not going to give you a script to follow. It does not work to recite someone else’s words. That just sounds like a telemarketer trying to sell you something. What we say has to be real and genuine. You have to find your own words and your own way of getting the message across.

With these things in mind, try to remember this acrostic. L.O.V.E. Love. Love is the main point of the gospel message. Jesus came to show us God’s love.

L stands for listen. Love listens. If someone wants to have a conversation about your Christian faith, then try to listen to what they are really saying. Listening is both respectful and gentle. Listening earns us the right to be heard and it helps us to understand the other person better.

Which brings us to the O in ourL.O.V.E. acrostic. O stands for others. If someone asks you to give account for the hope you have, you need to understand it’s not about you, it’s about them. What do they need from this conversation? We learn what others need by listening and asking questions.

What you say does not need to be long but it does need to be clear. Don’t use Christian jargon or big theological words that make the other person feel small. Because that is not gentle or respectful and it does not communicate God’s love. The Christian faith is reasonable. It is logical. It makes sense. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and ask, ‘what sense are they making of what I’m saying?’.

V is for vulnerable. Make yourself vulnerable, without going overboard, and without making anyone else vulnerable. Do not speak down to the person. Do not patronize. Come alongside. Share from your heart as much as is helpful. There is a risk with sharing something deeply personal, like our hope in Jesus. We risk rejection.

But that is the way of Christ. Jesus did not coerce people. He challenged people, yes. And his words disturbed people. But he spoke from a place of vulnerability. He did it without defending himself, with his arms open and his heart exposed.

There is a certain stillness in making ourselves vulnerable for the sake of the other person. Even when people cannot understand the content of what we are saying, if we say it with vulnerability, so that the other person knows they are standing on holy ground, a feeling of stillness settles on the conversation and a door to God’s presence is opened.

E is for experience. When it comes to sharing your faith, experience is your friend. People cannot argue with your experience. I like to talk about the goodness of God and the meaning God gives to life because that is real in my experience. One of the reasons I am a Christian is because Jesus makes this world a better place. He makes ugly things (ugly situations) beautiful.

He makes pain bearable.

He comes alongside me when I am lonely and shows me his scars so that, without words, I know I am understood. I am not alone.

He does not lie to me and, for those who have been let down and lied to a lot, that is huge. That is gold.

There is a purity to Jesus that I love and am terrified of at the same time.

These are my words. You need to find your own words based on your experience of God.

When you are in a conversation think L.O.V.E. Start by listening. Remember it is not about you. It is about the other person. Be prepared to make yourself vulnerable but not too vulnerable. Share don’t scare. And speak from your own experience.  

So how might we prepare ourselves then? How might we find the words we need to articulate our hope?

We need to take time daily to soak in the Scriptures and be present to what the Holy Spirit might be saying.

We also need to think about our faith and sometimes to wrestle with the gnarly bits. When you boil it all down, what is it you actually believe to be true in simple language.

And how does that square with the Scriptures, with your own experience and the experience of other believers?

In verse 15, when Peter talks about the hopeyou have… the you is plural, not singular. So it is both your hope personally and our hope collectively. Hearing what other Christians believe and how they have made sense of the gnarly bits helps us in forming what we believe. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You don’t have to figure it all out on your own. But you do have to own it. It has to be real for you and that takes a process.  

Hope here refers to future salvation. Hope therefore is having faith (or trust) that, even though the present may be difficult, we have something good to look forward to in the future.

That hope may be the hope of resurrection and seeing Jesus face to face.

It may be the hope of being reunited with loved ones who have passed on.

It could be the hope of seeing justice done, of God vindicating the righteous and righting wrongs

It may the hope of seeing a friend or family member share our faith in Christ

Or it may be the hope of being set free from the limitations and burdens and pain we carry in this life.

You know the hope you carry inside you. You know the hope that carries you.

I do not pretend to be good at hope. Like Jonah I tend to think the worst. But, like Jonah, I also know God is more gracious than I am. Which is why God does not quit me and I cannot quit him. And so I find hope in God’s character, his goodness.   

We are talking about the need to be transparent about our faith; to be open about our hope in Jesus. Those of us who were at the church forum last Wednesday saw a wonderful example of transparent hope when Katie & Dan shared with us their sense of call to become youth pastors.

Dan & Katie were quite open with us about the journey they are on. This openness (this transparency) created a moment of stillness, I felt. There were a couple of things Dan said in particular, which I won’t share with you because it is Dan’s story and it is for him to share. But the gentleness and respect and vulnerability with which they shared created a stillness which opened the door to presence. I have asked Dan & Katie to share with us next Sunday morning.

Conclusion:

We started today’s message hearing about the situation of Peter’s first century readers, how they were misunderstood, maligned and socially marginalised. Our situation in 21st Century New Zealand is not identical to theirs but there is some overlap.

The church in New Zealand today is not persecuted but we are aware of a growing disconnect between what Christians believe and what the wider society, we live in, believes. I don’t think we have it as hard as some of Peter’s readers did but we also do not have it as easy as we once did. It seems Peter’s letter is becoming more and more relevant to us.

We need to maintain our sanctuary in Christ. And that means taking time to be still and wait for the presence of Jesus.

We also need to be transparent about our hope in Christ. And that means being prepared to speak with words of love.   

Let’s stand now and sing, Jesus, be the center…

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

  • What was the situation of Peter’s first century readers? How is that similar (or different) from our situation today?
  • What practical things can we do to find and maintain sanctuary in Christ?
  • Why do we need to take time to be still? How does stillness help us to be present to God, ourselves and others? Do you have regular patterns of stillness in your weekly routine? If not, what would need to change to create space for stillness?
  • Why do we need to be transparent about our hope in Christ?
  • What would you say if someone asked you to talk about the reason for your hope?  
  • Discuss / reflect on the L.O.V.E. acrostic. Which aspects do you need to work on? (e.g. listening, others, vulnerability, experience.)