Tawa Baptist

We Believe

By: Neville Gardner, 15 June 2025

In Türkiye, not far from Istanbul, is a small town called Iznik. There is no Christian church, but this year Christians around the world are celebrating a significant event that took place here 1700 years ago. In those days, the town was part of the Roman Empire, and had the Roman name Nicaea.

In 325AD, a statement of faith called the Nicene Creed was formulated here, and it is still a standard document for a majority of Christian churches. To find out how it came about, we’ll need to dig into bit of a history.

In the early years of the 4th century AD, Christians in the Roman Empire were a minority group. Under the emperor Diocletian, Christians were persecuted. Church buildings were destroyed, sacred writings were burnt and worship meetings were banned. Christians who refused to sacrifice to the cult of the emperor could be killed. As you can imagine, Christianity was slow to grow in these circumstances.

Then along came Constantine, first as emperor of the western empire, then in 324 of the combined east and west. Critically, Constantine turned from paganism and became a Christian. He was keen to encourage Christian interests, as a political move to help unify his fractured empire. So the Treaty of Milan decreed that all Roman citizens could worship who they liked, without interference from the empire. Christianity didn’t become the official religion then, but it was free from persecution.

Against this background, Christians were still coming to grips with what it meant to be a Christian. The writings of the apostles had been collected and copied, but their contents were mainly spread orally, which made study and interpretation hard. It also made it relatively easy for people to spread ‘false teaching’ that was not scriptural.

One result was that the nature of the relationship between God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit became contentious. In particular, a Christian sect called Arians claimed that Jesus was a created being, not a divine part of a Trinity with God and the Holy Spirit.

Emperor Constantine’s plans for a unified empire needed a united Christian church. So he gathered together over 300 bishops from across the Empire at his summer palace in Nicaea, where he set them to sorting out their differences. Over three months, the bishops tried to prayerfully determine the will of God. One result was the writing of what is now called the Nicene Creed, a statement of faith that is still used by many denominations around the world.

There were several changes to the Nicene Creed in following councils; the text we’ll look at now is a version in common use today. As I read it out, please don’t say it out loud yourselves – I’d like you to concentrate on what the words mean to you.

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation

he came down from heaven:

by the power of the Holy Spirit

he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again

in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of Life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come.

Having come up with this statement, the council condemned anyone who did not agree with what it said; those bishops at the Council who disagreed were banished as heretics. Constantine got what he wanted, but sadly the unified church went on to persecute heretics to a level that matched what Christians had recently suffered under Diocletian.

The Nicene Creed unified the orthodox church with a basic doctrine of belief, and continues to do so. But since then there has been much disunity over non-doctrinal issues, such as governance, traditional rituals and practices, the style and timing of baptism, the date of Easter and so on. There was an early split between the Western Orthodox Church (which largely became what we term Roman Catholic) and the Eastern Orthodox Church. But they both used the Nicene Creed.

In 16th century Europe, there was a huge upheaval called the Protestant Reformation, which saw many people break away from the Roman Catholic Church, not always peacefully. New Protestant groups continued to appear, and there are now hundreds of denominations. They differ in many ways, but they nearly all maintain belief in the doctrine articulated in the Nicene Creed. For example, the Anglican, Methodist and Presbyterian churches, the Salvation Army and many Baptist churches, all recognise the Nicene Creed.

The Creed I read out just now has four ‘We believe’ statements – three focussing on the Trinity, with a single line on the church. It’s that line I’d like to talk a bit more about.

“We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.”

A couple of quick word explanations here.

The term ‘catholic’ is written with a small c – it just means universal church, and does not refer to the Roman Catholic Church.

Apostolic means based on the words and actions of the Apostles, as recorded in the New Testament.

The use of the phrase “We believe” rather than “I believe” was, of course, deliberate. “I believe” was, and is, used in personal statements of faith, especially those declared at baptism. “We believe” is a communal statement made by a group with shared beliefs – originally by the bishops at Nicaea, later by gathered church congregations everywhere.

Remembering that ‘catholic’ means universal, “We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church” says that we believe in one church throughout the world, based on the biblical words of the Apostles. It doesn’t say we believe in a particular denomination, but in God’s worldwide church.

Just before his arrest, we hear in John 17 that Jesus prayed for his disciples. “I pray not only for them, but also for those who believe in me because of their message. I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you.”

Jesus’ prayer reminds us that the church is called to be one, and its unity is to reflect the oneness of Jesus with God the Father. We believe in a universal church, because it is God’s church. When we say the Creed, we can feel part of this worldwide community. This means we all have some responsibility to be part of its ministry.

As Christians, as Baptists, we are part of God’s universal church. Many Baptist churches around the world use the Nicene Creed, as it is fully biblical and it reminds us of our links to the universal church. As a congregationally governed church, affiliated with the Baptist Union of New Zealand, Tawa Baptist has a written constitution which includes a different statement of faith. It’s based on the Nicene Creed, but is shorter and uses plainer language.

I’m going to read out the Tawa Baptist Statement of Faith, and I’d like you to read it out with me. If you don’t want to, that’s fine.

We believe . . 

  • In one God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
  • In the true humanity and deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son.
  • In the atonement made by the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross for the sin of the world.
  • In the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead.
  • That salvation and membership in the Church universal is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • That the Bible is inspired by God and authoritative in matters of Christian faith and practice.

By saying “We believe”, we include ourselves in the global church, as well as in this church of Tawa Baptist. Today, this church has been blessed because Kyle and Izandi have formerly become part of that “We”. We can pray that being part of our church life together will help them grow in their personal faith – indeed for all of us, saying “We believe” helps us to more confidently say “I believe.”

I’d now like to take you back to the modern village of Iznik, Roman Nicaea. One of the bishops present in 325AD wrote that “The most eminent servants of God from all the churches that filled Europe, Africa, and Asia gathered together. One place of worship, as if expanded by God, accommodated the people.”

Over the centuries, the site of this church was forgotten, lost.

Then, in 2014, aerial photographs of the Iznik shoreline got archaeologists very excited. There, close to shore, in shallow water, was the outline of a stone basilica, an early form of church. The building of the church was dated to about 100 years later than the Council of Nicaea, and it disappeared beneath the waters of the lake in an earthquake over 600 years later.

Further excavations revealed the remains of an earlier church under the stone one. It’s not certain, but the date is right for this to be the church the Council of Nicaea met in.

The lake of Iznik has been shrinking due to years of drought, so the ruins of the basilica have gradually got closer to the surface and nearer the shore. You can now stand on the ruins without getting your feet wet. I can’t help wondering if, just as He expanded the church to fit all the bishops in 325, God has revealed that church in time for Nicaea 2025 celebrations.

A few weeks ago, my sister-in-law visited Iznik as part of a Nicaea 2025 tour led by Father Luke Miller, Church of England archdeacon of London. She sent me a photo of the church ruins, where they held a communion service. Later this year, the new Pope Leo is due to meet Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church, at this very spot. Their joint celebration of the Council at Nicaea is a landmark event in itself.

The church council in 325 aimed for Christian unity, but sometimes it seems that, apart from basic matters of doctrine, unity is still far off. Celebrations of Nicaea 2025 are particularly significant for The World Council of Churches, which for many years has encouraged unity between denominations representing over half a billion Christians worldwide. It may be on a smaller scale, but here in Tawa several churches work together in common witness and service, sharing the unity hoped for in the Nicene Creed.

I’d like to finish by reading some words Father Luke used during his tour to Nicaea.

“Constantine wanted unity. Guided by the Holy Spirit, something extraordinary happened in Nicaea. In all the divisions and stresses of the church, the creed of the fathers of Nicaea remains a bright thread in the frayed fabric of the unity of the church. God is at work still, not to fulfil the desire of a powerful emperor, but to bring us all to the glory of union with Him.”

Questions

What are the main sections of the Nicene Creed, and how do they relate to each other?

What aspects of the Creed resonate with you the most?

How could the Nicene Creed, or the Tawa Baptist statement of faith, help you to understand and deepen your own faith?

You may come across versions of the Nicene Creed that say, “We believe” or “I believe”. What difference does this wording make?

How does your understanding of the Trinity affect how you live and relate to others?

How could you use the Nicene Creed or the Tawa Baptist statement of faith to help you engage in prayer and worship?

Tawa Baptist

Secure

Scripture: Romans 8:14-17

Video Link: https://youtu.be/0MS9jZG8uqw

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Affection
  • Adoption
  • Assurance
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

What makes you feel secure? Perhaps when you were young, your teddy bear made you feel safe and secure. Then, as you grew older, being accepted by your friends gave you a sense of security.

Some people find security in their job; they are always at work, never able to rest, always feeling like they have to achieve more. Other people seek security by accumulating money, houses and stuff. Or by projecting a certain image of themselves which may not be entirely true.  

There is nothing wrong with earning money to buy a house, just as there is nothing wrong with wanting people to think well of you. We need these things to survive in this world. But as necessary as a house and a job and a good reputation are, they don’t last. The security they provide is only ever temporary at best.

Ironically, the pursuit of security can cause quite a bit of anxiety. Ultimately, our security needs to be based on something that cannot be lost or stolen or die.

Today is Pentecost, 50 days since Easter. After his resurrection from the dead, Jesus appeared to his disciples over a period of 40 days before ascending to heaven. Ten days after his ascension, Jesus’ disciples received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is God’s divine Spirit. The Holy Spirit connects us to the ultimate source of security, the risen Jesus Christ.       

Our sermon this morning is based on Romans 8, one of the traditional readings for Pentecost. Romans 8 talks about the Holy Spirit quite a bit. We won’t be covering all of Romans 8 today, just four verses. From verse 14 we read…

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; but you have received the Spirit of adoption. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

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

These verses are talking about the security the Holy Spirit gives believers.

Three words to hang today’s message on, all of them closely related to security: affection, adoption and assurance.

The Holy Spirit shows us God’s affection, He is involved in our adoption by God and He assures us we are God’s children. Let us begin with the Spirit and our affections…

Affection:

Affection is a positive feeling. You can show affection in all sorts of ways.

When you rub a dog’s belly, you are creating a positive feeling both for you and the dog. When you give someone a word of encouragement or a hug (and it is welcome) this also creates a positive feeling of affection.

Feelings, of course, move us. They are a source of energy. Feelings motivate us. If we feel affection for someone or someone shows us affection, then we will feel good about that person and be motivated to give them our best.

The Bible uses a variety of images to describe the Holy Spirit including wind, breath, fire, water and a dove. While these are all helpful, none is adequate on its own to describe the work of God’s Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not an unconscious force. The Holy Spirit is a divine person, capable of giving and receiving affection.

The gospel of John talks about the Holy Spirit being a comforter or an advocate. One who comes alongside and guides us in the love and truth of Jesus.

In contemporary terms we might think of the Holy Spirit as a sports coach. If the church is a team, then God is the owner and manager, Jesus is the captain, the Holy Spirit is the coach and we are the players. It is the job of the coach to come alongside the players to guide, train, correct and encourage them.

The best coaches know how to rub the belly of their players, metaphorically speaking. Their presence affects the players at a heart level. The players know the coach cares about them and that brings out the best in the team.

Or to put it another way, the players feel affection for a good coach. They will do anything for a coach they love and respect. 

In verse 14 of Romans 8, the apostle Paul writes: For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.  

The Spirit here reminds us of a sports coach leading, guiding and encouraging his players. To be led by God’s Spirit is to have a mind-set of learning to do God’s will. Those who are led by God’s Spirit are thinking, how do I love God and my neighbour in this situation?

Like a good coach the Holy Spirit doesn’t drive us by fear. Rather, the Spirit inspires belief and builds trust. He rubs our belly when we need it and gives us the feeling of genuine security, bringing out the best in the team.

Of course, for the players to benefit from the coach’s influence, we must listen to the coach and do what he says. If we love God, if Jesus holds sway over our affections, then we will trust and obey the promptings and pushings of the Holy Spirit.

Who holds sway over your affections?

We are talking about the security the Holy Spirit gives believers. The Holy Spirit shows us God’s affection and He is involved in our adoption by God.

Adoption:

Psychologists say that a deep and lasting sense of security comes from the way parents interact with their infant children. If a baby gets lots of face-to-face time, lots of affection and connection from at least one consistent adult, they will learn basic trust and feel secure throughout life. They call this attachment.

The thing about attachment is that the baby needs the relationship with the one consistent adult to be reinforced regularly. You don’t create a sense of security in a child by occasional, infrequent episodes of attachment.

The kind of attachment in view here is not like attaching a trailer to your car every once and a while. It’s more like the seats in a car, which are permanently attached. Wherever the car goes the seats go. 

The sort of attachment that leads to deep and lasting security in the child requires an intentional and lasting commitment by the adult.      

God (our maker) understands our human need for attachment and meets this need by adopting us into his family. Verse 15 reads: The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; but you have received the Spirit of adoption.

In the Greco-Roman world of the first century, in which Paul lived, adoption was a serious business. There was a thorough legal process to follow which resulted in a lasting and binding commitment between the parent and child.

In his commentary on Romans, F.F. Bruce writes (and I paraphrase here)…

The term ‘adoption’ may sound a bit artificial to our ears; but in the first century an adopted son was deliberately chosen by his adoptive father to perpetuate his name and inherit his estate; he was in no way inferior in status to a natural born son and might well enjoy the father’s affection more fully and reproduce the father’s character more worthily. [1]    

To be adopted by God, therefore, is a big deal. We sometimes talk about making a commitment to God. But really, God’s commitment in adopting us comes first and is greater and more reliable than any commitment we might make.

The one being adopted does nothing to deserve this grace. All we can do is accept the father’s love with gratitude and seek to reproduce the father’s character in our own relationships.

The Spirit of God changes our status and gives us a new kind of relationship with God the Father, a more personal, intimate relationship. One where we can approach God with confidence and affection so that we cry ‘Abba, Father’.

‘Abba’ was the Aramaic word for father, used by Jewish families in antiquity.

It was an everyday term like dad or daddy or da (as the Irish say).

Children in the first century never addressed God as Abba, that would have been considered incredibly disrespectful and yet Jesus almost always addressed God as his ‘Abba’.  

Most famously Jesus addresses God in this intimate way in his prayer of anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane. “Abba, Father”, he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

This is interesting. Jesus is secure enough in his relationship with God to be honest about what he is feeling and what he wants. In the end though, Jesus is willing to put aside his own desires to obey God. Jesus does this, not out of fear of reprisal, but out of love and affection for his Dad.

The Holy Spirit gives us security. He shows us God’s affection, He is involved in our adoption by God and He assures us we are God’s children.

Assurance:

John Wesley (born in England in 1703) was one of nineteen children. I’m not sure how much attachment time John got with his parents, given how large the family was, but his mother, Susanna Wesley, gave her children a thorough education and raised them with strict discipline.

John attended Oxford University, where his brother Charles Wesley (of hymn writing fame) founded the “Holy Club”, a group committed to prayer, Bible reading, weekly communion, and helping the poor.

In 1735 John Wesley and his brother Charles travelled to America by sea.

At that stage both brothers were ordained ministers in the church of England.

On the voyage there, John and Charles met a group of Moravian Brethren. (Protestant Christians.) Their calm assurance of salvation deeply impressed John Wesley, as did the warmth of their fellowship and singing. When a storm enveloped their ship, the Moravians were not anxious. They had a peace which passes understanding.

Once he arrived in America, John undertook a short-term mission trip to Georgia. It was not very successful, and he returned to England in 1737 a bit dejected.

A year later while in London, on 24 May 1738, John went very unwillingly to a meeting in Aldersgate Street. Someone was reading Martin Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans.

John Wesley wrote in his journal what he experienced that night…

About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.

John is describing his experience of divine assurance given by the Holy Spirit.  

In verse 16 of Romans 8, Paul writes: The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Paul is talking here about the inner witness of God’s Spirit, who assures us we are loved and accepted as children adopted by God.  

You might be wondering, what exactly is meant by our spirit, (spirit with a lower case ‘s’). Because the word spirit is a bit vague, a bit ambiguous. It can mean different things to different people depending on the context.

Well, in the context of Romans 8 verse 16, our spirit refers to the human spirit, which is our capacity to relate with others. Our eyes enable us to see. Our ears enable us to hear. Our feet enable us to stand. Our lungs enable us to breathe and our spirit enables us to relate with others, to connect with them and form trust.

Someone may have a cold, hard or mean spirit in the way we relate with others. Or they may have a warm, gentle and generous spirit in how we relate.

Our spirit (our ability to relate) can be damaged when trust is broken.

While our human spirit is different from God’s Holy Spirit the two are compatible. But our spirit needs to be open to receive God’s Spirit.

Now it is important to note that the assurance given by God’s Spirit is not the same for everyone. We don’t all feel our heart strangely warmed like John Wesley did. Spiritual experiences like that are relatively rare. Not everyone receives them.

More often the assurance given by God’s Spirit is felt in more ordinary ways, through other people, especially other believers.

Earlier in the service I told you about Mary, who passed away last Monday. Mary and Joyce were life-long friends. They were mates for over 60 years.

Their mutual friendship (I believe) was a means of divine assurance.

Mary loved to walk places but as her sight and hearing faded, crossing the road became more dangerous. Joyce was Mary’s eyes. And if Joyce misplaced someone’s name, Mary was Joyce’s memory.

Friendship; the Spirit working between people to support one another in ordinary ways. Through friendship the Holy Spirit reassures us of God’s presence, his Fatherly love and care.

So, if you have never felt your heart strangely warmed, as John Wesley did, then don’t panic. It doesn’t mean you are missing God’s Spirit or that you are not a child of God. The assurance of the Holy Spirit won’t be the same for everyone. But it will be personal for you. It will be what you need at the time.

The other thing to note here is that we may not feel divine assurance all the time. Ignatius taught that in the Christian life there are periods of desolation when God feels very absent, just as there are moments of consolation when God reassures us of his affection and presence. Christian faith is about continuing to follow Jesus, whatever the weather of our feelings.  

Paul continues to unpack the implications of our being God’s children in verse 17 where he says: Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ…

Paul’s thought here is this: because we are God’s children that means Jesus is our brother, which means we are co-heirs with Christ. Therefore, we will share Christ’s inheritance, his reward.

And what is the inheritance we share with Christ? Well, it is the kingdom of God. It is abundant, joyful, healthy, peaceful, life; the kind we want to go on living forever. But that is not all. The real reward is God Himself. Eternal life is intimacy with God. As any child knows, time with mum or dad is more valuable than gifts or toys.  

However, we cannot expect to share in Christ’s reward if we are not prepared to share in his suffering. Suffering with Christ is the path to glory

Returning to John Wesley for a moment. Quite often when John spoke about his new assurance, in Anglican pulpits, he was met with a hostile reception and told not to return. Being given an inner assurance by the Holy Spirit doesn’t make us immune from getting a hard time from the world we live in.

But the inner assurance of God’s Spirit can lend a deep and lasting sense of security to our human spirit. After being kicked out of the mainline church, John began to speak in the open air, taking the gospel to the poor in the industrial towns. These people had little contact with the church of England.

One is reminded of the apostle Paul’s experience in Acts, getting kicked out of the synagogue, then taking the gospel to the gentiles.   

For fifty-two years John Wesley travelled the countryside on horseback, preaching the gospel. Some people accepted his message, others rejected it. Either way, John Wesley’s sense of security was unshaken because his security wasn’t based on the opinion of others or the success of his ministry. It was based on his attachment to God through the Holy Spirit.

We are unlikely to have a preaching ministry like John Wesley, but we may still suffer for identifying with Christ. If (or when) that happens we can be assured we are not being punished by God but rather are following in the footsteps of our older brother, Jesus.

Indeed, suffering for Jesus is its own assurance. For if we share in Christ’s sufferings, we will share in his glory.

Conclusion:

Two questions for you to ponder…

What (or who) makes you feel secure?

How reliable (or lasting) is your security? 

The Holy Spirit is a source of security we can rely on. The Holy Spirit shows us God’s affection, He is involved in our adoption by God and He assures us we are God’s children.

Let us pray…

Father God, we thank you for the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, both seen and unseen. Help us to move at the impulse of your Spirit, that Jesus would hold sway over our affections and we would reproduce your character in our relationships. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. What made you feel secure when you were a child? Has the source of your security changed as you have grown through life? How so?
  3. What (or who) makes you feel secure now? How reliable (lasting) is your security? 
  4. Discuss / reflect on some of the Biblical images of the Holy Spirit. What characteristics of the Holy Spirit do each of these image’s highlight?
  5. What is affection and why is it important? How do you like to show affection? Who holds sway over your affections?
  6. What does it mean to be adopted by God the Father? What are the implications for you personally?
  7. Have you ever suffered for identifying with Christ? What happened? Were you aware of God’s assurance or help in that situation? If so, how? 

[1] F.F. Bruce, Romans, page 166.

Tawa Baptist

Liminal Experiences

Scripture: Acts 1:1-11

Video Link: https://youtu.be/x8IwMmDbypc

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Proof of life
  • Promise of Spirit
  • Purpose moving forward
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Our lives are peppered with liminal experiences. A liminal experience is a time or place of transition and change. An in-between moment, a period of waiting.

The word “liminal” comes from the Latin word “limen,” which means threshold. A liminal moment therefore is one in which we stand on the threshold of something new and different.

A liminal experience may last only a few seconds or it could last many years. 

The days a caterpillar spends in a cocoon, before it becomes a butterfly;

the years it takes to go through adolescence; the minutes you spend waiting at the bus stop or the train station; these are all examples of liminal time.

Indeed, bus stops and train stations are liminal spaces, places of transition. Pregnancy is a liminal experience, an in between time, when you are waiting on the threshold of a significant life change. The seconds between when a baby is born and takes its first breath is a liminal moment.  

That imperceptible time between waking and sleeping, when your mind is half half-conscious, emerging from a dream; that’s a liminal experience.

Routine, stability, normality are the opposite of liminal experiences. Life in the liminal can feel exciting, like you are on the cusp of realising a long awaited hope. But it can also feel a bit disorienting or scary, because your regular routine is unsettled and you are not sure what comes next.   

Last Thursday was Ascension Day, that day in the Church calendar when we remember Jesus’ ascension to heaven. We usually celebrate Ascension the following Sunday (which is today) because hardly anyone is at church on Thursday.

According to the Bible the risen Lord Jesus appeared to his disciples for 40 days after his resurrection before being taken into heaven. The time in-between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension was a liminal period for his followers.

With this in mind we take a break from our series in First Corinthians to focus on Acts chapter 1, verses 1-11, which describes what happened during those 40 days of liminal time. From Acts 1, verse 1, we read…

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized withwater, but in a few days you will be baptized withthe Holy Spirit.” 6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

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

Quite a bit happens in the liminal moments of our lives, although we are often unaware of it. There isn’t time now to cover everything Luke writes about in Acts 1, so we will focus on three of the main things that Jesus did in those 40 days of liminal time.

Firstly, Jesus presented himself to his followers, proving that he really is alive and well and risen to eternal life. Secondly, Jesus promised his followers the gift of the Holy Spirit. And thirdly, Jesus gave the apostles purpose moving forward. Let us begin with Jesus’ proof of life.

Proof of Life:

Learning things, taking in new information, is a liminal experience. Learning so it becomes second nature, involves a process of change. With any real learning there is an uncomfortable in-between moment when we are leaving what is familiar to venture into unknown territory.

Take learning to drive for example. Knowing the road code is one thing but actually getting to a place where you feel comfortable behind the wheel is another thing altogether.

If you learned to drive in a manual car, then getting the hang of synchronising the clutch and the accelerator smoothly probably took months of practice.

That practice time was a liminal experience. It may have felt uncomfortable at first, but now you change gear without thinking about it.  

Or take marriage as another example. You have the wedding and become husband and wife, and its lovely and all that, but holding a marriage certificate doesn’t automatically make you a competent marriage partner.

There is a liminal period, which may last a year or two, when you are adjusting to married life. Getting used to living together. Abandoning a single person’s mindset. Sorting out roles and responsibilities. Learning to say, ‘Yes dear, you were right’, and settling into a new rhythm and routine.

Luke, the author of Acts, starts by saying: In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach.

Luke’s former book is the gospel of Luke. The significant thing here is that Luke says he wrote about all that Jesus began to do. The implication being that Jesus’ earthly ministry was only the beginning. And in fact, what Theophilus is about to read in the book of Acts is the continuation of Jesus’ deeds and words.

Jesus’ ministry on earth was followed by his ministry from heaven, exercised through the Holy Spirit by his apostles. [1] The apostles (empowered by the Spirit) function as Jesus’ hands and mouth. Of course, this all points to the fact that Jesus is not dead, he is very much alive.

Luke draws attention to Jesus’ resurrection in verse 3 where he writes that after his suffering, Jesus presented himself to his apostles and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

As I said earlier, the initial 40 days after Jesus’ death and resurrection was a liminal time. It was an in-between moment, a period of adjustment and learning for Jesus’ followers. 

The apostles had seen Jesus brutally murdered, his body dead and buried.

Then on the third day, God raised Jesus from the dead. Even though Jesus had predicted this would happen, it was still a lot for the disciples to process. They needed time for this new information about Jesus to sink in.  

Grief is a liminal experience. It takes time to accept the fact of someone’s death. Have you ever had the experience of losing someone you love and then seeing them in the supermarket or across the street. But it’s not them, because they are gone. Your mind is still in liminal space; still catching up with the reality of what’s happened.  

The apostles had no real chance to come to terms with Jesus’ death, before they had to adjust to his resurrection. Their minds were in liminal space, disoriented, standing on the threshold of something entirely new. 

Learning to trust the reality of Jesus’ resurrection was like going through the grieving process in reverse. It was conceptually more difficult. Death is normal for us, it is commonplace. But Jesus’ resurrection was a first. Yes, people had been resuscitated before but not resurrected to eternal life, like Christ.    

In the same way you don’t learn to drive after one lesson, so too it wasn’t enough for the apostles to see Jesus once. They needed to see the risen Christ several times doing normal things with them (like eating and talking about the kingdom of God) before they could comprehend the reality of his resurrection.

You know, by God’s grace we can believe in the resurrection of Jesus in our head, but it can take years (and much suffering) for that belief to descend into our heart. The journey from the head to the heart is a liminal experience.

The reality of Jesus’ resurrection puts us on the threshold of eternity and all the mystery that entails. 

Okay, so that’s the first thing Jesus does in the 40 days of liminal time prior to his ascension; he offers proof of his own life, helping his followers to adjust to the reality of his resurrection.

The second main thing Jesus does is to promise the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit is essential to the work Jesus will do through the apostles. Without the Spirit the apostles have no power or agency, no connection with the living Christ.

Promise of Spirit:

Whenever you go to the beach you become aware of the tidal system. Most of the day the tide is on the move, either going out or coming in. There are times in the day though when the tide is slack. Around high tide and low tide the water is relatively still.

A slack tide is a liminal period for the sea. It’s a time of waiting in-between tidal changes. This liminal time, when the tide is slack, provides a kind of smoko break for sea life. It allows sediment from the seabed to settle so water clarity is restored.   

One of the key characteristics of a liminal experience is having to wait.

Waiting for exam results. Waiting for a break in the traffic. Waiting to hear whether you got the job you interviewed for. Waiting to find out if you have kept the job you’ve got. Waiting for the doctor’s diagnosis. Waiting for the next Covid lockdown announcement.  

Waiting can feel tense or stressful but, if we don’t overthink the unknown, times of liminal waiting also allow the dust to settle. And when the dust settles, we receive the gift of clarity and perspective.    

In verse 4 we read how the risen Jesus said to his apostles, wait for the gift my Father promised, by which he meant the gift of the Holy Spirit.

There were 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension and another 10 days between his ascension and the day of Pentecost. Those 50 days (in total) were like a slack tide. They were a liminal time of waiting.

In that time of relative stillness, the sediment stirred up in the apostles’ minds by recent events was allowed to settle, giving them clarity and perspective before the tidal change brought by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Jesus wants his apostles to wait during these 50 days of liminal time, because as any good fisherman knows, you are not likely to catch much when the tide is slack. That is, until the Spirit gets the waters moving.     

Unfortunately, the apostles aren’t quite getting it. They ask Jesus, “Lord, will you at this time give the Kingdom back to Israel?”

In other words, are you now going to boot the Romans out of Israel and put us in charge of our own country again? (Like when David and Solomon were king.) The disciples had confused the spiritual kingdom of God with the political kingdom of Israel.

Jesus’ response shows they were asking the wrong question. First Jesus says, “The times and occasions are set by my Father’s own authority, and it is not for you to know when they will be”. Jesus is basically saying here, ‘forget about the political situation of Israel. That’s not what is important right now’.

Jesus then goes on to show the apostles what is important. He says…

“…when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”    

The apostles’ purpose, their mission, is to be witnesses for Jesus. They are to pass on Jesus’ teaching, tell the truth about his death and resurrection and proclaim salvation through faith in him.

The disciples had been thinking about power in a narrow political sense. They didn’t realise it at that time, but they were standing on the threshold of receiving a different kind of power, the power of the Spirit. The power to bear witness and proclaim, not the power to control or coerce.  

Jesus dismantles the apostles’ nationalism telling them plainly that they will be witnesses, not just to Israel but to the ends of the earth.

I like what John Stott says about these verses: The Kingdom of God is… spread by witnesses, not by soldiers, through a gospel of peace, not a declaration of war and by the work of the Spirit, not by… political intrigue or violence. [2]

Witnesses, not soldiers. The word for witness in Greek is martys, from which we get martyr. To be a witness for Jesus in the first and second centuries was to be a martyr, someone who suffered for their faith. The fact the apostles were ready to die for their witness concerning Jesus, shows their witness is true.

Purpose moving forward:

Although liminal experiences are necessary in helping us to make transitions in life, it’s not good to become stuck in a liminal experience. We need to find our purpose moving forward.

The butterfly can’t fly unless it emerges from the cocoon.  Eventually you have to deliver the baby and when the baby is born it needs to take its first breath. At some point we must leave adolescence behind and accept the responsibilities of adulthood. You can’t live in a bus stop or at the train station. And if we don’t find a way to let go of our grief, well, we get stuck in the past. 

The apostles needed to witness the miracle of Jesus’ ascension, so they didn’t get stuck in their liminal experience. For 40 days since his resurrection, the risen Jesus had been appearing and disappearing. If Jesus just disappeared one day without explanation, the apostles would be left in confusion, stuck in liminal time, not able to cross the threshold and move forward with purpose.

After proving his resurrection and promising the Spirit, Jesus was taken up to heaven as the apostles watched him and a cloud hid him from their sight.

In the Old Testament the presence of the Lord guided the Israelites through the wilderness in a pillar of cloud by day [3] and when Jesus met with Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration a bright cloud enveloped them. [4]

Now, at his ascension, Jesus is taken into a cloud. It was no ordinary cloud that hid Jesus as he ascended. It was a supernatural cloud, a sign of God’s presence.

Jesus’ ascension was a miracle of God, just as the resurrection was a miracle. And because the ascension was a miracle, we don’t need to try and find a materialistic explanation for it. We don’t need to think of heaven as some place up in the sky or in space. Better to think of heaven like another dimension, hidden from our eyes. And the cloud is like a curtain into heaven.   

For the early Christians, Jesus’ ascension was very important. For them the ascension went hand in hand with the resurrection. The disciples would suffer much as witnesses for Christ. The memory of Jesus’ resurrection and ascension was an anchor for their faith; something real and tangible they could hold onto when all else was against them.  

Jesus’ ascension means he sits at the right hand of God in heaven, interceding for us with the Father. We do not need to fear, for our best friend (Jesus) is the Lord of the universe.

Verses 10 and 11 of Acts 1 tell us how the disciples were still staring up into the sky (apparently stuck in a liminal moment) when two men dressed in white suddenly appeared beside them and said…

“Galileans, why are you standing there looking up at the sky? This Jesus, who was taken away from you into heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go to heaven.”

The men dressed in white were probably angels, heavenly messengers sent to help the disciples move forward with purpose. Angels announced the birth of Jesus. Angels announced his resurrection too. Now there are angels again at Jesus’ ascension.

There are two points of application here: Firstly, the apostles were not to become so focused on heaven that they were no earthly use. By the same token they still needed to keep the end in sight. They were not to become so busy ‘witnessing’ that they forgot why they were doing it.  

Like the apostles we need to find our purpose moving forward. We do this by looking outward in compassion to a hurting world and forward in hope to the return of Jesus who makes all things new. 

Conclusion:

Acts 1 describes the liminal experience of Jesus’ apostles in-between the Lord’s resurrection and ascension. What liminal experiences are you going through? What life transitions are you navigating? What thresholds do you stand on the edge of?

Don’t rush it. It takes as long as it takes. Wait for the Spirit. But don’t get stuck in your liminal experience either. When the Spirit comes, move forward with him. Next Sunday is Pentecost.

Let us pray…

Eternal God, help us to wait for you. May the risen Jesus be real for us and may we find our purpose moving forward by your Spirit. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. Can you think of some liminal experiences from your own life? What happened? How did you feel? How did you make your way through?
  3. Why are liminal experiences necessary?
  4. Why did the risen Jesus appear to his disciples repeatedly over a period of 40 days?
  5. Why did Jesus tell his disciples to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit?
  6. Why did Jesus ascend to heaven? What difference did Jesus’ ascension make for the disciples? What difference does Jesus’ ascension make for you?
  7. Why is it important not to get stuck in a liminal experience? How might we know when we are stuck? How can we move on?

[1] Refer John Stott’s (BST) commentary on Acts, page 34.

[2] John Stott’s commentary on Acts, page 42

[3] Exodus 13:21

[4] Matthew 17:5

Tawa Baptist

Building Bridges

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:19-27

Video Link: https://youtu.be/o7Bdmv-u9XQ

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The freedom to build bridges (vv. 19-22)
  • The necessity of self-discipline (vv. 23-27)
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

I grew up in Kirikiriroa, Hamilton, a city with a river running through it. There are eight bridges spanning the Waikato River in Hamilton. Six vehicle bridges, one rail bridge and one pedestrian bridge. I was there for the opening of the Whitiora bridge in the 1970’s. But the Fairfield Bridge, the one with the humps, is probably the most iconic and my favourite. 

The purpose of a bridge is to connect people, allowing greater movement and better communication. If Hamilton had no bridges, then your options for getting to the other side of the river would be limited.

You could swim across but that’s not ideal; the water is cold, dirty and dangerous. Alternatively, you could travel by hot air balloon but that is time consuming, especially if the wind is blowing the wrong way. 

Without bridges our world would be an even more divided place. Bridges save time and drownings. They promote life and relationships. I like bridges, almost as much as I like trees.

Not surprisingly, the term building bridges has become a metaphor for improving relationships between people who are different from each other; people who may not agree or like one another all that much. 

Today we continue our series in First Corinthains, not the whole letter, just three chapters (8, 9 and 10) where Paul discusses the subject of freedom.

How are Christians to use their freedom?

This week’s Bible reading focuses on Corinthians 9, verses 19-27, where Paul describes how he uses his freedom to build bridges. Not literal physical bridges, but relational bridges. Bridges which span the religious and cultural divides that separate people. From First Corinthians 9, verse 19 we read…

19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

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

There are two parts to this morning’s message. In verses 19-22 Paul writes about the freedom he has to build bridges and in verses 23-27 he writes about the necessity of self-discipline. Let us begin then with the freedom to build bridges. 

The freedom to build bridges:

The psychiatrist, Dr Milton Erickson, was a master at building bridges of rapport with people.

On one occasion Dr Erickson was working with a man in a psychiatric ward who had only spoken six sensible words in the five years he had been in hospital. Four of those words were, ‘My name is George’. The rest of the time he spoke in ‘word salad’, a long jumble of words and sounds in no apparent order.

In all that time no one had been able to connect with George much less get any sense out of him. Dr Erickson did something different. He got his secretary to record a sample of George’s speech. Erickson then studied this sample until he could improvise a word salad in similar form.

Dr Erickson sat down beside George and introduced himself. George responded with an angry stream of word salad. Dr Erickson then replied with an equally angry stream of the same kind of sounds. George appeared puzzled and spat out more word salad. So Dr Erickson responded in kind.

A few days later Erickson returned and again George spoke in word salad, this time for four hours. The doctor, aware that George had been watching the clock on the wall, replied in word salad for another four hours. He missed his lunch. George listened carefully.

The next day George gave only two sentences of his word salad. After Erickson had returned his two sentences of gobbly gook, George did an extraordinary thing…

He said: “Talk sense doctor.”

“Certainly, I’ll be glad to. What is your last name?” Erickson asked.

“O’ Donavan, and it’s about time somebody who knows how to talk asked. Over five years in this lousy joint…” and then he lapsed back into word salad.

It was the start of his recovery.

A few months later, with Dr Erickson’s input, George left the hospital and found himself a job. He was never readmitted. Before George could move past speaking in word salad, he needed to feel understood; he needed to be met with his own experience of the world. [1]

Dr Erickson did that for him. Milton Erickson built a bridge and helped George to cross it.

In verse 19 of Corinthians 9, Paul says: Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

Paul is talking here about how he uses his freedom. Paul builds bridges of trust so that others may come know Jesus and the abundant life he offers.

For example, when Paul is with Jews, he eats kosher food so as not to offend Jewish sensibilities. But when he is with Gentiles, Paul eats whatever is put in front him, because the people Paul is building a bridge with matter to God more than food.

For a physical bridge to stand it needs to be anchored on both sides of the river. It’s the same when building a relational bridge with people who are different from us. If we don’t have a firm foundation in knowing who we are and what our purpose is, then the bridge will collapse and we will fall. 

In verse 21 Paul writes: To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law),       

In building a bridge to connect with those who are different from him, Paul does not abandon his principles or beliefs. He does not lose himself in the process. He holds on to himself and to what is important, namely Christ.

When Milton Erickson built a bridge to reach George, the good doctor did not lose himself. He didn’t go home speaking word salad. Erickson remembered who he was and his purpose, to help George.

It’s not always easy to show empathy for someone without compromising who you are and what you value. Before you can build a bridge, you need to have a strong sense of identity and a healthy self-awareness.

Paul’s identity and purpose in life is firmly grounded in Christ. Paul knows that he belongs to Jesus and he is very clear about why he is building a bridge;

in order to share the love and truth of Jesus. 

So how might this apply in our lives? Well, here’s one example. If you are invited to a party by a friend who is not a believer, then you are free to go to the party remembering who you are and what you stand for.

If others are drinking alcohol and alcohol is not a problem for you, then you might have a wine or a beer, but you don’t get drunk. And if alcohol is a problem for you, then you drink ginger ale, otherwise the bridge you are building will collapse.

Whoever we are with and wherever we might go, we hold fast to Christ for we belong to Jesus. He is our foundation. We can’t build bridges without remaining in him.

Now, when it comes to building bridges, it is important to remember that construction happens from the bottom up. Construction of a bridge is never a top-down thing. You have to put the supports in place first, before you lay the top part which spans the divide.

After the emperor Constantine had conquered territory with his great army, he sent preachers in to proclaim the gospel to the defeated people. [2] That is a top-down approach. That doesn’t really work with the gospel. The defeated people might submit to Christ out of fear, but they will struggle to love or trust him.

Paul’s approach was modelled after Jesus. Paul came, not in overwhelming strength, but in weakness. Paul came alongside people, building bridges from the bottom up. He earned their trust. He spoke their language. He received their hospitality and he served them.

Paul’s bottom-up approach often meant he suffered abuse and hardship. But it also meant others came to faith in Jesus, submitting to Christ out of love and not out of fear.

When we build bridges with people, we need to avoid a top-down approach. We shouldn’t come with a superior attitude, like we’ve got all the answers, or we have a monopoly on the moral high ground. Because we don’t.

In our contemporary New Zealand context, a bottom-up approach to sharing the gospel often means we need to start by listening. The first duty of love is to listen. We also need to live our lives in alignment with the gospel; be true to the gospel in other words.

Then, when the opportunity presents itself, we articulate the gospel; we give words to our faith. And when we speak, it’s important not to feel ashamed or embarrassed about what we say. Just say it. Own it and let the other person feel whatever they might feel.  

Listen in love, be true to the gospel and speak without shame. That’s what a bottom-up approach looks like. 

The necessity of self-discipline:

We are talking about freedom. Freedom is a wonderful thing, but it needs to be tempered by self-discipline. If freedom is the accelerator, then self-discipline is the brake to stop you crashing.

If freedom is hot water, then self-discipline is the cold water to stop you burning yourself. If freedom is sky diving, then self-discipline is your parachute. Freedom needs self-discipline. Without self-discipline, freedom becomes a kind of tyranny. Self-discipline makes freedom functional.

Now in using a term like self-discipline I need to be clear about what we mean. Some people associate discipline with punishment, like hitting a person with a stick. This is not what we mean by discipline.

Discipline is another word for teaching or learning. A disciple (from which we get the word discipline) is an apprentice or a learner, someone in training.

Self-discipline, therefore, is about discipleship. It’s about training yourself, through the formation of good habits. Having a rule of life or a rhythm and routine to your day and week which makes your self-control muscles stronger and trains you in the ways of Christ.  

In verses 24 to 27 Paul writes about the necessity of self-discipline. From verse 24 we read…

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 

The city of Corinth hosted the Isthmian games. The Isthmian games were sort of like the Olympics, except they happened every two years and were located in Corinth. Paul is using an image his Corinthian readers were familiar with. 

In order to be eligible to compete in the Isthmian games one had to commit to a strict training regimen for months beforehand. If you failed to do the training properly, then you were disqualified and could not compete in the games.

High performance sport takes a great deal of self-discipline. You have to exercise your self-control muscles and curb many of your freedoms to be able to compete. You might, for example, give up eating pizza and only eat healthy food. You may also have to forego your sleep-in to get up early and train.

Paul says to run in such a way as to get the prize. In other words, exercise self-discipline. Run purposefully, with a clear objective in mind, for the prize at stake is eternal glory, a crown that lasts forever; something even more valuable than coming first at the Isthmian games.

We need to be careful here not to make Paul’s parable walk on all fours. Paul is not suggesting that only one person can win in the Christian faith. Christian believers are not competing against each other for a place in heaven. There’s plenty of room. Paul is simply saying, it takes self-discipline to be a believer.

Indeed, it requires self-discipline to build bridges. In reaching out to others, Paul found that the bridge doesn’t build itself. There is considerable effort involved in travelling to a new place where the culture is different and you have to learn a new language and new customs. It’s hard graft building rapport.     

Paul carries on to say, 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; 

I do not fight like a boxer beating the air

The apostle Paul (God bless him) has a habit of mixing his metaphors.

He switches from the runner to the boxer halfway through verse 26. Just as a runner in the games competes to win the prize, so too a boxer aims to land his punches and knock out his opponent.

The strange thing about Paul’s boxing metaphor though, is that he is throwing punches against himself. In verse 27 we read: No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Please understand, Paul is not advocating self-harm or self-flagellation here. Paul’s opponent is self-indulgence, the opposite of self-discipline.  

Paul exercises self-discipline so that he is not disqualified for the prize.

What is Paul talking about here? What exactly is the prize he has in mind?

Well, in the context of what he has just been saying about building bridges to win others for Christ, it stands to reason that the prize (or the crown) is winning others for Christ. Paul doesn’t want to forfeit the privilege of being an apostle of Christ. He doesn’t want the bridges he has built to collapse.

But, given what Paul is about to say in Corinthians 10 (which we will get to another time), we can’t rule out the possibility that he might be talking about losing his eternal salvation. That’s a scary thought.         

We shouldn’t live in fear though. God is not looking for an excuse to exclude us from his kingdom. He wants a right relationship with us. We do better to remember that God’s grace is sufficient for us, for his power is made perfect in weakness.

Just as we cannot build bridges in our own strength, so too we can’t really teach ourselves. We need the help of the Spirit of Jesus who supports us and encourages us in our self-discipline, like a personal trainer.

If you are sincere in your desire to please God and follow Jesus, then you can be confident that He who has started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (The Lord has got you.)

Conclusion:

Paul was a remarkable individual. We might feel quite inadequate and under achieving by comparison. But comparisons are not always helpful. Kiwi culture (so I’m told) is quite relaxed, quite chill. We might not have Paul’s sense of intensity or passion, but we can learn from Paul.

Can I suggest little steps to start with, whether it’s building bridges or exercising self-discipline, start small and grow with God. 

Building bridges might mean talking with someone at work who may be different from you or making a connection with a neighbour who you don’t know.

If they are a person of peace, then you might make time to get to know them better and let them get to know you. See where the Spirit leads. You don’t have to quote Scripture at them straight away. Take the pressure out of it. They are not a project or a prop. They are a person to be listened to, understood, respected and loved. 

Exercising greater self-discipline might mean being more selective about what you watch on TV or spending less time focused on work in order to create a more consistent rhythm of physical exercise, prayer, Bible reading and practising hospitality.

Self-discipline isn’t always about doing more. Sometimes it’s about learning to be still and quiet your soul.

I don’t want to be too prescriptive. You need to figure out what is right for you in conversation with your personal trainer, the Holy Spirit. What’s good for one person may not be good for another. Know yourself, be yourself, share yourself, in Christ.

Let us pray: Gracious God, establish us in your love we ask. Guide us in paths of freedom and righteousness for your name’s sake. Help us to build bridges where we can and where you lead, through Jesus we pray. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. Why do we need bridges? What does it mean to build a bridge?
  3. Why did Paul build bridges? Can you think of a time when someone built a bridge with you (or vice versa)? What happened? How did you feel?
  4. How might we go about building relational bridges with people we don’t know and/or who are different from us?
  5. Why is self-discipline essential to freedom?
  6. What habits or rhythms do you practice to strengthen your self-control muscles and train yourself in the ways of Christ? What sorts of things get in the way of self-discipline?
  7. What are the next (little) steps for you from this message?

[1] The Dr Erickson story came from a book called ‘Transforming Communication’ by Richard Bolstad and Margot Hamblett, page 71.

[2] Refer Kenneth Bailey’s commentary on 1st Corinthians, ‘Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes’, pp. 257-258.

Tawa Baptist

The Freedom Paradox

Scripture: 1st Corinthians 9:1-18

Video Link: https://youtu.be/ZG-yEtPvtoY

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • An apostle’s proof
  • An apostle’s rights
  • An apostle’s responsibility
  • Conclusion – Paul’s freedom

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Less is more. The only constant is change. The more you know, the more you know you don’t know. You have to spend money to make money. It’s hard making elegance look easy.

Each of these statements describes a paradox. A paradox is a statement or situation that seems contradictory or absurd at first but when investigated proves to be true.

Two weeks ago, we started a new sermon series in First Corinthians, not the whole letter, just one section of it: chapters 8, 9 and 10. We interrupted this series last Sunday for Mothers’ Day. We return to Corinthians again this morning.

In this section of Corinthians, Paul addresses the issue of freedom. How are Christians to use their freedom? Well, for Christians, freedom is somewhat of a paradox. When it comes to freedom, less is more. From First Corinthians chapter 9, verses 1-18 we read…

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? 2 Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 3 This is my defence to those who sit in judgment on me. 4 Don’t we have the right to food and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? 8 Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing?  9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever ploughs and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. 15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast. 16 For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel.

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

There are a few twists and turns in Paul’s thinking here. So that we don’t get too lost, let me summarise…

Some of the Corinthian believers were questioning Paul’s pedigree as an apostle because he refused financial support from them. They figured, we pay the other apostles and preachers who come to visit but we don’t pay Paul, therefore Paul can’t be a real apostle.

In a world that attaches value to money there is this false assumption that if you are a volunteer (and not a paid professional) you are somehow less.

Paul counters this assumption by proving that he is an apostle and as an apostle he has every right to claim support. By the same token he is also free to refuse financial support.

Here in lies the freedom paradox. Less is more. If he accepts his right to payment, Paul loses his freedom as an apostle. But by refusing payment he loses his credibility but preserves his freedom.  

In the process of presenting the freedom paradox, Paul illuminates an apostle’s proof, an apostle’s rights and an apostle’s responsibilities. Let us begin then with an apostle’s proof. How do we know someone is a genuine apostle?

An Apostle’s Proof:

If you ever have the misfortune to call your bank or insurance company on the phone, you will have to prove to them that it’s really you. It’s not enough to give your name, you also need to tell them your date of birth, your address, your last eftpos withdrawal and what you ate for dinner on Wednesday three weeks ago. It’s hard to prove who are sometimes.

As I said before, some in the church at Corinth were questioning whether Paul really was a genuine apostle. So, in the opening two verses of Corinthians 9, Paul gives them his credentials by way of a series of short rhetorical questions. This shows humility on Paul’s part and invites empathy from his readers.

Paul’s first two questions are these: Am I not free? Am I not an apostle?  These two questions go together because what Paul is really talking about here is his apostolic freedom.

The word ‘apostle’ literally translates as ‘sent one’. An apostle is one sent by Jesus, like an ambassador of salvation sent to a foreign land. By definition an apostle is free. Not free to do what they want, but free to go where the Spirit of Jesus sends them. Paul is clear in his own mind that he definitely is an apostle.

Paul’s next question is this: Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?  

An apostle bears witness to the resurrection of Jesus. And so, in the first century, one of the qualifications of apostleship was having seen the risen Jesus with your own eyes. Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and it turned his life around. It transformed his whole outlook.

Not many people these days can claim to have seen the risen Jesus with their own eyes, although we do hear reports of some in the Middle East and Asia who say Jesus has appeared to them. Given the transformation that happens in their lives as a result, we need to take their testimony seriously.

In any case, to be an apostle one must be completely convinced of Jesus’ resurrection and live out of that conviction, as Paul did wholeheartedly.  

After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to 500 people on one occasion. Not all of them though became apostles. Consequently, Paul’s final proof is this: Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?

This is probably Paul’s strongest proof and the hardest one for the Corinthians to refute. They had come to faith in Jesus through Paul’s evangelism and preaching among them. How could Paul have done this if he wasn’t a real apostle?

Indeed, to call Paul’s apostleship into question is to call their own conversion into question. Paul’s intellectual and spiritual leadership is proof that his apostleship is genuine.

The Corinthians are the seal of Paul’s apostleship in the Lord. In ancient times a wax or clay seal guaranteed the authenticity of a document. The presence of the Corinthian church guarantees the authenticity of Paul’s apostleship.

So do we have apostles today? Yes, we do. To say we don’t have apostles implies the risen Jesus has given up on sending ambassadors of salvation to the world, which he hasn’t of course.

In practical terms, we might think of an apostle as someone with special gifts of leadership and preaching, who establishes churches in unreached places.

Paul doesn’t spend too much time proving his apostleship (just two verses), the evidence speaks for itself. Rather strangely, he spends a lot more time talking about an apostle’s rights (12 verses).

An Apostle’s Rights:

The Prime Minister of NZ is entitled to a number of perquisites or benefits.

To start with they are paid close to $500,000 a year. Their official residence while in office is Premier House. They are transported by the Diplomatic Protection Service in a BMW car or by Air NZ or the Air Force.

The Prime Minister and their spouse and children are also entitled to travel allowances and reimbursement for accommodation.

The Prime Minister is given the title ‘Right Honourable’ and retains this title after leaving office. Those Prime Ministers who serve for more than two years get paid an annuity after leaving the role. Usually, they are made a knight or a dame as well and they are entitled to a state funeral.

Most Prime Ministers accept these entitlements and fair enough. It’s a demanding job and they shouldn’t have to pay their own way. There was one Prime Minister though (John Key) who gave up some of his rights by donating his salary to charity.

In verses 4-6 Paul outlines the rights of an apostle to receive food and drink from those they minister to and to take a believing wife along with them, who would also be supported by the church. We are not talking about a Prime Minister’s entitlements here. Just basic food and lodging.

Paul mentions that other apostles (and their wives) receive this kind of support, including Cephas (which is another name for the apostle Peter) and the Lord’s brothers. Apparently, Jesus’ half-brothers became believers after Jesus’ resurrection and had an honoured role in the early church.

Paul and Barnabas, however, chose to pay their own way. They supported themselves by working with their hands to make ends meet, then preaching and evangelizing whenever they could. Paul was a tent maker. He worked with leather (sort of like Suzy from the repair shop).

Paul came from a Jewish background, where rabbis worked at a trade and refused to be paid for teaching the Torah. For the rabbis, using the Torah to make money was like using something sacred as a spade. They wouldn’t do it.

But for the Corinthians, who had a Greek influenced background, the idea of a teacher or philosopher working with their hands was absurd, it was a contradiction. Philosophers were supposed to have lots of free time to think.

How can you think properly if you are laying bricks or sewing tents all day?

This may be why the Corinthians questioned Paul’s apostleship.              

Paul then proceeds to provide a series of justifications for why apostles (like himself) have a right to be provided for. Soldiers, vintners, shepherds, temple workers all get fed on the job. Even oxen get to eat the grain as they work.

How much more right does Paul have to be fed. He was the very first apostle to bring the gospel to them.  

As usual, Paul saves his best argument to last saying in verse 14: In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

Paul is referring to Luke 10, verse 7, where (in the context of sending out some disciples on a short-term mission trip) Jesus says: Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages.

Boom. There you have it. Mic drop. Paul is entitled to financial support from the Corinthians and yet he declines this support. Why?

Well, rights come with responsibilities, something once known as duty.

Rights and responsibilities are two sides of the same coin. The more rights you claim, the greater your responsibility and the greater your responsibility the less free you are. It’s the freedom paradox you see.    

An Apostle’s Responsibilities:

Imagine a future in which you are a scientist and you discover a way to make engines run on water. The great thing about your discovery is that it doesn’t use up water in the environment, it recycles water without causing pollution.

Your discovery means that fossil fuels are no longer needed. The potential benefits for the world’s ecosystems are manifold, reducing humankind’s carbon footprint and saving the planet from ecological disaster.

You now have a choice. You could, by rights, sell your intellectual property for an enormous amount and make a lot of money so that you never had to work again. But that would hinder the roll out of your discovery and millions of the world’s poor would pay the price in the meantime.

Alternatively, you could post your research online, making it freely available to any and all to reproduce. You would still need to work for a living but you would also remove any hindrance to the redemption of the environment and save millions of lives.

It’s a choice between the money or the environment. You can claim your rights by taking the money or you can give up your rights and save the environment from the tipping point of climate change. What would you do?

The apostle Paul did not discover the secrets of the water engine, but by God’s grace, he did discover the key to eternal life when he encountered the risen Christ. And from that point on he chose to make Jesus freely known to as many people as he could.    

After going to great lengths to show he is entitled to the right of support from the Corinthians, Paul then says (in verse 12), But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

This phrase about not hindering the gospel is key. Paul wants to avoid anything which might prevent a clear road for the advance of the gospel. How then does accepting support hinder the gospel?

Probably the main reason Paul doesn’t want to accept support from the Corinthians is that he would lose his apostolic freedom. As an apostle, Paul needs to be free to go wherever Jesus sends him.

If he is on the Corinthians’ payroll then he has a greater obligation to the Corinthian church. He would get sucked into doing a lot of admin for them and he wouldn’t be free to preach to other unreached people groups. Also, he would not be as free to correct the Corinthians when they got out of line.

In verse 16 Paul says he is compelled to preach the gospel. In other words, he doesn’t have a choice. For Paul, preaching the gospel is compulsory. He has been commissioned by Jesus to do it.

He does have a choice however in whether he charges for his services and, as we read in verse 18, Paul chooses to offer the gospel free of charge and so not make full use of his rights as a preacher.

Paul’s pay is to receive no pay, thus preserving his apostolic freedom. This is the freedom paradox. Less is more. Claiming less rights allows Paul more freedom.

I know what some of you are thinking. If Paul didn’t accept payment for his work as an apostle, why don’t I do as Paul did? Why don’t I preach for nothing? Well, I’m not an apostle. I don’t have Paul’s gifts or energy. Besides, preaching is not the only thing I do for the church.

We need to ask the right question. Not the superficial question. The deeper question. The question is not, should we pay people to do Christian ministry? The question is, what will remove any hindrance to the gospel? Or said more positively, what will make the gospel more accessible to others?

If I worked fulltime as an accountant or a business analyst or a teacher or a movie star, I would earn more money, but I would be less free to give myself to preaching the gospel.          

Now please understand, there’s nothing wrong with secular employment.

The world needs Christians to be salt and light for Jesus in the workplace. Accounting and teaching and plumbing are no less sacred than church work.

If I could do both, I would. But if God compels you to preach (like Paul) then you have to give yourself to the gospel.   

For Paul it was all about the gospel. Although he would not accept support for himself, he did ask for money to help other churches in need, and he did ask for travelling expenses for his mission work. Why? Because this promoted the gospel and preserved his freedom.

Paul’s example warns us to avoid self-interest. We don’t want to be like some TV evangelists from the 80’s who always had their hands out for money. It is not right to use the gospel like a spade to dig for cash, taking advantage of the sick and the old. That sort of thing is a hindrance to the gospel. As Bono said, ‘The God I believe in isn’t short of cash’.

Nevertheless, there is still a price to pay in making the gospel accessible to others.

A question for you personally to consider, what are you compelled to do for the gospel? Not everyone is compelled to preach. Not everyone has the same gifts or calling. What are you compelled to do for the gospel?  Maybe you are already doing it. Maybe you are yet to discover it? Don’t look back with regret. Look forward in hope.  

Conclusion:

In thinking about Paul’s freedom paradox, I’m reminded of another paradox. We might call it the life paradox. In Luke 17, verse 33, Jesus says: Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.

Let us pray…

Lord Jesus, thank you for the freedom we enjoy. Help us to spend our freedom responsibly in service to your gospel purpose. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. What is an apostle? How do we know someone is a genuine apostle? Can you think of any apostles in recent history?
  3. Why do some in the Corinthian church question Paul’s pedigree as an apostle? How do you think this made Paul feel? How does Paul respond?
  4. Why does Paul give up his right to financial support? What is the cost to Paul of doing this? What does Paul gain by giving up his right to support?
  5. What would you do if you discovered how to make an engine run on water? Take the money or give your research away to save the environment? Why?
  6. What are you compelled to do for the gospel? 
  7. What sorts of things today are a hindrance to the spread of the gospel? What will make the gospel more accessible to others?
Tawa Baptist

Informed by Love

Scripture: 1st Corinthians 8:1-13

Video Link: https://youtu.be/r5yAZXm_xNQ

Audio Link: https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/sermon-4-may-2025-informed-by-love

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Love informs knowledge (vv.1-3)
  • God is one (vv. 4-6)
  • Love restrains freedom (vv. 7-13)
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Imagine for a moment that you have a superpower. Maybe super strength or the ability to fly or perhaps move objects with your mind or make yourself invisible. What if you could heal people just by touching them? Or discern what people were really thinking. 

The examples I’ve given are a bit far-fetched. They sound like something out of a Marvel movie, but power comes in more subtle forms too. Things like, inside knowledge, privileged position, money, creative ability and freedom; these are all examples of more commonplace powers we might take for granted.  

Whatever form it might take though, power makes us more vulnerable to temptation and more likely to cause harm. How do we use our power? Do we use it to help others, or do we use it to take advantage?

Today we start a new sermon series in First Corinthains. We are not planning to work through the whole letter, just one section (chapters 8, 9 and 10) where the apostle Paul addresses the question of freedom. How are Christians to use their special power of freedom? From 1st Corinthians chapter 8, verses 1-13 we read…   

Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. 3 But whoever loves God is known by God. 4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

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

Have you ever walked in, midway, through someone else’s conversation and felt a bit lost, trying to pick up the thread of what they are saying, not sure of what you have missed? Reading Paul’s letters to the Corinthians can feel like that sometimes.

The experts tell us Paul probably wrote at least four letters to the church in Corinth, but only two of his letters survived. To make matters more complicated, the Corinthian believers also wrote some letters to Paul, seeking clarification on a few issues. But the content of their letters is lost to history.

The result is that we, today, are left trying to put the pieces of the puzzle back together. Apparently, 1st Corinthians is Paul’s response to one of the letters the Corinthians had written to him.

One of their questions had to do with eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols. Is this okay or not? Eating idol meat might not seem like a hot button topic for us today in New Zealand, but it was a big deal in the first century.

Whether the question of eating meat sacrificed to idols seems relevant to us or not, the principles embedded in Paul’s response are still very pertinent for the church in the 21st Century.    

Three timeless principles woven through today’s Scripture reading:

Love informs knowledge, God is one and love restrains freedom.

Let us begin with love and knowledge. What do we mean when we say love informs knowledge?   

Love informs knowledge:

Well, basically this: True knowledge is not about accumulating a stack of information in your head. (We have the internet for that.) Nor is knowledge about having lots of degrees and qualifications.

True knowledge is relational. True knowledge (what we might call intimacy) comes with the experience of giving and receiving love over time.   

I didn’t get to know Robyn by taking a class (although there may have been times when she wished I had taken classes). There were no lectures or tests (at least not the kind NZQA would recognize), but there was a lot of listening and work and laughter (mainly Robyn laughing at me).

As someone said to us on our wedding day. Marriage is an education in which you lose your bachelor’s and never really gain your masters.  

Seriously though, Robyn and I have grown in our knowledge and appreciation of each other through more than three decades of marriage, with all the joys and difficulties and humdrum in between that living and working and raising kids together entails.

The first thing we notice about Paul’s response to the Corinthians’ question is the way he models the principle of love informing knowledge. Paul could have simply said, ‘No. Eating meat sacrificed to idols is wrong. Don’t do it. It’s my way or the highway’. End of conversation. But Paul takes a different approach.

You don’t deal with weeds by cutting off the tops and leaving the root in the ground. A more effective way of dealing with weeds is to pull the whole weed out, root and all. And it’s normally easier to pull weeds out if you soften the ground first with some water.

Paul persuades his readers by addressing the root of the problem. But first he waters the ground. He softens people’s hearts in a gentle way.

To be clear, the Corinthians are not the weeds here. The Corinthians are people that Paul cares about deeply. Unfortunately, some of their ideas were like weeds that needed to be removed and replaced with a more fruitful thought.

The surface question might be, ‘Is it okay to eat meat sacrificed to idols?’

But the deeper (root) question is, ‘Do you love God and your brothers and sisters in Christ?’

You see, the Corinthians believed that being spiritual had to do with possessing special knowledge. In their minds, having the right knowledge gives you a kind of superpower that makes you more ‘spiritual’ than others.        

But Paul helps the Corinthians (and us) to see that this is not what Christian spirituality looks like at all. For Christians, knowledge is informed by love.

Being spiritual is not about having the right answers or insights. Being spiritual is about giving and receiving love.

Indeed, Christian spirituality is about loving God and loving your neighbour as yourself.   

Paul agrees with the Corinthians’ statement that, “We all possess knowledge”. However, he qualifies their statement saying, “But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. 2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.”

Or, as J.B. Phillips puts it: “While knowledge may make a person look big, it is only love that can make them grow to their full stature. For whatever a person may know, they still have a lot to learn.”      

In other words, knowledge doesn’t make you spiritual. Knowledge makes you arrogant. It inflates your ego, so you think you are better than other people. Love grows you spiritually.

In verse 3, Paul uproots the Corinthians’ false thinking: But whoever loves God is known by God.

Life is connection with God (intimacy with him). To be known by God is to be recognized by God as having a relationship with him. We gain true spiritual knowledge by being in a loving relationship with God. A relationship in which we receive love from God and learn to trust and obey him as well.

Love informs knowledge. If knowledge is divorced from love, then it becomes a destructive power. That’s Paul’s first principle. His next principle is that God is one. Or said another way, there is only one true God.

God is one:

Some people will not open an umbrella inside because they believe it brings bad luck. According to one theory this superstition comes from ancient Egypt where noblemen used umbrellas to shade themselves from the sun. To open an umbrella inside was considered offensive to the sun god.

These days we avoid opening umbrellas inside because we don’t want to knock anything over or poke anyone in the eye. It has nothing to do with any sun god.

In medieval times people associated black cats with the devil and witches and the plague. Consequently, for some, having a black cat cross your path is an evil omen. But really there is no scientific basis for being fearful of black cats, unless you are a mouse or a bird or a saucer of milk.

What about throwing salt over your left shoulder? Well, apparently this is to cleanse yourself of the little devil which sits on your left shoulder whispering things into your ear.

In my experience there is more than one little devil and they tend to attach themselves to memories. They don’t sit on my shoulder; there’s not enough room for them all. What’s the point in throwing salt over my shoulder? Not only is it a waste of good salt, it also means I have to vacuum more often, which is bad for my back.   

The city of Corinth, in the first century, was a very superstitious place. There were pagan idols everywhere you went. Trying not to offend any of the gods and trying to appease them if you did cause offense, was exhausting. 

One of the attractions of converting from pagan worship to Christianity is that with Jesus there is just one God. It’s a lot easier to serve one master, than many at the same time. Knowing there is only one God and he loves you, sets you free from a lot of unnecessary fear and superstition.

Knowing there is only one God also gives you a kind of superpower in a society that believes in many gods. And, as I said at the beginning of this message, having a superpower can be a dangerous thing.

Some of the Corinthian Christians were misusing their knowledge to justify some sketchy behaviour. They reasoned that because there is only one true God, then the so-called gods which the idols of wood and stone represent, don’t really exist. Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, Aphrodite and so on are nothing.

And if the idols are nothing, if they are not real, then they have no power. Therefore, eating meat that has been sacrificed to idols cannot hurt you.

Just like opening an umbrella inside your house is not going to offend the sun god and bring you bad luck because there is no sun god.

Again, Paul is gentle in weeding out the Corinthians’ self-serving thinking.

Paul agrees wholeheartedly that there is only one true God and all the idols are nothing. But he does qualify this somewhat by acknowledging the dual reality.

Objectively speaking there is only one God but existentially speaking (in the felt experience of most Corinthian citizens) there are many gods and many lords. Those gods and lords (false though they be) are still real enough in the minds of the pagan majority.

Later, in chapter 10, Paul goes on to clarify: “…the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons”.

In verse 6 Paul gives a wonderfully rich and valuable theological statement which has stood the test of time down through the centuries…

…yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.          

There’s a lot going on here, so let me give you the skinny version. Paul is affirming that there is only one God. God is the creator and Jesus is the one through whom God created all things. Caesar is not lord, as the cult of emperor worship believed. Jesus is Lord and he is one with God.  

More than this, the one true God is our Father. To describe God as our Father indicates a close and caring relationship with God. The Christian God is not like the pagan gods who don’t care about humanity. Our God is invested in his creation like a good Father is invested in his children. 

Building on this idea of God being a Father, we look to God just as a child looks to their parents to know things. We know who we are and why we are and what to do by looking to God our Father. God gives us our identity, our purpose and the right path through life.  

We don’t look to blind superstition to guide our behaviour, like the pagans do. Nor do we manipulate knowledge to justify our own bad behaviour, like some of the ‘knowledgeable’ Corinthians were doing. No. We take our lead from God’s love for us.     

We are talking about the responsible exercise of knowledge and freedom.

Love informs knowledge and love restrains freedom. Wait, did he just say, ‘love restrains freedom’? That can’t be right, can it? Isn’t love supposed to let me do what I want? No. True love knows when to exercise restraint.  

Love restrains freedom:

Now the kind of love in view here is not a fluctuating feeling. Rather, it is a settled commitment to the wellbeing of others, irrespective of how they make us feel. It is agape love, self-giving love. The kind of love modelled by Jesus.

Jesus didn’t need to go to the cross, at least not for himself. He was free to walk away, but he chose to restrain his freedom out of love for God and love for us. ‘Not my will Father, but your will be done’.

We drive north to see family in Hamilton and Tauranga every three months or so. It normally takes us about seven hours depending on road works and traffic. Our is not new or fast or powerful, but it is reliable; it gets the job done without costing too much.  

Most drivers are patient and show consideration on the road. But every now and then you come across someone who takes a crazy risk. Best to give them room and pray they don’t cause an accident.

People like that may know how to drive and they may own a fast and powerful car, but that doesn’t entitle them to pass at speed by crossing a yellow line on a blind corner. That kind of behaviour is not loving. It puts personal freedom ahead of the wellbeing of others.

Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. Seeking the wellbeing of others sometimes requires us to limit our power and restrain our freedom.

In verse 7 Paul says that not everyone possesses the knowledge that there is only one God and idols are nothing. As believers in Christ, they may know in their head that God is one, but this knowledge hasn’t properly connected with their heart yet. It’s not part of their felt experience.

After years of bowing and scraping to idols in fear and superstition, they still feel like the pagan gods are real and could do them harm. What if eating the idol’s meat contaminates them in some way? What if eating in a pagan temple without worshipping the pagan gods makes the gods angry?    

Those believers who felt free to eat sacrificial meat thought their faith was stronger or more mature. They were looking down on other believers who had a sensitive conscience and were more selective with their eating.

So, in verse 8 Paul says: food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

In other words, eating meat sacrificed to idols does not prove that your faith is stronger. It doesn’t make you more ‘spiritual’. In fact, God is not that concerned with what goes into your stomach. The Lord is more concerned with how you treat others, especially those you might think are weaker than you.

Paul’s line of reasoning here follows Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 15 where the Lord says, 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

In verse 9 Paul gets to the crux of the matter saying: Be careful that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.

Have some consideration for the wellbeing of other believers, for whom Christ died. Just because you feel free to eat meat doesn’t mean you should. Be ready to limit your own personal freedom for the sake of others.

If someone feels morally uncomfortable eating meat or drinking alcohol or watching a particular movie or laughing at your dodgy jokes or whatever, then don’t pressure them.

Don’t goad them into following your example, by making them feel they are somehow inadequate if they don’t do as you do. Let others feel comfortable in their own skin. Let their faith grow and take shape as the Holy Spirit directs.   

In verse 12, Paul joins the dots for the Corinthians (and us) saying: When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.

Again, we are reminded of the words of Jesus who said: Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

To sin against another believer is to sin against Christ. To love another believer is to love Christ and to love Christ is to love God. Paul would rather give up meat altogether than cause a fellow believer to fall and lose faith. Love informs knowledge and love restrains freedom.

Conclusion:

What is the takeaway here? (Please excuse the pun.) Well, one person’s meat is another person’s poison. What you have no problem with may be quite harmful to someone else.

We need to be conscious of the power of our words and actions and how these affect others. In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty. In all things let love be your guide.  

Let us pray…

Father God, you are one and you care for all people, weak and strong. Forgive us for the times we have wounded others’ faith and conscience. May your love inform our knowledge and restrain our freedom, through Jesus we pray. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. If you could choose a superpower, what would it be (and why)? What more subtle powers do you already possess? How do you use your power?
  3. What is the purpose of knowledge? Why does love need to inform knowledge?
  4. What does it mean (for Christians) to be spiritual? What does it mean to be known by God?
  5. Do you have any superstitions? If so, what are they and where do they come from?
  6. Discuss / reflect on 1st Corinthians 8, verse 6: Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. What are the implications of this statement?         
  7. Why is it important to restrain freedom? How do we know when to restrain our freedom?
Tawa Baptist

The Tree of Life

Scripture: Genesis 2:8-17, 3:22-24, Proverbs 3:18, 11:30, 13:12, 15:4, Revelation 22:1-2

Video Link: https://youtu.be/bDNF7EVaRIE

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • In the beginning – Genesis
  • In the middle – Proverbs
  • In the end – Revelation
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Sustainability is a word we hear a lot these days. In 1987, the United Nations defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” 

Or said another way, sustainability aims to leave the world in better shape than we found it.  

Sustainability has a variety of facets including environmental, social and economic. There is an interconnectedness with the world we live in. Harm done to the environment has a long-term negative impact on the global economy and on social cohesion.

Today we conclude our Testimony of Trees series by focusing on the Tree of Life. We might think of the tree of life as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the future. The tree of life is God’s gift of sustainability to the world.

The tree of life is mentioned at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the Bible. Let’s start at the beginning because that’s a very good place to start. From Genesis chapter 2, verse 8 we read… 

8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resinand onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

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

In the beginning – Genesis 2 & 3

According to the experts, New Zealand is ranked 26th in the world on the Environmental Performance Index. The Environmental Performance Index (or EPI) measures the health and vitality of a country’s eco-systems.

We might think being ranked 26th in the world, out of 170 odd, is pretty good but, sadly, in 2023 New Zealand began to use more from nature than the planet can renew in a year. This means we are not living in a sustainable way. We are taking more than we give.     

In Genesis chapter 2, we read how God planted a garden in the East, in Eden. When we think of a garden, we probably imagine a nicely manicured back yard, perhaps with some roses and raised vege beds. But the sort of garden in view here is more like a national park.

The garden of Eden is sacred space, like a sanctuary or a temple for God on earth. Adam is formed and placed in the garden to take care of it. In many respects Adam is like a DOC ranger and a priest, serving in God’s natural sanctuary. 

Eden (which in Hebrew means ‘delight’) [1] is filled with all sorts of trees which look beautiful and are good for food. The garden of Eden is a picture of sustainability. There is no shortage of food in Eden. The air quality and water purity are excellent. Eden’s EPI is perfect. Admittedly the human population was small back then, but it was about to grow exponentially.

At the centre of God’s national park / holy temple, are two special trees. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Back in February we heard about the tree of knowledge, so I don’t need to rehearse that again today. Our focus this morning is the tree of life.

Immediately after introducing the two special trees, the author of Genesis goes on to describe a river flowing out of Eden. This river then divides into four headwaters, each flowing in a different direction.

We recognize two of the rivers (the Tigris and the Euphrates) but the other two (the Pishon and the Gihon) are lost to history. In any case, these rivers water the land beyond Eden and bestow treasures of gold and onyx.

Water represents life. The message here is that God’s presence is the source of life. God makes this world more than just sustainable. God’s presence bestows richness and fertility. God makes life abundant. 

The river flowing through Eden waters all the trees in the garden, including the tree of life. There is some mystery surrounding the tree of life. Does one bite of the fruit instantly grant immortality, or do you have to keep eating the fruit to sustain your life?

We can’t be sure, but the wider Biblical witness and reason would suggest you have to keep eating the fruit to reverse the aging process and live longer. [2] Sounds magical doesn’t it. But it’s not magic, although it may be sacramental.

A sacrament is a physical reality which communicates or transfers God’s grace.

For example, when someone makes a meal for you, that meal communicates you are provided for and loved.

On at least one occasion, Jesus’ saliva served as a sacrament healing a man’s blindness. And on the day of Pentecost, the apostles’ tongues acted as a kind of sacrament communicating the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. 

If we think of the tree of life in the garden of Eden as sacramental, then it was a physical tree that transferred the gift of life and vitality to Adam and Eve.

Of course, the specifics of these things are beyond our knowing so we cannot be too dogmatic about it.

Access to the tree of life was lost to humanity when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge. From verse 22 of Genesis 3 we read what happens after Adam and Eve broke faith with God.

22 And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever.” 23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east sideof the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

You may have heard of the law of entropy. The law of entropy says that when left alone in natural states, eventually everything goes into disorder. Or, as Murphy’s Law puts it, when left alone everything goes from bad to worse.

For example, after you have boiled the water for your tea it will eventually cool and return to room temperature. Or once you have frozen the ice cubes for your lemonade, they will eventually melt and your lemonade will become lukewarm.

Or if you leave your shiny new car out in the rain, it will eventually rust and fall apart. Or as you approach middle age, the six pack you were once so proud of will start to resemble a keg. Entropy is all that we know.  

But what if there was an antidote to entropy? Well, there is. The tree of life is the antidote. Eating the fruit of the tree of life reverses the aging process and restores your six pack. It takes away your sore back, your cataracts and your grey hair. It renews your strength and your health.

After eating from the tree of knowledge, Adam and Eve were denied access to the tree of life. God placed cherubim in the way to guard the tree. Cherubim are not the cute little cherubs (with cupids’ bow and arrow) that we might think of. Cherubim are God’s throne bearers. They are fearsome creatures, guardians of the holy presence, sort of like God’s secret service agents.  

Without access to the tree of life, humanity could not reverse the aging process. Consequently, life was no longer sustainable, and we all became subject to the law of entropy and death.   

It might seem like God’s judgement, in denying humanity access to everlasting life is a bit cruel, but actually God’s judgement is merciful.

Who wants to live forever if it means more and more pain and suffering?

Who wants to live forever if it means enduring our own sinfulness and the harm caused by others’ sin? If you live with entropy long enough you get to a point when you want it all to end.

In the middle – Proverbs

Okay, so that is the tree of life as it was in the beginning. We next hear about the tree of life in the middle of the Bible. In the book of Proverbs, the tree of life is associated with four things which make life sustainable: wisdom, righteousness, hope and healing.

In Proverbs chapter 3, verse 18, wisdom is described as a tree of life. Those who hold her fast will be blessed.

Wisdom enhances life. Wisdom makes life better, for you and others.

One bite of wisdom won’t grant you immortality, but if you keep nurturing the tree of wisdom, you will be blessed and life will become more sustainable.

In Proverbs 11, verse 30 we read: The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves souls.

In the Bible, to be righteous is practically the same thing as being wise.

Here the righteous are pictured as a tree of life, feeding others. The fruit of the righteous person (that is, their deeds of justice and mercy) save the souls of other people.  

In Victor Hugo’s novel, Les Miserable, the fruit of the righteous Bishop Myriel, giving away his silver candlesticks in an act of grace and forgiveness, was a tree of life for Jean Valjean. It made life sustainable for him.

Who has been a tree of life for you? Who can you be a tree of life for?

Proverbs 13, verse 12 says: Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.   

Just as the tree of life heals those who eat its fruit, so too a hope (or a longing) that is realised restores our faith and fills the cup of our soul.

When the disciples met the risen Jesus, in the days and weeks following his resurrection, their longing to see the Lord again was fulfilled and this reinvigorated their lives with fresh purpose and joy.

Seeing the risen Jesus was a tree of life for them. It sustained them in their mission of spreading the gospel. Indeed, faith in the resurrection of Jesus provides us with a pathway to eternal life.

What do you long for? Is your hope based on the sure promises of God?

Or is your hope misplaced in that which will ultimately disappoint?

Proverbs 15, verse 4 tells us that, a gentle tongue is a tree of life,but a perverse (or deceitful) tongue crushes the spirit. 

If you break your leg, you will probably need crutches to support your weight for a while, until the leg heals. The crutches serve as a kind of tree of life.

Bad words, deceitful words, words said with the intention of wounding, break something in our spirit. They cause pain and prevent us from walking by faith.

But a kind word, a true word, communicated at the right time and in the right way, can silence the voice of the critic and heal a broken spirit.

A gentle tongue is a tree of life, providing the strength and support we need to walk again by faith.

In the movie, Good Will Hunting, Robin Williams’ words to Matt Damon, “It’s not your fault”, were a tree of life.

What gentle words do you need to hear? What gentle words do you need to speak?

We’ve heard about the tree of life at the beginning of the Bible (in Genesis). And we’ve heard about the tree of life in the middle (in the book of Proverbs). What then does the Bible have to say about the tree of life at its end?

In the end – Revelation

From Revelation 22, the very last chapter of the Bible, we read…

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

We are talking about the tree of life. So, what is life? People today often reduce the meaning of life to physical terms. We tend to think that if our heart is still beating and our lungs are still breathing, then we are alive. But for the writers of the Bible, life and death are not merely physical, they are spiritual as well.

Life is connection. You see, we can’t live in isolation. We need other people and we need other non-human creatures too. When we don’t have good connection, fear and insecurity creep in and before you know it people are doing harm to each other.

One of the key messages woven through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is that God is the source of life. Therefore, if we want our lives to be sustainable and abundant, then we need to have a good connection with God.

If life is connection with God (intimacy with him) then death is when we are cut off from the presence of God, alienated from him, hanging on by a thread.

At the end of the Bible, the apostle John gives us a vision of the heavenly city (the city of God) come to earth. It is a vision of renewed connection. A vision of abundant life. A vision of healing and nourishment. A vision of fulfilling service and intimacy with God.

In Revelation 22, verse 1, the angel shows John the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb…

This picture creates a connection with the paradise of Eden. In Genesis 2 we read about a life-giving river flowing out from the presence of God, sustaining the earth. There is another life-giving river in our future.

The Lamb in Revelation is a reference to Jesus, the Messiah. Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus reigns with God in heaven. Indeed, Jesus is God, Lord of all.

The water of life is probably a reference to the Holy Spirit.

In the gospel of John chapter 7, Jesus said: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”  39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.   

Returning to the vision in Revelation 22, John sees the tree of life growing on each side of the river of life. Again, the mention of the tree of life creates a connection with the garden of Eden, but also with the tree of life proverbs we heard earlier.

This heavenly tree of life bears twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. It is unclear whether these are 12 different kinds of fruit each month or whether it is the same kind of fruit all year round.

In Galatians we read that the fruits of the Spirit are many and varied: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Given what we know about the diversity of God’s creation, we are inclined to think the tree of life bears many different kinds of fruit.

In any case, we are shown a picture of abundant nourishment. Twelve is an ideal number, representing wholeness and perfection. This tree is well watered and extremely fruitful. No one is going hungry in the city of God. Everyone’s needs are met.

But wait, there’s more: the leaves of the tree of life are for the healing of the nations.

Tree leaves are often used in traditional medicine for the healing of wounds.

In Māori culture Kawakawa leaves are regarded as having medicinal properties and are often worn at special ceremonies like tangihanga, when people are in need of healing and restoration. 

In a world torn apart by war and violence, the nations are in desperate need of the healing leaves of the tree of life. We pray for this kind of healing in places like the Middle East, Ukraine and parts of Africa, but also in our own land, for we are not without strife.

Conclusion:

God’s presence is a tree of life, renewing our relationships and transforming this world beyond mere sustainability to abundance. 

How then do we gain access to this wonderful tree of life? Through Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple which separated the holy of holies, was torn in two as a sign that humanity has access to God the Father through faith in Jesus. Jesus restores our connection with God and one another.

Let us pray… 

Gracious God, we thank you for sustaining your creation. Help us to remain in Christ, faithful to the end, that we may eat from the tree of life and enjoy eternity with you. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. What is life?
  3. What does sustainability mean to you? How might we live in a more sustainable way? Environmentally? Economically? Socially? Spiritually? Etc. 
  4. What is the tree of life associated with in Genesis? Why do you think God created the tree of life in Genesis 2? Why did God deny access to the tree of life in Genesis 3?
  5. Discuss / reflect on the tree of life in the book of Proverbs. E.g. In relation to wisdom, righteousness, healing and hope? Who has been a tree of life to you? Who can you be a tree of life for?
  6. What connections do you observe between the tree of life references in Genesis, Proverbs and Revelation? 
  7. How do we gain access to the tree of life?

[1] Refer Derek Kidner’s commentary on Genesis, page 62.

[2] Refer John Walton’s NIVAC on Genesis, page 170.

Tawa Baptist

Palm Sunday – by Sam Barris

Scriptures: John 12:12-19, Hebrews 10:22-25, Matthew 27:15-26, 1 Peter 3:15-16

Palm Sunday – by Sam Barris:

Good morning everyone, have you ever been swept in the energy or the excitement or the momentum of a crowd?

Maybe you’ve been at a sports game, jumping up and down out of your seat cheering when your team has scored.

Maybe you see on TV that everyone is panic buying toilet paper and suddenly you’ve bought enough rolls to last you far too long?

Maybe you’ve been ordering at a restaurant, the waiter is going around the table, you know exactly what you’re going to get, it’s obvious – the beef burger with fries and a coke zero. Although, you’re hearing some of the other orders around the table and you’re starting to doubt whether you really want your go to burger and coke. Your last 3 friends around the table have just ordered the fish and chips and oh boy, you haven’t had fish and chips in how long? The waiter comes to you and in that fleeting moment, that last second – you change your mind. You go with the fish and chips. The food comes out and the regret starts to build up. Why did you get the fish and chips? Who orders fish and chips at a restaurant? This is going to cost you $34 when you could have gone to one of the countless fish and chip shops in Tawa and paid a quarter of that price for a tastier meal!

As you can probably tell by the length of that example, that one was a personal one and one I have learnt and grown from.

Whether it’s a crowd the size of a stadium or a few of you at a restaurant, a work meeting or just at the dinner table – we’ve all been influenced by the actions of the group or the collective mood.

Today is Palm Sunday, the day we remember Jesus, riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, days before his crucifixion on Good Friday. This is Jesus fulfilling prophecy from Zechariah and therefore Him publicly letting the people know He is the Messiah. He comes as the prince of peace, riding in on a donkey.

What I want to focus on today is what the crowd were thinking and feeling at this time, how they responded to Jesus in this triumphant entrance contrasted with the crowd’s response at Jesus’ trial, and also how we respond to Jesus – what influences us in those moments?

Let’s begin by turning in our Bibles to John chapter 12 verses 12 to 19. I’m reading from the New Living Translation version which you can follow along on the screen.

The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted,

“Praise God!

Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hail to the King of Israel!”

Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:

“Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem.

Look, your King is coming,

    riding on a donkey’s colt.”

His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him.

Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign. Then the Pharisees said to each other, “There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after him!”

Growing up hearing this story, I would never quite understand the magnitude of this event. I felt like all the depictions of Jesus riding into Jerusalem that I saw made me believe that there was Jesus riding in on a donkey and maybe 10 people welcoming Him in.

While there’s not a direct statistic given to us about the number of people witnessing this, there are some clues that it was quite a large crowd.

Firstly, there was a large crowd that had followed Jesus and His disciples since they left Jericho where He had just healed two blind men sitting on the road (Matthew 20:29) so even before His entrance into Jerusalem, the crowd was already building.

Secondly, as we read in verses 12-13, there was a large crowd of Passover visitors who heard that Jesus was on the way into Jerusalem.

The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him.

Thousands of people would travel to Jerusalem for Passover. While I don’t know for sure, there are estimations that the regular population of Jerusalem at this time was around 20 to 30 thousand whereas at Passover time, this would jump up to hundreds of thousands. Those who would travel in for the festival would often be camping outside the city as there was no room within for them so Jerusalem was full!

Finally, as we read in verse 19, the Pharisees look on this crowd with defeat. There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after Him!. This also leads me to believe it was quite a large crowd as they probably wouldn’t have been too worried if there was a measly few welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem.

Again, while we don’t know exact numbers, there’s enough here for us to believe, this was a very decent crowd. A lot of people laying down palm branches, praising God, hailing Jesus as the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

On the face of it, this sounds great and it would have been a very exciting thing to witness. We know how this story continues on though, Good Friday is just around the corner.

Let’s now look at how the crowd are responding to Jesus, what has led them to be here and are they seeing Jesus for who He truly is?

In January this year, American fried chicken chain Popeyes opened a restaurant in Lower Hutt. Here’s an article from the opening day:

Lower Hutt’s Popeyes chicken is proving to be so popular amongst the community that it has had to bring in traffic management to prevent long queues from spilling onto the road.

The restaurant is so popular that when it opened its Lower Hutt outlet earlier this month, customers were queueing from as early as 3am, and the queues did not stop there.

“We’re big fried chicken fans, so we’re happy we found a new spot to go,”

“We tried once but it was too busy so we’re trying a second time,”

“Maybe KFC level, maybe a little better because they’re new, you know, they like to put out the best,”

Let’s take a moment to pause and remember, my focus right now is on the crowd of people. In no way am I even starting to compare the wonder of Jesus with fried chicken from Lower Hutt.

As we know already, Jesus was building up a crowd wherever He went. There were people who were swept up in the hype as they had all heard the rumours that this man had raised Lazarus from the dead. Many were simply there to lay eyes on this man who could perform miracles. As we read in verse 17 & 18, many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign. These people were spectators, interested in whatever was causing this hype and rush – the hot topic of the week. These are the people who would queue at Popeyes at 3am.

In saying that, this in itself is not bad intention. People come to church out of curiosity, wanting to spectate, see what’s going on – maybe church is hosting an exciting outreach event and they’ve heard all about the friendly people there and want to head along. That’s great and I’m sure there were many people in this crowd who started off caught up in the hype and the rush of this miracle man who raised someone from the dead and then grew to truly understand why He was here and what He was here to do. I’m sure there were also people who were also attracted by the sensationalism of Jesus but that’s all it was for them – some who saw Jesus as a sensation on this day were later shouting for His death.

Another quote from the Popeyes article:

“Look at this line. Nothing’s worth this line. I didn’t even want to come but she (I assume his wife) goes ‘yes let’s go’ and then I got stuck in the line,”

There were people in the queue for Popeyes who thought it wasn’t all it was cracked out to be, it didn’t meet their own expectations. There were also people there who had the wrong end of the stick of who Jesus was and who He was going to be. A lot of the crowd saw Jesus as a new national leader, a military leader who was going to lead them to overthrow the Romans and restore their nation to its former glory. That is what they felt like they needed and they ignored the words of prophets and were blind to Jesus’ real mission. When they later realised that Jesus was not going to fulfill their misguided hopes and dreams, many of these people also turned against Him.

 We also see the disciples get caught up in this way of thinking momentarily – they also were caught up in the hype of the crowd. Later on, they realised what Jesus was doing. As we saw in our verses, His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him. His previous words and actions, at the time of His resurrection, took on new meaning and made more sense to them. In retrospect, the disciples saw how Jesus had led them into a deeper and better understanding of His truth.

Does any of this echo with you in how you respond to Jesus in your own life?

Are we welcoming Him in, laying things down in front of Him, shouting His praises?

Or are we here following what others are doing? We’ve heard about Jesus but really, we love the energy, singing together, people to talk to, something to do on a Sunday morning. Remember – this isn’t a bad way to start but it’s not all there is.

What about when life doesn’t go our way or we put our faith in Jesus and it doesn’t give us what we think we need? We’ve believed and trusted in Jesus, put our faith in Him and are trying to live a life that would please Him but actually, why isn’t life getting easier? Do we turn away from Him and try to find something else to make our problems go away or do we remain strong and determined in our faith?

Or maybe we’re like the disciples. We’re caught up in the rush and excitement, we’re going along with the flow, life is busy and we’re just getting on with it. Stop now and think – think about the events in your life leading up to where you are now. How has God led you to this point? As we grow in our faith, let’s continue to look back and see God’s hand in our lives, guiding us through. It’s harder to see in the moment.

Why are you here? What is your foundation? Our foundation needs to be in Jesus. We need to work hard to understand God’s word, pray for continued growth of our own understanding and we need to be ready to discern. Am I here because I want to praise God in community and grow in my faith or am I here because I like the people who are here, I like singing songs, I enjoy having a cup of tea and a chat – all of those are good things but by themselves, are they going to be enough when life gets tough? Are we leaning on Jesus and putting our faith in Him regardless of what is going on? With that, are we noticing and thanking Him for working through us and guiding us in our walk with Him?

Hebrews 10 verses 22 – 25 tells us … let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.

Start with that firm foundation. Go right into God’s presence, accept that Jesus has made us clean by dying for us and hold tightly to hope. What does accepting Jesus look like? It is believing who He says He is, that He is the son of God, that He died on the cross for our sins and rose again.

With that, community is so important. Coming to church is so important. We are here to build each other up, motivate each other to do good works and show love. We gather together to share our faith and to strengthen one another in the Lord. Just like those in Jerusalem who chose to welcome Jesus, let’s continue to create an environment where He is at the center, where we can shout praises to Him as that’s happening less and less all around us.

Now, let’s look at a different crowd and how they responded to Jesus. Let’s fast forward to Friday, the day where Jesus was crucified. 5 days after he arrived in Jerusalem on a donkey with crowds praising and welcoming Him. Jesus has now been arrested and is standing before Pilate on trial.

Please join with me in reading Matthew chapter 27 verses 15 to 26:

Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted. This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas. As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” (He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)

Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.”

Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death. So the governor asked again, “Which of these two do you want me to release to you?”

The crowd shouted back, “Barabbas!”

Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”

They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

“Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”

But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”

Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”

And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!”

So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

This crowd has substituted Praise Him for Crucify Him. There is a similar hype, excitement, building off each other’s energy from what we saw from the last crowd but this is negative. There may be people here who would have happily welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem a few days before but with persuasion from the leading priests and elders and the mentality of the crowd shifting, they no longer see Jesus as an interesting novelty but a dangerous heretic. This mob won’t listen to reason or questions such as, ‘What crime has he committed?’, they want Jesus dead and gone. They are even willing to take responsibility for this, even having responsibility placed on their children. They’re not kidding about it.

Here we can really see the pressure of the crowd wearing Pilate down. He doesn’t see why Jesus should be crucified. He hesitates and questions why Jesus deserves this. He believes Jesus is innocent and under Roman law, there’s no reason why He should be put to death. His wife even encouraging him to let Jesus go due to a nightmare she had. There was a lot in favour of Jesus being let go here, but clearly not enough.

Pilate was scared. He was scared of the mob – he didn’t want a riot to break out. He was also selfish, he didn’t want this impacting his political opportunities and was worried if he didn’t do what was asked of him here, he would be worse off. He tried to claim innocence by washing his hands but his inaction caused Jesus to be crucified. 

How do we respond to Jesus when those around us aren’t also praising Him? Maybe they are indifferent or even against Jesus. You don’t have to look far to see that – I’m sure a lot of us see it very regularly – whether that’s at work, in what we see on the news and in politics, there’s a continuing shift away.

It is harder and harder to find places where Jesus is loved or even believed in. I’m sure we’ve all been in environments or seen situations like that, maybe not quite at a mob level of anger and shouting but we’ve all been in spaces where Jesus isn’t loved by all and that’s being made very clear.

How do we react? I believe the best response comes with balance because it can be too easy to go one of two ways.

We could be like Pilate and fold. We go along with the crowd for our own benefit, maybe we’re in a situation where it would just be easier to not be honest and open about your faith. We know what we truly believe but whatever situation we’re in, it would make it awkward to speak up.

It’s not easy to avoid that option either, right? We saw that from Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, just before His trial before Pilate. He went from defending Jesus, cutting off someone’s ear to protect Him from arrest to denying he even knew Jesus three times – probably because he felt the pressure of the crowd.

We should also be careful of going too far the other way, moving away from Peter’s denial and more towards the ear chopping territory. We could be courageously standing up against the crowd in Jesus’ name and laying down all the biblical truths but if we’re approaching it in a way that is seeking to win an argument, show off, or act high and mighty over those who aren’t Christians – we’re not representing who Jesus is well.

We need to balance both of these by being steadfast in our beliefs and also allowing people to question us and providing responses with humility and kindness.

1st Peter 3v15 & 16 tell us And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Just like Jesus, we need to ride into these conversations on our donkey, bringing courage and peace.

In all of this today, we’ve seen that people are uncertain. We fluctuate, we can struggle to respond in the right ways depending on changing environments, differing opinions, and challenging ideas. One thing remains constant though.

Try to picture how Jesus felt riding through Jerusalem. He knew the thoughts and feelings of the crowd – some not understanding that he wasn’t there to conquer with military force, he is the prince of peace. He was surrounded by people praising Him, knowing that 5 days later they would fight angrily for His death.

What does He do? He does exactly what He came here to do. He rides a donkey through Jerusalem to fulfill prophecy and show them the King he has come to be. He sits through his trial calmly and allows everything to happen as He knows it is supposed to.

The mood of the crowd doesn’t turn Him away from His purpose. On the cross, He asks God to forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing, he dies in our place and offers us eternal life. He did that for those praising His triumphant entrance into Jerusalem, He did that for the angry mob calling for his crucifixion, He did that for the religious leaders plotting His death and inciting the crowd, and He did that for you and me as well.

After Jesus died on the cross, there was an earthquake. In Matthew 27 v 54 we read, The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

Where do you place your faith? Is it in the ever changing mood of those around you? Is it in yourself and what you think is best? Or do you look to Jesus and say this, that he is truly the Son of God?

Let’s pray

Father God, thank you that you sent your Son down to die for us.

Thank you that he came as the prince of peace, riding in on a donkey.

We pray today that we can see Jesus for who He truly is and what He has done for us. May we carry that with us everyday and let it be our leading influence as we seek to honour You.

In Jesus name

Amen

Tawa Baptist

The Sycamore Tree

Scripture: Amos 7

Video Link: https://youtu.be/CD8ZTg4VlW4

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Today we continue our Testimony of Trees series by focusing on the sycamore tree. Or to be more precise the Ficus Sycomorus, also known as the sycamore fig; not to be confused with Acer Pseudo Platanus, which is the European version of the sycamore tree that some here might be more familiar with.

The sycamore fig is native to Africa but grows well in parts of the Middle East, where it was plentiful during Biblical times. It reaches a height of 20 meters with strong lateral spreading branches. The leaves are broad and heart shaped, making the sycamore fig ideal for shade.

The fruit of the Ficus Sycomorus is a large edible fig, about 2-3 cm in diameter. Interestingly, the sycamore bears fruit all year round. You can get up to five crops in a 12-month period.   

The sycamore fig is mentioned seven or eight times in the Bible, including most famously in Luke 19, where the tax collector, Zaccheaus, climbs a sycamore tree to see Jesus as he passes through Jericho.

Our message today though is based on the prophet Amos chapter 7, which also mentions the sycamore fig tree. From Amos 7, verse 1, we read… 

Amos 7:

This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the late crops were coming up. 2 When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”  3 So the Lord relented. “This will not happen,” the Lord said. 4 This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land. 5 Then I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!” 6 So the Lord relented. “This will not happen either,” the Sovereign Lord said. 7 This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb linein his hand. 8 And the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” “A plumb line,” I replied. Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. 9 “The high places of Isaac will be destroyed and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.” 10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. 11 For this is what Amos is saying: “‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.’” 12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. 13 Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.” 14 Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. 15 But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ 

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

You may have heard of the term cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is the internal distress a person feels when their external reality does not align with their values or beliefs.

Cognitive dissonance can be caused by our own behaviour; when we do things that go against the grain of our values. Or it can be caused by the behaviour of other people, when they do things which contradict what we believe to be right or true. Let me give you some examples…

Imagine you put a lot of importance on eating healthy food and exercising regularly. You believe your body is a temple and consuming sugar is a sacrilege. If one day you fall off the wagon and eat junk food instead of going to the gym, then you will feel distressed, probably guilt or shame. That’s cognitive dissonance caused by the choices you have made.

Or say you are in middle management and top management tell you to make two of your team members redundant to cut costs. If giving people the sack to increase profits goes against the grain of your values, then you will feel angry and distressed because you are being forced to do something you don’t believe is right. That is cognitive dissonance caused by the choices other people have made.

The experts reckon there are basically four ways to deal with cognitive dissonance. Four ways to bridge the gap between what you believe is important or true and your lived reality.

One way is to change your behaviour. In the case of the health fanatic, that might mean having an apple for dessert instead of ice cream. However, changing your behaviour doesn’t work when the cognitive dissonance is not caused by anything you are doing.

Say, for example, you believed your uncle to be a good man. Then one day you saw him doing something extremely bad. In that scenario, it is your uncle’s behaviour which has conflicted with your belief and caused the cognitive dissonance. Changing your own behaviour won’t help.

To bridge the gap, you would have to modify your belief about your uncle. You would have to accept the fact that he wasn’t as good as you thought he was.

Returning to our healthy eating example: if not eating sugar proves too difficult you could try modifying your values, letting things slide a little. You might tell yourself, “I’m allowed ice cream and brownie every once and a while, especially tonight because I’ve had a hard day.” The problem with this approach is that it can become a slippery slope.

The third thing you can do to bridge the gap caused by cognitive dissonance is compensate by adding new behaviours. Compensatory behaviour is like balancing out the bad with some good.

For example, you might make yourself feel okay about having ice cream and brownie with chocolate sauce, by promising to do an extra spin class tomorrow.

Or you might make yourself feel okay about making money in a dodgy business deal by donating some of the profits to charity. Compensatory behaviour is not ideal. It leaves you divided within yourself. It makes you weaker, less whole.  

The least helpful strategy for dealing with cognitive dissonance is denial.

Denial is when you lie to yourself by pretending your behaviour is not at odds with your values. You might, for example, tell yourself that eating ice cream and brownie with chocolate sauce and sprinkles every day is good for you.

Or you might try to convince yourself that your uncle’s bad behaviour was for the greater good. Or you might reframe that dodgy business deal by saying, “It’s not wrong. Everyone does it. It’s just how the world goes round.”

The problem with denial is that it doesn’t work over the long term. The truth always comes out in the end.    

At some point, all of us must wrestle with cognitive dissonance. At some point all of us realise there is a gap between what we value and how we behave.

At some point we all face a disconnect between what we believe to be right and true and what we experience in reality.

What is the cause of your cognitive dissonance? How do you bridge the gap?  

You might be wondering, ‘what has this got to do with Amos and the sycamore tree?’ Well, bear with me. It will become clear soon.

Amos was a Hebrew prophet. He spoke his message roughly 240 years after king David and around 760 years before Christ. During that time the people of Israel enjoyed a period of sustained prosperity. The people were not oppressed by political enemies and business flourished.

Sadly, the people’s wealth made them complacent toward God. Many in Israel were not living in alignment with the values of God’s covenant. Hence the Lord called Amos to confront the people over their sins.

At that stage the Jewish nation was divided in two. There was the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel.

Imagine if New Zealand was divided in two, politically, with one government for the North Island and a completely different government for the South Island. That’s sort of what it was like for the Jews of Amos’ day.

Amos came from Tekoa, which was in the southern kingdom of Judah.

God compelled Amos to prophesy to the northern kingdom of Israel.

That would be like God sending someone from rural Otago with a message for the people of Auckland.

For the most part, Amos’ message was an oracle of judgement. The people of Israel were supposed to live as an example to the nations around them. They were supposed to worship the one true God, to administer justice, to show kindness to the poor and to walk humbly with their God.

Unfortunately, many in Israel were more influenced by the pagan nations around them. Many in Israel worshipped other gods alongside Yahweh.

The consequent moral decay resulted in the rich oppressing the poor.

Basically, the behaviour of the Israelites was not aligned with the values and beliefs of their covenant with Yahweh. And this was causing quite a bit of cognitive dissonance, quite a bit of distress in the land.  

The people dealt with their cognitive dissonance in all the wrong ways.

They compromised their values, they compensated for their injustice by singing worship songs and offering sacrifices, and they denied there was anything wrong in what they were doing.

You see, it wasn’t that the people were not religious. They were very religious, but in the worst possible way. They separated ritual worship from justice and compassion. Their worship was compartmentalised into one day a week.

It wasn’t woven through all of life. They put God in the corner, out of the way.

When people do that, worship becomes empty, false, a kind of going through the motions to cover shame and appease a guilty conscience.

Amos was sent by God to tell the people of Israel they needed to change their behaviour. They needed to repent by bringing the way they lived back into line with the beliefs and values of their covenant with Yahweh. If they didn’t, judgement would follow. The truth always comes out in the end.

In verses 1-6 of Amos 7, the prophet repeatedly refers to God as the Sovereign Lord. A sovereign is the supreme ruler, like a king or the emperor. By calling the Lord, ‘Sovereign’, Amos is reminding us that God is the supreme ruler of the universe. As Sovereign Lord, God has the power and legitimate authority to pass judgement.   

When the Lord shows Amos a vision of judgement by locusts and Amos sees the destruction caused by the locusts, he begs God to forgive Jacob. (Jacob is another name for the nation of Israel.)

And, even though the Sovereign Lord has every right to send a plague of locusts, He listens to Amos and shows mercy on Israel.

Next the Sovereign Lord shows Amos a vision of judgement by fire, so that the water ways are dried up and the vegetation is destroyed. Again, Amos begs God to stop. If God carried out this vision of judgement by fire, the people of Israel (aka Jacob) would surely die.

And once again the Sovereign Lord, who has every right to destroy by fire, listens to Amos and relents.

Next the Lord shows Amos a vision of a plumb line and a straight wall.

Then the Lord says to Amos, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. 9 “The high places of Isaac will be destroyed and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.”  

A plumb line is used by builders to make sure the structure is straight.

Yahweh has measured the behaviour of his people Israel (those descended from Isaac) and found their worship to be crooked.

Therefore, God is going to bring them back into line by destroying their places of worship and removing their leadership. Jeroboam was the king of Israel at that time, and he was among those who had led the people astray. 

This vision of judgement, which involved exile for the people of the northern kingdom of Israel, was a more merciful vision than the total destruction God had been contemplating.

So what about the sycamore tree then? Well, the sycamore fig was important in ancient Israel. So important in fact that king David appointed a cabinet minister to oversee the care of sycamore trees. [1]

Sycamores were valued for the shade they provided for animals and people alike. And probably too they were part of Israel’s food security strategy, given they fruited all year round.  

In traditional medicine, the fruit of the sycamore fig is sometimes used to treat conditions like constipation and diarrhoea. Also, the tree’s bark is used to heal coughs, sore throats and chest diseases.

One of the curious things about the sycamore fig is that the fruit must be pricked or cut three or four days before harvesting, otherwise it won’t ripen properly and will taste awful.

Before God called him to be a prophet, Amos was a shepherd and an orchardist. Amos took care of sheep and sycamore fig trees. Among other things, taking care of sycamore trees would have involved pruning branches and pricking the fruit, at the right time, so it ripened properly.

The role of the prophet in ancient Israel was similar to that of a dresser of sycamore trees. The prophets pruned back the dead branches of idolatry and they pricked the collective conscience of the nation, so the fruit of justice and mercy would ripen in people’s lives. 

‘Pricking the conscience of the nation’, is another way of saying the prophets pointed out the cognitive dissonance caused by the people’s moral failure. 

Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, had his conscience pricked by Amos, and he didn’t like it. Rather than letting the truth of what Amos was saying sink in, Amaziah was in complete denial of any wrongdoing. Amaziah reported Amos to the king and he told Amos to get lost, saying…

“Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. 13 Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.”

A seer is another name for a prophet. Prophets like Amos see visions from God and are therefore called seers. In ancient Israel there were people who made a living as prophets or seers. They would tell people what their itching ears wanted to hear and be paid for it.

By telling Amos to earn his bread prophesying back in Judah, Amaziah is accusing Amos of being a prophet for hire. He is calling Amos’ character and motives into question.

Amaziah seems to be implying that Amos is being paid by the religious establishment of Judah to spread conspiracy theories and fear in the northern kingdom of Israel. Amaziah sees Amos as an enemy who could have a destabilising effect on Israelite society.   

While it is true that Amos’ words could potentially upset the status quo, no one is paying Amos to give a message of judgement against Israel. Far from it.

Amos is an honest man and a friend to Israel. His plumbline words of truth are a kindness, not a conspiracy.

When God showed Amos visions of Israel’s possible destruction by locusts and fire, Amos interceded for the Northern kingdom of Israel, asking God to have mercy. Amaziah is the one promoting conspiracy theories, not Amos.

Amos stands his ground saying: “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. 15 But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ 

In other words, “I’m not a prophet for hire and neither is anyone in my family.

No one is paying me. I’m not even part of the religious establishment. I am a labourer. I’m not here for any personal gain. I’m here because God sent me”.

Amos gets the last word, saying to Amaziah…

17 “…Your land will be measured and divided up, and you yourself will die in a pagancountry. And Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.’”

The truth always comes out in the end. Amos’ word from the Lord was realised in 722 BC when the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by Assyria and the people were taken into exile. 

Conclusion:

Amos foreshadows Jesus in a number of ways…

Both Amos and Jesus were practical men, they worked with their hands.

Amos was a shepherd and Jesus is the good shepherd.

Both men lived most of their lives in relative obscurity before being compelled into a public ministry of proclaiming God’s word.

Both Amos and Jesus had an interest in sycamore trees. (Jesus probably slept under a few sycamore trees in his time.)

Both men were sent by God, offering a remedy for cognitive dissonance.

Both Amos and Jesus preached a message of repentance.

Both men confronted a religious establishment that was blind and corrupt.

And both were rejected by those they came to save.      

There is a significant difference between Amos and Jesus though. Amos came to fore warn the people of God’s judgement in the form of exile.

Jesus came to redeem the exiles (the lost sheep of Israel) and bring them home. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus bridges the gap of our cognitive dissonance removing our guilt and shame. Our part is to trust and obey Christ.

Let us pray…

Sovereign Lord, we thank you for your justice and your mercy. Forgive us for not living by the plumbline values of your kingdom. Grant us the grace to live in alignment with your purpose for us in Christ. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. What are some of the characteristics and uses of the sycamore fig tree?
  3. What is cognitive dissonance? How does cognitive dissonance make you feel? What are the four strategies for managing cognitive dissonance?
  4. What was the cause of Israel’s cognitive dissonance in Amos’ day? How did Israel deal with this? What is the cause of your cognitive dissonance? How do you deal with it?  
  5. Why does Amos refer to God as “Sovereign Lord”?
  6. How is God’s mercy evident in Amos 7?
  7. In what ways are Amos and Jesus similar? In what ways are they different? 

[1] 1 Chronicles 27:28

Tawa Baptist

The Tree of Knowledge

Scripture: Genesis 2:8 -3:7 (selected verses)

Video Link: https://youtu.be/qC2-dBaqrLs

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Genesis 2 – Paradise
  • Genesis 3 – Paradise Lost
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

The street we live in is lined with Pōhutukawa trees, well mostly. We actually have one or two Rātā trees as well, although it’s hard to tell.

Rātā and Pōhutukawa trees appear almost identical at first glance. Their flowers and trunk and branches all look the same. The difference is with the leaves. The underside of a Pōhutukawa leaf is a greyish colour and furry to touch, while the underside of a Rātā leaf is light green in colour.

The difference is subtle but there is a difference, and I didn’t know this until about six weeks ago.

Today we continue our new sermon series which I’m calling, The Testimony of Trees. Last Sunday we heard about riparian planting in Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17. This morning, we explore the meaning of the Tree of Knowledge in Genesis 2 and 3.

The tree of knowledge is about discernment. Not so much the knowledge to discern the difference between Rātā and Pōhutukawa. Rather the knowledge to discern the difference between good and evil.

There’s too much going on in Genesis 2 and 3 for us to do justice to every verse, so I will read a selection of the verses as they relate to the Tree of Knowledge. You can read chapters 2 and 3 in their entirety later, if you want. From Genesis 2, verse 8 we begin…

8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil… 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” 18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” …22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the ribhe had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man…  25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

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

Genesis 2 – Paradise:

There are 13 national parks in New Zealand, taken care of by the Department of Conservation. Our national parks are protected by law. They are sanctuaries or sacred spaces, to be preserved for their own sake and for the enjoyment of the New Zealand public.

In Genesis 2, we read how God planted a garden in the East, in Eden. When we think of a garden, we probably imagine a nicely manicured back yard, perhaps with some roses and raised vege beds. But the sort of garden in view here is more like a national park.

The garden of Eden is sacred space, like a sanctuary or a temple for God on earth. Adam is formed and placed in the garden to take care of it. In many respects Adam is like a DOC ranger and a priest, serving in God’s natural sanctuary. 

Eden (which in Hebrew means ‘delight’) [1] is filled with all sorts of trees which look beautiful and are good for food. The garden of Eden is a picture of bio-diversity and abundance.

At the centre of God’s national park / holy temple, are two special trees. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.   

We might talk more about the tree of life another time. Today though, our main focus is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The knowledge of good and evil is most likely the ability to discern between right and wrong. Sort of like discerning the subtle difference between Rātā and Pōhutukawa, except with moral issues, as opposed to botanical issues.      

So, eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, would impart wisdom, opening the mind to discern what is beneficial and what is harmful.

(Sort of like eating an orange imparts vitamin C.)

We might wonder why God commanded Adam not to eat from the tree of knowledge. Afterall, isn’t knowledge, discernment and wisdom a good thing?

Well, yes. Knowing the difference between good and evil is helpful. The tree and its fruit are not bad, but knowledge is something we human beings need to grow into. We learn in stages.

There are some realities we shield children from because it would be harmful for them to know before their minds and hearts are ready to take it.

As permissive as we are, we don’t let five-year-olds watch R rated movies for the same reason we don’t let them drive cars or play with matches; it would put them and others at risk.

Likewise, we have laws against sexual contact with minors, just as there are laws against children consuming alcohol and so on, because that sort of experiential knowledge is damaging to children.

It stands to reason that God put the tree of knowledge in the garden because he intended for Adam and Eve to eat from it eventually, when they were mature enough. [2]  

Okay, so God’s prohibition on the tree of knowledge is there to protect Adam and Eve from harm. If that’s the case, then why plant the tree of knowledge in the garden in the first place? Wouldn’t it be better to keep the tree away from Adam and Eve, out of harm’s way? 

No, it wouldn’t. God’s command not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge provided Adam and Eve with the freedom of a real choice. Adam & Eve could opt out of their relationship with God at any point by eating the forbidden fruit. Human freedom (or free will) means the Lord is vulnerable to rejection.

God is love. He loves us and his love makes him vulnerable. God was trusting Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge, and he was inviting Adam and Eve to trust him with what they did not understand.

God’s commands may seem strange or puzzling to us, but they protect us, they create real freedom, and they foster trust.

In verse 18 of Genesis 2, God says: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Everything God has created in Genesis so far is good. Man’s loneliness is the first not good. This shows us that human beings were made for fellowship. People need people. So God makes Eve, a suitable helper for Adam.

The word ‘helper’ does not imply that Eve was somehow less than Adam.

It’s not that Adam was the boss and Eve was his assistant. More like they were co-workers in God’s sanctuary. God is described as a helper 16 times in the Old Testament. [3]  So, calling Eve a helper signals the woman’s value and dignity.

I like the way Matthew Henry puts it, and I paraphrase…

‘Woman is not made out of man’s head to top him, not out of his feet to be trampled on by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected and near his heart to be loved.’

God presents Eve to Adam, as his wife and (in their state of innocence) they felt no shame (even though they were naked). We pause here to consider the implications. Knowing the difference between good and evil makes us responsible.

If we know what is right and do not do it, or if we know what is wrong and do it anyway, then we are guilty. But if we don’t know, our conscience cannot condemn us. That said, innocence is not the same thing as righteousness.

Genesis 3 – Paradise Lost: 

If Genesis 2 depicts humanity living in paradise, then Genesis 3 describes how paradise is lost. That phrase ‘paradise lost’ comes from the famous poem written by John Milton, first published in 1667.  

Milton’s Paradise Lost is really long, consisting of ten books initially, then later arranged into twelve books. His poem reimagines the story of Genesis 2 and 3. However, Milton takes some liberties with the text, filling in the gaps with his own creative license.

He has quite a bit to say about Satan and hell, which is extra to the Bible, and his characterisation of Adam and Eve goes beyond the text too. Although most of us wouldn’t have read Paradise Lost, its cultural impact has indirectly shaped (or perhaps misshaped) the way we read Genesis 2 and 3.  

For example, in Milton’s poem, Eve sees her own reflection in a lake after God has formed her and she quite likes what she sees. Later Eve tells Adam that she found him less enticing than her own reflection. That is not found in Genesis.

It plays on the stereotype that women are vain. This is unfair and unhelpful. The truth is, almost everyone harbours some kind of vanity.    

Genesis 3 introduces the crafty serpent. The intriguing thing about this serpent is that he (or she, we can’t be sure of the snake’s gender) is able to talk.

How do we explain a talking snake? Does Eve speak parcel tongue? Or does the snake speak human? Or is the conversation more psychological, something Eve imagines in her head? Perhaps the evil one is speaking through the snake?

Who knows? The Old Testament doesn’t identify the serpent of Genesis 3 as Satan in disguise, but the inference can be drawn from various verses in the New Testament which refer to the devil as a serpent. [4]

There are a few subtle tricks the serpent uses to tempt and deceive Eve. Identifying these tricks in our own lives can be difficult, like discerning the subtle difference between Rātā and Pōhutukawa. But knowing the tricks will help us avoid falling for them. Here’s your defence against the dark arts.

Firstly, the serpent subtly calls God’s goodness into question by saying, Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden? The serpent makes it sound like God is mean or unfair or overly strict. The truth is Adam and Eve could eat from all the trees, except for one. Far from being mean, God is generous.

Eve takes the serpent’s bait. She responds by misquoting God: “…But God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

God didn’t say anything about not touching the tree of knowledge. By adding to the word of God, Eve has made God seem less reasonable than he is.

Her mind is now fixed on the one thing she cannot have rather than the many things she can enjoy.   

Our first defence against the darks arts then is to remember God’s goodness. If we go down the path of thinking God is mean or unfair, then we will become vulnerable to evil.

For example, if we are wronged by someone and they make no amends, we may feel tempted to take our own revenge. We resist the temptation for revenge by reminding ourselves that God is good. He is just and fair. He will right all wrongs. The Lord will justify us and restore us (if not in this world, then in the next), so we don’t need to take matters into our own hands.    

The second trick the serpent uses is to deny or minimise the consequences of wrong doing. You will not certainly die, he says. This is an outright lie. If we entertain the thought that God won’t hold us to account for our actions, that he will let it slide, we lose the Godly fear that prevents us from doing harm.

We need to remember there is a day of judgement for us all. No one in the Bible talks about the eternal consequences of our actions more than Jesus.

It’s important though to hold defence 1 and 2 together. In remembering God’s judgment, we need to remain mindful of God’s goodness – his fairness and mercy. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.   

The third trick of the serpent is to make evil seem good: …when you eat the fruit your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

Being like God, that’s a good thing, isn’t it? Being able to discern good from evil, also a good thing, right? Hmmm. I wouldn’t want God’s job for all the gold in the world.

When the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he began by suggesting Jesus turn stones into bread. Turning stones into bread is not an inherently bad thing to do. In fact, it is potentially good. Imagine all the people you could feed. 

But Jesus wouldn’t have a bar of it. Jesus responded to Satan by quoting Scripture: ‘People cannot live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

Our defence is to remember God’s word, to put our trust in that and not rely on our own understanding.  

So here again are our three defences against the dark arts…

Firstly, remember God’s goodness to you personally. You might do this by keeping a gratitude journal. 

Secondly, remember God’s judgment. There is a reckoning with God. The Lord is merciful and just. He will hold us to account and right all wrongs.

And thirdly, remember God’s word. Do not rely on your own understanding but trust in God’s wisdom. We remind ourselves of God’s word by reading the Bible.

You might be wondering where Adam was while this conversation was happening. Well, in Milton’s poem, Paradise Lost, Adam and Eve have a disagreement which results in Eve suggesting they work in different parts of the garden for a while. During this time apart (according to the poem) the serpent (aka Satan) tempts Eve into eating the forbidden fruit.  

But this part of John Milton’s poem is fiction. Verse 6 of Genesis 3 says quite plainly that Adam was with Eve. Apparently, Adam has nothing to say while Eve is chatting away to the snake. Was he even listening? Isn’t that typical of men. Adam should have intervened and told the serpent to get lost. But he silently goes along with it. Adam is just as guilty as Eve.     

When Eve and Adam eat the forbidden fruit, their innocence is lost and their clear conscience becomes clouded by shame and guilt. Their shame and guilt cause them to hide, first behind fig leaves and then later from God. This is what it means to know evil. This is why God commanded them not to eat from the tree of knowledge.

To be clear, the original sin committed by Adam and Eve was not sex.

Humanity’s original sin was idolatry. Idolatry is when we put something else in the place of God. That is, when we worship something other than God.

Adam and Eve tried to put themselves in the place of God. They grasped at knowledge and the power they thought this would give them so they could be like God, so they would not need God.

With the power of knowing good and evil they thought they could set up their own empire and make their own rules independently of God. But this was just vanity and chasing after the wind. There is no life apart from God. To declare independence from God is to choose death.   

For us today, death has been reduced to physical terms. Death is when your heart stops beating and your brain function ends. But for the writer of Genesis, life and death are not just physical, they are spiritual as well. Life is connection. Life is intimacy with God and death is when we are cut off from the presence of God, alienated from him, hanging on by a thread.

Adam and Eve survived physically for many years after eating the forbidden fruit, but they were driven out of God’s presence and denied access to the tree of life immediately after God had confronted them over what they had done.

Their existence outside of Eden became a painful struggle in contrast with the abundant life they had known with the Lord in the garden of Eden. 

Conclusion:

So where is the good news? Well, as always, the good news is found in Christ. For God so loved the world that he sent his own dear Son that all who believe in him would not die but have eternal life. And by eternal life, we mean life in God’s presence. Intimacy with God. Abundant connection.

When Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple which separated the holy of holies, was torn in two as a sign that humanity has access to God the Father through faith in Jesus.

We were not made for power. We were made for fellowship. We were not made for independence or self-reliance. We were made for trust. We do not live by our own strength or by our wits or by luck. We live by faith in Jesus and by God’s grace.

May the Lord bless you with abundant life in Christ. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. Why does God plant a garden in Eden? What is the purpose of the garden? Why does God form Adam and put him the garden? What purpose do Adam and Eve serve?
  3. Why does God command Adam not to eat from the tree of knowledge? How does this command benefit Adam and Eve? What are the implications of this command for God?
  4. What subtle tricks does the serpent use to tempt and deceive Eve? How might we defend ourselves against ‘the dark arts’?
  5. What was the original sin committed by Eve and Adam? What were the consequences?
  6. What is life, in the Biblical sense? What is death? How do we find life? 

[1] Refer Derek Kidner’s commentary on Genesis, page 62.

[2] Refer John Walton, NIVAC on Genesis.

[3] Refer Bruce Walke’s commentary on Genesis, page 88.

[4] E.g. Revelation 12:9 and 20:2