God – Page 31 – Tawa Baptist

May 20, 2018May 20, 2018 Tawa Baptist

Pentecost

Read Acts 2

Why did Jesus send the Holy Spirit?

– Well, very simply, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to connect us to himself

– The Holy Spirit makes Jesus’ presence & power close & real

I need a volunteer – [choose someone]

– Okay, can you sit here near the front

– Put this blind fold on so you can’t see me

– I’m going to put a small weight in your hand and I want you to hold on to it – don’t let go

– You may feel a slight tugging but you need to hold onto your end

– I’m going to walk away from you now and I want you to sit where you are and just hold on – [I walk back to the pulpit]

Even though you can’t see me and even though I’m not close enough for you to reach out and touch, we are still connected

– And you know we’re connected because when I tug at my end of the line you can feel me – like I’m close & real

– It’s a bit like that with the Holy Spirit – the Holy Spirit connects us to Jesus sort of like this fishing line connects you and I

– Even though Jesus is in heaven and we can’t see him – we still feel a connection with Jesus through the Holy Spirit

– In fact, sometimes if we feel a slight tugging in our heart it might be Jesus getting our attention through the line of his Spirit and tugging us in the direction he wants us to go

Well done, you can take your blind fold off now – here’s something for being such a good sport – [give a reward]

In Acts 2, Peter knew Jesus was with him because the Holy Spirit was in him

– Not only that but Peter was able to tell others about Jesus because the Holy Spirit gave him power to speak – and power (in Peter’s situation) meant the ability, the words & the courage to speak

– The Holy Spirit worked through Peter to make Jesus’ presence & power close & real to other people so they would believe in Jesus and become connected to Jesus themselves

In some ways, not in every way, but in some ways the Holy Spirit is a little bit like electricity in your home

– Imagine your soul is like a house and the Spirit of God is like electricity – although we can’t see the electricity we know we are connected when the lights come on, the oven heats up & the water in the shower is warm

– It’s similar with Jesus – although we can’t see Jesus we know Jesus is close & real because the Holy Spirit connects us

– It’s like the Holy Spirit turns the lights on inside our mind so we understand who Jesus is – that he is God’s Son and our Saviour, that he is risen from the dead as our Lord & our friend

– It’s like the Holy Spirit warms up the water in our soul so we know our sins are forgiven and God accepts us – and when we know we are forgiven and loved by God we are able to forgive & love others

Now I need to say that fishing line and electricity are not adequate for describing the Holy Spirit – there is more to the Spirit than that

– The point is, the Holy Spirit connects people to Jesus with warmth & energy – he makes Jesus close & real

Given that the Holy Spirit connects us to Jesus it is reasonable to ask, how do we receive the Holy Spirit?

– Well, receiving the Holy Spirit doesn’t happen in the same way as having electricity connected to your house – you can’t just pay for someone to come and hook you up

In John chapter 3 Jesus compares the Holy Spirit to the wind. Jesus says,

– The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.

– Part of the message here is: the Holy Spirit cannot be manipulated or controlled. The Holy Spirit initiates the connection between us and Jesus

Although we can’t tell the Holy Spirit what to do (any more than we can tell the wind what to do) we can ask God for his Spirit and be ready to receive it

– We know that God wants us to have a connection with Jesus – so if we ask God in good faith, trusting Jesus, it’s just a matter of time before the wind blows on us

– The thing is, God’s Spirit doesn’t always turn up in the way or at the time we might be expecting.

– We might expect the Holy Spirit to initiate something while we’re singing or praying in church – and he might – but he is just as likely to turn up while we are at school or work or home or on the train talking to someone

The other thing we need to remember is that the Holy Spirit isn’t all about us

– He isn’t there just to make us feel good or powerful

– The Holy Spirit is primarily about Jesus and that means sometimes he will involve us in connecting others with Jesus, like he involved Peter

– So we need to be ready to respond to the Holy Spirit when he wants to use us to make Jesus’ presence & power close & real for someone else

– The Holy Spirit is not interested in attracting attention to us or himself

– He would rather turn people’s attention to Jesus

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/20-may-2018-pentecost

May 13, 2018May 13, 2018 Tawa Baptist

God is faithful

Scripture: Genesis 21:1-21

Title: God is faithful

Structure:

Introduction
God’s faithfulness to Sarah & Abraham
God’s faithfulness to Hagar & Ishmael
Conclusion

Introduction:

On the wall here is a picture of the newly elected Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad

– At the age of 92 he is the oldest elected Prime Minister of all time

– He looks in pretty good nick for 92 I reckon

– This morning we continue our series on Abraham & Sarah, picking up their story from Genesis 21

– By this stage Abraham is 100 years old and Sarah is 90

It has been about 25 years since Abraham left Haran in obedience to God’s call

– More than once during that time God promised to make Abraham the father of a great nation

– Because Sarah was unable to have children they did, on one occasion, take matters into their own hands and Abraham had a son (Ishmael) through Sarah’s maidservant, Hagar

– But God made it clear that the son who would inherit God’s promises would come from Sarah

– From Genesis chapter 21, verse 1 (in the NIV) we read…

Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. ²Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. ³Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.

⁴When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. ⁵Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

⁶Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” ⁷And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

⁸The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. ⁹But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, ¹⁰and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”

¹¹The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. ¹²But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. ¹³I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring.”

¹⁴Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.

¹⁵When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. ¹⁶Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob.

¹⁷God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. ¹⁸Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”

¹⁹Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

²⁰God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. ²¹While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

On the face of it Genesis 21 tells the story of two mothers in very different circumstances

– We don’t have to scratch too far beneath the surface though to see God’s faithfulness at work

– God is faithful in keeping his promise to Sarah & Abraham

– And he is faithful in taking care of Hagar & Ishmael

God’s faithfulness to Sarah & Abraham:

On the wall here is the picture of a Cabbage Tree – an iconic sight on the NZ landscape. Some facts about Cabbage trees… [1]

– The trunk of the cabbage tree is so fire-resistant that early European settlers used it to make chimneys for their huts.

– Conveniently, too, the leaves made fine kindling.

– Cabbage trees have a strong root system which gives the tree stability and helps stop soil erosion on steep slopes and along river banks.

– Māori used cabbage trees for food and medicine. The root, stem and top are all edible, a good source of starch and sugar, while the leaves can be made into tea to cure diarrhoea and dysentery

– Cabbage trees generally live for a long time – there’s one in Golden Bay that is thought to be between 400 – 500 years old.

We have a cabbage tree along the boundary of our section

– Just over a year ago I cut the trunk off about a metre from the ground because it was becoming a problem to my neighbour

– Given I had pruned it so hard I thought it would die – but it didn’t

The root system is so strong it regenerated new leaves straight out of the trunk where I had cut it off.

– This is a picture of the regrowth. The tree has resurrection properties

In some ways Sarah & Abraham remind me of the humble NZ cabbage tree

– I don’t know if they had a cure for diarrhoea but they were hardy souls

– They had longevity, a strong root system and a God given ability to regenerate when they had been cut off at the stump

At the age of 90, and after a lifetime of disappointment, Sarah becomes a mother for the first time

– This is nothing short of a miracle of God

– Although Sarah & Abraham were probably in pretty good condition for their age Sarah had been through menopause and shouldn’t have been able to conceive – yet God, in faithfulness to his promises, made it possible for her to give birth to a son

– The miracle of Isaac’s birth is on a par with the virgin birth of Jesus and the miracle of his resurrection

The message here at the beginning of Genesis 21 is that God is faithful – he keeps his promises, and when promises are kept trust is strengthened

You may be wondering why God made Sarah & Abraham wait so long

– Why wait until Sarah’s biological clock had stopped ticking?

– That’s sort of like cutting her off at the trunk

– Why not just give them a child when they were young and could handle the sleepless nights?

– Well, I think God may have been developing their root system

– The longer we have to wait for God the deeper the roots of our faith grow

– If God fulfilled is promises to us too quickly the roots of our faith wouldn’t have the time they need to develop properly

– When the roots of our faith grow deep the tree of our life (that is, our relationship with God) is stronger and more stable – better able to handle the pruning’s of life

Genesis 21 gives three reactions to Isaac’s birth

– Praise, obedience and scorn

In verse 6 Sarah responds in joyful praise saying…

– “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” ⁷…Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

Isaac’s name means ‘laughter’

– A year earlier Sarah had laughed in disbelief when God predicted she would give birth to a son

– Now, a year on, she laughs in gratitude and praise at the miracle God has performed – no one would’ve thought she would become a mother at 90

– Notice how Sarah refers to herself nursing ‘children’ – not just a child

– Isaac was Sarah’s first and only child – why then does she refer to herself as the mother of children (plural)?

– Well, since God fulfilled his promise to Sarah her eyes have been opened, in faith, to see a nation being born through Isaac

Sarah responds in joyful praise and Abraham responds in obedience

– Abraham named his son Isaac and circumcised him at 8 days old as God commanded him

– Circumcision, we remember, is the sign of God’s covenant with Abraham – obedience follows faith

Sarah’s praise & Abraham’s obedience are fitting and appropriate but Ishmael, Isaac’s older half-brother, mocks Isaac (he treats him with scorn)

– Ishmael (who incidentally isn’t named at all in this passage) laughs at Isaac but not in a good way

– To give you some context Isaac is about 2 or 3 years old at this stage and Ishmael is about 16 or 17 – so it’s not a good look for Ishmael

When Sarah sees this she tells Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael packing

– This may seem like an over-reaction on Sarah’s part but we need to remember that 16 or 17 years earlier Hagar had treated Sarah with similar contempt when Hagar had a son and Sarah couldn’t

– So this touches on an old wound for Sarah and old wounds are often the most sensitive

– It seems to Sarah that Ishmael is following in his mother, Hagar’s, footsteps – Sarah doesn’t want her son bullied

This puts Abraham in a difficult position – he is the meat in the sandwich between two people he loves – between Ishmael and Sarah

– Whatever choice he makes he loses

But God tells Abraham to listen to Sarah because Isaac is the one to inherit the covenant

– God, in his grace, makes it easier for Abraham by reassuring him that he will take care of Ishmael

Sending Hagar & Ishmael away like this might seem a bit harsh to us (through our super sensitive, over anxious, 21^st Century lens) but we need to look at God’s action practically & theologically

Practically, it’s not really going to work for Hagar & Ishmael to stay – it’s already problematic and (as Sarah can see) it’s only going to get worse

Theologically, by separating Isaac & Ishmael God is performing an act of creation

– You remember in Genesis 1 God created by separating things: light from darkness, earth from sky, land from water

– Separating Isaac & Ishmael was necessary for the creation of Israel

The other theological point not to be missed here is that God is asking Abraham to trust him – God is testing Abraham’s faith

– In a sense God is asking Abraham to sacrifice Ishmael

– Later in Genesis 22 God will ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac

– Will the roots of Abraham’s faith run deep enough to obey God?

– On this occasion Abraham passes the test – first thing the next morning he sends Hagar & their teenage son, Ishmael, away with some food & water

God’s faithfulness to Hagar & Ishmael:

In 1980 the pop band Abba released a song called “The winner takes it all”

– It’s one of their sad songs

– Bjorn wrote it after separating from his wife and fellow band member, Agnetha

– It’s about a divorce where one person doesn’t want to separate and clings desperately to the marriage

– Bjorn said: “I had this image of a man walking through an empty house with all the furniture removed for the last time as the symbol of divorce and just describing what I see.”

– The winner takes it all, the loser has to fall…

– To the one who doesn’t want the marriage to end it feels like they are the loser and the other partner (the winner) takes it all

– It is a feeling of powerlessness, of hopelessness

– Having said that, Bjorn insisted the song wasn’t about him & Agnetha, it was more of a fictional imagining

– In reality there are no winners in divorce

Hagar wasn’t officially married to Abraham but she may as well have been – she couldn’t marry anyone else and yet was forced to separate from him

– We don’t know if she loved him but we can be pretty sure that, as a single woman at that time in history, she was vulnerable on her own, without a husband to protect her or a welfare system to provide for her

– I imagine, that to Hagar, it must have felt like Sarah was the winner who took it all and she was the loser who took the fall

Now at this point we may feel some sympathy for Hagar & Ishmael

– While they weren’t perfect they do seem to get a raw deal

– It’s not like Abraham was paying child support or maintenance – he just sent her off with food & water to last a couple of days (good bye & good luck)

We might also be looking at God sideways because he seems to condone Hagar & Ishmael being sent away

– Well, I don’t think we can blame God for this situation

– Through the history of their relationship together Sarah & Abraham, along with Hagar & Ishmael have all made some poor choices which have resulted in a less than ideal situation for everyone

– God is now in the position of having to work with the choices other people have made – God is having to make the best of a bad situation

Interestingly, God does not come to Hagar & Ishmael’s rescue immediately

– God waits until both the boy and his mother are at the end of their rope and crying out in despair. What was it Jesus said?

– Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

– Hagar & Ishmael are poor in spirit and they know it

– I think God waits for us come to the end of our own resources, before stepping in to help, so that we will learn the vital lesson that our life depends on him – that we can’t save ourselves

– You see it’s an awareness of our need that brings us to God

This is the second time the angel of the Lord has called to Hagar – the first time was in Genesis 16

– Hagar is a foreigner, an outsider and a servant – she is literally down & out, but God is attentive to her and to Ishmael

– More than simply being attentive though, God is faithful and provides

The angel of the Lord says five things to Hagar…

What’s the matter Hagar?

– God knows Hagar’s name and calls her by name

– In the ancient world, to know someone’s name was to know their character, to know what they are like on the inside.

– God knows your name too – he gets you, he understands

Do not be afraid

– Do not let your thoughts run wild. Do not anticipate the worst. Be calm

God has heard the boy as he lies there

– In other words, God is listening. He understands your situation and your concerns for your son – you both have his attention

Lift up the boy and take him by the hand

– God gives Hagar something to do – he basically says, ‘You’ve got an important role to play in your son’s life. Don’t abandon your son. Your job is to lift your child up’

– I love that. Whether you are a single parent or parenting with someone else, your job is to lift your children up and take them by the hand

‘Lift your child up’ could mean speaking words that build them up, that encourage them, words that help them to see a perspective beyond the little piece of dirt they are sitting on at this present moment

– ‘Lift your child up’ might also mean helping them practically with things until they get the hang of it themselves, setting them up to succeed

‘Take them by the hand’ means leading them gently in the way they should go.

– We shouldn’t drive our kids with threats or pressure

– Take them by the hand. Walk with them.

– We don’t need to be hovering over them all the time, but it is helpful to listen and be present when they need us

…for I will make him into a great nation.

– In saying this God is giving Hagar hope – the future is bright

– From our perspective in history we see the fulfilment of this – the Arab nations claim descent from Ishmael

God then opens Hagar’s eyes to see the next step (that was always there) – a well from which she can draw water

– Interesting that God doesn’t give a detailed plan in advance

– He doesn’t spell out to Hagar how she and Ishmael will go from utter despair to being a great nation – God simply shows her the next little step

– Refill your water skin and give your son a drink

Conclusion:

Genesis 21 tells the story of two mothers in very different circumstances.

– In this respect it reflects our experience too…

For some (like Sarah) mothers’ day is a happy time of laughter and family gathering.

– If you find yourself in Sarah’s position then you need be free to praise God and to celebrate, without feeling bad about that

– There is no sin in showing gratitude

For others (like Hagar) mothers’ day only highlights what is lost or perhaps never was.

– If you find yourself in Hagar’s position, a solo parent, feeling alone and overwhelmed by your problems, in a place of dryness and utter despair

– God knows you by name – he understands

– Don’t try and solve everything at once, just take little steps

– First cry out to God – he is big enough to handle your heartbreak

– Then open your eyes – look around

– Find the well (the source of refreshment) God has provided – it might be right in front of you

– Drink your fill, refresh your child, lift up those in your care.

And then there are those (like Abraham) who feel torn and in an impossible situation – the meat in the sandwich, perhaps caring deeply for two parents who no longer care for each other

– If you are a daughter or a son and you find yourself in that situation then I want to say to you, ‘Unlike Abraham, you don’t have to choose’

– It doesn’t always have to be either / or, it can be both / and

– What transpires between your parents is their problem to solve, not yours

– You need to be free to love, honour & forgive both your mum & your dad

We are so accustomed to thinking of God as a Father because that is the way the Bible usually presents God to us

– But the Bible does at times shine a light on the motherly nature of God

– In Isaiah 49, verse 15 we read:

– “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you.”

– In this verse God is saying to his people in exile, I love you like a mother (to the moon and back)

– Whatever feelings mothers’ day touches for you, God is faithful, even more faithful than your mother.

Questions for discussion & reflection

1.) What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.) In what ways was God faithful to Sarah & Abraham?

– In what ways has God been faithful to you over the years?

3.) Discuss the three reactions to Isaac’s birth (i.e. praise, obedience & scorn/mocking)

– How can we respond to God’s faithfulness to us?

4.) Why do you think God agrees with Sarah in telling Abraham to send Hagar & Ishmael away? (e.g. theological & practical reasons)

5.) In what ways is God faithful to Hagar & Ishmael?

6.) What does it mean to ‘lift up your child and take them by the hand’?

(Think of some practical examples)

7.) What feelings does mothers’ day touch for you?

– Who do you identify with most in this story and why?

8.) Take some time this week to reflect on Isaiah 49:15 and the motherly aspects of God’s character

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/13-may-2018-god-is-faithful

[1] https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-plants/cabbage-tree-ti-kouka/

April 29, 2018April 29, 2018 Tawa Baptist

Fear & Grace

Scripture: Genesis 20

Title: Fear & Grace

Structure:

Introduction
Fear
Grace
Conclusion

Introduction:

In the 1980’s the NZ band Split Enz released a song called History Never Repeats

– The chorus says: “History never repeats, tell myself before I go to sleep”

– I’m not sure what the band had in mind when they wrote the song but it has always carried a sense of irony for me: History often repeats, despite what we might tell ourselves

This morning we pick up our series on the life of Abraham, from Genesis chapter 20 – page 22 near the front of your pew Bibles

– Abraham’s journey of faith could be described as two steps forward, one step back – with a few sideways steps thrown in for good measure

– Genesis 20 seems to be describing a backward step for Abraham

– This is one of those occasions when history repeats itself

– In Genesis 12 Abraham led Pharaoh to believe that he wasn’t married to Sarah, so that Pharaoh would treat him kindly

– Now in Genesis 20 Abraham does the same thing by misleading king Abimelech. From Genesis 20, verse 1 we read…

Abraham moved from Mamre to the southern part of Canaan and lived between Kadesh and Shur. Later, while he was living in Gerar, ²he said that his wife Sarah was his sister. So King Abimelech of Gerar had Sarah brought to him. ³One night God appeared to him in a dream and said, “You are going to die, because you have taken this woman; she is already married.”

⁴But Abimelech had not come near her, and he said, “Lord, I am innocent! Would you destroy me and my people? ⁵Abraham himself said that she was his sister, and she said the same thing. I did this with a clear conscience, and I have done no wrong.”

⁶God replied in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did it with a clear conscience; so I kept you from sinning against me and did not let you touch her. ⁷But now, give the woman back to her husband. He is a prophet, and he will pray for you, so that you will not die. But if you do not give her back, I warn you that you are going to die, you and all your people.”

⁸Early the next morning Abimelech called all his officials and told them what had happened, and they were terrified. ⁹Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us? What wrong have I done to you to make you bring this disaster on me and my kingdom? No one should ever do what you have done to me. ¹⁰Why did you do it?”

¹¹Abraham answered, “I thought that there would be no one here who has reverence for God and that they would kill me to get my wife. ¹²She really is my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not of my mother, and I married her. ¹³So when God sent me from my father’s house into foreign lands, I said to her, ‘You can show how loyal you are to me by telling everyone that I am your brother.’”

¹⁴Then Abimelech gave Sarah back to Abraham, and at the same time he gave him sheep, cattle, and slaves. ¹⁵He said to Abraham, “Here is my whole land; live anywhere you like.” ¹⁶He said to Sarah, “I am giving your brother a thousand pieces of silver as proof to all who are with you that you are innocent; everyone will know that you have done no wrong.”

^17-18Because of what had happened to Sarah, Abraham’s wife, the Lord had made it impossible for any woman in Abimelech’s palace to have children. So Abraham prayed for Abimelech, and God healed him. He also healed his wife and his slave women, so that they could have children.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

We notice two themes in Genesis 20, fear & grace. First let’s consider fear…

Fear:

Basically, fear is a feeling of distress caused by impending danger

– In some ways fear is sort of the opposite of hope

– Hope is a feeling of joy caused by impending satisfaction

Fear (like hope) comes from what we think or imagine might happen

– When what we think or imagine is accurate & true, then fear protects us

– For example, I imagine (quite accurately) that if I try to monkey climb the steel ‘I’ beams in this auditorium I will probably fall and hurt myself

– This thought creates a feeling of distress which prevents me from attempting to climb the blue beams

By the same token, when what we think or imagine is inaccurate & untrue, then fear becomes something which puts us at risk

– For example, if I were to imagine (quite wrongly) that the floor was covered in snakes then the feeling of distress caused by that thought might cause me to climb the walls, which would inevitably lead to me falling and hurting myself

With these two examples we see that fear can act as both a brake and an accelerator

– Sometimes fear stops us doing things

– Other times fear moves us to do things, at speed

The really disconcerting thing is that we are subject to what we fear – which means we are not usually in the driver’s seat

– When we are afraid we are not the ones with our foot on the brake or the accelerator – we are the passenger

Fear is taxing – it sucks the life out of us, kind of like an anti-energy

– For example, we may be afraid of failure and that fear motivates us to work extra hard to succeed, but at the same time it also stresses us out and exhausts us

The other thing fear does is it makes us forget, at least temporarily

– Fear has this way of locking out every other thought

– In Genesis 20 Abraham appears to forget God’s promise to make him a father of nations

– He also seems to forget what happened with Pharaoh in Egypt

– Abraham’s fear of being killed overwhelms him and he manages the feeling of distress by deceiving Abimelech

– In verse 11 Abraham says, “I thought that there would be no one here who fears God and that they would kill me to get my wife.”

– Given that the people of Sodom & Gomorrah had no fear of God we can understand why Abraham might think Abimelech was similar

– But in this situation at least, Abraham’s fear is based on a false assumption and when our fear is based on a lie it inevitably leads us to put ourselves or others at risk

When you hear the word ‘Philistine’, what do you think of? [Wait]

– The Philistine’s were an ancient race of people who we read about in the Bible – traditionally thought of as enemies of Israel

– David killed the Philistine giant, Goliath

– These days though the word ‘Philistine’ has come to mean someone who is hostile toward culture and the arts – sort of like a bogan

– Someone who is uncouth or ignorant, perhaps even dangerous

This may be quite an unfair prejudice

– King Abimelech was a Philistine and yet (in Genesis 20) he behaved better than Abraham

– I’m not saying Abimelech was perfect – after all, he already had a wife and some concubines and then decided he would have Sarah as well, like an all you can eat smorgasbord

– (I’m not sure that women had a lot of choice in the matter in those days)

Despite his rapacious appetite king Abimelech still had a moral code

– Contrary to Abraham’s prejudice Abimelech did fear God

– He was probably what we might call a good pagan

A pagan (by definition) lives in fear of the gods

– A pagan lives with the feeling of constant distress, that if they put a foot wrong the gods will punish them

– While we are not pagan, it’s not difficult for us to understand the utter exhaustion of living with constant fear

– Anxiety is very much a part of the fabric of our society – it is epidemic today

To people in the ancient world (whatever their religion) adultery was a heinous crime – it was one of the worst sins you could think of

– If you committed adultery in the ancient world you could expect a severe punishment, if not from the community then from the gods

Abimelech’s fear that God might kill him if he did commit adultery was accurate and true

– When God told him in a dream that Sarah was married to Abraham, Abimelech was quick to point out that he didn’t know and he hadn’t touched her yet – he wasted no time in repentance

– Abimelech returned Sarah to Abraham with livestock and silver, not because he was feeling guilty, but out of fear & respect for God Almighty

You see fear is a form of respect – we are subject to what we fear

– When we react in fear of something we are saying (often unconsciously) that the thing we fear has power over us

– To fear God then is to say (in a very deep way) God is more powerful than I am and therefore I am subject to him

– Abimelech’s fear of God caused him to bend his knee in submission and obedience to God

Fear of God is quite close to faith in God

– Proverbs talks about the fear of God being the beginning of wisdom

– Or to use a metaphor – if faith in God is the butterfly, then fear of God is the caterpillar. Before we can fly we must first crawl

– Before we can learn to trust God we must first fear him

– That is, we must first submit to God in the realisation that he is more powerful than anyone or anything else

– I wonder if the pandemic of anxiety in our society today is partly due to the fact we have lost our fear of God

– We have made ourselves subject to so many things (that aren’t God) and consequently we are afraid of many things

What we notice in Genesis 20 is that Abraham believed (temporarily – in that moment) that God was not the most powerful one in the neighbourhood and as a result he put Sarah’s virtue and God’s promise at risk

– This is all upside down and back to front – here we have Abraham, a hero of the faith, showing more fear of man than of God

– While king Abimelech, the Philistine – the one we least expect, fears God more than Abraham does

The lesson is: both fear of God and faith in God can be found anywhere – sometimes those outside the church have a greater fear of God than we do

– I think of the Roman Centurion who said to Jesus:

– “Lord do not trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof… But say the word and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go’, and he goes and that one, ‘Come’, and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this’, and he does it.”

– When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and… said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” [1]

There is something of God’s image (something noble) in everyone, even those we may write off as Philistines – but we have to be humble to see it

– Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

Grace:

Okay, so far we have talked about Abraham’s fear of man and Abimelech’s fear of God

The other main theme running through these verses is grace – in particular God’s grace for Sarah & Abraham, as well as the Lord’s grace for Abimelech and his household

– Grace is a gift, something we haven’t earned – it is undeserved favour

– Grace is different from fear

– Fear is the stick – grace is the carrot

– Fear is about punishment – grace is about freedom

– Fear makes us a passenger – grace puts us in the driver’s seat

– Fear is a feeling of distress – grace is a feeling of humility

Once there was a boy, who we’ll call Hunter

– Hunter came from a dysfunctional family

– Dad wasn’t around anymore & Mum was preoccupied

– Hunter was left to fend for himself most of the time

On benefit day (which was a Tuesday) there was usually something in the pantry, some instant noodles or budget bread

– But by Thursday there wasn’t much food left in the house so Hunter went to school without lunch three days a week

– Although he was really hungry he didn’t steal from the other kids because he didn’t want to get in trouble

– He had been taken away from his mum and put into foster care once before and he didn’t want to do anything to risk that happening again

– Foster care is a bit of a lottery – Fear kept him in check

Hunter’s teacher saw what was going on and quietly snuck sandwiches, biscuits & fruit into Hunter’s bag on Thursdays, Fridays and Mondays

– At first Hunter didn’t realise how the food got there, but it didn’t take him long to figure it out

– That teacher had always looked out for him – like a guardian angel

– It made him feel strangely warm and humble inside

One day the winter show came to town

– We don’t have winter shows in Wellington – it’s more of a regional town thing, with Ferris wheels, hot dogs, side shows and candy floss

– Hunter couldn’t afford the ticket price but that didn’t stop him, there was always a hole in the fence somewhere he could squeeze through for free

– He didn’t have money to go on any of the rides or buy any food – he just enjoyed being there, the sights, the sounds and the smells

As he walked along he noticed a purse on the ground – small enough to fit in your pocket. It had $40 inside and a lipstick

– He could really use the money

– Finders keepers, he thought to himself – whoever she was she wouldn’t miss it anyway

As he stood in line waiting to buy some hot chips he noticed his teacher, in the distance on the merry go round, with her family

– She saw him and smiled – he looked away, suddenly conscience stricken

– How could he steal this money when she had been so good to him?

– Realising he couldn’t enjoy the chips now, he handed the purse in to lost property (with the money intact) and slipped out the gate feeling hungry

On Monday at school the teacher called the roll and, as usual, went round the room giving the kids a chance to talk about what they did in their weekend

– Lots of people talked about going to the winter show and, as usual, Hunter said nothing

When everyone had finished the teacher shared her own news, saying that she had gone to the show with her 11 year daughter who had lost her purse

– Her daughter was upset because there was $40 in the purse which she had earned from doing various odd jobs

– Fortunately someone handed the purse in and all was well

Realising he had done something good Hunter smiled to himself as he looked at the ground, feeling strangely warm and humble inside.

God’s grace is manifold – it’s not one dimensional

– It’s layered, like a trifle or filo pastry

We see God’s grace in the way the Lord appears to Abimelech in a dream, warning him of the danger he is in

– In Genesis 12 God communicated with Pharaoh through sickness and disease but in Genesis 20 the Lord has a conversation with Abimelech

– Probably because Abimelech is more willing to listen than Pharaoh was

One thing we notice is that God’s grace comes to Abimelech in the form of truth – Abraham had lied to Abimelech but God speaks the truth

– Grace & truth go together with God

– The Spirit of Jesus is a Spirit of grace & truth

– Being told that he is at risk of committing adultery with Sarah is not an easy truth for Abimelech to face but there is grace in the timing of it

– In fact, verse 6 tells us that God has kept Abimelech from sinning by not letting him touch Sarah

– God has a wonderful way of saving us from temptation and delivering us from evil – diverting us in the nick of time, sort of like Hunter was diverted by a smile from his teacher

God’s grace in preventing Abimelech from sleeping with Sarah is at the same time an act of grace for Sarah & Abraham

– Despite Abraham’s faithless action on this occasion the Lord still intervenes to protect Sarah and save Abraham’s life

I’m impressed with the way Abimelech restores the relationship with Abraham

– After learning from God that Sarah is actually Abraham’s wife Abimelech calls Abraham in and asks for an explanation

– While this was probably an awkward moment for Abraham it actually enables the two men to clear the air and makes it possible for Abraham to remain in the land

– Pharaoh gave Abraham no such hearing – he simply sent Abraham & Sarah packing

In spite of the way Abraham insults Abimelech (saying, I thought there would be no one here who fears God) the Philistine king gives Abraham livestock, servants, the pick of pastureland & 1000 pieces of silver to vindicate Sarah

– This silver in some way undoes any shame or slur on Sarah’s reputation

– It is an incredible amount of money – more than most people would earn in their life time at that point in history

– As mentioned before Abimelech’s generosity is more out of respect for God, than anything else

Finally we see God’s grace in the way the Lord answers Abraham’s prayer to heal Abimelech and his household so they could have children

– God had promised that Abraham would be a blessing to the nations and this prayer of intercession is one example of that blessing

– God’s gift of children for the Philistine royal family surely sounds a note of hope for Sarah & Abraham

– If God is willing to do that for Abimelech, who has been promised nothing, then the Lord will surely make good on his word to Abraham & Sarah

Conclusion:

Fear & grace are part of our experience too

– Although fear & grace are different they both have the power to humble us before God, as Abraham & Abimelech were humbled

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/29-april-2018-fear-grace

Questions for discussion & reflection

1.) What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.) What is fear?

– How does (or has) fear affected your life?

3.) How might we manage the thoughts which govern our fear (in a healthy way)?

4.) What is the relationship between fear of God and faith in God?

– How are they similar? How are they different?

– How might fear of God make us less anxious?

5.) What is grace?

– How is grace different from fear?

6.) In what ways can you see God’s grace in Genesis 20?

7.) Can you think of times when God has diverted you from making a mistake in the nick of time? (e.g. as he prevented Abimelech from committing adultery with Sarah)

– What other ways have you experienced God’s grace in your life?

8.) Take some time this week to thank God for the noble Philistines you’ve known

[1] Luke 7:6-9

April 15, 2018April 15, 2018 Tawa Baptist

Peter preaches Jesus

Scripture: Acts 3:12-19

Title: Peter preaches Jesus

Structure:

Introduction
Peter preaches the death & resurrection of Jesus
Peter preaches to heal the crowd
Conclusion

Introduction:

On the wall here we have a picture of a small child with his head in the mouth of a camel

– Now, what would you say was more important here?
– Taking a photo to capture the moment? (as it appears is happening)
– Or coming to the rescue of the child? Hmmm.
– If I were ever unfortunate enough to find myself in that situation I hope that my first response would not be to take a photo

Today is two Sundays since Easter

– As we are still in the season of Easter our message this morning comes from the lectionary – Acts chapter 3, verses 12-19
– These verses peel back the skin of the Easter story and look within it to find its meaning and application

Acts 3 is set at the gate of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem

– Two of the apostles, Peter & John, have just healed a man who has been unable to walk since birth
– It’s 3 o’clock in the afternoon, a traditional time of prayer, and therefore a busy time at the temple
– Everyone who saw the miracle is gob smacked in amazement – they crowd around Peter & John utterly astounded
– Seeing the opportunity God has provided Peter preaches to the crowd
– From Acts chapter 3, verse 12 (in the NIV) we read…

When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see. “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

In this reading we hear Peter’s sermon to a crowd of Jewish worshippers coming to the temple for prayer. Two things about Peter’s message

– Peter preaches the death & resurrection of Jesus

– And Peter preaches to heal the crowd

Peter preaches the death & resurrection of Jesus:

I have here a banana

– What would you say was more important – the skin of the banana or the flesh inside? [Wait for people to respond]
– Well, both are important aren’t they
– The skin protects the flesh of the banana – without the skin we wouldn’t have a banana we could eat
– But without the flesh the skin has no purpose really and could in fact become a hazard – something that slips people up
– At the end of the day the most important part is the part we eat, inside

Thinking of Acts 3, what would you say was more important – the miracle of healing or Peter’s message explaining the miracle? [Wait for people to respond]

– Well, both are important

– Without Peter’s explanation the meaning of the miracle is lost

– But without the miracle Peter would not have had opportunity to explain the meaning of Easter in the first place

– Peter’s message peeled the skin of the miracle back to reveal the real power behind the healing – the death & resurrection of Jesus

On the wall here we have a picture of a groom polishing the wheels of his car… with his new wife’s wedding dress

– Probably not the best start to their marriage

– What would you say was more important here – a happy wife or clean mags? [Wait for people to respond]

– The right answer is a happy wife – and if I have to explain that then you are in trouble

In verse 12 of Acts 3, Peter is quick to clear up any misunderstanding, saying…

– ‘People of Israel, why does this [miracle] surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?’

– Then he gives Jesus the credit

– Peter isn’t going to use this miracle to polish his own reputation – that would be like using a wedding dress to polish the wheels of his chariot, if he had a chariot (which I don’t think he did)

– No, Peter puts Jesus front & centre because Jesus is the most important

Peter describes Jesus in four ways…

– As God’s servant (in verse 13)

– As the Holy and Righteous One (in verse 14)

– As the author of life (in verse 15)

– And as the Christ (in verse 18)

The over-arching point here is that Jesus is someone very special & unique

Christ is a word that means the same thing as Messiah – ‘anointed one’

– Jesus is the one chosen by God to be our King & Saviour

Author of life means that life comes from Jesus – Jesus is the Word of God through whom God created the universe – we find life in Jesus

Holy & Righteous One is a reference to Jesus’ innocence

– Holy means set apart for a sacred or divine purpose

– And righteous means being in right relationship with others, doing the right thing, acting justly and loving our neighbour

Peter’s description of Jesus as God’s servant is probably a reference to the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. We find the same Greek word in Acts 3 as we do in the passage from Isaiah

For those not familiar with Isaiah 53, Christians read it as a foretelling of Jesus’ suffering, death & resurrection. Here’s a sample of verses to give you the idea…

See, my servant will act wisely; [1] he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted… ³He was despised and rejected by humankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

⁴Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. ⁵But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him and by his wounds we are healed…

⁸By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living… ⁹He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

¹⁰Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer… ¹¹After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied…

The content of Peter’s speech indicates that Jesus is the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. Although Jesus was innocent, he suffered & died that we might live

Albrecht Durer was a famous 16^th Century Renaissance artist

– Albrecht was German and a contemporary of Leonardo da Vinci

– This is a self-portrait of Albrecht

According to legend Albrecht’s family was poor [2]

– Although his father was a skilled and hard-working goldsmith, there were 18 children to feed and not much money to go around

– Albrecht and one of his brothers had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their talent for art

– The problem was they knew their father could never afford to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the academy there

After many long discussions at night the two boys finally worked out a pact.

– They would toss a coin. The loser would go to work in the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he attended the academy.

– Then, in four years, when the brother who won the toss completed his studies, he would support the other brother at the academy, either with sales of his artwork or, if necessary, also by labouring in the mines.

They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church.

– Albrecht won the toss and went off to Nuremberg, while his brother went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, financed Albrecht to study at the Academy

– Albrecht’s etchings, his woodcuts and his oils were far better than those of most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned works.

When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a special dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht’s triumphant homecoming.

– After a long meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his honoured position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfil his ambition.

– His closing words were, “And now, my brother, it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you.”

All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table where Albrecht’s brother sat, tears streaming down his face,

– Shaking his head from side to side he sobbed and repeated, over and over, “No, no, no.”

– Finally, the boy who had spent 4 years in the mines rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the long table at the faces he loved, and then said softly…

– “No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look what the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, my brother, for me it is too late.”

500 years have passed since that time.

– Albrecht Durer’s hundreds of masterful portraits, pen and silver-point sketches, watercolours, charcoals, woodcuts, and copper engravings hang in every great museum in the world

– But perhaps the work most people are familiar with is, “Praying Hands.”

Some believe that Albrecht Durer drew these hands in honour of his brother who had sacrificed so much for him

What would you say was more important, the drawing of the hands or the brother’s sacrifice?

– Difficult to separate the two really

– Without the brother’s sacrifice the drawing loses its meaning

– But without the drawing the brother’s sacrifice is forgotten

The point is, Jesus is like the brother who went to the mines

– Jesus went to the cross, suffered & died that we might have abundant life

– Jesus gives our lives meaning and we makes sure his sacrifice is not forgotten

Peter preaches to heal the crowd:

In verses 13-15 Peter recaps the Easter story, of Jesus’ death & resurrection

– The startling thing here is the way Peter tells his audience, quite bluntly, how they caused Jesus’ death. Peter says…

o You handed him over to be killed

o You disowned him before Pilate (that is, you rejected him and didn’t advocate for him even though it was clear he was innocent)

o You asked that a murderer be released to you instead

o You killed the author of life

We might wonder why Peter is so strong in convicting the people of their injustice against Jesus – after all, no one likes to be blamed or told off

– There’s a risk the crowd might become defensive and turn on Peter & John at this point

– Well, it seems to me that Peter is hoping to heal the crowd – but before they can be healed they have to realise they are not well

– In some ways (although not in every way) the crowd are little bit like the man who had been born lame [3]

– By killing the author of life the people of Jerusalem have disabled their relationship with God – they are no longer able to walk with God

– But God wants to heal that relationship so they can walk with him again

– Before that healing can take place though, the people have to recognise what they’ve done wrong

– Peter makes the crowd aware of their wrong doing by intentionally putting his finger on the sore spot, where it hurts – in much the same way a doctor does when diagnosing an ailment

Having shown the crowd that their relationship with God is broken, Peter then explains how things can be healed

– Peter says (in verse 16) that the man born lame was healed by faith in Jesus. His healing is a pattern for their healing. They too can be healed by putting their faith in Jesus’ name.

– From verse 17 Peter continues: Now, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders… Repent then and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out…

In a nutshell Peter’s message is this: your relationship with God is broken, it’s lame but it can be healed (as this man has been healed) through faith in Jesus

– And in case you’re not sure what faith in Jesus looks like, it begins with repentance

Faith & repentance go together in the Bible

– Faith is not exactly the same as repentance

– Christian faith means believing in Jesus – putting our trust in him

– While repentance is about change – changing our mind (or our way of thinking) and changing our behaviour (our way of living)

Now what would you say was more important – faith or repentance?

– Well, we can’t really have one without the other

– Repentance is to faith what clean sheets are to a bed – it helps us to sleep better at night

– Repentance is to faith what food is to our stomach – it satisfies something in our soul and gives us strength

– Repentance is to faith what legs are to walking – without repentance our faith has no legs, its going nowhere

– Repentance is to faith what training is to an athlete – without repentance we’re just not that serious

Repentance is not the only expression of genuine faith – but it is perhaps the primary expression of faith

Before our relationship with God can be healed we have to realise we are not well – we have to realise we all share responsibility for Jesus’ death

– We may not have been there in the crowd that day shouting ‘crucify him’ but we all needed Jesus to die in our place, so we are all responsible for Jesus’ death – not just the Jews

I listened to someone recently who had spent time in Africa teaching new Christians

– There was this one man who heard about Jesus & started believing in him

– Everything was great, fantastic, wonderful – as it usually is when we first become a Christian

– And then the penny dropped for this man – believing in Jesus would mean a change in occupation for him

– You see, this guy was a contract killer – he went across the border from one country to the next to kill people for money

– I suppose if you are poor and live in a country with high unemployment then becoming a hit man is more attractive than begging or starving

– Now that he was a follower of Jesus though, he had to repent – he had to stop killing people and trust Jesus to provide him with other work

– That’s an extreme example but the principle is the same for other sins like greed or slander or sex outside of marriage or resentment or whatever your sore point is. Faith in Jesus and repentance go together

In commenting on verse 19 of Acts 3, William Barclay points out that repentance affects both the past and the future [4]

It affects the past in that sins are wiped out

– Ancient writing was on papyrus and the ink used was different to the ink we use these days. If you made a mistake with your writing in the ancient world the ink could be removed with a wet sponge – sort of like we might wipe ink off a white board today

– Peter is saying that with repentance and faith in Jesus our sins are erased

Repentance also affects the future in that it brings times of refreshing

– ‘Times of refreshing’ speaks of Sabbath rest

– It speaks of the light burden and the easy yoke that Jesus promised

– With our sins removed we walk freely, without the burden of guilt

Conclusion:

This morning we’ve heard how Peter preached Jesus

– Peter boldly preached the death & resurrection of Jesus

– And with courage he preached to heal the crowd’s relationship with God

Peter’s brave preaching in Acts 3 stands in stark contrast to his denial of Jesus in Luke 22, which we heard about last week

– In many ways though Peter’s denial of Jesus made his message more authentic, for Peter was preaching to the crowd as someone like them

– Someone who had realised how lame he was before God and found healing and forgiveness through repentance & faith in Jesus

Questions for discussion &/or reflection

1.) What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.) Discuss the meaning / significance of the four titles Peter ascribes to Jesus. That is: God’s servant, the holy & righteous one, the author of life and the Christ.

3.) What similarities do we notice between Peter’s sermon, in Acts 3:12-19, and the passage describing the suffering servant in Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12?

4.) Who is responsible for Jesus’ death?

5.) Why does Peter convict the crowd so strongly of their injustice toward Jesus?

6.) What pathway does Peter offer for healing the relationship between us and God?

7.) What is the relationship between repentance and faith in Jesus?

8.) Take some time this week to consider if the Holy Spirit is touching any sore points in your life? What healing does God want to bring?

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/15-april-2018-peter-preaches-jesus

[1] The word ‘servant’ actually comes from Isaiah 52:13, which forms part of the picture painted of the suffering servant from 52:13 – 53:12.

[2] https://www.thoughtco.com/praying-hands-1725186

[3] This is not to imply that the man born lame had a bad relationship with God. For all we know he may have been closer to God than most. Also, the man born lame was well aware he couldn’t walk, whereas the crowd weren’t yet aware of their condition before God.

[4] From William Barclay’s commentary on Acts, page 32.

April 8, 2018April 8, 2018 Tawa Baptist

Jesus & Peter

Scripture: John 13:33-38 & 21:15-19

Title: Jesus and Peter – before & after

Structure:

Introduction
Jesus & Peter before – John 13:33-38
Jesus & Peter after – John 21:15-19
Conclusion

Introduction:

We are in the season of Easter at the moment

– Easter is a time when we tend to eat more chocolate than usual

– Consequently we may find ourselves in different shape before and after

Our message today focuses on the relationship between Jesus & Peter – both before the cross and after the resurrection

– Before Good Friday Peter may have thought his faith was fit and trim

– But after the cross he had a more realistic perspective

Please turn with me to the gospel of John chapter 13 – page 137 toward the back of your pew Bibles

– The night before his suffering and death Jesus shared a meal with his disciples. He washed their feet, he prayed for them and he tried to prepare them for what was about to happen

– From John chapter 13, verse 33, Jesus says…

My children, I shall not be with you very much longer. You will look for me; but I tell you now what I told the Jewish authorities, “You cannot go where I am going.’ And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples.”

“Where are you going, Lord?” Simon Peter asked him.

“You cannot follow me now where I am going,” answered Jesus; “but later you will follow me.”

“Lord, why can’t I follow you now?” asked Peter. “I am ready to die for you!”

Jesus answered, “Are you really ready to die for me? I am telling you the truth: before the rooster crows you will say three times that you do not know me.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading

Jesus & Peter before:

On the wall here is a diagram of the Johari window – many of you would have seen this (or something like it) before

– The Johari window is a technique created by two psychologists in 1955

– In the exercise, you pick a number of adjectives from a list, choosing ones you feel describe your own personality.
– Your peers then get the same list, and each picks an equal number of adjectives that they think describe you. [1]
– Some of the adjectives include words like: bold, brave, cheerful, extroverted, introverted, calm, trustworthy, loving and so on

Adjectives picked by both you and your peers go in the ‘open’ box

– These things are common knowledge to you and to others
– Adjectives you chose for yourself but not chosen by others go in the ‘hidden’ box – things you know about you that others don’t
– And adjectives others choose for you but you didn’t choose go in the ‘blind’ box – things others can see that you can’t
– The fourth ‘unknown’ box is the sub-conscious part of us that neither ourselves nor others see
– We might say the unknown is known only to God

The purpose of the Johari window is to help people better understand their relationship with themselves and others

– Sometimes there is a gap between how we perceive ourselves and how others experience us – a gap between our ideal self and our real self

– This could be because we don’t know ourselves that well

– Or it could be that others have misunderstood us

– Often it’s a mixture of both

If you asked Peter to do the Yohari window exercise before & after Good Friday I expect he would have come out with a very different result

– Before the cross Peter thinks of himself as brave and loyal, a hero willing to lay down his life to protect Jesus from the authorities

– But on this occasion at least there is a significant gap between Peter’s ideal self and his real self

– After the experience of the cross Peter is more circumspect

– Only Jesus sees all four windows

Returning to our reading from John 13, Jesus tells his disciples two things…

– Firstly, they cannot go where he is about to go – meaning they can’t go to the cross as he is about to go to the cross (at least not yet)

– And secondly, they must love one another

Jesus says these two things to help his disciples

– Being told they can’t go to the cross with him lets them off the hook

– It tells them this is God’s purpose for Jesus, so they don’t have to feel responsible for this, they don’t need to try and protect Jesus or prevent it from happening – It’s not in their power to do anything about this

Having told them what they can’t do Jesus then tells them what they can do –love one another, for by this everyone will know you are my disciples

– That’s profoundly interesting – we might think (like Peter did) that people will know we are Jesus’ disciples by some grand gesture or heroic act – by putting ourselves in harm’s way and fighting Jesus’ enemies

– But Jesus insists that people will know we belong to him by our love for one another

Loving one another is by far the more difficult thing

– Love can be a glorious grand gesture but more often than not it is small and unseen – yet no less expensive

– We love one another by being patient with those who frustrate us by their personality or rub us up the wrong way by their behaviour

– We love one another by listening and seeking to understand, even though we ourselves may feel misunderstood

– We love one another by singing each other’s songs in church

– By sharing each other’s joys and sorrows

– By praying for others and making them meals when they have a need

– We love by forgiving hurts and saying ‘sorry’ when we mess up

– We love others by guarding their reputation and being discreet

– We love one another in a thousand other little ways that only God sees

Peter isn’t captured by the idea of loving one another, nor does he accept what Jesus is saying about not being able to follow him to the cross

– At this point Peter stills sees himself as a brave hero, ready to lay down his life for Jesus

– Perhaps Peter is under the illusion that he might somehow save Jesus

– He does not realise yet that he can’t even save himself

– So Jesus, in his grace, responds by pointing out to Peter something he is blind to – a truth he can’t yet see about himself

– Namely, that Peter will deny Jesus three times before the rooster crows

– And, as we know, this is exactly what Peter does

Later that night, when Jesus is arrested in the Garden, Peter draws his sword and cuts off the ear of the High Priest’s slave – Peter hasn’t accepted what Jesus has said, he still wants to be the hero – but Jesus puts a stop to the violence

Undaunted, Peter follows at a distance and manages to get into the courtyard of the high priest where Jesus is being interrogated

– As he warms himself around a charcoal fire Peter is asked three times if he is one of Jesus’ companions and three times he denies it

– It’s not until the cock crows that Peter remembers the Lord’s words to him, at which point the truth hits home

– Luke’s gospel tells us that Peter went out and wept bitterly – this is a painful learning for the would be hero

– Peter is filled with regret and remorse

Jesus & Peter after:

The good news is, the story doesn’t end there

– After his death on the cross Jesus is resurrected by God and appears to his disciples on a number of occasions

One of Jesus’ post resurrection appearances was by Lake Tiberias

– The disciples had been out fishing all night and caught nothing

– So Jesus tells them (from the shore) to throw their net out one more time on the right side of the boat

– At first the disciples don’t realise it is Jesus but they throw their net out anyway & struggle to pull it back in because they’d caught so many fish

– Jesus has filled their empty net

When they realise it is the Lord, Peter (spontaneous as ever) dives into the water & swims ashore to meet Jesus (sort of like Forrest Gump swimming to Lt Dan)

– From verse 15 of John 21 we pick up the story…

After they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said to him, “Take care of my lambs.”

A second time Jesus said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep.”

A third time Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter became sad because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” and so he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!”

Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep. I am telling you the truth: when you were young, you used to get ready and go anywhere you wanted to; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you up and take you where you don’t want to go.”

(In saying this, Jesus was indicating the way in which Peter would die and bring glory to God.) Then Jesus said to him, “Follow me!”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture reading for us

William Blake wrote a collection of poems he titled: Songs of Innocence and of Experience Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul

– It became a classic

– I’m not sure exactly what William Blake meant by innocence but to my mind it is a state of not really knowing oneself all that well

– Consequently there is a gap between the way those in a state of innocence perceive themselves and how others experience them

– Those in a state of innocence are also prone to projecting their ideals on to others – ideals which those others may not share

– This inevitably results in disappointment when those in a state of innocence realise they have placed their hope in the wrong things

Most of the young men who went off to fight in World War One were in a state of innocence

– They had this misplaced idea that the war would be over quickly, that the Turks and the Germans would put up little resistance, that the generals would only make good decisions, that they would be impervious to the heat and the cold, the flies and the bullets, and that God was on their side

– Those who survived lost their innocence

Experience is a ruthless teacher – it adjusts our perceptions, quite painfully sometimes

– It’s not always pleasant learning something about yourself that you had been blind to but that others could see all along

– Good Friday was, for Peter, a sort of innocence lost

– Now, on the other side of the cross, Peter lives with his experience

In the passage we just read, from John 21, Jesus restores Peter

– Previously Peter had denied Jesus three times

– Now Jesus asks Peter three times, ‘Do you love me?’

– And three times Peter says, ‘Yes Lord, you know that I love you’

– And three times Jesus says, ‘Take care of my sheep’

Jesus does not give Peter the silent treatment

– Jesus does not demand an apology from Peter

– Jesus does not require Peter to grovel and beg

– Nor Jesus does prescribe a punishment for Peter – he doesn’t need to

– Peter is already painfully aware of his failure and has been beating himself up for days

The message is pretty clear

– Peter’s sins are forgiven

– Jesus does not hold anything against him

– The relationship is restored but not exactly the way it was before

Before, in a state of innocence, Peter had thought he might be able to save Jesus

– Now (after experience) he realises that Jesus has saved him

Before the cross, Peter trusted in himself to be able to the right thing

– After the cross Peter is humbled and he trusts in Jesus’ grace

We see Peter’s humility in his response to Jesus’ three fold question

– Peter does not point to his own actions to prove that he loves Jesus

– Rather he appeals to Jesus’ knowledge of him – you know me Lord, you now all things

– Sometimes we may feel like we must do something great to prove our love for the Lord – but this is not necessary

– What we come to in time is the realisation that Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves – even the unknown sub-conscious part

This begs the question, why then did Jesus keep questioning Peter’s love?

– Well, Peter’s denials cast doubt on his credentials to serve & lead in the church

– Not only did Peter need the opportunity to reverse his threefold denial, the other disciples also needed to see Peter formally reinstated

– There is a certain formality to the way Jesus addresses Peter, using his full given name, ‘Simon, son of John’ (and not his nickname, Peter)

– By formally & publicly reinstating Peter – saying three times, ‘Take care of my sheep’, Jesus is showing everyone that Peter has his blessing

– And Jesus is showing the other disciples there is grace for them too

– If Peter was still accepted after his denials, then they were accepted as well, even though they had abandoned their Lord in his time of need

Another hidden gem here is that, through the experience of the cross, Peter now loves Jesus as he really is and not just as he wishes Jesus to be [2]

– In his state of innocence Peter loved the idea of a successful hero Messiah (like king David) and he projected this ideal, this fantasy, on to Jesus

– By his actions Peter had shown that he did not want a crucified Messiah

– When Jesus had tried to tell the disciples that he must suffer and die Peter took him aside to correct him – because this didn’t fit with Peter’s dream of a successful hero king

– Peter had plans for Jesus and those plans didn’t include Jesus dying – that would be failure (as far as Peter was concerned)

– But Jesus was crucified and with him Peter’s fantasy also died

– Even though Jesus had disappointed Peter’s expectations Peter still maintained his loving devotion to the Lord

As Shakespeare put it, “Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds”

– In other words, true love is constant even though circumstances and perceptions might change

We, like Peter, may project onto God our own ideas or fantasy of what he is like and how he should behave

– We may, for example, think of God as a divine Santa Claus – that he will give us what we want if we are good

– Or we think of God as our own personal body guard – who won’t let any harm come to us

– Or as a genie in a bottle ready to grant us our wishes

– Or we may think becoming a Christian will make us healthy, wealthy & successful

– For many people this is part of their journey of faith, a stage of innocence

– Then we face the cross in our own personal way

– Maybe God doesn’t answer our prayers as we thought he should

– Or maybe he allows us to suffer illness or injustice without explanation

– Whatever form our cross may take, when God doesn’t perform as we expect our fantasy of Him is crucified and we may feel let down by Jesus

– In that experience of disappointment we, like Peter, have a choice

– Are we going to love God as he really is & not just as we wish him to be?

On hearing Peter’s threefold affirmation of love, Jesus’ threefold commission is ‘take care of my sheep’

– Peter is to express his love for Jesus by caring for Jesus’ followers

– Love is the main qualification for pastoral ministry

– The primary qualification for being a minister is love

– Just as the primary qualification for being a Sunday school teacher or a youth group leader or a parent or a brother or sister, son or daughter, is love

Love of Jesus goes hand in hand with love of his people

– We’ve already heard Jesus say, ‘Love one another for by this everyone will know you are my disciples’

– The implication here is that those who say they love Jesus but do not love other Christians are kidding themselves

– They may love an idea or fantasy they have of Jesus but not the reality

Grace begets grace

– Jesus had shown Peter grace when Peter failed and so it is significant that Peter shows grace to others in his ministry

– Last year, during our series on inter-generational relationships in the Bible, we looked at the relationship between John Mark and Peter

– John Mark was rejected by the apostle Paul because Mark turned back while on a missions trip

– But Peter took Mark under his wing, despite Mark’s failure, probably because Peter knew what it was like to be in Mark’s shoes

– It is thought that the gospel of Mark was written by John Mark who had followed Peter around listening to his preaching

– Eventually Mark & Paul repaired their relationship but I’m not sure it would have had the happy ending it did if Peter hadn’t shown Mark grace

– Of course Peter was simply following Jesus’ example – paying forward the grace he himself had experienced

Having formally reinstated Peter, Jesus then goes on to foretell Peter’s future

– In John 13 Jesus had said, you can’t follow me now where I am going

– (Meaning you can’t die on the cross with me)

– Now, in John 21, Jesus says to Peter, ‘Follow me’

– ‘…when you were young, you used to get ready and go anywhere you wanted to; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you up and take you where you don’t want to go.’

Jesus is saying here that Peter will get the opportunity to follow in his footsteps by dying on a cross (stretch out your hands is a euphemism for crucifixion)

– Tradition tells us that when Peter was old he refused to deny Jesus

– As a consequence the authorities led Peter out to be crucified like Jesus

– But Peter said he was not worthy to die like his Lord

– So they crucified Peter upside down

In the end Peter was ready to die for Jesus – not to be a hero or to draw attention to himself, but rather to affirm the truth of Jesus’ resurrection

Conclusion:

The beauty is, God used Peter’s weakness & failure for good

– If Peter can be restored after denying Jesus then so can we

In a few moments we will share communion together

– Communion is a time when we remember Jesus’ death and affirm his resurrection

– To share communion is to say with Peter and millions of other believers, “Yes Lord, you know I love you”

– Communion is not a grand gesture on our part

– But is a significant aspect of following Jesus and loving one another

– In communion we remember our own sin and Jesus’ grace in restoring us

Questions for discussion & reflection:

1.) What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.) Have you ever done the ‘Johari Window’ exercise before?

– What did you learn?

3.) How was Peter’s perception of himself different before and after the cross?

4.) What does it mean to love one another? (Think of practical examples)

5.) What does it mean to be in a state of innocence?

– How is this different from a state of experience?

6.) Why did Jesus ask if Peter loved him three times, in front of the others?

– Why did Peter appeal to Jesus’ knowledge of him? (I.e. Why does Peter say, ‘You know I love you Lord’?)

7.) Before the cross Peter had a false perception of Jesus – he loved Jesus as he wished Jesus to be. After the resurrection Peter’s perception had changed and he loved Jesus as he really is (a crucified & risen Messiah).

– Has your perception of Jesus changed since becoming a Christian? How so?

– Have you (like Peter) had a personal cross experience, when you felt disappointed by God and your fantasy of Jesus was crucified?

– Do you still love Jesus as he really is or only as you wish him to be?

8.) Grace begets grace. Jesus showed Peter grace and Peter paid it forward to John Mark. Take some time this week to reflect on the grace you have been shown by others. How (or who) might you pay this grace forward to?

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/8-april-2018-peter-and-jesus-before-after

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johari_window

[2] Refer Leon Morris, NICTNT on John, page 768.

March 30, 2018March 30, 2018 Tawa Baptist

Jesus’ Trial – Good Friday

Readings & Reflections on Jesus’ Trial from Luke 22:66-23:25

Good Friday is about the suffering & death of Jesus

– It is the day Jesus’ suffering comes to a head

– Jesus’ suffering was undeserved and yet he accepted it with humility & grace

Following Jesus’ agony and arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane he was taken away for a series of trials

– After a night in the courtyard of the high priest, where he was mocked & beaten by the temple guards, Jesus was brought before the Jewish elders

– We pick up the story from Luke chapter 22, verse 66

⁶⁶When day came, the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law met together, and Jesus was brought before the Council. ⁶⁷“Tell us,” they said, “are you the Messiah?”

He answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me; ⁶⁸and if I ask you a question, you will not answer. ⁶⁹But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right side of Almighty God.”

⁷⁰They all said, “Are you, then, the Son of God?”

He answered them, “You say that I am.”

⁷¹And they said, “We don’t need any witnesses! We ourselves have heard what he said!”

Luke’s account places an emphasis on Jesus’ innocence

– Despite all the miracles Jesus has performed and despite all the reasoning Jesus has provided, the Jewish Council refuse to believe that Jesus is God’s Messiah, their King

– They have already made up their mind to kill Jesus and are simply gathering ammunition to use against him

Jesus knows this but he doesn’t deny his true identity to save himself

– To the contrary he takes it a few steps further and essentially says he is a lot closer to the Almighty in heaven than they realise – at God’s right side no less

– Jesus has intentionally played into their hands – he is embracing the suffering of the cross in obedience to God the Father

The Jewish Council can’t believe their luck, they think they have all the ammunition they need for a conviction of blasphemy

– Blasphemy is when someone says or does something which shows contempt or disrespect for God – it was a really big deal to ancient Jews

– Of course it’s only blasphemy if it’s not true & Jesus has spoken the truth

– The irony is, the Jewish Council are the ones who are guilty of blasphemy – they have insulted God by rejecting His Son

The Jewish Council don’t have freedom to kill Jesus on their own terms, they have to get permission from Pilate, the Roman governor

– Blasphemy is not a crime under Roman law but sedition is

– If they can convince Pilate that Jesus is a rival king stirring up trouble then Pilate might agree to execute Jesus

– But Pilate isn’t buying it – after questioning Jesus he concludes…

– “I find no reason to condemn this man”

– In Pilate’s estimation Jesus is innocent – but the Jewish Council insisted even more strongly so, to avoid responsibility, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod.

⁸Herod was very pleased when he saw Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been wanting to see him for a long time. He was hoping to see Jesus perform some miracle. ⁹So Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus made no answer.

¹⁰The chief priests and the teachers of the Law stepped forward and made strong accusations against Jesus. ¹¹Herod and his soldiers made fun of Jesus and treated him with contempt; then they put a fine robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.

Herod wanted to be entertained by Jesus

– He wanted Jesus to perform some miracle, like a party trick, but Jesus does not respond – in fact Jesus remains completely silent
– In the end Herod makes his own fun by dressing Jesus up in royal robes and mocking him
– Clearly Herod does not believe Jesus is a threat
– As far as Herod is concerned the Jewish Council’s charges of sedition are a joke and Jesus is innocent

Pilate is different to Herod – Pilate is more professional, more respectful. Pilate has a conscience. From verse 13 read…

¹³Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, ¹⁴and said to them, “You brought this man to me and said that he was misleading the people. Now, I have examined him here in your presence, and I have not found him guilty of any of the crimes you accuse him of. ¹⁵Nor did Herod find him guilty, for he sent him back to us. There is nothing this man has done to deserve death. ¹⁶So I will have him whipped and let him go.”

¹⁸The whole crowd cried out, “Kill him! Set Barabbas free for us!” (¹⁹Barabbas had been put in prison for a riot that had taken place in the city, and for murder.)

²⁰Pilate wanted to set Jesus free, so he appealed to the crowd again. ²¹But they shouted back, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

²²Pilate said to them the third time, “But what crime has he committed? I cannot find anything he has done to deserve death! I will have him whipped and set him free.”

²³But they kept on shouting at the top of their voices that Jesus should be crucified, and finally their shouting succeeded. ²⁴So Pilate passed the sentence on Jesus that they were asking for.

Clearly Jesus was innocent – consequently Pilate did his best to see justice was done by releasing Jesus, but he failed (despite multiple attempts)

– Although Jesus could have defended himself he didn’t – Jesus chose instead to embrace the cross in obedience to God

The Jewish Council treated Jesus with open hostility

– Herod didn’t take Jesus seriously
– And Pilate tried to save Jesus
– But Jesus accepted his suffering with humility & grace

Let us pray…

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, when taken away you did not resist

When mocked and falsely accused you remained silent

When questioned as to your identity you responded with truth

When condemned you did not justify yourself

When we face injustice grant us wisdom to know when to speak and when to be silent

And when we collude with injustice grant us the conscience to repent

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on us. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection

1.) What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.) What does Luke emphasise in his account of Jesus’ trial?

– How does Luke do this?

3.) What temptations do you think Jesus may have faced during his trial(s) on Good Friday?

4.) Jesus did not deny his true identity to save himself. Why do you think Jesus gave the Jewish Council the ammunition they needed to condemn him?

5.) What is blasphemy?

– How did the Jewish Council (and Herod) unwittingly commit blasphemy?

– What are some of the ways that blasphemy might express itself today?

6.) Why do you think Jesus had nothing to say to Herod?

– When is it right for us to speak up and when is it right to remain silent?

7.) Jesus embraced the suffering of the cross because it was God’s will for him. How might we know when suffering is God’s will for us and when it isn’t?

8.) The Jewish Council treated Jesus with open hostility, Herod didn’t take Jesus seriously and Pilate tried to save Jesus. None of these are ideal responses to Jesus. Can you think of some other better responses?

March 18, 2018March 18, 2018 Tawa Baptist

A New Generation

Scripture: Luke 9:1-10

Title: A New Generation

Structure:

Introduction
Jesus creates a new generation
Conclusion

Introduction:

Over the past couple of weeks we have been working through a sermon series for the Tranzsend Self Denial campaign called Made New

– Jesus came to make all things new and that newness begins with the initiative of the Holy Spirit

– Last week we heard how Jesus gives us a new perspective

– Today we conclude the Self Denial series by looking at how Jesus creates a new generation

Please turn with me to Luke chapter 9, verse 1 – page 89 toward the back of your pew Bibles

– In today’s reading we hear how Jesus empowers the new generation of his disciples to heal the sick and preach the gospel

– From Luke 9, verses 1-10 we read…

Jesus called the twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases. ²Then he sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick, ³after saying to them, “Take nothing with you for the trip: no walking stick, no beggar’s bag, no food, no money, not even an extra shirt. ⁴Wherever you are welcomed, stay in the same house until you leave that town; ⁵wherever people don’t welcome you, leave that town and shake the dust off your feet as a warning to them.” ⁶The disciples left and traveled through all the villages, preaching the Good News and healing people everywhere.

⁷When Herod, the ruler of Galilee, heard about all the things that were happening, he was very confused, because some people were saying that John the Baptist had come back to life. ⁸Others were saying that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. ⁹Herod said, “I had John’s head cut off; but who is this man I hear these things about?” And he kept trying to see Jesus.

¹⁰The apostles came back and told Jesus everything they had done. He took them with him, and they went off by themselves to a town named Bethsaida.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

Jesus creates a new generation:

We are talking this morning about how Jesus creates a new generation, but what do we mean by the word generation

– Well, as a verb (a doing word) generation means producing something or bringing something into being

– As in generating power or producing a crop or getting a project underway

But as a noun (a naming word) generation refers to a group or cohort of people born about the same time

– As in generation X or baby boomers or millennials

We see both senses of this word generation in our reading from Luke 9 this morning

– By empowering the disciples and sending them out to heal & preach Jesus is generating something new, he is creating a new movement

– Also the disciples represent a new generation of God’s people

– Just as there were twelve tribes of Israel, so too there are twelve disciples representing a new generation of leadership

Jesus does a number of things to create this new generation

– Firstly he calls the disciples – inviting them to leave their old lives and follow him, learn from him, become his apprentices

– We read how Jesus called his first disciples in Luke 5

Then, once Jesus has called the new generation, he shows them what to do by his own example – Jesus gives the disciples a model of how to do ministry

– When we think of education we might think of sitting in a class room but the disciples learned by being with Jesus 24-7

– Prior to Luke 9 the disciples have been following Jesus around everywhere, looking & listening, soaking up his way of doing things

– I call this the tea bag approach to learning – Jesus’ example is like a tea bag and the disciples are like the water

– As the disciples spend time with Jesus his way of doing things is infused into them, like tea is infused into water

– This kind of learning happens without us necessarily being aware of it

– The next generation (the children in our midst) are having our example infused into them, so we need to be careful of the model we provide

In Luke 9 Jesus takes the next step in creating this new generation of leadership

– At this point the disciples have a clear picture in their mind of what preaching & healing the Jesus’ way looks like but they haven’t actually done it themselves

– They know it in their head but they don’t yet know it in their hands

Last Tuesday night 14 of us gathered in the church lounge to learn how to operate the defibrillator

– Amy from the Wellington Free Ambulance explained some procedures to us and then demonstrated on a manikin what to do if someone has a cardiac arrest (if their heart stops)

– After showing us by her example, Amy then got each of us to practice on a manikin as well

– It’s one thing to watch someone demonstrate a certain technique

– It’s quite another to actually do 100 chest compressions a minute for over 2 minutes – watching and doing are quite different

Having shown his disciples what to do Jesus then gives them the opportunity to have a go themselves

– But before sending them out Jesus first sets them up to succeed by giving them power & authority over demons & disease

– No point in taking a knife to a gun fight – I imagine Jesus wants his disciples to have some wins, to get some runs on the board, because that will help generate confidence

Power & authority aren’t exactly the same thing although they often go together

– Power is the ability to do something while authority is the permission or license to do it

– I might have the power to drive a bus because I have the key but I don’t have authority to drive unless I have a license

– I might have the power to cut down a tree because I have a chainsaw but I don’t have authority to cut it down unless it’s on my property

– Jesus deputises his disciples with both the ability to drive out demons & heal disease as well as the license to do it

Demons are a manifestation of spiritual evil (the minions of Satan if you like) and disease is a manifestation of physical evil

– What we observe here is that Jesus has jurisdiction over both the spiritual realm and the physical realm – there is nothing beyond Jesus’ reach

We also observe that Jesus shares his power & authority with those he trusts

– Jesus doesn’t do it all himself, he uses a team approach

– At the defibrillator training the other night Amy underlined the importance of using a team approach

– You don’t try to do everything yourself – you get someone to ring 111 while you do chest compressions and you line up one or two others to help you do the chest compressions like a tag team

– Later in Luke’s gospel we read how Jesus sends out the 72 in pairs

– By using a team approach Jesus creates a new culture of cooperation & partnership, in contrast to the old culture of competition & one-up-man-ship – the new generation has a new culture

Another thing we notice is that Jesus gives the new generation a new focus and a new purpose

– The old generation had been focused on things like politics and money and military might, because those things enable one to control people

– But Jesus doesn’t give his disciples power & authority to control people

– Rather he gives them power & authority to drive out demons & disease

– Therefore Jesus’ focus, and the focus of the new generation, is to set people free from the forces of evil – both physical & spiritual

Most people have no difficulty understanding what is meant by physical disease – science has provided helpful insights into physical illness

– Unfortunately we don’t understand as much about spiritual dis-ease

– Demons are beyond the reach of science – in fact a lot people today would want to deny the existence of spiritual forces

– However, just because we can’t look at it under a microscope doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist

When I was about 15 I was asked to sit in on an exorcism and provide prayer support (because you don’t do an exorcism on your own).

– I was a relatively new Christian at that stage

– The woman was having the exorcism because she had been a witch, part of a coven and all that goes with that

– Witchcraft is the opposite of setting people free – witchcraft is about controlling or manipulating people

– The sad reality is that when we seek to control or manipulate others we open the door to forces of evil that end up controlling us

– At first this woman appeared quite normal – you wouldn’t know she was any different from anyone else

– But as we started praying her behaviour changed – strange stuff happened to her, stuff she wasn’t in control of, stuff I can’t explain

I went away from that experience realising that demons are real – there are forces at work which we don’t understand and often aren’t even aware of

– But we do not need to be afraid – Jesus has defeated Satan

– If we have trusted our lives to Christ, if we have placed ourselves under his Lordship, then we are under his protection

We talked a couple of weeks ago about the human spirit being like a cup and the Spirit of God being like communion wine or fresh clean water

– If the cup of our human spirit was designed to hold the water or wine of God’s Holy Spirit then we could say that demons (or evil spirits) are like dirty water or poison in the cup of our human spirit

– To caste out a demon then is to clean out the cup of our spirit – to remove the dirty water, extract the poison, sort of like vomiting removes a stomach bug

– Science can find cures for many physical diseases but only Jesus has the cure for what ails us spiritually

Now in talking about the spiritual realm and the physical realm, demons & disease, I don’t mean to imply a false dichotomy

– While the spiritual & the physical are different by definition, they are not separate or mutually exclusive

– There is some kind of inter-relationship between the spirit and the body

– I’m not going to say much more about that relationship because I’m not sure I really understand it – for me it is in the realm of mystery

The other thing I want to say is that medical science doesn’t stand in opposition to Jesus, nor in isolation from him

– Historically speaking science owes its existence to Jesus and the church

– As I see it medical research to cure disease can be as much a part of God’s work of healing as the laying on of hands in prayer

– Jesus takes a team approach – he often uses both doctors and our prayers to heal people

Take cataract operations for example

– If left untreated cataracts can make a person go blind

– They didn’t have cataract operations in Jesus’ day (that we know of) so Jesus simply healed by saying a word

– Later in history God gave us the knowledge we needed to safely remove cataracts and restore people’s sight – that’s the sort of thing we would expect to happen under the reign of God.

– These days thousands of cataract operations are performed every year, so it doesn’t seem miraculous to us anymore – it seems routine & mundane

– We still pray for someone when they have a cataract operation though because we are depending on God, not just the surgeon

– We acknowledge that healing comes from God and God is free to heal however he wants, whether that’s through science & doctors or in some other way – nothing is beyond Jesus’ reach

We also acknowledge that God is free not to heal

– So if we pray with sincerity and in good faith for God to heal and nothing happens, it is no reflection on us or our prayers

– It just means God has said ‘no’ on this occasion

– God said ‘no’ to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus prayed to avoid suffering

– God had a far bigger purpose in mind – the redemption of creation

In Luke 9, Jesus empowers his disciples to heal disease and exorcise demons because it served the immediate purpose of setting people free, as well as the bigger purpose of showing people that the Kingdom of God was near and had in fact arrived in the person of Jesus

I think it was C.S. Lewis who said, ‘Miracles are for beginners’

– When we are just starting out, when we don’t yet know Jesus, miracles can serve the purpose of making us aware that Jesus is the real deal, he’s not fake or an imposter – miracles can ignite faith, get it started

– But once we accept Jesus by faith the miracles are no longer necessary – just as sign posts are no longer necessary once you have reached your destination, or matches are no longer necessary once you have lit the fire

– Yes, miracles are nice to have and God still does miracles today, even if we might take them for granted, but they are not the main thing

– Jesus is the main thing, the Kingdom of God is the main thing

– God doesn’t want us to rely on miracles, he wants us to rely on Christ

So if Jesus and the Kingdom of God are the main thing what does it mean then to preach the Kingdom of God, as the disciples are instructed in verse 2?

Well, the Kingdom of God refers to the reign of God, as in the government of God. The kingdom of God is what life is like when God is in charge

– When God is in charge we have justice & mercy, we have truth & grace, we have healing & deliverance, we have peace & joy, we have freedom – not freedom to do what we want, but freedom to do God’s will, freedom with righteousness and we have abundant life

In verses 7-9 of Luke 9 we read about Herod, the ruler of Galilee

– The reign of Herod stands in stark contrast to the reign of God

– Under Herod, righteous men like John the Baptist were beheaded

– Herod would later involve himself in the plot to kill Jesus

– But under God’s reign there is justice so that Jesus (& those who belong to him) are resurrected to eternal life while Herod reaps what he has sown

– In Acts 12, verse 3 we read how an angel of the Lord struck Herod down and he was eaten by worms

The disciples were sent to preach the Kingdom of God – to tell people that God’s reign was beginning – and that was good news for those who were oppressed by evil

One of the things we notice here is that Jesus sent his disciples throughout the villages of Galilee

– Villages indicates smaller settlements, as opposed to the more populated cities – we might imagine villages to be the sorts of places most people pass through on their way to somewhere else

– And the region of Galilee was considered a bit inferior, at least by those in Judea & Jerusalem

– The poor in the villages of Galilee are visited by Jesus and his disciples, while Herod the ruler misses out

– So this is a case of the last being first and the first being last

– On this occasion Jesus sent his disciples to the least on the margins, before sending them to the greatest at the centre

Last Thursday Sarah Harris, a lecturer from Carey College, came to Wellington to speak to a group of Baptist pastors, and over lunch she told us a true story

– A couple of years ago Sarah arranged a trip to Israel and on this trip there was a woman who was hearing impaired, practically deaf

– The woman wasn’t sure about going, she was anxious about whether she would fit in – being deaf you tend to miss out on a lot of the conversation

– Anyway one day on the trip they paused at a certain holy place for a while before moving on

– Later that evening the woman said to Sarah, wasn’t that beautiful music we heard earlier today (presumably the woman had some hearing)

– And Sarah replied, what do you mean? There was no music.

– Yes there was – it was like nothing I had ever heard before

– Sarah said again, we didn’t hear any music

– Then the woman said, so you’re saying that I was the only one in the group who heard music and yet I’m deaf?

– At that moment they both realised God had done something quite special just for her. She was deeply touched and her anxiety was relieved

God didn’t permanently heal the woman’s deafness, she was still hearing impaired, but he did let her hear a small sample of his Kingdom

– It was like God was saying to her, my Kingdom is coming and this is what it sounds like

– I expect no one appreciates the sound of heaven more than someone who is deaf

– The disciples’ short term mission trip was giving people a taste, a glimpse, of the reign of God (this is what’s like when God is in charge)

One of the striking things in Luke 9 is the paradox of power & vulnerability

– On the one hand the disciples are given incredible power, to cast out demons and cure disease, but at the same time Jesus says to them,

– “Take nothing with you for the journey: no stick, no beggar’s bag, no food, no money, not even an extra shirt. Wherever you are welcomed, stay in the same house until you leave that town; wherever people don’t welcome you, leave that town and shake the dust off your feet as a warning to them.”

Jesus has called his disciples

– He has given them an example to follow,

– And he’s given them power & authority to do the job – to set people free

– Now he gives the new generation wise advice specific to this situation

By telling the disciples to travel light Jesus is saying, go in weakness, make yourselves vulnerable

– To be vulnerable is to be exposed to the possibility of harm – to be in need of protection, care or support. The disciples went without a staff to protect themselves and with no money to pay for lodgings or food. They were are the mercy of strangers. They were vulnerable.

Vulnerability protects against the corrupting influence of power

– They say, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”

– But when we find ourselves in a position of needing others’ help we are less inclined to abuse our power or misuse it for selfish ends

– Yes, the disciples have power to deliver and heal but the people to whom they come also have power – power to welcome & provide, or not

– The disciples go to help people in need, having needs of their own

– This sort of power with vulnerability fosters interdependence (or reliance on each other) and interdependence has a way of distributing power

It’s like Jesus is saying:

– Don’t abuse the power I’m giving you by shopping around for the best accommodation in town, honour your host by staying in the first home that welcomes you

– Don’t abuse your power by retaliating against those who reject you – don’t make a big fuss, just quietly dust your feet off as a warning against them and leave judgement in God’s hands

Jesus is the very picture of vulnerability both at Christmas and at Easter

– Born in a stable to poor parents during a time of violence

– Becoming a refugee to escape the sword of Herod

– Growing up under Roman occupation

– Coming from Nazareth where it was presumed nothing good was found

– Being misunderstood by those he came to save

– Then being nailed to a cross, naked & bleeding, for all the world to see

– The vulnerability of Christ has the power to open the human heart

It should be noted that Jesus’ advice to travel light was for a particular short term mission situation and doesn’t necessarily apply for all time

– Later in Luke chapter 22, Jesus says to his disciples…

– When I sent you without purse bag or sandals, did you lack anything?

– “Nothing” they answered

– He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one…”

– Travelling light is not always the right approach – different situations call for different strategies

In verse 10 we read how Jesus cares for his disciples by taking them away by themselves to debrief and refresh – a sort of spiritual retreat I suppose

– Jesus is teaching the disciples to care for themselves

– Alongside self-denial we also need self-care

– We can’t be on the job all the time, we need to have a break every now & then so we don’t burn out

– The new generation is not a disposable object to be thrashed & thrown away – Jesus wants his disciples to go the distance

Conclusion:

This morning we have heard how Jesus went about creating a new generation to lead God’s people

– This new generation of disciples wasn’t just a carbon copy of the old one

– The new generation has a new culture, a new approach and a new purpose

– The culture is one of team work and cooperation

– The approach involves power with vulnerability

– And the purpose is setting people free to enter God’s kingdom

Questions for discussion or reflection

1.) What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.) What do we mean by the word generation?

3.) How does Jesus go about creating a new generation to lead God’s people?

4.) What example are we setting for the next generation?

5.) Jesus gave his disciples power & authority to drive out all demons and to cure disease

– What do we observe from this? (What does this tell us?)

6.) Why do you think Jesus told his disciples to take nothing with them (to travel light) on their journey?

7.) Has God ever showed you a glimpse of his Kingdom? What happened?

8.) In what ways is Jesus’ new generation different?

– (Think culture, approach & purpose)

9.) How is the balance in your life between self-denial & self-care?

– What strategies do you have for looking after yourself?

10.) Take some time this week to reflect on the vulnerability of Christ

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/18-march-2018-a-new-generation

March 11, 2018March 11, 2018 Tawa Baptist

A New Perspective

Scripture: Luke 9:28-36

Title: A New Perspective

Structure:

Introduction
A new perspective
Who is Jesus?
Jesus revealed
Conclusion

Introduction:

Three preachers sat discussing the best positions for prayer while a telephone repairman worked nearby. “Kneeling is definitely best,” claimed one preacher.

– “No,” another contended. “I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven.”

– “You’re both wrong,” the third insisted. “The most effective prayer position is lying face down on the floor.”

The repairman couldn’t contain himself any longer. “The best praying I ever did was hanging upside down from a telephone pole”.

The telephone repair guy put things in perspective for the three preachers

During the month of March we take a break from our sermon series on the life of Abraham to focus on the Tranzsend Prayer & Self Denial campaign

– As already mentioned the overarching theme of this year’s Self Denial campaign is Made New – Jesus came to make all things new

– Last week we heard how the newness that Jesus brings begins with the initiative of God’s Spirit

– The headline for today’s message is A New Perspective

– Understanding who Jesus is gives us perspective

Please turn with me to Luke chapter 9 – page 90 toward the back of your pew Bibles. This is Luke’s account of the Transfiguration of Jesus

– As they witnessed the transfiguration Peter, James & John were given a whole new perspective on who Jesus really is

– From Luke chapter 9, verses 28-36 we read…

About a week after he had said these things, Jesus took Peter, John, and James with him and went up a hill to pray. ²⁹While he was praying, his face changed its appearance, and his clothes became dazzling white. ³⁰Suddenly two men were there talking with him. They were Moses and Elijah, ³¹who appeared in heavenly glory and talked with Jesus about the way in which he would soon fulfil God’s purpose by dying in Jerusalem. ³²Peter and his companions were sound asleep, but they woke up and saw Jesus’ glory and the two men who were standing with him. ³³As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, how good it is that we are here! We will make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (He did not really know what he was saying.)

³⁴While he was still speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them with its shadow; and the disciples were afraid as the cloud came over them. ³⁵A voice said from the cloud, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen—listen to him!”

³⁶When the voice stopped, there was Jesus all alone. The disciples kept quiet about all this and told no one at that time anything they had seen.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

A new perspective:

We are talking this morning about a new perspective – but what is perspective?

Perspective is understanding how aspects of a subject relate to each other and to the whole

– In other words, perspective is seeing things in proper proportion and as they really are

Let me give you a visual example to illustrate

– Here we have a picture of what appears (at first glance) to be three people leaning against a wall – we think we have the right perspective on this…

But when we widen the frame of the photo and turn it around we see things in better perspective – more accurately

– The three people we thought were leaning against the wall are in fact lying on the ground with their feet against the wall

– Perspective is seeing things in proper proportion and as they really are

New perspective comes from new information, from new experiences

– For example: learning how to read

– Going to university

– Leaving school and getting a job

– Becoming a parent

– Or travelling overseas and experiencing a different culture

– All these things give us a new perspective on life

I remember being so excited the first time I put on prescription glasses because I was able to see leaves on trees

– Up till that point in my life trees were just a blurry green smudge

– Glasses helped me to see with clarity – a whole new perspective

It should be acknowledged that loss can also give us a new perspective – whether it’s losing your health or your job or a loved one or whatever

– There’s a line in the Hall & Oats song, Rich Girl, from the 1970’s which says: It’s so easy to hurt others when you can’t feel pain

– If you can’t feel pain then you can’t see things from the other person’s perspective

– Suffering pain & loss have the potential to give us a new perspective, a new understanding, a new sensitivity toward others

New perspective comes from new information, from new experiences

– Humility is the awareness that we may not have all the information and so our perspective might not be quite right

Douglas Adams tells a true story about humility & perspective. Douglas writes:

– It was April 1976, in Cambridge, UK. I was a bit early for the train so I got myself a newspaper to do the crossword, a cup of coffee and a packet of cookies. Then I went and sat down at a table.
– There was a guy sitting opposite me, perfectly ordinary-looking guy wearing a business suit & carrying a briefcase. It didn’t look like he was going to do anything weird.
– What he did was this: he suddenly leaned across, picked up the packet of cookies, tore it open, took one out, and ate it.
– Now this, I have to say, is the sort of thing the British are very bad at dealing with. There’s nothing in our background, upbringing, or education that teaches you how to deal with someone who in broad daylight has just stolen your cookies.

In the end I did what any red-blooded Englishman would do: I ignored it, pretended to read my newspaper and had a sip of coffee

– After a while I took out a cookie for myself. I thought, That settled him. But it hadn’t because a moment or two later he did it again. He took another cookie.
– Having not mentioned it the first time, it was somehow even harder to raise the subject the second time around.
– We went through the whole packet like this. When I say the whole packet, I mean there were only about eight cookies, but it felt like a lifetime. He took one, I took one, he took one, I took one.
– Finally, when we got to the end, he stood up, we exchanged meaningful looks, then he walked away, and I breathed a sigh of relief

A moment or two later the train was coming in, so I tossed back the rest of my coffee, got to my feet, picked up the newspaper, and underneath the paper were my cookies.

– [I had been indignant because I thought he was stealing my cookies when in fact I had been stealing his]

Douglas Adams finishes his story by saying…

– “So next time you are convinced that you know everything and that you are right, make sure you check under the newspaper first. You might just be missing something important”

Who is Jesus?

There are many different things that can inform our perspective but ultimately, the biggest game changer is understanding who Jesus is

– We might think we know enough about Jesus but really we don’t know what we don’t know. So the question is: Who is Jesus?

In Luke chapter 8 (after Jesus had calmed a storm) the disciples asked each other in amazement, ‘Who is this man?’

Then a little bit later (in Luke 9) when Herod heard about all the miraculous things that Jesus was doing he also asked, ‘Who is this man?’

And a few verses after that Jesus asks his disciples, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?’

– To which the disciples replied, ‘Some say you are John the Baptist, others that you are Elijah, while others say that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.’

– ‘What about you?’ Jesus asked them. ‘Who do you say I am?’

– And Peter answered, ‘You are God’s Messiah’

‘Messiah’ is a Hebrew word which literally means ‘Anointed One’

– In Old Testament times, when God wanted to choose someone to carry out a special role or task (like being a king) He would have the chosen one anointed with olive oil

– For example God told the prophet Samuel to anoint David as king of Israel. This identified David as the Messiah – God’s chosen king

Peter got it right when he said that Jesus is the Messiah but there was more to it than this

– Peter didn’t quite understand what kind of Messiah Jesus was

– Most Jews of his day thought Jesus would be a king like David – a king who would conquer his political enemies and be victorious in battle

– But God was doing something new with Jesus

– Jesus was the kind of Messiah who would suffer much, be rejected and die before being raised to life on the third day

– Jesus’ victory would not be a military victory

– Jesus’ victory would be a victory over sin & death

– And it would look more like defeat, at least at first

Jesus tried to tell his disciples this but they didn’t seem to listen or understand

– The reality of what Jesus was saying washed over them

– Sometimes we listen selectively

– We only hear what we want to hear – the nice bits – the comforting bits

– And we are deaf to the things that we don’t like or can’t understand

Jesus revealed:

And that brings us to our reading this morning – the transfiguration of Jesus

– About 8 days after Peter had confessed that Jesus is the Messiah

– Also 8 days after Jesus had predicted his own death and resurrection

– The Lord takes Peter, James & John up a mountain to pray

For some of us prayer may feel like a waste of time

– We’ve got lots to do and we just want to get on and do it

– But prayer is very important for refreshing our perspective

– The problem with just getting on and doing it (without taking time to pray) is that we risk losing our perspective

– We risk forgetting why we are doing what we are doing and we fall into the trap of thinking we are doing it alone

– Prayer is a way of looking under the newspaper – it has the power to restore our perspective

While Jesus is praying the disciples are heavy with sleep

– Then Jesus’ face changes in appearance and his clothes become dazzling white – he is transfigured

– The Biblical scholar, Joel Green, explains: “In Old Testament and Jewish tradition, one’s countenance [their face] is a mirror of one’s heart and a manifestation of one’s relationship with God” [1]

– So in ancient Jewish thought your face essentially reveals what’s going on inside, indicating the quality of your relationship with God

– A bit like we might say today, ‘The eyes are the windows of the soul’

– Basically Jesus’ inner being, his true heavenly identity, is being revealed to the three disciples

– It’s sort of like Jesus has been in disguise but his disguise is removed for a little bit and his true heavenly glory is revealed

The disciples are wide awake now and they see Moses & Elijah talking with Jesus about his departure – his exodus – his death on the cross

– This scene (the transfiguration) does not compare with anything in our own experience – it is shrouded in mystery

– We can’t be sure but it seems the disciples were being shown a window (or a glimpse) into eternity

– Eternity (like Jesus) provides the ultimate perspective

I’m reading a book by Laurie Guy at the moment and in it Laurie retells the true story of the Australian, Arthur Stace [2]

– Arthur Stace had a pretty tough childhood

– He never learned to read or write properly and grew up on the streets. He got involved in petty crime and became a ward of the state because his parents didn’t take very good care of him

– He served in France during World War One and turned into an alcoholic

– Then in the 1930s Arthur discovered who Jesus is and found a new perspective on life

– He converted to Christ, gave up the drink and turned his life around

After hearing the evangelist John Ridley tell a congregation in Burton Street Baptist Tabernacle that he wished he could ‘shout eternity through the streets of Sydney’ Arthur Stace was inspired!

He became gripped with the word ‘eternity’, secretly writing it over 500,000 times in chalk on the pavements of Sydney (at least 50 times a day for 33 years)

– Arthur was giving people a new perspective – lifting their focus out of the here and now to think about their lives in the light of eternity

– Can you imagine people in the 1930’s, during the great depression, facing hard times and seeing that word ‘eternity’ on the streets – a message of hope that this life is not all there is

He died in 1967 but his legacy still lives on in the Australian imagination

– When the lights lit the Sydney Harbour Bridge to mark the new millennium they emblazoned Arthur Stace’s word: ‘Eternity’

The disciples had caught a glimpse of who Jesus really is from an eternal perspective but they don’t yet understand – it takes time for this new information to sink in

– Moses & Elijah start to leave but Peter wants them to stay

– He wants to build shelters for them

– Maybe Peter has the feast of tabernacles in mind

– Or maybe he just wants to capture the moment – to preserve it

– But he is missing the point – he does not know what he is saying

While Peter was speaking a cloud appears and envelopes them – the disciples feel afraid

– The cloud + fear is a clear sign that this is a manifestation of the presence of God Almighty

A voice from the cloud says three things to endorse Jesus…

– ‘This is my Son,

– my chosen;

– listen to him.’

Seeing by itself is not enough

– The disciples also need to hear the divine voice in order to make sense of what they are seeing

– Jesus is not John the Baptist or Elijah or some other prophet from the past come back to life, as the crowds thought

– Peter was right – Jesus is the Messiah – the one chosen by God

– But he is not like any Messiah the Jews have ever known before

– For Jesus is the Son of God

– Jesus is divine – He is quite literally from heaven

– This might seem old hat to us 2000 years later but it was a completely new perspective for the disciples at that point in time

The voice from the cloud also refers to Jesus as ‘my chosen’

– ‘My chosen’ is a reference to the servant of the Lord, described in Isaiah 42: Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice…; a bruised reed he will not break and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;

The third thing the voice from the cloud says is: listen to him

– This is both a command and another reference from the Old Testament

– In Deuteronomy 18 Moses predicted Jesus’ coming when he said: The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall listen to him.

We are to listen to Jesus because he shows us how to interpret the Law and the prophets (as represented by Moses & Elijah)

– Understanding who Jesus really is gives us perspective on the Bible

We are to listen to Jesus because he comes to confront evil and set people free from slavery to sin & death

– Like Moses confronted Pharaoh and set Israel free from slavery in Egypt

– Like Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal and set Israel free from the futility of paganism

– Understanding who Jesus really is gives us perspective on right & wrong

We are to listen to Jesus because he tells us the way of the Messiah is the way of the cross – for if anyone wants to follow Jesus, he (or she) must deny themselves and take up their cross daily

– Understanding who Jesus really is gives us perspective on the difficulties we face in our own lives

We are to listen to Jesus because, as God’s Son, he shows us what God is like and what God wants

– Understanding who Jesus really is gives us perspective on God

Most people of Jesus’ day thought he was just a prophet or a great moral teacher but Jesus is so much more than that

– In his book ‘Mere Christianity’ C.S. Lewis writes…

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say.

A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell.

You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

Conclusion:

Luke’s account of the Transfiguration finishes by telling us the disciples kept quiet about all this, and told no one at that time anything they had seen

– This was the best response in the context

– Whenever we are given a new perspective we need time to be silent and reflect on it – to take it in and allow the new information to do its work in adjusting our old perspective

We are in the season of Lent – when Christians traditionally take time to be still and reflect on who Jesus really is

– Lent is a time for perspective prayer

Sometimes, perhaps most of the time, we (like the disciples) have an inadequate understanding of who Jesus is

– For example, we might think of Jesus like a first aid kit – someone we only turn to in an emergency

– And while it is okay to turn to Jesus in a crisis there is more to him than that – he wants to be involved in our whole life

Or we may think of Jesus like a bar of chocolate or a glass of wine – someone who gives us comfort when we are down

– Again there’s nothing wrong in looking to Jesus for comfort but by the same token, he doesn’t exist primarily for our comfort

Maybe you think of Jesus like a kind older brother – someone you feel close to, someone who looks after you, someone you aspire to be like one day

– That’s wonderful, what a beautiful relationship you have with him,

– But the gospels also show us a side to Jesus which is less cozy, more demanding

– Jesus is our brother, yes, but he is also our Lord & God. Can we obey Him?

Perhaps your perception of Jesus is not cozy at all – perhaps he is more like a distant dead relative in a black & white photo on your wall, you pass by him every day without really noticing he’s there or even knowing who he was

– That’s sad. The gospel perspective is that Jesus is alive and he wants to share life with us – he wants to know us and he wants us to know him

– Understanding who Jesus really is gives us perspective

I encourage you this week to find time to contemplate who Jesus is to you personally

– And ask yourself ‘how does that fit with who the gospel tells us Jesus is?’

Questions for discussion or reflection:

1.) What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.) What is perspective?

3.) Can you recall an experience in your own life that gave you new perspective?

– What happened and how did your perspective change?

4.) Can you think of a time when praying has restored your perspective?

5.) Discuss / reflect on the three things God says from the cloud to endorse Jesus: “This is my Son, my chosen. Listen to Him.”

6.) How do you think of (or picture) Jesus? Who is He to you personally?

– How does your picture of Jesus fit with what the gospels tell us about Jesus?

7.) Take some time to reflect on that word ‘eternity’. What are you in touch with?

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/11-march-2018-a-new-perspective

[1] Joel Green, NICNT, ‘The Gospel of Luke, page 380.

[2] Laurie Guy, ‘Unlocking Revelation’, page 23.

March 4, 2018March 4, 2018 Tawa Baptist

A New Spirit

Scripture: Luke 3:1-18

Title: A New Spirit

Structure:

Introduction
What is spirit?
The spirit of John’s message
The Spirit of Jesus’ baptism
Conclusion

Introduction:

During the month of March we take a break from our sermon series on the life of Abraham to focus on the Tranzsend Prayer & Self Denial campaign

– The overarching theme of this year’s Self Denial campaign is Made New – Jesus came to make all things new and that newness begins with the initiative of God’s Spirit

– With this in mind the headline for today’s message is A New Spirit

Please turn with me to Luke chapter 3 – page 79 toward the back of your pew Bibles

– I’ve chosen the reading from Luke 3 because it fits in a number of ways

– Firstly, Luke 3 features John the Baptist and John is the picture of self-denial (the opposite of self-indulgence) – living in the desert on locusts and wild honey, making his own clothes out of camels’ hair

– Not only that but John’s preaching signals a new move of God’s Spirit, as John is the herald or forerunner of Jesus, the Messiah

– John baptised with water but the Messiah baptises with the Holy Spirit & fire. From Luke chapter 3, verses 1-18 we read…

It was the fifteenth year of the rule of Emperor Tiberius; Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip was ruler of the territory of Iturea and Trachonitis; Lysanias was ruler of Abilene, ²and Annas and Caiaphas were High Priests. At that time the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. ³So John went throughout the whole territory of the Jordan River, preaching, “Turn away from your sins and be baptized, and God will forgive your sins.” ⁴As it is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah:

“Someone is shouting in the desert:
‘Get the road ready for the Lord;
make a straight path for him to travel!
⁵Every valley must be filled up,
every hill and mountain leveled off.
The winding roads must be made straight,
and the rough paths made smooth.
⁶The whole human race will see God’s salvation!’”

⁷Crowds of people came out to John to be baptized by him. “You snakes!” he said to them. “Who told you that you could escape from the punishment God is about to send? ⁸Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins. And don’t start saying among yourselves that Abraham is your ancestor. I tell you that God can take these rocks and make descendants for Abraham! ⁹The axe is ready to cut down the trees at the roots; every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire.”

¹⁰The people asked him, “What are we to do, then?”

¹¹He answered, “Whoever has two shirts must give one to the man who has none, and whoever has food must share it.”

¹²Some tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what are we to do?”

¹³“Don’t collect more than is legal,” he told them.

¹⁴Some soldiers also asked him, “What about us? What are we to do?”

He said to them, “Don’t take money from anyone by force or accuse anyone falsely. Be content with your pay.”

¹⁵People’s hopes began to rise, and they began to wonder whether John perhaps might be the Messiah. ¹⁶So John said to all of them, “I baptize you with water, but someone is coming who is much greater than I am. I am not good enough even to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷He has his winnowing shovel with him, to thresh out all the grain and gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn the chaff in a fire that never goes out.”

¹⁸In many different ways John preached the Good News to the people and urged them to change their ways.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

What is spirit?

We are talking this morning about a new spirit – but what is spirit?

– Well, the word spirit can mean different things in different contexts

Usually spirit refers to some kind of non-physical quality or attribute – so spirit is not something we can touch or measure in a scientific sense

– Spirit can also refer to that which is the deep essence or the most important part of a thing – as in ‘the spirit of the law is love’, or the spirit of the game of cricket is fairness

– Other times the term spirit can be used to describe temperament or character – as in ‘he had a generous spirit’ or ‘the Spirit of Jesus is a Spirit of grace & truth’

Spirit is commonly used in relation to a person’s underlying motivation or emotional tank, their mental strength or energy

– When understood in this sense, the ‘poor in spirit’ are those whose emotional tank is empty so they don’t have the energy reserves to face the difficulties of life

– The really wonderful thing, Jesus tells us, is that the poor in spirit are blessed (they’re lucky) for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven

– Perhaps what Jesus means here is: it’s when you are at the end of your rope, when you’ve got nothing left to give and your emotional tank is empty that you are able to receive what God wants to give you

When the word Spirit is spelt with a capital ‘S’, in the Bible, it generally means the God’s Holy Spirit

– The Holy Spirit is the power or breath of life which animates the body, giving us vitality & special ability, making us come alive & sustaining us

The human spirit (with a lower case ‘s’) is different from God’s Holy Spirit

– The human spirit is our capacity to respond to or relate with God

– So a spiritual person is someone who is aware of their capacity to relate with God and in fact exercises that capacity

By way of analogy, the human spirit is like the sail of a yacht catching the wind of God’s Spirit

– So a spiritual person is someone who knows how to trim their sail to catch the wind of God’s Spirit

Or to use another analogy, if the human spirit is our capacity to relate with God then our spirit is like a wifi connection with God

– Or like a radio or TV aerial, designed to pick up the signal of God’s Spirit

– A spiritual person then is someone who is tuned in to God – they are aware of what God wants and they respond accordingly

The spirit of John’s message

Luke 3 begins with reference to the various political and religious authorities at the time John began his ministry

– The 15^th year of the Emperor Tiberius places John’s ministry in historical context – beginning around 28 or 29 AD

– Old Testament prophets were often introduced in the same way, so Luke is showing us that John the baptiser stands in the same tradition as men like Isaiah & Jeremiah & Elijah

God’s word doesn’t come to John in a vacuum – it comes at a time when the Romans are in charge

– The spirit of the age (as in the character of the age) is hierarchical, it is a top down dictatorship and brutally violent at times

– This spirit breeds inequality and abuse of power – there is an underclass and oppressors

– John’s role is to prepare the way for the Messiah and that means challenging the spirit of his day by calling people to change their behaviour

The spirit (or essence) of John’s message is summarised in verse 3, where John is quoted as saying…

– Turn away from your sins and be baptised and God will forgive your sins

– John is trying to get people to trim their sails to catch the wind of God’s Spirit

– He is encouraging them to realign the aerial of their human spirit and tune in to what God is doing

In some ways John’s message is not new – he is warning people that God’s judgment is coming and so they should repent to avoid being destroyed

– Verse 9: The axe is ready to cut down the trees at the roots; every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire

– Turn or burn basically

– The prophets of the Old Testament had a similar message – they also called people to change their behaviour – to act justly & mercifully

Having said that, John’s approach is not exactly the same as his forebears

– John is saying God will forgive the people’s sins if they repent and are baptised – the baptism part was new

– Up until that time the Jewish people made atonement for their sins through animal sacrifice but John doesn’t require animal sacrifice for forgiveness – which implies the sacrificial system was on the way out

Now when I say baptism was new, I mean it was new for the Jews

– Jews didn’t baptise themselves – they felt they were already clean and didn’t need a spiritual bath as it were

– They reserved baptism for Gentiles who were converting to Judaism because they considered Gentiles unclean, spiritually speaking

– So in calling Jews to be baptised John was basically saying to his own people, you guys are not clean – you are no better in God’s eyes than a Gentile – this was really insulting stuff if you were a Jew

The spirit (or character) of John’s message is that it’s our behaviour that counts, not genetics – It’s how we treat our neighbour that matters, not who our great grand-daddy was.

– Verse 8: Do those things that will show you have turned from your sins. And don’t start saying among yourselves that Abraham is your ancestor.

– I tell you that God can take these stones and make descendants for Abraham.

– The image of God bringing forth descendants for Abraham out of stones is an image of God giving new life & breath (new Spirit) to that which is lifeless and without spirit

– If God can give life to a stone on the ground then he can certainly give new life to a people with hearts of stone

The predominant spirit of our age (21^st Century western society) is (among other things) one of permissiveness and individualism

– Many things are socially accepted now that weren’t previously permitted

– Hand in hand with this spirit of permissiveness & individualism goes a spirit of entitlement and consumerism

– The spirit of our age is not all bad though – there is a growing sense of environmental responsibility which, to some degree, mitigates against our sense of entitlement and consumerism

– But we also seem to be a less robust, less resilient and more sensitive, more fragile, generally speaking, so John’s ‘turn or burn’ message probably sounds quite harsh and overly severe to most people today

John calls the people a brood of snakes (snakes being a symbol of evil)

– And he paints a picture of God that seems very punitive

– God is going to burn you (he’s going to vaporise you) if you don’t change your ways – like he did the people of Sodom & Gomorrah

– John’s words are very strong because he has such a clear vision of God’s goodness and when we see God’s goodness as clearly as John did we tend to have a low tolerance for anything that falls short of the justice, mercy & humility that God requires of humanity

By the same token having a clear vision of God’s goodness also widens our awareness of the scope of God’s redemption

– What I mean here is that the spirit of John’s preaching is not narrow – it’s remarkably broad in the cultural context of his day

– Even those who were most despised by the community (tax collectors and soldiers) could be forgiven if they acted justly

Because John is preaching in a hierarchical, top down society, where power is often abused, his message is aimed at those in a position of relative power

– If he can get the powerful to change their ways then the powerless will benefit

– When people come to him asking, ‘What should we do?’ (Or what does repentance look like in practical terms) John answers…

– Whoever has two shirts must give one to the man who has none and whoever has food must share it.

– John is encouraging practical acts of mercy when it’s in our power do so

In speaking to tax collectors and soldiers John essentially tells them to act justly

– Don’t take more tax than is legal

– Don’t extort money from people or accuse anyone falsely

– Be content with your pay

Tax collectors and soldiers were generally hated by the Jewish people because they colluded with the enemy and often used their position to feather their own nest, at the expense of others

– The interesting thing here is that John doesn’t require tax collectors and soldiers to leave their jobs – what good would that do?

– Someone else would only replace them and do just as bad or worse

– But if those tax collectors & soldiers change their behaviour and stay in their jobs then the system changes too

– The spirit of John’s preaching was broad in its reach of redemption and immensely practical

Sometimes we might think that our so called ‘secular’ employment is somehow less spiritual or less Christian

– But actually spirituality is not determined by who our employer is

– You might sell real estate or used cars

– You might work in education or insurance

– You might make lattes or drive a truck

– You might work in the city or you might stay home looking after the kids

– You might be paid for what you do, you might not

– You might write reports or read them or both

– You might work in the private sector or for government, it doesn’t matter

– God is no less present in those jobs than he is in the work of the church

You see spirituality isn’t about what we do for a living

– Spirituality is about our capacity to respond to & relate with God

– You can be aware of God and relate with him in your work Monday to Saturday, just as much as you can in church on a Sunday

– So if you are a retailer then being spiritual means being aware that God is just and engaging in fair trade practices

– Or, if there is someone in your work place who you find particularly difficult, then being spiritual means remembering that God loves that person and Jesus died for them – which might lead you to pray for them

– Or if you find your job frustrating or menial then being spiritual means doing that job as for the Lord (giving your best) and being mindful of Jesus who took the role of a servant and washed his disciples’ feet

One of the reasons we gather for worship each Sunday is to stay in tune with the Lord so we can sense what he is doing Monday to Saturday – so we can trim the sails of our spirit to catch the wind of His Spirit

The Spirit of Jesus’ baptism

Okay, so we’ve talked about what it means to be spiritual

– And we’ve talked about the spirit of John’s preaching

– But the whole reason John was calling people to repent was Jesus

– Jesus, God’s Messiah, was coming and he would baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire

In the Old Testament the prophet Ezekiel said…

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

If you have a stringed instrument (a guitar or a violin or a piano) and the strings break, you don’t throw the whole instrument away – you replace the broken strings

– It’s similar with the human soul

– If the human soul is the whole instrument then our spirit is sort of like all the strings together – our spirit carries the music

– If the strings of our spirit break or our spirit becomes so damaged it can no longer hold its tune then God has the power to replace our spirit

– He has the power to transform a heart of stone (a dead heart – a heart without a spirit) into a heart of flesh (a living heart, with spirit)

Central to John’s message was this idea that the Messiah was coming soon and he would give those who were willing a new spirit

– By the power of God’s Holy Spirit Jesus gives people the capacity, the energy, the motivation, the discernment to respond to & relate with God

It’s sort of like the sails of our human spirit have been torn so they no longer catch the wind of God’s Spirit

– God’s remedy is to give us new sails and put his wind in those sails, so we can move in the right direction

– Or, it’s like the aerial of the human spirit has been broken so people can’t pick up God’s signal anymore

– God’s solution is to replace the aerial of our spirit so we can tune in to what God is saying and doing

Jesus came to make all things new and that newness begins with the Holy Spirit

– John baptised with water whereas Jesus baptises with the Holy Spirit and fire

– To be baptised with the Holy Spirit means to be immersed in the life and energy of God

– But what does John mean by Jesus baptising with fire’? – because that sounds really uncomfortable to me

Well, let me offer three possible meanings

– Fire is one of the images in the Bible associated with the Holy Spirit

– For example, at Pentecost when the disciples received the Holy Spirit, what looked like tongues of fire came down & touched each person there

– In this case fire is just another way of saying Holy Spirit – so it’s like John is saying the same thing twice for emphasis

Of course a ‘baptism of fire’ can also mean a difficult or painful ordeal – as in a particularly vicious battle in war time

– Daniel’s friends: Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego were literally baptised in fire when king Nebuchadnezzar threw them into the fiery furnace

– On that occasion God delivered them

– Certainly Jesus predicted that those who followed him would suffer and face many trials and ordeals – so becoming a disciple of Jesus involves its own baptism of fire, much like becoming a soldier involves battle

A third interpretive possibility is that the fire applies to those who reject Jesus

– Fire destroys things – so those who reject Jesus are destroyed

– While those who accept Jesus are immersed in God’s life giving Spirit

All three meanings are possible at the same time – so you don’t have to pick one

– But it seems the third meaning is the one foremost in John’s mind

– In verse 17, straight after talking about Jesus baptising with the Holy Spirit and fire, John says of the Messiah…

– He has his winnowing shovel with him, to thresh out all the grain and gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn the chaff in a fire that never goes out

– John is essentially talking about the future judgment here

It’s tempting to read these verses in a lazy or superficial way so the grain (which is saved) equates to good people and the chaff (which is destroyed) equates to bad people

– But that kind of black & white, simplistic interpretation just won’t do

– It’s not consistent with the gospel – Jesus came to transform bad people

– Nor is it consistent with our experience in this life

– The reality is, none of us are 100% grain or 100% chaff – our lives are a mixture of both

Grain has substance, while chaff is light and without substance

– It makes more sense to say the grain represents those things of eternal value – things that last, like our acts of justice & mercy, our deeds of faith motivated by love and the truth we speak

– While the chaff represents that which is temporary – things like money, our reputation and the lies we tell ourselves, the sorts of things you can’t take with you when you die

– God’s judgement is the process of separating the grain from the chaff, separating the eternal from the temporal

John’s message is this: God’s Messiah is coming for judgment so make sure your house is in order before he arrives

– Invest your trust, your hope, your whole lives in God’s Messiah (in Jesus) because by doing that you are investing in eternal life

One thing we notice is there was a real urgency with John’s message

– It seems that in John’s mind judgement would happen with the arrival of the Messiah – but things didn’t happen exactly as John expected

– God, in his grace, has withheld the day of judgement to give humanity more time to turn to him – but there will still be a day of reckoning

– When Jesus returns in glory we will have to give account for how we have used our freedom – so John’s message of pending judgement and the need to repent is still relevant for us today

Conclusion:

The main thing to take away in all of this is that Jesus makes all things new

– And it begins with the work of the Holy Spirit

– Jesus has the power to give us a new spirit – one that is tuned in to what God is doing, one that is able to catch the wind of God’s Spirit

Questions for Discussion or reflection

1.) What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.) What is spirit?

– How is the Holy Spirit different from the human spirit?

– Can you think of some other analogies to describe the relationship between God’s Holy Spirit and our human spirit

3.) What does it mean to be spiritual?

– How might you be spiritual in your job &/or everyday life?

4.) What is the spirit of our age? (I.e. what characterises our time & culture?)

– How does this spirit express itself?

5.) What was the spirit (or essence) of John’s message?

6.) What could it mean to be baptised with the Holy Spirit and fire?

7.) Discuss (or reflect on) John’s image of God’s judgement as winnowing

– What does grain represent?

– What does chaff represent?

8.) Are you ready for Jesus’ return?

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/4-march-2018-a-new-spirit

February 18, 2018February 18, 2018 Tawa Baptist

Lot’s Rescue

Scriptures: Genesis 19:12-29

Title: Lot’s Rescue

Structure:

Introduction
God’s justice & mercy go together
God’s mercy to Lot (and Abraham)
Jesus’ commentary
Conclusion

Introduction:

In winter time Robyn makes a really nice potato and leek soup

– Of course to be able to eat the soup we need a bowl

– The bowl is different from the soup in pretty much every way

– The soup is liquid while the bowl is solid

– The soup fits the shape of the vessel it’s in, while the bowl holds its shape

– And, you can eat the soup but you can’t the bowl

– The point is, the soup and the bowl go together even though they are quite different

Today we continue our series on the life of Abraham

– The main over-arching theme of the last two Sundays’ readings has been God’s justice

– God’s justice is a bit like a bowl in that it contains God’s mercy

– God’s justice & mercy go together – just as we can’t eat soup without a bowl so too we can’t really have God’s mercy without his justice

Two weeks ago, in Genesis 18, we heard how Abraham explored some of the facets of God’s justice including that God does not ignore injustice – he is affected by the cries of the oppressed and has compassion on them

– This tells us God’s justice is motivated by mercy

– Furthermore, God’s justice differentiates between the righteous and the wicked – the fate of the righteous is not determined by the wicked
– To the contrary, God in his mercy allows time for the righteous minority to have a redeeming effect on the world around them

– In a nut shell, God’s justice & mercy go together

In the first part of Genesis 19, last week’s Scripture reading, God’s two angelic witnesses checked out the situation on the ground (in Sodom) and could not find even 10 righteous people in the place

– The angels did find Abraham’s nephew, Lot, who tried his best but in the end wasn’t able to influence his neighbours for good

– By their own actions the men of Sodom condemned themselves

In today’s reading, Genesis 19 verses 12-29, we see God’s mercy & justice worked out as the Lord rescues Lot before destroying Sodom & Gomorrah

– You may remember from last week how Lot showed hospitality to the two angels in the form of men, giving them a meal and a bed for the night

– We pick up the story from verse 12 of Genesis 19…

Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city—bring them out of the place. For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.”

So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up, get out of this place; for the Lord is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be joking.

When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Get up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or else you will be consumed in the punishment of the city.” But he lingered; so the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and left him outside the city.

When they had brought them outside, they said, “Flee for your life; do not look back or stop anywhere in the Plain; flee to the hills, or else you will be consumed.”

And Lot said to them, “Oh, no, my lords; your servant has found favour with you, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life; but I cannot flee to the hills, for fear the disaster will overtake me and I die. Look, that city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!”

He said to him, “Very well, I grant you this favour too, and will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. Hurry, escape there, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.” Therefore the city was called Zoar. The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But Lot’s wife looked back and she became a pillar of salt.

Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord; and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the Plain and saw the smoke of the land going up like the smoke of a furnace.So when God destroyed the cities of the Plain, God remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities in which Lot had settled.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading

God’s justice & mercy go together:

Environmental activist and writer, George Monbiot, narrates a Ted Talk about how wolves change rivers

Wolves are apex predators – they are at the top of the food chain

– We all know that wolves kill certain creatures (including humans) and so they have a bad reputation – we have fairy tales about the big bad wolf, wolves are scary creatures in our imagination

– What scientists have discovered is that apex predators (like wolves) are crucial for maintaining a healthy ecosystem

– As well as taking life, wolves also give life and foster bio-diversity – so they may not deserve the bad reputation they have

The classic example is Yellowstone National Park in the United States

– In the 1920’s wolves were eradicated from Yellowstone Park

– As a consequence the population of elk & deer exploded

– Elk & deer are herbivores – they only eat trees and plants

– Their effect, in large numbers, was quite devastating on the vegetation in Yellowstone – sort of like opossums in NZ native bush

– Park rangers tried to cull the deer but it wasn’t enough

Then, in 1995 after nearly 70 years absence, 41 wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone and the impact was incredible

– The wolves killed a small number of the elk & deer for food but more significantly the wolves’ presence changed the behaviour of the elk

– The elk & deer now avoided certain places like valleys & gorges where they were more vulnerable to being caught by the wolves

– Immediately the vegetation in those areas started growing back

With the return of trees and shrubs birds returned to feed and nest

– More trees meant the return of beavers who used the wood to make dams

– Beavers are eco engineers – they create niche environments for other species

– The dams they built provided habitats for otters & musk rats & ducks & fish & reptiles & amphibians

– All this bio-diversity because of the wolves. But wait, there’s more…

The wolves killed some of the coyotes which meant more mice and rabbits which in turn attracted more hawks, more foxes and more badgers

– Eagles and ravens came to feed on the carcasses left by the wolves

– The population of bears also rose – partly because there were more berries growing on the regenerating shrubs

The really remarkable thing is that the rivers changed in response to the wolves

– When there were no wolves the rivers kept changing course and meandering all over the place

– But with the return of the wolves the regenerating forest stabilised the land

– With more trees there was less erosion and the banks of the rivers collapsed less often, which meant the rivers became more fixed in their course and less meandering

– The wolves’ presence had a flow on effect which actually changed the physical geography of the place

In some ways (although not in every way) God’s justice is like a wolf

– Just as the presence of wolves improved bio-diversity & was good for the environment so too God’s justice has a positive, stabilising effect for all

– We may fear God’s justice (much like we fear wolves) but ultimately the Lord’s justice is life giving

Now we shouldn’t press this analogy between wolves and God’s justice too far

– God’s justice isn’t prowling around ready to pick off some poor unfortunate – to the contrary, God’s justice is keeping a protective eye on the unfortunate

The point is: God’s justice actually facilitates his mercy for all of creation

– Just as wolves & bio-diversity go together, so too God’s justice & mercy go together – they can’t be separated

As we’ve already covered, over the past couple of weeks, the people of Sodom & Gomorrah were wreaking havoc and having a destructive effect on those around them – they were beyond redemption

– They had consumed others so God’s justice consumed them

– The measure we use for others is the measure God uses for us

While this thought might strike terror in the minds of the oppressor – it is good news to the oppressed

– God’s justice is actually an act of mercy for the oppressed

– If you are being bullied and someone removes the bully then you experience that as an act of mercy

– By wiping out the wicked the Lord brought stability to the region and respite to the oppressed, so they could live their lives in peace

– There is no peace without justice and mercy

God’s mercy to Lot (and Abraham)

We also see God’s mercy in his treatment of Lot

– The angels ask Lot if he has any other family in the city, saying they need to get out quickly

Lot goes to the two men engaged to his daughters and tries to warn them but they think he’s joking

– This is telling – the people of Sodom were oblivious to their wrong doing

– They simply couldn’t believe that disaster would fall on them

– Everything seemed okay to them – they were over confident

At dawn the angels tell Lot and his wife & daughters to leave the city quickly but Lot and his family linger, they are reluctant to go

– Perhaps this indicates they don’t quite believe the angels either

– Or maybe they are simply afraid to let go of the old & familiar

– In any case they don’t realise the urgency of the situation so the angels lead them out by the hand, the Lord being merciful to them

Once they are out of the city the angels tell Lot to run for the hills but Lot doesn’t want to – he asks to be allowed to go to another city (Zoar)

– So Lot is shown mercy again and allowed to flee to Zoar

– Lot’s presence in Zoar would have saved the people of that place too – mercy you see

– Sadly, Lot’s wife looks back (or turns back to Sodom) and becomes a pillar of salt

I was talking with Neville & John during the week and they told me about Nigel, the gannet

– In an attempt to attract gannets to Mana Island the Department of Conservation placed some concrete gannets on the cliffs of the island and played recordings designed to lure real gannets

– Their cunning plan worked

– For the first time in 40 years a gannet flew in to roost but, instead of bringing a partner, this solitary gannet (named Nigel, because he had no mates) quickly became infatuated with one of the 80 decoys

– Nigel built a nest out of seaweed and sticks for the concrete bird and was seen apparently trying to woo it.

– Suffice to say Nigel’s love remained unrequited

A month or two ago, after a slight change to the sound system, three real gannets landed and took up residence at the opposite end of the colony.

– Despite the company of real birds, Nigel stuck to his concrete mate, and it was next to “her” that he was recently found dead [1]

– Nigel’s story might be funny if it wasn’t so tragic

In some ways Nigel reminds me of Lot and his family with their misplaced allegiance

– Like Nigel, Lot’s wife was unable to leave the dead for the living, she clung to the decoy and missed the real thing

– Nigel makes me wonder, what are the concrete decoys (or fake gannets) in our lives?

Our reading today finishes with the comment that God was remembering Abraham when he went out of his way to save Lot

– What does it mean that God remembered Abraham when he rescued Lot?

– Well, it could mean that God remembered his conversation with Abraham

– Previously Abraham had appealed to God’s sense of justice & mercy by saying, ‘Surely you won’t destroy the righteous with the wicked?’

– The problem (as I see it) was that Lot’s righteousness wasn’t clear cut

– Lot wasn’t perfect – he was relatively righteous compared to his neighbours, but that’s not saying very much

– Lot’s righteousness was sort of a grey area

The tradition with the umpire’s decision in cricket is that the batsman always gets the benefit of the doubt

– So, for example, if the appeal for LB is unclear the batsman stays in

– With the technology available to us today there is a lot less doubt – but where there is still doubt the batsman should not be given out

In Genesis 19, it seems that God was giving Lot the benefit of the doubt

– Lot’s righteousness was marginal but God remembered his conversation with Abraham, and went beyond the justice with mercy Abraham had asked for – and God chose to save Lot

Lot’s rescue was as much an act of mercy for Abraham as it was for Lot

– By saving Lot, God was also saving Abraham the grief of losing a close family member.

Jesus’ commentary:

The story of Sodom & Gomorrah and the rescue of Lot is a paradigm for God’s justice & mercy

– In fact Jesus used this story to illustrate what it will be like when he returns in glory

– In Luke 17 Jesus was asked about the coming of God’s kingdom

– And this is what Jesus said…

For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

– [In other words, when Jesus (the Son of Man) returns it will be sudden, unexpected & public [2] ]

…Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.

Part of the message here is, don’t be like Nigel the gannet, don’t cling to what is false

– Don’t be like Lot’s wife, don’t go back for what is already dead

– When the opportunity for salvation presents itself, take it

– If you are floating in the open ocean, clinging to a piece of drift wood and a boat comes along, throwing you a life line – you don’t cling to your drift wood, you let go of the wood and grab hold of the line

– Jesus is the one in the rescue boat who throws us that life line

Conclusion:

Passages, like the ones I have read this morning, can be frightening to us – like stories of the big bad wolf

– It’s tempting for me as a preacher to miss out these bits

– After all, who wants to hear about God punishing people

– I would rather preach about good Samaritans helping strangers

– And prodigal sons being forgiven by loving fathers

– And lepers being healed by Jesus

– But if we don’t hear the difficult bits, about God’s justice, then we can’t fully appreciate his mercy

Just as we can’t see the stars in the sky without the darkness of night

– So too we can’t see God’s mercy apart from his justice

– These things go together…

– We can’t have grace without truth

– We can’t know we are forgiven without first realising we have sinned

– We can’t experience healing without first being wounded or sick

– We can’t have freedom without responsibility

– We can’t have faith without uncertainty

– We can’t share in Christ’s glory without sharing in his suffering

– We can’t follow Jesus without carrying our cross

– We can’t have resurrection without death

Let us pray…

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/18-february-2018-lots-rescue

Questions for discussion or reflection:

1.) What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.) The sermon offers a number of images to express the idea that God’s justice & mercy go together – e.g. soup and a bowl, wolves and bio-diversity, stars and the night sky.

– Discuss (reflect on) the different nuances of these images – e.g. in what sense is God’s justice like a wolf (and in what sense is it not)?

– What other images can you think of to reflect this idea that God’s justice & mercy go together?

3.) Who would have experienced the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah as an act of God’s mercy? Why?

4.) How did God show mercy to Lot in Genesis 19?

– How did God show mercy to Abraham in Genesis 19?

5.) What are the concrete decoys (fake gannets) in our lives?

6.) What does the story of Sodom & Gomorrah and Lot share in common with the return of Jesus? (refer Luke 17)

7.) How do you feel reading these passages (i.e. Genesis 19 & Luke 17)?

– Why do you feel this way?

8.) Take some time to reflect on the pairings at the end of the message – e.g. we can’t have grace without truth, etc.

– What are you in touch with as you meditate on these?

Footnotes:

[1] https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/101073714/the-wrong-ending-nigel-the-lonely-gannet-found-dead-beside-his-concrete-love

[2] Refer footnotes in NIV Study Bible, Luke 17:24, page 1574