Tawa Baptist

P.R.A.Y.

Scripture: Luke 22:39-54

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Prepare v panic
  • Request v repress
  • Anguish v assault
  • Yield v betray
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Please turn with me to Luke 22, verse 39, page 111 in your pew Bibles.

In this Scripture passage we hear how Jesus prays the night before his crucifixion and death. From Luke 22, verse 39 we read…

39 Jesus left the city and went, as he usually did, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples went with him. 40 When he arrived at the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”

41 Then he went off from them about the distance of a stone’s throw and knelt down and prayed. 42 “Father,” he said, “if you will, take this cup of suffering away from me. Not my will, however, but your will be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 In great anguish he prayed even more fervently; his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

45 Rising from his prayer, he went back to the disciples and found them asleep, worn out by their grief. 46 He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation.”

47 Jesus was still speaking when a crowd arrived, led by Judas, one of the twelve disciples. He came up to Jesus to kiss him. 48 But Jesus said, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you betray the Son of Man?”

49 When the disciples who were with Jesus saw what was going to happen, they asked, “Shall we use our swords, Lord?” 50 And one of them struck the High Priest’s slave and cut off his right ear.

51 But Jesus said, “Enough of this!” He touched the man’s ear and healed him.

52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and the officers of the Temple guard and the elders who had come there to get him, “Did you have to come with swords and clubs, as though I were an outlaw? 53 I was with you in the Temple every day, and you did not try to arrest me. But this is your hour to act, when the power of darkness rules.”

54 They arrested Jesus and took him away into the house of the High Priest; and Peter followed at a distance.

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

The night before an exam you prepare by getting a good sleep

The night before a marathon you prepare by eating lots of carbs

The night before your wedding you prepare by learning your vows

The night before a heavy rain you prepare by unblocking your drains

The night before his death Jesus prepared by praying

Twice in our reading Jesus told his disciples to pray so they would not fall into temptation. This tells us prayer is about being prepared. It’s about building a fence at the top of the cliff, so there’s no need for an ambulance at the bottom. 

But the disciples were exhausted from their grief. While the disciples slept, Jesus stayed awake in prayer. Then when the crowd came to arrest Jesus, he was prepared. Jesus was not caught by surprise. He was in control of himself and the situation. In contrast, Jesus’ disciples were in a panic.

We note too that Jesus made a request of God when he prayed. He requested that this cup of suffering be taken away. It may seem obvious that prayer is about asking God for something. But actually making our request is not as simple or straight forward as it sounds.

Before you can make a request of God you have to know what it is you want. And that’s the tricky bit. Making a request requires us to be honest with ourselves and with God. Prayer is not a place to pretend or to say what we think God wants to hear, much less what others want to hear. Prayer is place to be real. 

Jesus was honest with God. He did not hide or repress his truth. But nor did he get what he asked for on this occasion. Instead, God sent an angel to strengthen Jesus for the ordeal that lay ahead.

Perhaps, like Jesus, you have prayed earnestly for something only to be told ‘no’. Your prayer was not wasted. Your honesty is valued by God. Your honesty shows God you trust him and it provides a necessary release for your soul.

Verse 44 tells us that Jesus prayed in great anguish; his sweat falling to the ground like drops of blood. Blood falls heavy and thick.

I don’t pretend to fully comprehend Jesus’ anguish. Was it the anticipation of the physical pain he was about to suffer? Was it the bitter realisation of impending injustice? Was it the thought of being separated from his heavenly Father? Perhaps it was all these things and more besides.

What we do know is that Jesus was alone in a crowd. No one got it. No one (not even his disciples) understood. There is a certain agony in being surrounded by people and yet knowing you are completely alone.  

Everyone suffers, sooner or later. There is no escaping it. Jesus sat with his anguish in prayer. Prayer isn’t just the words we say or think. Prayer is also the pain we hold before God.

Now it is important to understand that sitting with our anguish in prayer is not the same thing as wallowing in self-pity. The point is to face our pain squarely so that we are not afraid of it.

The disciples were not prepared to sit with their pain and who can blame them. But if we don’t face our anguish, as Jesus did, it can ambush us and quickly turn into assault.

One of the disciples lashed out with his sword, striking the servant of the high priest and cutting off his ear. But Jesus put a stop to it and healed the man.

The fourth thing we note about Jesus’ prayer is that it resulted in him yielding to the will of God.  To yield is to give way. Although Jesus did not want to suffer and die, he qualified his request with the words, ‘Not my will, Father, but your will be done’.

Jesus did not hold anything over God’s head. Jesus submitted his request to God’s purpose. To do anything other than God’s will would be a betrayal.

It is difficult to know why Judas betrayed Jesus. Had he become disillusioned? Was he trying to manipulate the situation to force Jesus’ hand? Or was he simply selfish and greedy? We don’t know. Whatever his motive the outcome was the same. Judas yielded to temptation and the evil one led him down the path of betrayal.

Jesus shows us the purpose of prayer.

Jesus prepared for his suffering and death in prayer

Jesus expressed his honest request to God in prayer

Jesus faced his anguish in prayer

And ultimately, Jesus yielded to the will of God in prayer.

Let us pray…

Lord Jesus Christ, help us to be prepared

          Deliver us from the time of trial

Lord Jesus Christ, help us to be honest with you and with ourselves

          We would prefer not to suffer

Lord Jesus Christ, help us to face our anguish without self-pity

          Give us courage and strength equal to the day

Lord Jesus Christ, help us to yield to God’s will and purpose

          Your kingdom come, your will be done. Amen.

Tawa Baptist

Lifestyle

Scripture: 1st Peter 4:7-11

Structure:

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

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pray with clarity:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The next thing is love – love with forbearance.

Love with forbearance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eat with others

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pray, love, eat and serve. Servewith faithfulness.  

Serve with faithfulness

In verse 10 of chapter 4 Peter writes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From verse 11 of chapter 4 Peter continues…

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

Today’s passage ends with a doxology,

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

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

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

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

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

In a few minutes we will share communion together.

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

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

We love him because he first loved us…

Communion

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

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

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

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

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

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