repentance – Tawa Baptist

March 22, 2026 Tawa Baptist

The Faithful Servant

Scripture: Luke 17:1-10

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

Audio Link: Stream Sermon – 22 Mar 2026 – The Faithful Servant by tawabaptist | Listen online for free on SoundCloud

Structure:

Introduction
Watch yourselves
Restore others
Obey Christ
Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

At first glance the words lima, coffee, dwarf and black seem unrelated, but there is a connection. What is the connection? [Wait]

That’s right, they are all different types of beans.

Today we continue our series on the parables of Jesus. Last week he heard about the parable of the shrewd manager. This week’s parable features the faithful servant in Luke 17, verses 7-10. The faithful servant is a very different character to the shrewd manager.

In the six verses leading up to the parable of the faithful servant, Jesus gives some instructions to his disciples. At first glance these words of wisdom seem unrelated from each other and from the parable, sort of like a random selection of proverbs.

And you could preach on each word of instruction separately without doing violence to the text. But, as you dwell on these words of Jesus, it becomes apparent they are not random or separate. Verses 1-10 of Luke 17 are connected. They describe what faithfulness to Jesus looks like.

From Luke 17, verse 1 we read…

Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. ²It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. ³So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sistersins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. ⁴Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” ⁵The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” ⁶He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. ⁷“Suppose one of you has a servant ploughing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? ⁸Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? ⁹Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? ¹⁰So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

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

These verses give us a picture of what faithfulness to Jesus looks like.

In short, faithful discipleship means watching yourselves, restoring others and obeying Christ. Let us begin with watching yourselves.

Watch yourselves:

Part of my training for church ministry, involved doing CPE. CPE stands for Clinical Pastoral Education. CPE uses an action / reflection model of learning. Rather than sitting and listening to a lecture or writing essays, you reflect on your own real-life experiences of providing pastoral care for people.

For me, this meant visiting people in hospital, then later writing up a verbatim of the conversation and discussing it in a small group with others doing CPE. The purpose was to reflect on our practice with a view to providing better spiritual care.

Basically, they were teaching us to watch ourselves. That is, to watch how we listened and what we said, so we did not cause anyone to stumble, so we did no harm and maybe even did some good.

Most of the time, when people are facing their own mortality, they don’t want to be tripped up by cheap advice or clever theological arguments. They just want to be understood. When life is uncertain, you need to know you are not alone. Knowing you are not alone nurtures faith and hope.

In verse 2 of Luke 17, Jesus warns against tripping others up spiritually or morally. The consequence for those who do this is dire. The Lord says: It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.

The message here is, do no harm.

These little ones probably includes young children but could also refer to those younger in the faith or in a more vulnerable position. That said, we don’t want to cause anyone to stumble, regardless of their station in life.

Causing others to stumble may indicate a certain malicious intention, like laying a trap on purpose. Some people are predators. They go out of their way to do harm. Hopefully no one here sells crack to school children or tries to catfish minors on the internet. If you do, you’ve been warned.

But we can also cause others to stumble through carelessness or neglect.

If someone cuts their foot on a piece of broken glass, the harm caused is the same whether the glass was left there on purpose or by accident.

How careful are we with the example we set? Is the way we live our lives providing an even path for others to follow? Or are we leaving a trail of broken glass and trip hazards?

Jesus was warning his disciples not to be like the Pharisees. The Pharisees did not set the right example. The Pharisees were not faithful. Their hypocrisy was a stumbling block to those who wanted to draw closer to God.

The phrase, better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck, is chilling. It’s one of the many disturbing things Jesus said. The human imagination runs wild with anxiety wondering what could be worse than death by drowning in the depths of the sea.

However, the alternative would be far worse. (The alternative being that there is no consequence for people who cause harm.) If you have suffered abuse at the hands of others, you don’t want them to go on harming you or anyone else. Jesus was always reminding people of God’s justice and mercy. It is a good thing that God cares enough to permanently stop those who are doing harm.

The punchline comes in verse 3 where Jesus says: So watch yourselves.

Being faithful includes not causing others to stumble morally or spiritually.

And, if we are to avoid causing others to stumble, then we need to watch ourselves.

Make sure your own backyard is in order. Don’t trip others up by your words or example. Be careful how you listen and what you say. Examine your motives. Reflect on your actions. Correct yourself when you stray off course. Make it right when you get it wrong. That’s what it means to watch yourself.

A word of caution on watching yourself. Don’t overdo this. Don’t spend too long in self-reflection. There’s a fine line between healthy self-awareness and unhealthy self-obsession.

Beware of the narcissism or vanity that imagines your influence is greater than it really is. By God’s grace, most people are not thinking about you as much as you are thinking about yourself, and this limits the extent to which you can cause others to stumble.

Okay, so if we are to be faithful servants of Jesus, then watching ourselves is the first thing we need to do. The next thing is restoring others.

Restoring others:

In the sixth form (year 12) at school, I studied chemistry. My lab partner was a bit of an all-star. Intelligent, good at sports, a lifeguard at the beach, socially popular and a genuinely nice guy. But, like all of us, he had a shadow side.

He drank too much.

After coming back from holidays one time he announced he was taking a break from alcohol. Someone who cared about him noticed his drinking and had a quiet word with him. They knew his potential and didn’t want him going down a path that would ruin his life.

This person (it might have been an older brother) didn’t scold him or yell at him or berate him. They challenged him to go dry for three months, just to see if he could do it. And he did. Giving up alcohol for a while provided the circuit breaker he needed. It restored him and put him on a better path once more.

In verse 3 of Luke 17 Jesus goes on to say: “If your brother or sistersins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.”

This is essentially about restoring others. It fits hand in glove with what Jesus has just been saying about not causing others to stumble. If someone does stumble, then our first instinct is to look for a way to restore them. Because that’s what Jesus did, he came to seek and save the lost.

Jesus notes three steps in the restoration process: rebuke, repent and forgive.

Rebuking sounds quite harsh, like you are giving someone a loud and angry telling off. But rebuking doesn’t need to be harsh. The person who challenged my sixth form lab partner to stop drinking for three months was rebuking him for his behaviour in a wise and gentle way. This sort of rebuke led to my friend’s repentance and restoration.

When the prophet Nathan rebuked king David for committing adultery with Bathsheba, he didn’t go in with both barrels blazing. He wisely told David a parable which cut David to the core, causing him to repent and be forgiven.

The point is, when it comes to giving a rebuke, a careful surgical approach is usually more effective than a butcher’s mallet.

The purpose of rebuking is to restore. Often people are not aware of how their actions affect others. My sixth form lab partner didn’t realise the negative impact his drinking was having on those around him. He was being unfair to others without realising it.

If someone is not aware there is a problem, then they don’t have the opportunity to change. Rebuking is about making someone aware of how their behaviour is affecting others. It’s about being honest and fair with them. The purpose of rebuking is not to punish or humiliate. The purpose is to restore.

Now I don’t think Jesus means us to be rebuking each other over every little offence. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Don’t be petty. Exercise some grace.

If you need to rebuke someone it should be for their wellbeing and the wellbeing of the community.

Jesus talks about rebuking others in the same breath as telling us to watch ourselves. Before we start reading the riot act, we need to pause and take the plank out of our own eye first. We need to ask ourselves, is the thing that’s aggravating me about this other person something I’m guilty of myself?

Rebuking is just the first step in the restoration process. Repentance and forgiveness complete the process. Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change in behaviour. And forgiveness simply means letting go of the hurt, not holding a grudge against the person who offended you.

Jesus’ instruction to forgive someone seven times in a day, if they repent, is to be interpreted generously. It’s not that seven times is the upper limit and an eighth offence does not need to be forgiven. As Martin Luther King said, ‘Forgiveness is an attitude, not an occasional act.’

The restoration process (of rebuking, repenting and forgiving) can be time consuming and emotionally demanding, but it is far less taxing than the alternative, which is resentment.

Obey Christ:

At this point the disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith. Perhaps the disciples are thinking, what Jesus is asking us to do is really hard. We need extra faith if we are going to meet the demands of watching ourselves and restoring others.

Jesus replies with a short parable saying: “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”

Mulberry trees, of the variety Jesus is talking about here, are a deeply rooted tree. Indeed, their roots have been known to remain in the ground for hundreds of years. Getting a mulberry tree (or any tree for that matter) to obey your verbal commands, and uproot itself, is an impossible thing to do.

Our selfish, sinful nature is much like the roots of a mulberry tree; stubborn and intractable. Trying to make ourselves (or anyone else) obey the teachings of Jesus is as difficult as telling a mulberry tree to plant itself in the sea.

We cannot make ourselves obey Jesus simply by telling ourselves to do it.

Even when we want to do the right thing, we still find ourselves doing the wrong thing. Our self-centredness, as human beings, is too deeply embedded.

However, God has the power to do the impossible, and faith is the key to unlocking God’s power. You don’t need much faith to access God’s power.

Faith as small as a mustard seed will do.

It doesn’t take much to access the national power grid. All you need to do is flick a switch. Likewise, it doesn’t take much to access the power to do God’s will. All you need is a little faith. Faith is like flicking a light switch.

Who provides the power to uproot the mulberry tree of our sinful habits?

We don’t. God does. But we still need to flick the switch by asking in faith.

Who provides the power to uproot systemic corruption and injustice?

We don’t. God does. But we still need to flick the switch by asking in faith.

Please understand, Jesus is not saying faith gives us license to tap God for whatever we want. It doesn’t. Believing God for a Ferrari won’t get you a Ferrari, no matter how much faith you have. If you flick the switch of faith and the light doesn’t come on, it is because God (in his wisdom) has chosen to withhold his power in that situation.

Jesus is not talking here about the power to get what we want. He is talking about the power to do God’s will; to repent and forgive, for example.

The power to obey Jesus comes from the Holy Spirit. Or to say it another way, we are able to remain faithful to Christ by trusting in God’s power and grace, not our own resources.

In keeping with the theme of faithfulness, Jesus goes on to tell the parable of the obedient servant. From verse 7 we read…

⁷“Suppose one of you has a servant ploughing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? ⁸Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’?

This parable is largely lost in translation for us. Here, in New Zealand, we don’t have servants. We are a ‘do it yourself’ society. The idea of keeping servants goes against the grain.

Also, we place a high value on individual freedom. We tend to resist authority. Indeed, we are often unfairly critical of those in authority.

But in first Century Israel, having a servant was a normal part of life. In fact, you didn’t need to be rich to have a servant. The authority of the master over the servant was accepted and honoured in that society.

The servant was given security and dignity by working for their master.

If their master was someone of standing in the community, this enhanced the servant’s sense of self-worth. Faithful service to one’s master and to the betterment of the wider community was more important to people in the first century than individual freedom.

Today’s parable is not only at odds with the cultural values of contemporary New Zealand, it also seems at odds with Jesus’ parable in Luke 12.

If you were here three weeks ago, you would have heard the parable of the master who, upon returning from a wedding banquet, girded up his loins to wait on his servants. Something unthinkable in that culture. The master in that parable reminds us of Jesus who did not come to be served, but to serve.

In Luke 17 it’s a different scenario. The servant comes home after working in the field and the master expects his servant to make his dinner right away.

So what’s going on in Luke 17? Why is the master not waiting on his servant? Well, the parable in Luke 17 offers a counterbalance to the parable in Luke 12.

While it is true that Jesus came to serve us by dying on the cross and uprooting our sin, we must not forget our place. Jesus is still our master and we are still his servants. We are not equal with Jesus. We are expected to obey him.

We must not make the fatal mistake of presuming upon God’s grace. We must guard against any sense of entitlement.

Jesus’ parable, in Luke 17, is an argument from the lesser to the greater.

If servants are expected to obey ordinary human masters, how much more are we expected to obey Christ, the Son of God.

Like the servant in the parable, we are expected to obey Christ in the field: which might include, for example, the community, your workplace or school.

And we are expected to obey Christ in the home: which might include your own family and the church.

This begs the question: are we being obedient to Jesus in every area of our life? If not, what needs to change?

Jesus concludes his parable in verses 9 and 10, saying: ⁹Will he [the master] thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? ¹⁰So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

These verses are about having the right attitude in obeying Christ.

The term, ‘unworthy servants’ does not mean useless or without value.

It means, ‘servants to whom no favour is due’. Jesus is asking a rhetorical question here: Is the master indebted to his servant when orders are carried out? No, of course not. The master does not owe the servant anything.

Is God indebted to us when we carry out his commands? No, of course not. God does not owe us anything. Obedience is what we owe God. Our obedience does not entitle us to special treatment. We cannot put God in our debt.

Once again, Jesus is warning his disciples against Pharisaic self-righteousness. The Pharisees got the cart before the horse. They thought, we have been extra scrupulous in obeying God’s law, therefore we are entitled to a reward.

But that is not how God operates. With God, grace comes first. Faithfulness is the right response to the grace God has already shown us. We are in debt to God. We can never repay that debt, much less put God in our debt. The most we can do is trust and obey.

Conclusion:

Let us pray. Lord Jesus, your grace is manifold. We are not aware of half of what you do for us. Thank you. Help us, by the power of your Spirit, to be faithful; to watch ourselves, to restore others and to obey you. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
What do Jesus’ instructions in Luke 17:1-10 share in common?
What did Jesus mean when he said, ‘watch yourself’? How might we do this? Why is it important to watch ourselves?
How careful are we with the example we set? Is the way we live our lives providing a straight path for others to follow? If not, what needs to change?
Discuss / reflect on the three aspects of the restoration process. What does it mean to rebuke, to repent and to forgive? Why do we seek to restore brothers and sisters in the faith?
Why does Jesus tell the parable of the mustard seed and mulberry tree in Luke 17, verse 6? What is the meaning of this parable? Where / how do we find the resources to remain faithful to Christ?
Discuss / reflect on Jesus’ parable in Luke 17:7-10. Who did Jesus tell this parable for? Why did Jesus tell this parable? How is this parable at odds with the values of our society?
Are you being obedient to Jesus in every area of your life? If not, what needs to change?

Bibliography:

William Barclay, ‘The Gospel of Matthew’, 1967.
R.V.G. Tasker, ‘Tyndale Commentaries: St Matthew’, 1963.
Kenneth Bailey, ‘Through Peasant Eyes’, 1983.
Michael Green, ‘BST: The Message of Matthew’, 2000.
R.T. France, ‘New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Gospel of Matthew’, 2007.
Craig S. Keener, ‘The Gospel of Matthew’, 2009.

February 15, 2026 Tawa Baptist

Lost & Found

Scripture: Luke 15:1-10

Video Link: https://youtu.be/jqYP-goOQk8

Audio Link: Stream Sermon – 15 Feb 2026 – Lost & Found by tawabaptist | Listen online for free on SoundCloud

Structure:

Introduction
The lost leaders
The lost sheep
The lost coin
Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Over the years the metal flashing above our ranch slider has deteriorated.

The purpose of the flashing is to keep the rain out, which makes the flashing fairly important. Rust was showing through the paint. Not only did it look rude, but if I let it go too long, the rust might make holes in the metal.

So, I decided to restore it. This involved grinding away the rust with a wire brush, then applying a special rust converter to the metal, followed by a rust kill primer and two topcoats of rust kill paint.

Although I’m not ready to quit my day job, just yet, I did enjoy the work. There is a certain pleasure in restoring things. Hopefully my restoration efforts last.

Today we continue our series on the parables of Jesus. Last week we heard about the ten minas and this week our focus is Jesus’ twin parables of the lost sheep and lost coin in Luke 15. These parables are primarily about heaven’s joy in seeing the restoration of people. From verse 1 of Luke 15 we read…

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ²But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” ³Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. ⁸“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coinsand loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ ¹⁰In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

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

The lost leaders:

Having purpose in life is like carrying a compass. Purpose helps us to remember the direction we are headed so we don’t lose our way. Jesus’ parables, in Luke 15, are like a compass, they remind us of our true north. They point to our true purpose and direction.

The 13^th Century Sufi poet, Rumi, once wrote: “Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.”

This quote speaks to a person’s purpose in life. It helps us to remember the direction we are headed so we don’t lose our way. Rumi was not a Christian, he was a Muslim, and yet his words in this instance are in line with the true north of Jesus’ teachings.

To be a lamp is to help someone find their way in the darkness.

To be a lifeboat is to save someone from drowning.

To be a ladder is to lift someone out of a hole.

And to walk out of your house like a shepherd is go into the world with the purpose of caring for others.

Luke introduces the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin by pointing to Israel’s lost leadership. From verse 1 we read…

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ²But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Tax collectors were part of the machinery which oppressed the Jewish people. They were often suspected of theft, taking more than they should to line their own pockets. Not surprisingly, tax collectors were hated and ostracised.

The term ‘sinners’ included two groups of people. Those who broke the moral law and those who broke the ceremonial law. The ten commandments are an example of the moral law. Rules about what you can and cannot eat or touch are an example of the ceremonial law.

Those who broke the ceremonial law were not necessarily immoral or unethical. They might be honest hard-working individuals who kept the ten commandments. It was simply their misfortune to work in a trade that made them ceremonially unclean, therefore prohibiting them from gathered worship.

The Pharisees and teachers of the law were among Israel’s leadership.

They were a religious sect, known for their strict observance of the Jewish law. Not just the written law of Moses, but also the oral tradition that had evolved around the law of Moses. The Pharisees had added a lot of their own rules to God’s law and anyone who did not keep their rules they labelled a sinner.

The Pharisees believed God’s purpose was to destroy those they considered to be sinners. They thought nothing gave God greater joy than annihilating people who sinned. And so, they separated themselves from large sections of society. Sadly, the Pharisees had lost their way.

Jesus was very different from the Pharisees. There was something attractive about Jesus and his teaching. Tax collectors and sinners were drawn to Jesus and Jesus welcomed them. More than simply welcoming them, Jesus ate with them. And to eat with someone in that culture was to basically make friends with them, to accept them.

In the minds of the Pharisees, Jesus tarred himself with the same brush when he ate with these people who broke their rules. That’s why they muttered against Jesus.

Jesus spoke these parables (in Luke 15) to show the Pharisees were wrong about God’s purpose. God does not derive joy from destroying people. Quite the opposite in fact. God does not want anyone to perish. God’s purpose is to restore creation, especially his human creatures. Heaven rejoices when the lost are found and people are restored to right relationship with God.

If the Pharisees really wanted to please God, they would not separate themselves from the world. They would join God in his redemptive purpose in the world. They would be a lamp or a lifeboat or a ladder to help others heal. They would walk out of the house (of their manmade rules) like a shepherd.

The lost sheep:

Jesus addresses the lost Pharisees by saying in verse 4, “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them…”

Now, when we read this, we think nothing of it. But to the ears of a Pharisee this would grate. It might even sound offensive.

Abraham was a shepherd. Moses was a shepherd. David was a shepherd.

The Old Testament prophets sometimes referred to Israel’s leaders as shepherds. But despite this, the Pharisees despised shepherds. A shepherd’s work often prevented them from participating in ceremonial worship and, when a sheep went missing, the shepherd was suspected of theft.

Jesus asks the Pharisees to imagine being a shepherd who loses one of their sheep. A shepherd who loses sheep is failing in their job. Jesus seems be implying here that the Pharisees (who are among Israel’s leadership) are like shepherds who lose sheep. In which case the Pharisees have forgotten God’s restorative purpose and are failing in their responsibility to the people.

Jesus continues his parable saying: Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

Now when I first read this, I thought, that doesn’t make sense, leaving the 99 to fend for themselves in the wilderness, while you go searching for the one lost sheep. The shepherd would probably return to find more sheep missing.

Reading the experts on this passage though, I learned that with a flock of 100 sheep in the middle east there would likely be at least two or three shepherds, so the 99 would not be left on their own. They would still be protected.

Even so you might wonder why the shepherd would go to the trouble of searching for one sheep. I mean, is it worth it? The wilderness is not a safe place. Not only was the shepherd risking his own life, but he could spend many hours searching only to find the sheep dead, killed by a wild animal or something.

Well, shepherds in the first century needed to find the lost sheep, whether dead or alive, in order to exonerate themselves. If you could bring the sheep back alive, all well and good. But even if you brought the sheep back dead, at least then you could prove you had not stolen it and so preserve your honour.

Before I took to the metal flashing on our house with a grinder, I didn’t know what I might find. Was it just surface rust or was the flashing rusted right through? If it was rusted through, then I had a bigger problem. Still, I needed to find out, so I proceeded in hope and my hope was rewarded with joy.

The shepherd in Jesus’ parable has an attitude of hope. He is prepared for the worst but hopes for the best. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Jesus’ attitude toward people is one of hope. He doesn’t write a person off as irredeemable. Jesus holds out hope for people.

Everyone, I believe, has at least a little bit of Pharisee in them. Jesus is inviting the Pharisee in each of us to live in hope. Hope for ourselves and hope for others. Do you know someone who is lost? A friend or family member or perhaps someone you don’t like that much. Hold out hope for them.

Pray for them. Who knows what God might do.

The shepherd’s hope is rewarded when he finds the lost sheep alive. Of course, finding the sheep is one thing, restoring it is another. After finding the sheep, the shepherd then puts it on his shoulders and carries it home.

Carrying a sheep is heavy, dirty work but the shepherd does this joyfully.

He is happy to find the sheep alive, yes, but he also enjoys the work of restoring the sheep, as messy and difficult as that work is.

Restoring the metal flashing on our house was dirty work. I got proper grubby. But there was a certain satisfaction in the process as well. Restoring people is not as straight forward as removing rust or carrying sheep. People are more complicated. We have set backs but, by God’s grace, we also make headway sometimes. We need to be kind to ourselves and celebrate the little wins along the way.

The shepherd’s joy does not end there. When he gets home, the shepherd calls his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’

Jesus is saying to the Pharisees here, you should be happy that I am welcoming sinners and eating with them. I know it appears dirty to you, but this is what the work of restoration looks like. You shouldn’t be muttering behind my back. You should be celebrating with me.

I’m fulfilling God’s purpose. I’m being a lamp to those in darkness. I’m being a lifeboat to those who are drowning. I’m being a ladder for others to climb out of a hole and heal. I’m walking into the world with the mindset of a shepherd.

In verse 7 Jesus explains the main point of the parable, saying: I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Jesus is letting the Pharisees know that their values and priorities are very different from heaven’s values and priorities. The Pharisees have lost the compass of God’s purpose and in so doing have become lost themselves.

Given that heaven rejoices when a sinner repents, so too should we. Perhaps for those in heaven, seeing a person repent is like watching someone on your favourite team score a goal or a try or hit a six. The crowd goes wild.

What then does it mean to repent? The word repent literally means to turn around and go in the other direction. Do a U turn basically. Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change in how one lives.

For a gossip, repentance means learning to be discreet. For someone having an affair, repentance means stopping the affair and remaining faithful to your spouse. For someone prone to arrogance, repentance means being honest with yourself. For the Pharisee in each of us, repentance means trusting Jesus and not relying on our own rules or righteousness.

Repentance happens in a moment but it’s also the work of a lifetime. What is the focus of your repentance right now? What needs to change in your life?

The interesting thing about the lost sheep is that it does absolutely nothing to be found. The sheep does not know which way to turn. It is powerless to save itself. The sheep’s restoration relies on the shepherd.

Does that mean we don’t need to do anything to be saved? Well, no, our salvation is not automatic. We still need to repent. The point is we cannot repent without God’s grace. God’s grace comes first, before we repent. It’s like Paul says in Romans 8…

⁶You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Luke 15 is heavily pregnant with God’s love for us personally. God’s grace in reaching out to save us, before we even knew we were lost and needed saving, speaks to his deep love for humanity. God loves people.

I know it’s difficult to comprehend, but God does not restore us because we repent. No. God restores us because he loves us and delights in restoring people. However, we still need to repent. Faith in Christ and repentance from sin is the right and proper response to God’s prevenient grace and love.

In verse 7 of Luke 15, Jesus says a curious thing. He talks about the 99 being righteous persons who do not need to repent. Hmm? Jesus is probably being ironic here. The wider testimony of Scripture teaches that no one is righteous. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Most people do think they are righteous though, or at least not as bad as others. The truth is most of the time we don’t realise when we are lost. The Pharisees thought they had a monopoly on being right. Little did they know they were more lost than the sinners they despised. We call that dramatic irony.

At the end of the parable the one lost sheep is returned home, while the other 99 are still in the wilderness oblivious to their true condition.

The lost coin:

We’ve heard about the lost leaders of Israel and the lost sheep. Now let’s consider the lost coin. The parable of the lost coin reinforces the message of the parable of the lost sheep. Heaven rejoices when the lost are found and sinners repent.

If the Pharisees did not like shepherds, they despised women even more.

So Jesus makes a woman the hero of his second parable. Jesus means to challenge the prejudices and misconceptions of the religious leaders. He wants to get under their skin. How else will they realise they are lost?

Anyway, this woman has 10 silver coins and loses one. It could be she was poor and could not afford to lose any money. Or it might be the coin was part of a necklace and losing it would ruin the whole piece of jewelry, like losing a diamond out of an engagement ring.

Whatever the case, the coin is precious to the woman and she searches the house carefully until she finds it. We note the woman is hopeful in her search. It’s not a long shot. The chances of finding a lost coin in a small house are far greater than the chances of finding a lost sheep in the open country.

We also note that finding the lost coin is dirty work. It requires time and effort, not to mention patience and lighting a lamp.

As with the lost sheep, the lost coin does nothing to save itself. The coin cannot move by itself. It is completely powerless and reliant on the woman for its restoration. The woman searches for the coin because she values the coin and cannot bear to lose it.

We are like the coin, powerless to save ourselves. God searches for us because he loves us and doesn’t want heaven without us.

The search is successful and (like the shepherd) the woman celebrates with her community.

Once again Jesus is saying to the Pharisees, you should be happy that I am welcoming sinners and eating with them. I know it appears dirty to you, but this is what the work of restoration looks like. You should not be muttering behind my back. You should be celebrating with me.

I’m fulfilling God’s purpose. I’m being a lamp to those in darkness. I’m being a lifeboat to those who are drowning. I’m being a ladder for others to climb out of a hole. I am cleaning house. I am helping people to heal.

Jesus concludes this second parable in a similar way to the first, saying:

I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

God’s grace comes first but we still need to repent. Repentance, turning away from sin, is the right response to God’s love and grace. The angels of God rejoice over our repentance because they know the obedience of faith pleases the Lord.

Conclusion:

Jesus practiced what he preached. Later in Luke’s gospel, in chapter 19, we read how Jesus searched for Zacchaeus, the tax collector, and invited himself over for dinner.

Zacchaeus was thrilled by the Lord’s prevenient grace for him and responded with repentance saying: ‘Look, I give half my possessions to the poor and if I have cheated anybody, I will pay back four times the amount.’

Jesus declared: ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.’

And heaven rejoiced.

Let us pray…

Loving God, we thank you for sending Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners and powerless to save ourselves. Grant us a growing awareness of your love and grace. Move us to respond with faith and repentance. May our lives bring you joy. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
Have you ever restored something? What did you restore and how did you go about it? How did you feel throughout the process of restoration?
Discuss / reflect on the twin parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. Why did Jesus tell these parables? Compare and contrast the two parables? In what ways are they similar? In what ways are they different?
Why does the shepherd search for the sheep? Why does the woman search for the coin? Why does God go out of his way to restore us?
Do you know someone who is lost? Who? Pray for them. What does it mean to live in hope for ourselves and others?
What does it mean to repent? Why do we need to repent? What is the focus of your repentance right now? What needs to change in your life?
What examples can you think of (in the gospels or in your own life) where God’s grace comes before repentance?
Who do you identify with most in these parables? Why

Bibliography:

William Barclay, ‘The Gospel of Luke’, 1965.
Leon Morris, ‘Tyndale Commentaries: Luke’, 1976.
Kenneth Bailey, ‘Poet & Peasant’, 1976.
Fred Craddock, ‘Interpretation Commentaries: Luke’, 1990.
Darrell Bock, ‘NIV Application Commentary: Luke’, 1996.
Joel Green, ‘New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Gospel of Luke’, 1997.

August 24, 2025October 12, 2025 Tawa Baptist

Paul in Ephesus

Scripture: Acts 19:1-12

Video Link: https://youtu.be/k3K5R935iaQ

Structure:

Introduction
Christian initiation
Evangelism strategy
Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

In his book, ‘That they may have life’, Sri Lankan pastor, Daniel Niles writes: “Evangelism is witness. It is one beggar telling another beggar where to find food.”

Evangelism comes from a Greek word meaning ‘good news’. For Christians evangelism is telling others the good news about Jesus Christ. Evangelism can be as simple as one person telling another person how Jesus has helped them.

Evangelism is as necessary for life and survival as eating food. Evangelism is not a top-down thing, it’s a side-by-side thing. Those who do the evangelising are not better than those being evangelised, both need the bread of salvation.

Evangelism can be quite challenging in our society because most people do not think of themselves as beggars. Most people are not aware of their spiritual need.

Today we continue our three week series in the book of Acts in support of the Arotahi Renew Together campaign. Arotahi is the missions arm of New Zealand Baptists. Once a year we renew our commitment to pray for and support the work of spreading the gospel in New Zealand and overseas.

This week’s sermon focuses on Acts chapter 19, verses 1-12, where we learn how the apostle Paul did evangelism in the city of Ephesus. From Acts 19, verse 1, we read…

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples ²and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit whenyou believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

³So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

⁴Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” ⁵On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tonguesand prophesied. ⁷There were about twelve men in all. ⁸Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. ⁹But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. ¹⁰This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. ¹¹God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, ¹²so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

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

There are two halves to our message today. In the first half we consider Christian initiation; that is, what’s involved in becoming a Christian.

And in the second half we observe Paul’s strategy of evangelism; in other words, how Paul went about reaching people with the gospel of Jesus. We begin with Christian initiation.

Christian Initiation:

For seeds to germinate they need the right amount of four things: water, oxygen, temperature and light.

Water is essential for seed germination. A baptism in water softens the seed so it swells and ruptures. Most seeds need to absorb between 25% and 50% of their weight in water before they will germinate.

Oxygen provides the energy the seed needs to grow. If seeds are planted too deep in the soil, they might not get the oxygen they need to sprout.

The temperature has to be right too. Different seeds germinate at different temperatures, but most activate between 16 and 25 degrees Celsius.

The fourth requirement for seed germination is the right amount of light or, in the case of some plants, the right amount of darkness.

In the same way the germination of a seed involves the right amount of water, oxygen, temperature and light, so too Christian initiation involves four things: repentance, faith in Jesus, baptism in water and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Repentance means turning away from sin. Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a positive change in behaviour. Repentance is when we stop walking away from God and start walking towards him.

Faith in Jesus means trusting our lives and our eternity to Jesus. Believing in his death and resurrection. Relying on Jesus’ righteousness and not our own. Holding to the sure hope that Jesus will save us.

Faith in Jesus is made possible by the work of the Holy Spirit. Without God’s Spirit, we cannot truly believe in Jesus or start walking toward God.

Baptism in water is an outward and visible sign of our faith in Jesus.

Water is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. To be baptised then is to signify that you have begun to follow Jesus with the help of the Holy Spirit.

In the New Testament, repentance, faith in Jesus, baptism and the Holy Spirit are always present when someone becomes a Christian. The order in which these things happen may vary, but all four belong together when it comes to Christian initiation.

When Paul arrived in Ephesus he found some disciples. As he talks with them Paul notices something is off. These men seem to be missing something.

So Paul asks them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit whenyou believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

Now, that cannot be right. The Holy Spirit is mentioned many times throughout the Hebrew Scriptures and during his earthly ministry Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to his followers. Clearly, there is a gap in these disciples’ understanding of what it means to follow Jesus.

Paul knows that no one can truly believe in Jesus without the Holy Spirit, so he asks, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied. Now everything becomes clear. They are not disciples of Jesus; they are disciples of John the Baptist.

Paul explains, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”

These 12 men could not have been Christian before meeting Paul, because they had not believed in Jesus up to that point. They were aware of their sin and committed to repentance, but they did not know Jesus personally, through the Holy Spirit.

From verse 5 we read: ⁵On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tonguesand prophesied.

As I understand it, the Ephesian disciples received the Spirit and believed in Jesus on the same day they were baptised. When Paul laid his hands on them to baptise them in water, they received the Spirit as a gift from Jesus.

How were you initiated into the Christian faith? As I reflect on the Ephesians’ experience, I’m conscious of how different it was from my own experience of Christian initiation. When I came to faith in the early 1980’s, there seemed to be three stages to becoming a Christian.

Praying the sinners’ prayer and asking Jesus into your heart, stage one.

Then, after some time had passed, getting baptised in water, stage two.

And then after some more waiting, being prayed for to receive the Holy Spirit.

Others of you may have a had different experience again. Perhaps you were baptised as a baby, then later confirmed your faith in Jesus as a young person.

This idea of Christian initiation involving two or three separate events over a period of years was a foreign concept to Paul and the other apostles. Must Christian initiation conform to the pattern we read of in the book of Acts?

Hmmm. We should not be too dogmatic about how the Spirit of God brings people to faith in Jesus. The Holy Spirit does not have to conform to our rules and formulas. Our part is to be open to the work of the Spirit and to trust and obey Jesus out of love for God.

What we can say with confidence is that Christian initiation, both now and then, involves repentance, faith in Jesus, baptism in water and the gift of the Holy Spirit. But the order and timing may vary from person to person. Are any of these four aspects missing for you? What might God be saying?

Another question we may stew over is how do we know we have received the gift of the Holy Spirit? Repentance can be measured and baptism in water can be seen, but it may be more difficult to sense the Spirit.

Verse 6 says the Ephesians spoke in tongues and prophesied when they received the Holy Spirit. Does that mean tongues and prophecy are the signs you have received the Spirit? Well, they can be. But not always.

The Holy Spirit gives all sorts of different gifts. Not everyone who receives the Spirit speaks in tongues or utters words of prophesy like the Ephesians did.

So if you don’t speak in tongues, then don’t worry. The Spirit may give you assurance of your salvation in other ways. Some may feel their heart strangely warmed. Others may be filled with a profound sense of peace.

For me, the Spirit sometimes comes with tears. It is the feeling of being overwhelmed by grace. Humbled by God’s goodness so I cannot talk. Speechless in the presence of the Lord.

Whether you have had a special experience or not, the primary sign of the Spirit is faith in Jesus. You know the Holy Spirit has been given to you when you trust in Jesus. The Spirit makes Jesus close and real.

The question remains for each one of us, do we believe in Jesus? Believing in Jesus is not just a one-off event. Faith in Jesus is on-going, the journey of a lifetime. Therefore, we need to go on being filled with the Holy Spirit to keep faith with Jesus. Don’t stop believing.

Evangelism strategy:

Okay, that is Christian initiation. Now let us consider Paul’s strategy for evangelism. How did Paul share the good news about Jesus with the people of Ephesus?

You’ve probably heard of the story of the three little pigs. You know the one. The first pig built his house out of straw and the big bad wolf blew his house down and ate the little pig. The second pig built his house out of sticks and the wolf blew his house down and ate him too.

But the third little pig built her house out of bricks and no matter how much the wolf blew, he could not blow her house down.

I suppose the moral of the story is this: to keep the wolf from your door you need to be prepared. It may take longer to build your house out of bricks and it may cost more, but it will be worth it in the end.

In line with the wisdom of being prepared, there’s a Chinese proverb which says: “If you are planning for a year, plant rice. If you are planning for a decade, plant trees. If you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.”

When Paul went about evangelising, he planned for a lifetime. Paul invested a lot of time and energy educating people in the way of Jesus, so their faith would be brick house strong, built to last.

When Paul arrived in Ephesus, he started in the Jewish synagogue. Paul spoke boldly about the kingdom of God, using reason to persuade people that Jesus is the Messiah and therefore people should repent and believe in him.

Starting with the Jews was good evangelism strategy. There was already common ground; Paul did not have to start from scratch. Jesus and Paul were both Jewish and the Hebrew Scriptures point to Jesus.

Despite the common ground though, some of the Jews refused to believe Paul’s message and started to bad mouth the Way. The Way is code for the way of Christ. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Jesus the Son.

Being maligned and rejected by his own people grieved Paul deeply. It was no easy thing for him walk away. In Acts 20, verse 19, Paul says of his time in Ephesus: “I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the Jews”.

When Paul’s evangelism was rejected, Paul did not waste energy fighting those who were entrenched and stuck in their ways. He left the synagogue and took the disciples he had baptised with him.

Paul then carried on educating people about Jesus and the kingdom of God in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This lecture hall was neutral ground. It was a public space that anyone (Jew or Greek) could access.

Paul did not just give lectures though. Paul held discussions, he dialogued with people, using reasoned arguments to educate and persuade. The Alpha Course is a contemporary version of evangelism modelled off Paul’s strategy of reasoned discussion and persuasion. Alpha is worth doing.

Not everyone goes down the Alpha path though. Some come to faith in Jesus after hearing an emotional appeal. The music plays, the smoke machine purrs, the mood lighting comes on and the speaker pulls on everyone’s heart strings (or guilt strings). Then, in the heat of the moment, people come forward to make a commitment to Jesus.

These sorts of emotionally based commitments don’t usually last, unless followed up by someone who intentionally comes alongside the new believer to nurture and disciple them.

Paul did not build his house with the straw and sticks of raw emotion and stage tricks. Paul built his house with the bricks and reinforcing steel of sound argument and truth. Paul planned for a lifetime.

Verse 10 tells us; this went on for two years so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

Ephesus was like a hub for the province of Asia in the first century. People from the surrounding towns came to Ephesus to do their shopping, visit their family or watch the games. While in Ephesus they got to hear the gospel through Paul.

Some took what they heard back home with them. And so the gospel spread by word of mouth.

In Acts 20, verse 20, we learn that Paul also went house to house telling people to repent and have faith in Jesus. A strong work ethic was woven through Paul’s evangelism strategy. And the Spirit of God was clearly with Paul, upholding and empowering him every step of the way.

In verses 11 and 12 of Acts 19, we read how God did extraordinary miracles through Paul. The people of ancient Ephesus were spiritually aware. Some dabbled in magic and the occult. When people saw the power of God to heal and deliver, many turned away from sorcery and the dark arts to follow Jesus.

The miraculous signs and wonders done by God, verified Paul’s gospel message as authentic and true. If you read on in Acts 19 you will see how Paul’s evangelism eventually divided the city. People were confronted with the truth about Jesus and had to choose a side. Evangelism takes ground for God’s kingdom.

Although it is not covered in our reading today, an important part of Paul’s evangelism strategy was establishing an organisational structure to take care of the young church after he was gone. In Acts 20 we learn that Paul had appointed pastors and elders to protect and care for the new believers.

In verse 28 Paul says to the elders of the church at Ephesus: Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.

Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

Perhaps the most important part of any evangelism strategy is love. Persuasive arguments and intelligent apologetics only get you so far. If we do not love the people we are trying to reach, the message won’t sound true.

Paul’s love for the Ephesians and their love for him is evident in Paul’s farewell speech to them in Acts 20. From verse 37 we read: They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. ³⁸What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again.

Conclusion:

Paul’s Herculean efforts of evangelism are intimidating. It may feel like too much of a leap to try and imitate Paul exactly. Let me offer a few practical strategies for evangelism which most Christians can attempt…

Look for people of peace. That is, people who are open to talking about faith and friendly in their attitude to things Christian. Paul started with the disciples of John the Baptist, people of peace. He did not start with the witches and gangsters of Ephesus.

Pray for someone who does not yet know Jesus. Pray for them by name, daily, that the Holy Spirit would make Jesus close and real for them.

Know what you believe. Educate yourself. Read your Bible and think about how Jesus has been good for you personally. Be ready, prepared to talk about what Jesus means to you and what you really believe.

Love others. To love others means being kind and fair. Listening generously. Showing up when you are needed. Doing no harm. Being patient and respectful.

And when you are given the opportunity to talk about Jesus, be brave without being arrogant. Don’t be ashamed or embarrassed. Be straight up. Own your faith with humility. Stand by it and trust your testimony to the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray…

Gracious God, you love those who don’t yet know you. May the good news about Jesus be real for each of us, personally. Give us wise words and a winsome Spirit to tell others about Christ. Glorify yourself we pray. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
Who first told you about Jesus? How did they do this?
What is evangelism? Why is evangelism important?
How were you initiated into the Christian faith? Are any of the four aspects of Christian initiation missing for you? If so, which aspect(s)? What might God be saying to you?
How do we know we have received the gift of the Holy Spirit? How does the Spirit make Jesus close and real for you?
Discuss / reflect on Paul’s evangelism strategy in Ephesus.
What can you do to share the love and truth of Jesus with others?

March 23, 2025May 4, 2025 Tawa Baptist

The Fig Tree

Scripture: Luke 13:1-9

Video Link: https://youtu.be/DGLyluurx5s

Structure:

Introduction
Suffering, Sin and Repentance – Luke 13:1-5
The Parable of the Fig Tree – Luke 13:6-9
Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

All fruit trees produce flowers. Usually, the flowers grow on the outside of the tree so you can see the flower. But fig trees are different. With fig trees the flower is inverted, it is hidden inside the fig itself. To see the fig flower, you must cut the fruit open. Figs are beautiful on the inside.

Today we continue our Testimony of Trees series by focusing on the fig tree. (Not to be confused with the sycamore fig which we heard about some weeks ago.) The fig tree (scientific name: Ficus Carica) is mentioned many times throughout the Bible, including most famously in Genesis, where Adam and Eve used fig leaves to cover their nakedness.

This morning’s message though focuses on Jesus’ parable of the fig tree in Luke 13. From verse 1 of Luke 13 we read…

Now some came at that time and told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ²Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? ³I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. ⁴Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? ⁵I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” ⁶Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. ⁷So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Dig it out! Why should it use up the soil?’ ⁸“‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. ⁹If it bears fruit in the future, fine! If not, then dig it out.’”

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

Suffering, Sin and Repentance:

To properly understand Jesus’ parable of the fig tree, we must first come to grips with what Jesus is saying in verses 1-5 of Luke 13. In the context, Jesus is talking about God’s judgement and mercy, which calls us to bear the fruit of repentance.

Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change in direction. It’s an internal change of attitude that results in an external change in behaviour.

Let me illustrate with a story…

Once there were two brothers who lived on neighbouring farms. For many years they got on well until a small misunderstanding developed into a major argument. Tit for tat bickering and retaliation only escalated the ill feeling.

One morning there was a knock on the older brother’s door. On the porch stood a man with a toolbelt. “I’m looking for some work”, he said. “Would you have a job for me?”

“Yes”, said the farmer. “You see across the creek there? That’s my brother’s farm. Last week there was a paddock between us. Then he took his bulldozer to the riverbank and flooded the field. Now there is a swamp. But I’ve got a plan to fix him. See that pile of timber? I want you to build me a fence, tall and solid, so I won’t see him or be reminded of him.”

The carpenter looked at the creek, before answering. “I think I understand the situation. Leave it to me. You’ll be pleased with my work.”

The older brother went to town for supplies and was gone for most of the day. When he returned his eyes popped wide in surprise and his jaw dropped. There was no fence at all.

Instead, he found himself looking at a foot bridge, stretching from one side of the creek to the other. It was a sturdy piece of carpentry, built to last.

There, on the far side of the bridge, was the farmer’s younger brother walking towards him. When the two brothers met in the middle, the younger one said, “You are the bigger man to build this bridge after all I’ve said and done.”

Relieved and humbled the older brother said, “I just want my brother back. I’m sorry.” The two men hugged and agreed to forgive the past.

The carpenter was gathering his tools ready to leave, when the older brother said, “Please stay, I’ve got plenty of other jobs for you”. The carpenter replied, “I’d love to, but I’ve got more bridges to build.” [1]

Before the brothers could be reconciled, they both had to repent. They both had to experience a change of mind that led to a change in the way they related to each other. But neither brother was able to change their mind without help.

The carpenter’s bridge provided the catalyst both brothers needed to imagine a different future, to forgive their differences and move forward together.

Luke 13 begins with some people coming to Jesus and telling him that Pilate had mixed the blood of some Galileans with their sacrifices. Pilate was the Roman governor in charge of the province at that time. Later, Jesus would stand trial before Pilate.

Pilate did some terrible things while in office. Apparently, on this occasion, he had his soldiers slaughter some Jews from Galilee while they were offering sacrifices at the temple in Jerusalem. The blood of the Galileans mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.

It would be like a foreign military force coming into this sanctuary and shooting people in the congregation while we were sharing communion.

It is well known that truth is the first casualty in any war. Whether the people reporting this incident to Jesus were just spreading rumours to gain support for the cause of Jewish nationalism or whether they were being truthful, is unclear. Either way, Jesus is expected to respond with indignation and sympathy, loudly denouncing Pilate.

Those reporting this violence want Jesus to build a fence between them and their enemies. But Jesus doesn’t do what’s expected of him. Instead, Jesus (who is motivated by a deep concern for people’s wellbeing) builds a bridge by telling them to repent or they too will meet with a violent end.

Kenneth Bailey paraphrases Jesus’ meaning here. It’s like Jesus is saying…

“You want me to condemn evil in Pilate. I am not talking to Pilate. He is not here. I am talking to you. Evil forces are at work in your movement that will destroy you, Pilate or no Pilate. You must repent or all of you will be destroyed by those forces.” [2]

Jesus is telling these Jewish nationalists that they have more in common with Pilate than they realise. The same evil that is in Pilate is also in them. If they don’t repent of that evil, if they don’t get off the path of violence and retaliation, they will all wind up dead.

Winston Churchill is credited with saying, “Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.” Jesus shows incredible courage here. He does not react negatively. He decides to respond positively.

Jesus’ brave decision to rewrite the script, by calling for repentance, puts him at risk of being physically attacked on the spot by the Jewish patriots. Those who fight for what they believe is a just cause assume the struggle for the cause makes them righteous. It does not.

Seeing a teachable moment, Jesus asks the question (in verse 2), do you think those who perished were worse sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered in this way. I tell you, no.

Then Jesus goes on in verse 4 to give another example: Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? ⁵I tell you, no!

The Galileans, allegedly killed by Pilate, are an example of suffering caused by human evil. While the 18 people, killed by a collapsing tower, are an example of suffering caused by natural disaster.

We are reminded of Job here who lost his children and his wealth through a combination of human evil and natural disasters. Sadly, Job’s friends thought Job’s misfortune was caused by some grievous unconfessed sin.

There was and still is a belief that personal misfortune of any kind, whether poverty or illness or natural disaster or whatever, is the direct result of sin. Therefore, if something bad happens to you, that means God is punishing you. This only adds insult to injury and further alienates someone who needs support.

In the Old Testament, the fig tree was symbolic of peace and prosperity.

For example, in 1^st Kings chapter 4, we are told that: During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel lived in safety, each man under his own vine and fig tree.

To sit under your fig tree eating figs, therefore, was to be blessed by God.

But what if your fig tree is taken away? Does that mean you are under God’s curse for doing something wrong? Well, not necessarily.

In John 9, Jesus’ disciples notice a man born blind, and they ask whether the man’s blindness is due to his own sins or the sins of his parents. Jesus says: ³“Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

Correlation does not prove causation. Just because someone suffers in some way, it does not automatically follow that God is punishing them. There isn’t always a one-to-one relationship between the sin of an individual and their suffering. Sometimes there is, but not usually.

This world does not operate by karma. It operates by God’s grace. Everyone sins. Everyone falls short. Everyone, at some point, commits an evil act. Just as we all fail to do the good God wants us to do. If there were a direct link between sin and suffering, we would all be poor or sick or maimed or worse.

It is only by God’s grace and mercy that we don’t suffer more.

When talking about the relationship between sin and suffering, some theologians use the phrase ‘a loose causal weave’. A loose causal weave means that while there is a connection between sin and suffering in a general sense, that connection is not always well aligned where the individual is concerned.

For example, looking at history we can see that nations which blatantly disregard God’s laws do come to ruin eventually. Within those nations, there will be some relatively innocent or righteous people who do not deserve the same treatment as the rest, and yet they suffer just as badly because they are part of that society. On an individual level there can be collateral damage.

From our limited human perspective, it often seems this life is not fair, which is precisely why we need to believe that this life is not all there is and that ‘the arc of the moral universe bends towards justice’.

We need to believe in a day judgement when God rights all wrongs. Otherwise, we will attempt to get justice for ourselves by taking revenge. None of us are in a position to judge.

Jesus does not call God’s justice into question. Jesus says those killed by Pilate and the 18 who died in the tower collapse were not worse sinners, but sinners all the same. Therefore, they were not innocent. But that is not why they died prematurely. Their deaths serve as a warning to us all to repent while we still can, for none of us knows when our time is up.

Jesus preached urgent repentance because faith with repentance is how we get on the right side of God’s judgement. As I often say, God’s judgement is not at odds with his mercy. God’s judgement and mercy are one. Indeed, they are in conversation with one another. Which is where the parable of the fig tree comes in…

The Parable of the Fig Tree:

Many fruiting trees are pollinated by bees and other insects who visit the flowers for nectar and in the process collect and pass on pollen.

The fig tree is different though. As I mentioned at the beginning of this message, the fig flower is inverted, it is hidden inside the fruit, where bees can’t get to it. So how is the fig tree pollinated?

Some varieties of fig trees are pollinated by a tiny insect called a ‘fig wasp’.

The fig wasp is not like the big German wasps we are familiar with. A fig wasp won’t sting you; it is too small for that. The female fig wasp crawls through a small hole in the fig and lays her eggs inside the fruit.

In the process of depositing her eggs, the female transfers pollen from her original host fig. This pollinates some of the female flowers on the inside of the receiving fig and allows them to mature. After the female wasp lays her eggs, she dies, and the cycle continues with her offspring who leave their host fig and lay eggs in another fig. Essentially, the fig tree needs the fig wasp.

Why am I telling you this? Well, Jesus’ parables are a bit like the fig wasp and our minds are like figs. The parables of Jesus are small enough to get under our skin and into our imagination, where they pollinate our thoughts with the ideas of God’s kingdom. Jesus’ parables bring a new way of thinking which (if we let it) leads to repentance.

From verse 6, Jesus tells his parable of the fig tree, saying…

“A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. ⁷So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Dig it out! Why should it use up the soil?’

Before we finish the parable, let’s pause to observe a couple of things.

Firstly, for Jesus’ original Jewish audience, the vineyard was a metaphor for the nation of Israel.

Isaiah 5 famously gives us the song of the vineyard, where Israel is the vineyard and God himself is the one who planted the vineyard. The vineyard does not bear good fruit. The Lord looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. Therefore, God allowed the nation of Israel (his vineyard) to be destroyed. This happened with the exile.

Relating Isaiah 5 to Jesus’ parable of the fig tree, we can say that the vineyard represents God’s people. However, Jesus’ parable isn’t about the whole vineyard. It is focused on just one tree in the vineyard, specifically the fig tree.

What (or who) then does the fig tree represent? Probably not the nation of Israel as a whole. Some say the fig tree represents Israel’s religious leadership who (at that time) appeared righteous but were not actually producing the fruit of justice or mercy.

Thinking more broadly, the fig tree could represent any of God’s people who make an outward show of religion without bearing the fruit of genuine repentance.

In verse 7, the owner says to the man who takes care of the vineyard that he’s been coming to look for fruit for three years and not found any. It typically takes two or three years after planting for a fig tree to start bearing fruit, so it is reasonable to expect fruit after three years.

The command to dig out the tree reminds us of Luke 3, where John the Baptist warned that the axe was already at the root of the tree and any tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down.

That said, we should not miss the vineyard owner’s heart here. The vineyard owner is not hell bent on destruction for destruction’s sake. He is concerned for the wellbeing of the whole vineyard. If he allows fruitless trees to take up room and exhaust the soil, he is not being fair or kind to anyone.

Then comes the twist in verses 8 and 9, where the worker says to the owner: ⁸“‘Sir, leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it.

⁹If it bears fruit in the future, fine! If not, then dig it out.’”

Notice here how the fig tree needs outside help. The fig tree cannot save it itself; it needs the orchard worker to advocate for it and fertilise it. Just like the brothers needed the carpenter to build a bridge. Just like the fig fruit needs the fig wasp.

You might be wondering: who is the worker who intercedes to save the tree?

We might think the worker is Jesus, but it is probably better to think of the vineyard worker as a personification of God’s mercy, while the vineyard owner is the personification of God’s judgement. [3] Therefore, God’s judgement is in conversation with his mercy. God’s judgement is informed by his mercy.

God knows he has to take action where a fruitless tree is concerned (for the sake of others in the vineyard), but he still feels a tender mercy toward the fruitless tree and would prefer to see it saved and bearing good fruit.

We are reminded of what the apostle says in 2^nd Peter 3, verse 9…

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance”.

Time is grace. If we are not being fruitful for God’s glory, then the best use of our time is repentance.

Conclusion:

As is often the case, Jesus’ parable is left open ended. We, the audience, are in suspense. Did God’s mercy convince God’s judgement to wait a while longer? Did the vineyard owner agree to give the fig tree another chance? And if the fig tree was given another chance, did it eventually manage to bear fruit?

We are not told.

We don’t know when God’s judgement will come. In the meantime, we are better to ask ourselves whether our lives bear the fruit of repentance. Repentance will look different for each of us, depending on our sin.

If our sin is pride, then repentance is walking humbly with God.

If our sin is greed, then repentance is generosity.

If our sin is resentment, then repentance is being ready to forgive.

If our sin is violence, then repentance is gentleness.

If our sin is deceit, then repentance is truthfulness.

If our sin is theft, then repentance is honest work.

If our sin is gossip, then repentance is self-control. You get the idea.

But remember this. We cannot repent without help. The key to bearing the fruit of repentance is not trying harder. The key to fruitfulness is abiding in Christ.

Let us pray…

Merciful God, we thank you for your patience and for the grace of time.

When we stray off course, change our minds and gently set us in the right direction. Help us to remain in Christ that we would bear good fruit for your glory. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
How is the fig flower different from most other flowers?
What is repentance? Why is repentance necessary? How do we repent?
Why do we need to believe in God’s judgement? Why do we need to believe in God’s mercy?
What might the fig tree in Jesus’ parable represent? What might the vineyard owner and worker respectively represent? What is the main purpose of Jesus’ parable of the fig tree in Luke 13?
Does your life bear the fruit of repentance? Does God want you to change your mind and direction in life? If so, what might that change look like?

[1] The story of the bridge building carpenter is adapted from a story by J. John and Mark Stibbe in their book “A Barrel of Fun”, page 173.

[2] Kenneth Bailey, “Through Peasant Eyes”, page 79.

[3] Refer Kenneth Bailey’s book, “Through Peasant Eyes”.

February 5, 2023March 26, 2023 Tawa Baptist

John’s Opus

Scripture: Luke 3:1-20

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

Structure:

Introduction
John’s timing (darkness & light)
John’s baptism (repentance & forgiveness)
John’s message (judgement & hope)
Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Can anyone hear tell us what the phrase Magnum Opus means? [Wait]

That’s right, magnum opus is a Latin term which literally means great work. A person’s magnum opus is their greatest work.

The painting of the Mona Lisa is arguably Leonardo da Vinci’s magnum opus. Moby Dick is considered Herman Melville’s magnum opus. Winston Churchill’s leadership during World War Two was his magnum opus.

And, in the book ‘Charlotte’s Web’, Charlotte (the spider) refers to her egg sac as her magnum opus, the ‘finest thing she has ever made’.

I wonder what your magnum opus is?

Today we continue our series on John the Baptist. Last Sunday we heard about John’s purpose in being born; to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. This morning, we jump forward three decades to that time when John fulfils his purpose. Luke chapter 3 describes John’s magnum opus, his great work. From Luke 3, verses 1-18, we read…

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— ²during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁴As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. ⁵Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. ⁶And all people will see God’s salvation.’”

⁷John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ⁹The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.

¹¹John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

¹²Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

¹³“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.

¹⁴Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

¹⁵The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. ¹⁶John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” ¹⁸And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

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

Today’s message highlights three aspects of John’s opus: John’s timing, John’s baptism and John’s message. Let’s begin with the timing of John’s work.

John’s timing

In cricket, it is a thing of beauty to watch a batsman gracefully drive the ball through the covers with little effort. That’s the power of timing.

Likewise, cooking is all about timing. If you leave your chicken in the pan too long it becomes dry and chewy. Not long enough and you end up with food poisoning. Get the timing right though and the chicken is succulent, delicious.

And when it comes to music, it’s not enough to hit the right notes, one must also be in time with the conductor and the other musicians.

In the opening verses of Luke 3, the gospel writer goes to some trouble to underline the timing of John’s public ministry. Luke lists all the relevant political and religious leaders at the time the word of the Lord came to John.

From what we know of these leaders, historically, they were men of darkness. They abused their power and committed acts of gross injustice.

Among other things, the Emperor Tiberius ordered the deportment of all Jews from Rome. The last years of his reign were a time of pure terror. [1]

Pilate, the governor of Judea, ran an administration characterised by bribery, racial insult and frequent executions without trial. Pilate was the one who handed Jesus over to be crucified. [2]

Then there was Herod Antipas, sort of a puppet of Rome, ruling in Galilee. Herod was thoroughly immoral. When John the Baptist told Herod to tidy up his act, Herod threw John in prison.

Even the Jewish high priests, Annas and Caiaphas were rotten. They conspired to have Jesus murdered.

Probably these rulers thought of themselves as stars. But really they were more like the darkness of the night sky. In contrast, John the Baptist is like the moon against the backdrop of this dark time in history. John reflects the divine light of God’s word and he has a strong influence on the people, bringing about a tide of social change.

According to Luke, John is the one Isaiah spoke about when he said: A voice of one calling in the wilderness, prepare the way for the Lord…

Isaiah originally spoke that word, centuries earlier, as a kind of night light to comfort the people of Israel who were sitting in the darkness of exile.

The interesting thing with Isaiah’s prophecy is that, all people will see God’s salvation. So the redemption on offer here isn’t just for Israel, it’s for all people. God’s salvation is universally offered.

John the Baptist came on the scene at just the right time in history, when anticipation of God’s redemption was high and Jesus was about to emerge publicly. John was the bearer of God’s word, identifying Jesus as the true light of the world, God’s Messiah.

John’s baptism

Okay, so John’s timing was God’s timing. What about John’s baptism?

Well, John was a prophet and prophets usually communicate God’s message in two main ways; through words and through signs.

Sometimes the signs are super natural, like when Moses parted the Red Sea or when Elisha healed Naaman of leprosy. Other times the signs are everyday things, which may appear odd but are invested with a special meaning, like when Jeremiah wept over Jerusalem or when Hosea married a prostitute.

Baptism, immersing people in water, was John’s sign from God to the people.

It was not a miraculous sign, it was something anyone could do, and yet it was both distinctively odd (at that time) and invested with meaning.

Baptism wasn’t really something Jews did. Gentiles, who wanted to convert to Judaism, underwent a ceremonial bath as a kind of ritual cleansing but Jews did not do this because being descended from Abraham was their ticket, or so they thought.

John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. In the Bible, forgiveness is not automatic. Forgiveness goes together with repentance. We can’t separate them. Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change in behaviour.

If you are driving in your car and you take a wrong turn, then repentance is realising your mistake, turning your car around and driving in the right direction. Spiritually speaking, there are two roads you can take in this world. One leads to life and the other leads to destruction. Repentance puts you on the road to life.

Another example of repentance. If you are baking a cake and inadvertently put a cup of salt in the mix, instead of a cup of sugar, then repentance is throwing the cake mix out and starting again using the right ingredients this time. Otherwise you (and everyone else eating the cake) will get a nasty surprise.

Spiritually speaking, we might think of our deeds, in this life, as the ingredients we use to make a cake. We want to make sure our deeds are good because, at the end of the day, we get out what we put in. We eat the deeds we bake.

What are you putting into the mix of your life? The measure you use for others is the measure God will use for you. If you forgive others, God will forgive you. But if you nurse resentment, God will leave you in the prison cell of bitterness. That is what Jesus taught.

John told his fellow Jews, it’s not enough to claim Abraham as your ancestor, you cannot rely on your parents’ faith; that is no guarantee of salvation. Nor will sacrificing animals save you. You need to repent and believe in God’s Messiah, then you will be forgiven. Being baptised is a public sign of one’s repentance. It shows you are committed to righteous living.

Baptism involves being immersed in water and so the most obvious symbolism here is cleansing from sin. Not that the water of baptism takes away sin. No. Jesus is the one who takes away our sin. The water is a metaphor or a sign pointing to what Jesus does.

One of the odd things about John’s baptism is that John himself administered it. This was in contrast to the Jewish washing rituals of the day in which the person bathed themselves. So those who went to John for baptism were putting themselves in the hands of God’s representative. This signified their surrender to God’s purpose.[3]

But wait, it gets even weirder. John’s baptism took place in the wilderness, near the Jordan. We would expect a sacred ritual like this to happen in or near the Jerusalem temple. But no, it happens in the wilderness, an untamed and potentially dangerous place, outside the sphere of institutional religion.

The wilderness reminds us of Israel’s exodus from slavery in Egypt and the Jordan is the river Israel crossed when entering the Promised Land.

By coming out into the wilderness to be baptised by John and then returning home, the people were symbolically leaving behind those attitudes and habits that enslaved them and re-entering their everyday life with a new freedom, characterised by righteousness. The journey to the wilderness and back signified a fresh start.

John’s baptism informs Christian baptism. Christian baptism borrows from John’s baptism the imagery of repentance from sin, surrender to God and making a fresh start by following Jesus. For John and for us, baptism is an outward sign of an inward reality.

That being said, John’s baptism is not exactly the same as Jesus’ baptism. John himself made it clear he was not the Christ saying…

I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

John’s baptism is like a sign post, pointing to Jesus’ baptism. The Holy Spirit is the one who enables us to repent and grow toward Christlikeness. The Holy Spirit is the primary sign that we belong to Jesus.

John’s pathway to salvation; of repentance, believing in Jesus and being baptised, is still the pattern of Christian conversion for many people today.

Okay, so in thinking about John’s magnum opus (his greatest work) we’ve considered John’s timing and John’s baptism. What about John’s message?

John’s message

Well, like the prophets before him, John proclaimed a message of judgement and hope. Judgement and hope may seem polar opposites but, in Christian thought, they are one, like a single guitar string held against the fret board of history.

In verse 9, of Luke 3, John says to the crowds…

⁹The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

And, in verse 17, John employs another image of judgement, saying…

¹⁷His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

This is a poetic way of saying: The Messiah is coming soon to destroy the wicked and save the righteous. But, as scary as it sounds, the coming judgement is actually good news. Because, if you are oppressed by evil men, then removing the evil will make life better for everyone.

Even if you are wicked though, there is still hope for you, provided you stop behaving badly and start practising social justice.

I’m reading Bono’s autobiography at the moment. As well as being a rock star, Bono has also worked as a social justice activist. Among other things he has lobbied some pretty powerful people to forgive third world debt and provide medicine to fight the AIDS epidemic in developing countries.

In the pursuit of social justice, Bono has had to build relationships with people who hold a different point of view. Bono writes…

The search for common ground starts with a search for higher ground. Even with your opponents. Especially with your opponents. …you don’t have to agree on everything if the one thing you agree on is important enough. [4]

Now I’m not suggesting that Bono is a modern day John the Baptist. For one thing, Bono doesn’t live on locusts and wild honey. But I do like his idea that ‘the search for common ground starts with a search for higher ground’.

It seems to me that John had little in common with those he was communicating with. Nevertheless, John was uncompromising in his search for higher ground.

When the people asked what does repentance look like, what should we do? John pointed them to the higher ground of social justice saying: “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

And when tax collectors and soldiers came, John did not require them to quit their jobs and join a monastery. He basically told them to remain in the world and be fair with people and not abuse their power. We can see the wisdom in this. When tax collectors and soldiers act justly and show restraint, the whole community is better off.

The repentance John had in mind wasn’t just personal, it was also social. Forgiveness without repentance doesn’t help anyone. But when you tie repentance to social justice (as John did) that redeems the soul of the individual and it makes the world a better place, at the same time.

Weeding out corruption at an interpersonal level was something almost everyone (except the ruling elite) could agree on. By preaching the higher ground of social justice, John helped many to find common ground with Jesus and with each other.

But you are never going to get everyone to agree. John wasn’t able to find common ground with Herod. Sometimes social justice divides people.

John’s message is still as challenging and relevant for us today as it was 2,000 years ago. Social justice begins with each of us personally. How do we practice right relationships in our homes, our schools, our places of work and our community?

Conclusion:

This morning we have considered John’s magnum opus, his greatest work. John came onto the scene at just the right time in history, reflecting the light of God’s word in a world darkened by evil leadership.

As part of his work John baptised people. John’s baptism was a tangible sign of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John’s baptism anticipated Jesus’ baptism with the Holy Spirit.

John’s preaching (his spoken word) was a message of judgement and hope. The Messiah is coming soon, so get yourself ready by practising social justice. Then you will find some common ground with Jesus and with each other.

The question remains: Are we ready for Jesus’ return?

Let us pray now as we prepare our hearts for communion…

Father God, you are the author of salvation. You bend the arc of history toward justice. Forgive us for the times we have failed to act justly or show mercy.
Lord Jesus, we thank you for suffering on our behalf. Thank you for your grace. May you be honoured in the breaking of this bread and the sharing of this cup. Empower us by your Holy Spirit to live out social justice for your glory. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

What is your magnum opus?

What is significant about the timing of John’s public ministry? What is significant about the times in which we live?

Discuss / reflect on the symbolism of John’s baptism. How is John’s baptism similar to Jesus’ baptism? How is it different?

Can you think of a time when God changed your mind and behaviour? What happened? What deeds are you putting into the mix of your life?

Why does John tie repentance to social justice?

Are we ready for Jesus’ return? How do we practice social justice in our homes, our schools, our work places and our communities?

[1] Refer Joel Green’s NICNT on Luke, page 168.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Refer Joel Green’s NICNT on Luke, page 164.

[4] Refer Bono’s book, ‘Surrender’, pages 392-393.

August 19, 2018August 19, 2018 Tawa Baptist

Baptism

Scriptures: Various

Title: Baptism

Key Idea: Baptism is like a bridge, it connects people

Structure:

Introduction
Belief
Repentance
Identity
Discipleship
Grace
Entry
Conclusion

Introduction:

– Hamilton is a city of two halves in a way – it is dissected by the Waikato River and consequently there are a number of bridges spanning the river, providing points of connection for people on either side

– There is a flat looking bridge known as the Whitiora Bridge

– I remember walking across that as a 7 year old when it was first opened

– But probably my favourite bridge is the one with the humps – the Fairfield bridge

– It’s older than the Whitiora Bridge and more interesting to look at

– As a school boy I remember hearing stories of how someone rode the humps of the bridge on a motorbike – probably just a folk legend

On one occasion I found a 5 speed push bike in the water near the river bank underneath the Fairfield Bridge

– I handed it in to the police and after a few months, because no one claimed it, they said I could have it. I rode that bike for years

This morning our message focuses on baptism

– Baptism is a word that means to submerge or immerse

– It is also a ritual of Christian initiation

To help us understand the meaning of baptism and what it stands for I’ve come up with the following acronym: BRIDGE:

– Belief, Repentance, Identity, Discipleship, Grace and Entry

– In some ways baptism is like a bridge – it connects people

– First let us consider the belief that goes with baptism

Belief:

Belief in Jesus is central to Christian baptism

– In particular belief in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead

– And belief that Jesus is Lord

In the book of Acts the apostles preached that Jesus is the Messiah and to prove their point they spoke of how God raised Jesus from the dead

– For example, in Acts 18, after Paul had preached about Jesus, we read that: Crispus, who was the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his family; many other people in Corinth heard the message, believed, and were baptised.

– In this situation, as in others like it, belief & baptism go together

Sometimes we understand what something is by reference to its opposite

– The opposite of belief is cynicism

– Many of the Jewish religious leaders of Paul’s day were cynical about Jesus – they didn’t believe Jesus was Lord & Messiah

– In other words, they didn’t want to submit to his authority

– But Crispus stands against the flow by submitting to Jesus in baptism

Christians are not cynical or hard hearted (or at least they are not supposed to be)

– Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah and that he still lives today

– If we believe that Jesus is the Messiah of God who has conquered death then it logically follows that Jesus is Lord – that he has legitimate authority over life & death and over us

– To be baptised is to submit oneself to the Lordship or authority of Christ

– It is to say, “From this time forward my first allegiance is to Jesus. He is my King, I give Christ my loyalty and the keys to my heart.”

For most of us these days submitting to any sort of authority can be difficult

– Our society places a high value on personal freedom

– Not only that but we tend to be suspicious of those in authority

– What we need to understand is that Jesus is no ordinary king

– In submitting our will, our desires, our wishes & dreams to Jesus we are placing our very lives in the hands of someone who is wise and gentle and compassionate and good – someone who loves us personally and has our best interests at heart

– We each have a choice: either we take charge of our own lives or we let Jesus be in charge

– Jesus is a far kinder authority than we are, even to ourselves

Now I’m aware that not all of you come from a Baptist background – some of you may come from an Anglican or Catholic or Lutheran background where the tradition is for infants to be baptised

– So, if belief in Jesus’ resurrection and Lordship is central to Christian baptism, how does infant baptism fit with that?

– (Because babies aren’t able to make that choice for themselves)

– Well, in the case of infants, it is the parents and the community of faith who believe on the child’s behalf until such time as the child is old enough to confirm their belief in Jesus for themselves

– While we don’t practice infant baptism in this church we do accept people into membership who have been baptised as babies and later accepted Jesus as Lord & Saviour

– We believe in a God who is generous & spacious – we don’t believe God would exclude people on a technicality like how much water was involved or when the baptism took place

Belief in Jesus goes hand in hand with baptism in the New Testament, as does repentance

Repentance:

Repentance is a change of mind which leads to a change in behaviour

– If we truly believe that Jesus is Lord then we will be willing to make changes to our lifestyle as Jesus requires us to

– A belief in Jesus that does not result in some kind of positive change, over time, probably isn’t genuine

Complacency is the enemy of repentance

– Often it is only when we are deeply troubled that we change

The year was 1970 something – I was about 8 or 9 years old I suppose and my grandfather took me and three of my cousins to the winter show in Hamilton

– The winter show was sort of a make shift carnival with various rides and side shows

– You know there was a Ferris wheel and dodgems and a shooting gallery and put the ball in the clowns mouth and candy floss and so on

There was this one ride called the ‘Sizzler’

– The Sizzler goes round and round in circles really fast

– Any way my three cousins and I all sat in a bench seat on the Sizzler and the ride started

– As the speed was building I noticed the safety bar had come undone

– We tried to fix it but it wouldn’t latch properly so I yelled out for the operator to stop the ride but the operator ignored us – we were just kids

– My grandfather could see we were in distress and he asked the operator to stop it but the operator said he couldn’t because the ride was on a timer

– We did our best to hold on but eventually the G forces became too much and we were thrown out onto the tar seal

– We lost a bit of skin off our hands and knees and face but we were lucky really not to have been thrown into the metal fence

– Funny thing was, as soon as we came off the operator shut the ride down

– Hmm, so much for it being on a timer

Repentance is about change – a change of mind that leads to a change in behaviour

– When we are deeply troubled we want change and we want it now

– My cousins and I wanted change on the Sizzler but the operator wouldn’t repent – It was only after he saw us come off that he became troubled enough to change

In Acts 2, when Peter preached to the crowd in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost he spoke about Jesus’ death & resurrection saying…

– “People of Israel, know for sure that this Jesus, whom you crucified, is the one that God has made Lord and Messiah.”

– When the people heard this, they were deeply troubled and said, “What shall we do?”

– Peter said to them, “Each one of you must turn away from their sins & be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven…”

The crowd in Acts 2 were willing to repent (to change and turn away from their sins) because they felt deeply troubled at what they had done to Jesus, God’s Messiah

– Someone once said, ‘Jesus comes to disturb those who are comfortable and to comfort those who are disturbed.’

It’s not just Peter who put repentance & baptism together – so did John the Baptist and the apostle Paul

In his letter to the Romans Paul writes…

– What shall we say then? Should we continue to live in sin so that God’s grace will increase? Certainly not! We have died to sin – how then can we go on living in it? For surely you know that when we were baptised into union with Christ Jesus, we were baptised into union with his death. By our baptism then we were buried with him and shared his death in order that, just as Christ was raised from death by the glorious power of the Father, so also we might live a new life.

Baptism with repentance gives us a fresh start, a clean slate from which to move forward

The Great Flood of Noah’s day offers an image of baptism as a fresh start

– In a sense the whole earth was baptised in the flood and God made a fresh start with Noah and his family

– Likewise, after 40 years wandering in the wilderness, the people of Israel went through a kind of baptism, when they passed through the River Jordan, before making a fresh start by entering the Promised Land

There is a danger with any sort of ritual that it can become convention, just going through the motions

– Baptism doesn’t mean business as usual

– Baptism usually involves being disturbed enough to repent (to change our mind & behaviour) and make a fresh start

Identity:

Receiving a new identity – becoming a new creation in Christ is part & parcel of the fresh start implied by baptism

Some of you here follow the Super Rugby competition which has recently finished

– When I say the colours red & black, what team do you think of?

– What about yellow & black, which team wears those colours?

– A sports team is known by the colour of their uniform

If someone has been playing for the Crusaders and then repents and changes to the Hurricanes they don’t keep wearing their old red & black colours – they start wearing their new yellow & black colours

In his letter to the Galatians Paul writes…

– You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

When we are baptised into Christ we are clothed in his colours – his identity

– That means we are no longer defined by our past mistakes or by superficial things like our gender or our ethnicity or our occupation

– We are defined by Christ and given a new identity as children of God

– We become a new creation in Christ – we belong to God’s family

Last week I spoke about naming as an act of creation by God

– God gave Abram the new name of Abraham

– And he gave Jacob the new name of Israel

– Many centuries later Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter, meaning rock

– When the Lord changes a person’s name he is giving them a new identity

– It is no accident that when infants are baptised they also receive their Christian names – signalling the child’s identity in Christ

It is not easy or popular these days (in NZ) to identify yourself as a Christian

– The politics of identity has become complex and fraught

– Standing in solidarity with Jesus can be uncomfortable

Belief, repentance, identity and discipleship…

Discipleship:

Baptism is a commitment to become a disciple of Jesus

– A disciple is essentially a student or an apprentice – someone who learns from and follows the example of their master

– And in the case of Christian baptism the master is Jesus

At the end of Matthew’s gospel, after his death & resurrection but before his ascension to heaven, Jesus says to his disciples…

– “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…”

Baptism marks the beginning of Christian discipleship – of learning the ways of Christ

– And it’s important to understand that baptism is a beginning

– Baptism is not a badge that says you’ve made it – it’s not a sign that you’ve got your black belt in loving God and your neighbour

– Or to use a Star Wars reference, baptism doesn’t make you a Jedi master, rather it makes you a Padawan – a learner or apprentice

– So you don’t have to have it all together to get baptised – but you do need to be serious in your commitment to learn from Jesus

We learn how to be like Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit…

– By reading the Scriptures; especially the gospels

– By being in community with other believers

– And by having a go at doing what Jesus taught

When it comes to reading the Bible we tend to get more out of it when we listen to sermons or read Bible study notes or discuss the meaning of the Scriptures with other Christians in a study group

Of course we need more than reading and sermons and Bible study

– In the Christian life understanding comes with practice

– For example, we learn to pray by reading what Jesus taught about prayer, and by listening to other Christians praying and by praying ourselves

– We learn patience by not having all our prayers answered quickly but by being made to wait sometimes

– We learn forgiveness by being part of an imperfect community of faith where we are forgiven for our mistakes & have to forgive others for theirs

When we are new to the Christian faith it is important to have a few older more mature believers we can go to for guidance or encouragement

– And when we’ve been walking with Jesus for a while it is important to be available to those who may want a bit of support in their faith

– Whether we’ve been on the journey for a short while or a long while we all have something to offer toward each other’s faith development

Baptism is like a bridge – it connects people

– B is for Belief, R is for Repentance, I is for Identity, D is for Discipleship and G is for Grace

Grace:

The classic definition of God’s grace is ‘unmerited favour’

– This means grace is something favourable or pleasant & good that God gives without us having to earn it

– Grace goes beyond the contract – beyond the letter of the law

Imagine for example that you have an employment contract that allows you up to 5 days a year sick leave and that sick leave doesn’t accumulate beyond 5 days

– If you get sick and need to take time off then the first 5 days of sick leave is not grace, it’s something you are entitled to under the terms of your contract – your employer is obligated to pay you that much, no one is doing you any favours

– But if you have to take two weeks off to recuperate and your boss decides she will pay you for a second week as well, without taking your annual leave, then that is unmerited favour

– Your boss is not obligated to pay you – she is showing you grace

Baptism is a ceremony that celebrates God’s grace – sort of like a wedding is the ceremony that celebrates marriage

God’s grace has many dimensions to it – very briefly 2 significant aspects of grace in baptism include: forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit

In preparing the way for Jesus, John the Baptist said,

– I baptise you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire…” [1]

Then, about 3 years later, in Acts 2 at Pentecost, Peter says to the crowd…

– “Repent and be baptised, everyone one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

– The grace of forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit – God’s unmerited favour

Now it needs to be said that the Holy Spirit is free to move as He wishes

– There are some in the book of Acts who receive the Spirit before being baptised in water and others who receive the Spirit after

– In any case it is the Holy Spirit who makes our baptism effective

Baptism is like a bridge – it connects people

– Belief, Repentance, Identity, Discipleship, Grace & Entry

Entry:

The bridge of baptism represents entry into the church universal

In Anglican churches the baptismal font is at the front door to symbolise that baptism is entry into the church

Baptism isn’t something people do in isolation – it is a ceremony that joins the one being baptised to the community of believers throughout the world and indeed throughout history

– Baptism is something Christians share in common

– So in being baptised we aren’t just identifying with Jesus, we are also identifying with his body, the church

– Baptism then is about belonging to a community of Christian faith – becoming part of God’s family

In his letter to the Ephesians Paul touches on the mystery of our oneness in Christ when he writes…

– As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. [2]

Christian believers are connected in a profound way by Jesus, so we need to tread gently in each other’s lives – what one believer does is felt by another

Conclusion:

Baptism is like a bridge, but we don’t build the bridge on our own

– Jesus, the master carpenter, does the building by His Spirit

– We need to decide if we will cross the bridge

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

2.) What is your experience of baptism? (E.g. Have you been baptised? If so, when and how? What led you to your baptism? Or, what keeps you from being baptised?)

3.) What core beliefs do we affirm in baptism?

– What does it mean to submit to Jesus’ authority?

4.) What does true repentance look like?

– What is the catalyst for true repentance?

5.) In what sense do we gain a new identity at baptism?

6.) What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ?

– How might we work out our discipleship today?

7.) What is grace?

– How is God’s grace present in baptism?

8.) Take some time this week to reflect on Ephesians 4:1-6 and our oneness with other Christian believers throughout the world and throughout history.

[1] Matthew 3:11

[2] Ephesians 4:1-6

September 11, 2016September 12, 2016 Tawa Baptist

Nineveh Repents

Scripture: Jonah 3

Title: Nineveh Repents

Structure:

Introduction
Jonah’s preaching
Nineveh’s repentance
God’s compassion
Conclusion

Introduction:

The Economist Intelligence Unit did a global livability study looking at the most “tolerable” cities to live in given crime levels, threat of conflict, quality of medical care, levels of censorship, climate, schools and transport links [1]

– And they came up with a list of the 10 best cities in the world

– There were 4 Australian cities in the top 10 and 3 Canadian cities

– With Melbourne being rated the best city to live in, in the world

– Auckland, NZ, came in tenth – which made me wonder whether they had considered Wellington at all

– We lived in Auckland for 3 years and while it wasn’t too bad, Wellington is a way better city in pretty much every way

At the other end of the spectrum, if you google ‘most violent cities’ then Latin American countries are predominant

– The city of Caracas, in Venezuela, is currently ranked the most dangerous with nearly 120 homicides per 100,000 people [2]

Today we continue our series on the city of Nineveh

– These days Nineveh is more of a province in northern Iraq

– But in ancient times it was a significant city

– Nineveh would not have won any prizes for being the most tolerable place to live but it was certainly up there as one of the most violent places

For two Sundays now we’ve looked at the city of Nineveh through the book of Jonah

– This morning we pick up the story from Jonah chapter 3

– I will be reading from the New International Version – the words will appear on the wall…

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: ²“Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” ³Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.

Now Nineveh was a very important city; a visit required three days. ⁴On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.” ⁵The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

⁶When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. ⁷This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. ⁸But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. ⁹Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”

¹⁰When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

There are essentially three parts to this chapter…

– Jonah’s preaching

– Nineveh’s repentance

– And God’s compassion

First let’s consider Jonah’s preaching…

Jonah’s preaching:

Robert Frost has a poem called Reluctance

– The last verse goes like this…

Ah, when to the heart of man

Was it ever less than a treason

To go with the drift of things,

To yield with a grace to reason,

And bow and accept the end

Of a love or a season?

Jonah is sometimes described as the reluctant prophet – and for good reason

When God asked Jonah to go to Nineveh, Jonah protested and when his protest failed he tried running away

– Then when God saved Jonah from drowning, by providing a large fish, Jonah was thankful but he wasn’t really sorry for running away

– Nevertheless God wanted to give Jonah a second chance, so he spoke to the fish and the fish spewed Jonah out onto the beach

Once again God calls Jonah to go and preach to the people of Nineveh

– This time Jonah obeys God, but only reluctantly

– His heart is not really in it

– ‘The drift of things’ (of everything in fact) is pulling Jonah towards Nineveh and yet it still feels to his heart like treason

– Yes, Jonah obeys God this time, but it is a reluctant yielding to reason

– Like a man subject to the change of seasons or to a love which is ending, Jonah is subject to forces he cannot control

– The most sensible option available to Jonah is simply to go with it

We can’t be sure where the fish spewed Jonah out, but we do know that Nineveh was inland by quite a distance (about 500 miles north of Jerusalem) so it would have taken Jonah a fair while to walk there

Verse 3 tells us that a visit to Nineveh required three days

– This probably means Jonah could reasonably expect to budget three days to proclaim his message in all of Nineveh’s public places

Jonah’s sermon, in a nutshell went like this…

– “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned”

Now you might think, a short sermon is a good sermon

– But this is too short

– We know for a fact that Jonah could do better

– Just last week we heard his beautifully composed poem about how God rescued him from drowning

– Jonah delivered this poem in the belly of a fish where no one but God could hear

– Now, when he is faced with an enormous audience, Jonah gives 8 words of doom (it’s actually only 5 words in the original Hebrew)

There are no illustrations or movie clips and no miracles to prove his point

– There is no explanation of what Nineveh has done wrong, nor is there any specific application about what they can do to put things right

– In fact, God’s name is not mentioned at all

– If Jonah wanted to save Nineveh then we might expect him to be a bit clearer with the details

– Instead Jonah’s message is blunt and vague

– It appears that Jonah is forcing himself to obey God – all the time hoping that his message won’t be successful

– To be fair to Jonah though, the people of Nineveh spoke a different language – so that may have been a limitation

Language is a funny thing

– One word, spelt exactly the same, can have two quite different meanings

– For example, the word bark can mean a loud noise, like a dog might make, or it can mean the covering of a tree

– The word light can refer to a lamp but it can also mean not heavy

– And the word cool – can refer to temperature but it can also mean something is really good or acceptable – as in, ‘that’s cool man’

The word, “overturned”, which Jonah uses in his sermon (hapak in the original Hebrew), has a double meaning [3]

– On the one hand it can mean destroyed – as in God is going to wreck this city

– But on the other hand it can also mean changed – as in God is going to transform this city, he is going to turn your world upside down so that your whole way of life is different

Jonah was hoping for the first meaning (destroyed) but he knew God well enough not to rule out the second meaning (changed)

Nineveh’s repentance:

Despite his half-hearted (reluctant) sermon, Jonah’s success as a preacher is unparalleled in history

– The entire city from the least to the greatest (from the livestock to the king himself) took Jonah’s message to heart and very quickly repented

Apparently Jonah didn’t need to use the full three days to spread his message, because the people of Nineveh spread it themselves

– They didn’t need the problem explained to them because they already knew what they had done wrong

– The king of Nineveh certainly knew – he summed it up as…

– “Let them give up their evil ways and their violence”

– What’s more, even though Jonah never mentioned Yahweh’s name, verse 5 tells us the people of Nineveh believed God

Belief in God goes hand in hand with repentance

– You can’t really have one without the other

– If we believe in God it will inevitably lead to repentance

– If belief doesn’t lead to repentance then we are just kidding ourselves

For example, if it’s cold and the clothes you are wearing are wet, then the best way to get warm is to get out of the wet clothes and into something dry

– Simply thinking warm thoughts isn’t repentance

– Actually changing your clothes (changing your behaviour) is repentance

The problem is, most people don’t want to get out of their wet clothes because they think, “I’m not that wet anyway” or “I’ll soon dry off” or “It’s going to make me even colder getting changed”

– They’re not really facing the problem

– In order to change our clothes we need to feel even colder

If we apply this metaphor to the people of Nineveh, then they were already cold, standing around in wet clothes, when Jonah turned up

– Jonah’s message to them was, “You’re going to get hyperthermia & die”

The people of Nineveh didn’t need convincing – they were freezing and they knew what they had to do to get warm – change into some dry clothes

– In other words, stop their violent ways and practice kindness

Real repentance only comes about when we realise just how cold & wet we are

– So long as we hold on to the illusion that we are right – so long as we keep denying the truth and justifying ourselves,

– So long as we keep saying, “I’m not that wet, I’ll dry off soon” – we can’t change

It’s harder for good people, respectable people (like Jonah) to admit when they are wrong – they don’t want to change their wet clothes, it’s too embarrassing

– It was easier for the people of Nineveh to admit they were wrong because they could feel the coldness of their actions

Again it is ironic that Jonah (who has experienced God’s miraculous power & grace) is unwilling to say sorry and seek forgiveness

– Yet the people of Nineveh (who have never experienced God’s miraculous power and only hear a message of judgment) are willing to repent and seek mercy

In Matthew 12 Jesus says to the men & women of his day…

– The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgement with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here.

If the people of Nineveh listened to Jonah (a foreigner) and believed his message (as poor as it was), it seems crazy that Jesus’ own people did not believe Jesus’ message (as rich as it was)

In some ways the king of Nineveh shows more insight than Jonah himself

– In verse 9, after making a royal decree for everyone to repent and change their ways, the king says…

– Who knows? God may relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish

This is interesting for what it reveals

– Unlike Jonah, the king of Nineveh seems to intuitively understand that God is free

– Just because they have repented, it doesn’t automatically follow that God must forgive them

– The king throws himself and his people at God’s mercy and hopes for the best

Earlier this week Brian Gillies sent me a link to an article about Henry Gerecke[4]

– Gerecke was an American army chaplain during the second world war

– He served in a field hospital in 1944 following the D Day invasions

– He also saw inside the Nazi concentration camps at the end of the war

Gerecke was preparing to return to the US following the war when he was asked by Colonel Andrus if he would stay behind to act as a chaplain to some high profile Nazi war criminals (Hitler’s henchmen) as they stood trial at Nuremburg

– Many people on the home front thought these Nazi’s shouldn’t be given the chance to make their peace with God

– Consequently, Henry Gerecke (a Lutheran pastor) together with Father Richard O’Connor (a Catholic priest), were inundated with hate mail

– What they were doing was thought to be anti-Semitic, unpatriotic and unjust – a kind of betrayal of the Jews and allies who had died at the hands of the Nazi’s

It was a difficult decision to make but in the end Gerecke and O’Connor felt that ministering to these loathsome men was what Christ would have them do

– Christ too was criticised for keeping bad company but always maintained he came to seek and save the lost

Gerecke’s situation was similar to Jonah’s in that God had called Jonah to minister to his enemies – people Jonah considered beyond redemption

– It would have felt like a betrayal of his own people

However, unlike Jonah, Gerecke and O’Connor were willing to serve and did not try to run away from God

– Gerecke & O’Connor were not as successful as Jonah

– Of the 21 men who stood trial, 11 were condemned to die and, according to Gerecke’s final report, only four of them…

– “…died as penitent sinners trusting God’s mercy for forgiveness [and] believing in Jesus who shed his blood for their sins.”

Will those repentant Nazi’s be forgiven and make it into heaven?

– God is free, so like the king of Nineveh the most we can say is…

– Who knows? God may relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish

God’s compassion:

Jonah’s preaching was reluctant – half hearted

– By contrast, Nineveh’s repentance was genuine – fully committed

– But it’s God’s compassion which triumphs in the end

¹⁰When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

There are two sides to the coin of compassion

– One side is entering into the suffering of another – sharing their pain

– The other side is doing something to alleviate that pain

– When we feel someone else’s pain as our own then we are motivated to relieve their suffering

– So to have compassion is firstly to feel and then to heal

This is a picture of the memorial at Gallipoli

The story that goes with this memorial is that there was a wounded British soldier groaning in agony in no man’s land between the trenches

– At that moment a piece of white underwear was raised from the Turkish side and a well-built, unarmed soldier appeared.
– The Turk walked slowly towards the wounded British soldier, took him in his arms and carried him to the Allies’ side, before gently placing him down on the ground and returning to his trench.

There are some who question the accuracy of this story

– I don’t know, I wasn’t there
– Either way, it is a picture of compassion
– Feeling another’s pain and then acting to help & heal that person
– Feeling and healing

To say that God had compassion on the people of Nineveh means that he was affected by their sin (he felt the hurt they inflicted on each other) and he acted to heal that hurt – feeling and healing

God’s compassion wasn’t just a response to the people’s repentance

– His compassion is seen long before that, when he sent Jonah to warn them

That God is compassionate and open to change tells us that the details of God’s will are not fixed in stone

– Sometimes we are tempted to think of God’s will as a train travelling along the tracks

– The thing about a train is that it can’t really deviate off the tracks – it has to follow the path laid out for it

– And once the train gets up some speed it is very hard to stop, because it’s got all this weight (all this history) behind it

But I don’t believe God’s will is like a train following the tracks

– I see God’s will as more dynamic than that

– God’s will is like a 4WD vehicle

– God can follow the road or he can go off road

– If someone or something is in the way then God can easily stop to wait or change course to avoid a collision

– Yes, he has a fixed destination in mind (the redemption of his creation)

– But he also has the power and freedom to alter his course in getting to that destination

– And that’s what he does in the case of Nineveh – God changes his course (without changing his overall purpose) and saves the city

Conclusion:

This morning we’ve heard that Jonah was a reluctant preacher

– But despite his reluctance the people of Nineveh still humbled themselves in genuine repentance

– And God had compassion on Nineveh

– God is free and he uses his freedom to love his enemies

I’m conscious that today is September 11 – fifteen years since the attack on the Twin Towers in New York

– The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people and injured over 6,000 others

– In response to these attacks America declared a war on terror and thousands more died

– So people might say the city of New York is akin to Nineveh, with its violence

– Others say, no, it’s the terrorists who are more akin to the people of Nineveh

– I suspect it’s not that black & white

– All of our cities have violence in them

– All of our hearts the seeds of terror

– None of us can claim to be completely pure or righteous

I don’t think the events of 9/11 were God’s will

– I think what happened that day grieved his heart and went against his will

Jesus points us to the will of God (to the compassion of God) when he says…

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous…

Let us pray…

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/11-sep-2016-nineveh-repents

[1] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/pictures/9477990/The-worlds-10-best-cities-to-live-in.html?frame=2311083

[2] http://www.businessinsider.com/most-violent-cities-in-the-world-2016-1/?r=AU&IR=T/#1-caracas-venezuela-had-11987-homicides-per-100000-residents-50

[3] James Bruckner, NIVAC ‘Jonah’, pages 90-91.

[4][4] http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/may-web-only/would-you-share-gospel-with-hitlers-worst-henchmen.html?start=3

November 15, 2015November 15, 2015 Tawa Baptist

Moses Intercedes

Scripture: Exodus 32:1-14

Title: Moses Intercedes

Key Idea: Moses intercedes for the people by asking God to be true to Himself

Structure:

Introduction
Israel’s disloyalty (vv.1-6)
God’s anger (vv.7-10)
Moses’ intercession (vv.11-13)
Conclusion – Yahweh repents (v. 14)

Introduction:

The Christian mathematician, Blaise Pascal, famously said…

All human evil comes from a single cause, man’s inability to sit still in a room

With the holidays approaching some of you may be contemplating travelling away for a break

Most holidays we go to see family who live about 7 hours north of here
When our kids were little they would sleep some of the way but invariably we had to provide some entertainment for most of the trip
We might listen to the Wiggles or High Five for a while but by the third or fourth time through the tape that got a bit tiresome
We played the classic I spy with my little eye & word association games
But my favourite game (and probably their least favourite) was seeing how long they could stay completely quiet and still for
Some attempts were more successful than others

Please turn with me to Exodus chapter 32 – page 92 in your pew Bibles

Today we continue our series on Moses
At this point in the story Moses is up Mount Sinai receiving instructions from Yahweh
He has been gone about 6 weeks and the people are growing impatient
Like passengers in the back seat of a car, all they had to do was sit still and wait quietly. Sadly, they weren’t able to do this
From verse 1 of Exodus 32 we read…

[Read Exodus 32:1-14]

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

This Scripture passage rather conveniently divides into three parts…

Israel’s disloyalty in verses 1-6
God’s anger in verses 7-10
And Moses’ intercession in verses 11-13

First let us consider Israel’s apostasy – their disloyalty or rejection of Yahweh

Israel’s disloyalty:

As an explanation of the quote we opened today’s sermon with, Blaise Pascal goes on to observe…

“Nothing is so insufferable to man as to be completely at rest, without passions, without business, without diversion, without study. He then feels his nothingness, his forlornness, his insufficiency, his dependence, his weakness, his emptiness.”

Moses has been up the mountain listening to Yahweh for about six weeks

All the people had to do was be still and wait, but they couldn’t manage it
Moses’ absence had put them in touch with their own nothingness, their insufficiency, weakness and emptiness
To overcome these insufferable feelings the people gathered round Aaron and took matters into their own hands, saying to Aaron…

‘We do not know what has happened to this man Moses, who led us out of Egypt; so make us gods to lead us.’

There is quite a bit wrong with this sentence

For starters we hear contempt in the phrase, ‘this man Moses’, as if Moses were a stranger to the people

Worse than this though there is a complete denial of God

The people credit Moses with leading them out of Egypt when in fact it was the Lord Almighty who led them
By pretending God does not exist the people are able to say, ‘make us gods to lead us.’

This request is a blatant disregard of God’s instruction not to make images or idols for worship

It amounts to nothing less than a rejection of Yahweh who delivered Israel from slavery – It is a betrayal of the worst kind
The people don’t want a God who can think and speak and act
They would rather have a lifeless object which they can see and touch and control

An idol isn’t necessarily a statue that people bow down to

It could be money in the bank, or our job, or a status symbol, like the clothes we wear or the car we drive
An idol is basically any mechanism or device which makes us feel like we are in control
By that definition a bomb or a gun could be an idol

We are not in control of course but it makes us feel more powerful, more secure if we can maintain the illusion that we are calling the shots

Jesus said that human beings live by faith
Which means we are actually more empowered, more secure, when we accept the reality that we are not in control and simply trust God

Apparently Aaron gave little resistance to the people’s demand

He asked for the people’s ear rings, melted them and made a gold bull
Then the people said, ‘Israel, this is our god, who led us out of Egypt’
Aaron went along with this and built an altar in front of the golden bull saying, ‘Tomorrow there will be a festival to honour the Lord (Yahweh)’

What we have here is syncretism

Syncretism is the combining of different, often contradictory, beliefs

In the ancient east statues of golden bulls or calves were used by pagans in the worship of Baal

Aaron was combining aspects of Baal worship with the worship of Yahweh, the Lord Almighty. That was syncretism
It was also the breaking of the third commandment not to take the Lord’s name in vain

[Set up table with water & turps and empty glass]

I have here a jug of water and a bottle of turps together with an empty glass

Imagine the empty glass represents the human soul
You only have one soul – one container
Worshipping the one true God – the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ – is like pouring water into our soul – it refreshes us, it is life to us
Idol worship is like pouring turps (or poison) into our soul – it will kill us
Syncretism is when someone tries to mix the water and the turps
Even a little bit of turps will ruin the water and make it unfit for drinking
It doesn’t work to worship God and Buddha at the same time
Just like it doesn’t work to follow Jesus and put money or career first

[Return to the pulpit]

From our vantage point in history we might look back and think, how could the Israelites do such a terrible thing?

But at the time the people of Israel couldn’t see that it was terrible
They probably thought they were doing a virtuous thing – not unlike terrorists who also think they are doing a virtuous thing
What’s more Israel were doing it in a democratic way – this was the collective wisdom of the majority. (So much for democracy)

We shouldn’t feel too superior to the Israelites – I’m not sure any of us is so pure in our worship of the Lord

That’s the thing about syncretism – we can’t always see it
Like turps it appears the same as water
Apostasy doesn’t present itself as a red devil with horns

It comes as an angel of light – we may think it a good thing at first

Verse 6 tells how the people sacrificed to the golden calf and then sat down to a feast which turned into an orgy of drinking and sex

Idolatry (putting ourselves in control) leads to moral chaos and the breakdown of society

So, that’s the people’s disloyalty

What about God’s response?
Well, God is angry

God’s anger:

My grandad had a pool table and we used to play pool together

Pool is basically a game of physics – it’s about the transfer of energy
Energy is transferred from the cue to the white ball and onto a numbered (or coloured) ball

Anger is essentially a form of energy

Energy is not good or bad – it’s just energy
When we are angry we have an intense concentration of energy in us which moves us – sort of like balls in a game of pool are moved

If anger is the white ball (on a pool table) then the numbered (or coloured) balls on the table are the different faces of anger

Just as a moving white ball transfers energy to the other balls on the table so too anger expresses itself in a variety of behaviours
Perhaps the black 8 ball represents outrage – swearing or yelling or throwing your weight around
But outrage isn’t the only face of anger – sometimes people hold the rage in and it becomes sadness, bitterness, resentment, cynicism, or contempt

One common face of anger is sarcasm

Some people think sarcasm is funny, but it’s not something I enjoy
Sarcasm is a form of anger
If you are sarcastic a lot then you have a problem with anger, underneath

God uses sarcasm with Moses in verse 7, where He says…

“Go back down at once, because your people, whom you led out of Egypt have sinned and rejected me
God is picking up on what the people said earlier about Moses leading them out of Egypt
God is angered by the people’s denial of Him and this angry energy is transferred into words of sarcasm – like the white ball transferring energy onto the yellow ball

The other thing to say here is that anger is never a primary emotion – even with God (perhaps especially with God) – anger is always secondary

Anger is energy that has been transferred from something deeper
The white ball on a pool table doesn’t move by itself
The white ball (of anger) moves because it is hit by the cue

So what does the cue in the hands of God represent?

The cue represents what we might call care or love or compassion
It is precisely because God cares so much that He hits the white ball of His anger
If God didn’t care about the people He wouldn’t have been so upset
If God hadn’t been so attached to Israel He would have put the cue down and walked away from the game

As I understand it Buddhism is a non-violent religion

Jesus also taught non-violence
So Buddhism and Christianity appear similar (like turps & water)
But when you take a closer look you realise how different they are
Buddhism says the way to avoid violence is to not care, to not love and not form attachments
Because when you don’t care about anything, you don’t get angry or upset about anything and so you don’t hurt anyone

By contrast Jesus teaches us that we must care, we must form attachments

We shouldn’t become attached to money or material objects but we should care about our neighbour and we should love God
Of course this means we will inevitably get angry
The pool cue of care will set the white ball of our anger in motion
Jesus’ intention is that we use the energy of anger for good
Release the energy in a controlled way and in a direction which achieves a positive outcome

I think, in hindsight, that my grandad was using the game of pool to teach me lessons for life

He was always telling me don’t hit the ball too hard
Take your time, line it up right and hit the ball gently because then, even if you miss, at least it will be in place for you to sink next time
Hitting the ball hard just makes a mess of things

God was angry with the Israelites because He cares

The Good News Translation has God saying to Moses…
“Now don’t try to stop me. I am angry with them and I am going to destroy them. Then I will make you [Moses] and your descendants into a great nation.”

Words like this in the mouth of God are difficult for us – especially in light of events in Paris yesterday

We have to keep the bigger picture in mind – God’s overarching goal for humanity is, not to destroy but, to save as many as possible

The Good News Bible is usually pretty good but their translation of the opening sentence, ‘Don’t try to stop me’, is a bit misleading

God actually does want Moses to stop Him, why else would He tell Moses what He was thinking

A more accurate translation (like the NIV) reads…

“Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”

This translation makes better sense

The fact that God is asking to be left alone with this decision tells us at least two things…

Firstly, that God is in control of His anger

He is not about to react in the heat of the moment
God is not like David Banner, who could turn into the Incredible Hulk at any time. ‘Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry’ – that’s not God
God is taking time to consider His actions – measure twice, cut once

Asking to be left alone also tells us this was not an easy matter for God

It’s like finding out that your husband or wife has been cheating on you
There is tremendous grief involved for the Lord
God wants time on His own to deal with His grief and anger, that’s how deeply affected He is by Israel’s rejection

Now it is important to understand that God’s grief isn’t all about Himself

Yes, Israel’s rejection of Him hurts but I reckon God is also grieving for the other nations of the world – for humanity generally
The Lord’s intention for Israel was that they be a holy people – a nation of priests who would lead the other nations of the world to God
By worshipping the golden calf Israel have pointed the other nations away from the Lord and over a cliff
Israel have made it harder for people to come to God and that grieves the Lord’s heart

God doesn’t want to destroy anyone, least of all His beloved people

His overarching purpose is to save as many people as possible
But what is He to do if Israel rejects Him?
He can’t force the people to love Him
What choice does He have but to start again with Moses?

Moses’ intercession:

Although God has asked Moses to leave Him alone with His grief and anger, Moses stands His ground and intercedes for the people and for God

With an idol, there is no dialogue – there is just the monologue of our own self talk

But with God there is dialogue – our prayers can influence God
What we say and do makes a very real difference
Which means that to some degree the future is open
God’s overall purpose is to save or redeem as many people as possible and, thankfully, we can’t change that
But we can influence God’s strategy for how He reaches His goal

To use the metaphor of driving a car…

If God is the driver and we are the passengers, and it’s His purpose to travel from Auckland to Wellington, then we can’t change His mind about the destination
But we can influence the route He takes in getting there, where He stops and how many people He picks up on the way, that sort of thing

It’s not like life is a movie and we are just playing the roles and reading the lines that have been written for us

We are not fated to a particular destiny
Christians don’t believe in fate
Christians live by faith
Faith is not set in stone – it’s organic, it’s interactive, it’s dynamic

When God made humanity He didn’t make us in the image of an idol – a lifeless lump of stone that can’t talk back or change anything

God gave us a mind to think with, freewill to choose, emotion to move us and a voice to speak
God made us like Himself, in His own image
And in doing that the Lord was sharing His power with us

Moses seems to understand this and so when God says, ‘Leave me alone…’, Moses stands his ground and talks back

Moses is not disrespectful to God
He does not minimise or condone or justify what the Israelites have done in betraying Yahweh
And he does not deny the truth of what God is feeling – although he does ask the Lord to put His anger aside

Moses speaks up and appeals to God’s reason, reputation and integrity

Moses does not appeal to human rights – he doesn’t say, ‘God, you can’t kill the people because they’ve got rights’
We may have rights when it comes to other human beings but when it comes to God we don’t have any rights
All we have grace – everything we have is a gift from God
Human rights don’t come into it

When we consider what Moses says to God we soon realise that Moses is actually interceding for God Himself, more than the people

Moses is asking God to be true to Himself

In verse 11 Moses appeals to the Lord’s reason…

“Why should your anger burn against your people whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?”

In other words, Lord, why destroy the people you have just saved – that doesn’t make sense. You’ve got a lot invested with these people. Don’t throw that away

Then in verse 12 Moses appeals to the Lord’s reputation…

“Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’?”

In other words, Lord, killing the Israelites now will make You look bad so that it will be harder for the other nations of the world to trust You

God needs to preserve His reputation if He wants to save as many people as possible

And in verse 13 Moses appeals to the Lord’s integrity…

Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever’.

In other words, remember who You are Lord. You are a God who keeps His promises.

If You break Your promise to Abraham You won’t be able to live with Yourself

Conclusion:

Interestingly the text does not record God saying anything else here

Moses has the last word on this occasion
God listened to Moses – He changed His mind and did not bring on the people the disaster he had threatened
The future is open

This is perhaps Moses’ finest hour

He saves the people from destruction by asking God to stay true to Himself

Outtakes

Moses knows all about anger

He knows all about caring too much
And he also knows the sting of rejection

Remember how Moses (as a younger man) killed the Egyptian slave driver who was beating a Hebrew slave

And then the next day when Moses tried to settle a dispute between two fellow Israelites, the man answered sarcastically…
‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?’