Tawa Baptist

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Scripture: Mark 13:28-37

Video Link: https://youtu.be/UTzUTNOVvT4

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • These things (vv. 28-31)
  • That day (vv. 32-37)
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

When working with anything electrical it’s important not to get your wires crossed. If your car battery runs flat and you need jumper leads to get it started, always remember positive to positive, negative to negative. If you cross your wires, sparks will fly and you might get a nasty shock.  

To make it easier for you, the jumper leads are colour coded. The red lead attaches to the positive terminal on each battery and the black lead attaches to the negative terminal. Just don’t let the wires touch each other.

Today we conclude our series in the gospel of Mark by looking at the closing verses of chapter 13. Mark 13 is complicated. For most of the chapter Jesus is talking about the destruction of the Jerusalem temple, which happened in AD70. But right at the end of Mark 13, Jesus switches to talking about his second coming and the end of the age, which is yet to happen.

From this distance in history (2000 years after Mark wrote his gospel) it’s easy to get our wires crossed. To make it clearer for you, verses 28-31 relate to the destruction of Jerusalem and the verses 32-37 relate to Jesus’ second coming and the end of the age. From Mark 13, verse 28 we read… 

28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. 35 “Therefore, keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

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

Today’s sermon is a message of two halves. The first half focuses on verses 28-31, where Jesus talks about ‘these things’. These things being the destruction of the Jerusalem temple, which happened in the first Century, and has been the subject of most of the preceding 27 verses. 

The second half of the message focuses on verses 32-37, where Jesus talks about ‘that day’. That day being the day of the Lord; aka: Jesus’ second coming, which is yet to happen. Let’s start with these things.

These things (vv. 28-31)

The seasons of the year, spring, summer, autumn and winter, are normally heralded by certain signs. We know spring is starting when daffodils and cherry blossoms come out. We know summer is almost here when the lawns need mowing more frequently. And we know autumn has arrived by the changing colour of the leaves on trees.

These signs of the seasons don’t lie. People may lie and deceive but the leaves on the trees reveal the truth of the season.  

In Mark 13, Jesus is sitting on the Mount of Olives, looking across the valley to Jerusalem. It’s springtime and the Mount of Olives is covered in fig trees.

Fig trees grow a lot of foliage during spring and so Jesus uses this as a parable for what he has just been talking about.

In verse 2 of Mark 13, Jesus had predicted the destruction of the Jerusalem temple. Then in verse 4, the disciples asked, ‘when will these things happen and what will be the sign?’ Jesus goes on to talk about what to look out for and what to avoid. We covered these things over the past two Sundays.

The signs Jesus mentions are like fig trees growing an abundance of leaves in spring. They indicate the destruction of the Jerusalem temple is close at hand.

In the same way the leaves of a tree don’t lie, so too Jesus doesn’t lie.

False prophets will deceive many, saying God will save Jerusalem. But Jesus’ words reveal the truth of the season.     

Jesus says as much, in verses 30-31, which read…

30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

We know these things refers to the destruction of Jerusalem because Jesus says it will happen within this generation, that is, within the lifetime of the disciples. And, as we have heard, the destruction of Jerusalem did actually happen within 40 years of Jesus predicting it. 

The cogent point here is that Jesus’ words are trustworthy and reliable, far more trustworthy and reliable than the temple building. The phrase heaven and earth, in verse 31, is probably a metaphor for the temple. (The temple being a symbol of heaven and earth in miniature.)

Jesus is saying his words will outlive the Jerusalem temple. Indeed, Jesus’ words are eternal. Therefore, Jesus’ teaching is worthy of our obedience.

When we obey Jesus’ words in faith, we offer worship of eternal significance; something that gives our lives lasting meaning.

That day (vv. 32-37)

Okay, having spoken at length (for 31 verses) about these things (aka: the destruction of Jerusalem), Jesus then looks further ahead to that day, at the end of the age when he will return in glory.

Unlike the destruction of Jerusalem, which Jesus knew would happen within a generation, that day of his second coming is known only to God the Father.

Not even the angels in heaven nor Jesus himself know the timing of that day.

And because no one knows the timing of Christ’s return, we must keep watch.

What does it mean to keep watch? Here’s an acronym for you. W.A.T.C.H. stands for Work, Abide, Trust, Commit and Hope. Watching begins with working.

In verse 34, Jesus gives another parable. The second coming of the Lord is like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task…

Jesus is the owner of the house who goes away and Jesus’ followers are the servants who are left in charge. The servants don’t sit around idly doing nothing in their master’s absence. No. The servants keep working. They get on with the tasks assigned to them.

Perhaps one servant is in charge of the grounds. If she doesn’t mow the lawns and keep the weeds under control, and the master comes back to an overgrown garden, it will be obvious she wasn’t keeping watch.

Or another servant may be in charge of the kitchen. If he doesn’t feed the household, and the master comes back to a sickly, malnourished staff, it will be obvious he wasn’t keeping watch.

Watching begins with working, doing the mahi. Work provides a positive use for our time, so we are less likely to get into trouble. It also gives us purpose and enables us to contribute to God’s household in meaningful ways. 

The question is: what is our assigned task? What good work does Jesus want us to do? How does the master want you to contribute to his household?

We are talking about what it means to watch for Jesus’ return. As well as doing the work assigned to us, we must also abide in Christ. ‘Abide’ is one of those words which has more than one meaning.

Abide can mean hanging out with someone, spending time with them or living with them. Jesus’ parable in verse 34 imagines a situation where the servants abide in their master’s household, sort of like Downton Abbey.

Abiding, then, is about being together and taking care of our relationships.

We don’t want to become so task-focused that we neglect our relationships with each other.

When we started training for ministry, our New Testament lecturer (George) talked to us about SAS training. The SAS are elite commandos in the British army. We were not elite Christians. We were pretty ordinary really. But we were preparing to enter a spiritual war zone. 

George told us, the final test for getting into the SAS is a survival exercise.

A small squad of men are dropped in the wilderness and have to get back to base without being captured. To pass the test though, every member of the squad needs to make it home. No one left behind.

George’s point was that we needed to look out for each other and not become so focused on the task that we neglected our mates. Our own individual achievement should not become more important than the wellbeing of our fellow believers.

Abiding doesn’t mean we need to live together all the time, commune style. But we do need to fellowship together on a regular basis. We do need to take care of our relationships. One of the reasons we gather for worship on a Sunday and hold shared lunches and run small groups is to abide with each other. When believers abide with each other, they are abiding in Christ.      

Abide also has another meaning though. To abide means to obey or adhere to, as in ‘abide by the law’. To abide in Christ, therefore, is to continue obeying Jesus’ teaching, following in his footsteps. And what did Jesus command us to do? Love one another. By this all people will know you are my disciples.

Abiding in Christ is what makes our work fruitful for God’s glory. As Jesus says in John 15, 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you abide in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Abiding in Christ could be summed up as obeying Jesus in fellowship with other believers. To what extent are we abiding in Christ? Do we have the balance right between working and abiding?

Life is busy, especially at this time of year. I know, I get it. I don’t want to add yet another thing to your ‘to do list’. Nor do I want to send you on a guilt trip. But the spiritual reality is, we cannot keep watch on our own. We need to help each other if we are going to make it.    

To watch for Jesus’ return means to work at the task the Lord assigns to us, as we abide in Christ, that is, as we support one another. Keeping watch also involves trust. This trust works both ways. Jesus trusts us and we trust him. 

In verse 34, Jesus says the owner of the house puts the servants in charge. Putting the servants in charge shows that the owner trusts his servants to take care of business when he is gone.

By the same token, the servants need to trust the master, even though they cannot see him and don’t know when he will return. There are times in this life when we feel overwhelmed, when the darkness closes in, and we can’t see a way forward. In those times we need to trust that God will find a way, that he will lead us to the light of a new day.

Humanity has been waiting 2000 years for Jesus to return. That’s a long time from our perspective. We know we can trust Jesus’ words though, because his prediction about the destruction of Jerusalem came true, as did many other things he said. Jesus’ return is as sure as the sunrise, it just takes longer.

Work, abide, trust. These are essential to keeping watch for Jesus’ second coming, as is commitment. Keeping watch for Christ requires us to commit.

To commit means to stick with something (or someone) for as long as it takes. Commitment requires grit. Like the grit on sandpaper, we stick no matter what.

In verse 35 Jesus says: keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.    

Following this metaphor, it could be a long night without Jesus in the world. And so, the followers of Jesus need to be prepared to commit for the long haul.

The kind of commitment required is the commitment of a marathon runner who does the training and prepares well in advance. Come race day, he is ready and goes the distance. Or it’s the commitment of a woman in labour, who breaths through the contractions and endures the pain till her baby is born.

What I’m saying here is, we need to find our rhythm because a healthy rhythm supports commitment. Just like a marathon runner needs to find their rhythm to make it through the race. And, just like a woman in labour needs to find her rhythm with delivering her baby. Commitment requires a certain rhythm and balance, so we don’t burn ourselves out. 

Verse 36 reads: If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.

It’s best not to interpret this verse literally. Sleeping here is a metaphor for failing to do one’s duty and not taking seriously the warning of the master’s return.

Getting a good night’s sleep and taking holidays when we need to, is part and parcel of finding our rhythm and maintaining our commitment so we can go the distance in God’s will for us.

What rhythms support your commitment to Christ? Do you observe a sabbath? Do you maintain a regular routine of Bible reading and prayer? Do you take care of your body with healthy eating, exercise and rest? Do you make time for friends and family and church?  

To watch for Christ is to do the work Jesus assigns us, to abide in him, to recognize the trust he shows in us and return that trust to him, to commit for the long haul and to maintain our hope.    

Hope is like a kite; it rises against the wind. Just as you can’t fly a kite without wind, so too you can’t raise hope without facing opposition.

When life is easy and we don’t face any opposition we have little need for hope, because we are happy enough in the present. But when life is difficult and the present is not a comfortable place to be, we long for a better future. That is hope.

As we have noted already, Jesus uses the expression ‘that day’ in relation to his second coming. In the Old Testament, that day, (aka: the day of the Lord), was a day of judgement.

In Isaiah chapter 2 we read, ‘The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and the pride of men brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day’.

For Jesus’ disciples, ‘that day’ was a day of judgement, when God would come to sweep away evil and all that is false. But that day was also a day of hope, because if you are oppressed by injustice, then the removal of those who are oppressing you is good news, something to look forward to.

Judgement and hope go together in the Bible. They are two sides of the same coin.

In Matthew 24, the parallel passage to Mark 13, Jesus says…

37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 

Jesus’ second coming will be a surprise. It will mean the terror of judgement for some and the hope of salvation realised for others. This is why Jesus stresses the importance of keeping watch. So his second advent is a source of hope and not despair.

How does the day of Christ’s return make you feel? How strong is your hope?

Is Jesus’ second coming something you look forward to, or is it something you don’t think about all that much?

Conclusion:

Hope feeds joy and joy gives us the strength we need to watch. To do the work assigned to us, to abide in Christ, to trust Jesus, and to commit for the long haul.

Let us pray…   

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of Man, give us strength, wisdom and fellowship as we wait and watch for your advent. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. How do we know we can trust Jesus’ words? Why should we take Jesus at his word?
  3. What does it mean to keep watch for Jesus’ return? How do we do this?
  4. What is your assigned task? What good work does Jesus want you to do? How does the master want you to contribute to his household?
  5. What does it mean to abide in (or with) Christ? To what extent are you abiding in Christ? Do you have the balance right between working and abiding?
  6. What rhythms do you have in your life that support your commitment to Jesus? What could you do differently to better sustain your commitment to Christ?
  7. How does the day of Christ’s return make you feel? Is Jesus’ second coming something you look forward to in hope? Why or why not?
Tawa Baptist

Hope feeds faith

Scripture: 1st Corinthians 15:51-58

Video Link: https://youtu.be/4Iw4j_DrU6Q

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The hope of resurrection
  • The work of faith
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Bishop Bill Frey once said: “Hope is hearing the music of the future; faith is dancing to it today.”

I like that. Hope is the capacity to imagine a good future. If you know, by faith, that something good is waiting for you in the future, it gives you positive energy in the present. The name for that positive energy is ‘joy’.

Today we conclude our series in 1st Corinthians 15, where Paul writes about the necessity and certainty of resurrection for the Christian faith. In these verses Paul summarises some of the main points of chapter 15 and he draws a connection between the future hope of resurrection and what that means for Christian faith in the present.  From 1st Corinthians 15, verses 51-58, we read…   

51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”  55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”  56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.

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

Today’s message is about two things: The hope of resurrection and the work of faith. Bishop Frey used the imagery of music and dancing to describe the dynamic relationship between hope and faith. ‘Hope is hearing the music of the future; faith is dancing to it today.’

We might also use the metaphor of food. Hope feeds faith. Hope is not a quick sugar rush. True hope doesn’t pick you up and then dump you. Real hope is nutritious food for the soul, giving sustained energy over time.

The future hope of resurrection feeds our faith in the present, so we can go the distance in doing the work God has prepared for us as we hold to Christ.   

The hope of resurrection:

Does anyone here watch Bear Grylls? He has a TV programme where he takes celebrities on an adventure in the wild. It usually involves doing something risky and eating something disgusting.

In pretty much all the shows I’ve watched, Bear makes a fire to get warm and to cook whatever he happened to find on the trail. But each time he demonstrates a different technique for getting the fire going.

In one episode he said he was going to start a fire using his own pee. It was a mystery to me how he would transform urine into fire. I’m pretty sure pee isn’t flammable, although I’ve never put that to the test.

Long story short, Bear did not pour his urine onto the kindling. Rather he peed into a clear plastic bag and then held the bag of urine up to the sun, refracting the light through his pee, just like you would concentrate light through a magnifying glass. This was enough to ignite some dry grass which he then fed with sticks and logs to get the fire going properly.

From pee to fire. Such a clever transformation. So obvious and simple in hindsight.

From verse 51 Paul reveals the mystery of resurrection. Namely that those who belong to Christ, whether they are sleeping in death or still living when Jesus returns in glory, will be transformed in the blink of an eye.

We might read that and think, how? That seems as unlikely as using pee to start a fire. But for God it is easy. In hindsight, post resurrection, I expect it will be obvious to us all.   

As we heard last week, the transformation of resurrection happens to our bodies. The Christian hope of resurrection does not imagine a disembodied soul in the next life. The Christian hope of resurrection includes a transformed body, one that is suited to our new existence in the kingdom of heaven.

Just as a seed is transformed into a plant and a caterpillar is transformed into a butterfly, so too our earthly bodies will be transformed into heavenly bodies, only much quicker. The change is from a body that wears out and dies to a body that doesn’t wear out or die. That is the hope of resurrection for all who belong to Christ.

In 1977 the rock band Queen released a song called We are the champions. It is a victory song, intentionally written for crowd participation. Even now (nearly 50 years later) We are the champions is instantly recognizable and easily sung at sports stadiums around the world.

In verses 54 & 55 Paul offers his own victory song, where he writes: Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death is your victory? Where O death is your sting?

Paul is referring to Isaiah 25 here, where the prophet says…

7 On this mountain the Lord will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth.

It’s like Paul is saying: through Jesus’ resurrection, we are the champions. Through Jesus’ resurrection, we are on the winning side. Through Jesus’ resurrection, we have the victory over sin and death.

Of course, while it is true that in and through Christ we are the champions, it also needs to be acknowledged that we live in the now but not yet. Yes, Jesus has won the victory over sin and death on the cross. But we haven’t yet fully realized that victory. We still await the final victory when Jesus returns in glory. We are (in a very real sense) on the way to victory.   

In verse 56 Paul explains his metaphor saying: The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

If you think of a scorpion, it is the sting of the scorpion that causes death. Sin is like a scorpion’s sting. Sin leads to death. But if you cut off the tail of a scorpion it cannot sting you, it is essentially harmless. Likewise, if you get rid of sin, then death loses its power and cannot harm you.

Paul also makes a connection between sin and the Law of Moses. Ironically, it is the law which gives sin its power. Romans 7 sheds some light on what Paul means here…

7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 

Even though the Law is good, it cannot save us. It can only show us our guilt and accuse us. The thought of having our faults revealed and being judged tends to fill us with fear and dread.

Returning to 1st Corinthians 15: To keep it simple, with the return of Jesus, death is destroyed and sin can no longer touch us. Through Jesus, we have victory over death. Knowing that, one day, God will destroy death in all its many forms gives us something good to look forward to; it gives us hope and that hope feeds our faith, it helps us to obey God in the present.

This hope of transformation through resurrection is not a long shot. It is not like the hope of maybe winning Lotto one day. For those who belong to Jesus, the hope of resurrection is a sure thing because it doesn’t depend on luck or our own ability or goodness.

Our hope of resurrection depends on what Jesus has already accomplished through his own death and resurrection.

One thing we notice as we read these closing verses from 1st Corinthians 15 is that Paul doesn’t play the fear card. Paul keeps it positive. Paul doesn’t threaten his readers with hellfire and brimstone. He doesn’t say, turn or burn. Paul uses the carrot and not the stick.

Some of us may have become Christians out of fear, because we wanted to avoid the pain and torment of hell (as our uninformed minds imagine it). God is gracious and he will still accept you on the basis of wanting to avoid hell but really a relationship which is based on fear is not ideal.

It’s not what God wants. God is love and he would prefer that our relationship with him be based on faith, hope and love, not fear.  

Hope feeds faith like a river waters the land or like bread nourishes the body.  And our faith needs to be fed and watered if we are to find the strength to do the work God has prepared for us. And what is that work? Our work is to believe in the one God has sent, to believe in Jesus.

The work of faith:

Recently I came across a short story by JRR Tolkien (of Lord of the Rings fame). The story is called ‘Leaf by Niggle’.

Niggle is an artist who lives in a society that does not value art. This does not stop Niggle from painting though. He loves beauty and painting for its own sake. Niggle is a perfectionist and spends many hours over the details.

He has a vision of a great tree with a forest and mountains in the background. But Niggle is better at painting leaves than he is at painting trees. He is always reaching to capture his grand vision of the tree but never quite getting there. Part of the problem is that Niggle has many mundane chores that prevent him from devoting his time fully to his master piece.

To make matters worse, Niggle has a kind heart and is not able to turn away from his neighbour in need. His neighbour, Parish, is lame and Parish’s wife is sick. When Parish’s roof starts leaking Niggle is imposed upon to help. In the process Niggle catches a chill and dies before he can finish his painting.

After Niggle dies, the precious canvas on which he painted his tree is used to cover the roof of his neighbour’s house and is all but ruined, except for a small corner which has a perfectly painted leaf on it. The ‘Leaf by Niggle’ is put in a museum but after a while the museum burns down and Niggle’s painted leaf is destroyed.  Niggle is soon forgotten by the people of this world.

In the afterlife, Niggle hears two voices. The voice of Justice and the voice of Mercy. Justice and Mercy are debating with each other about what should become of Niggle. The severe voice of Justice talks about how Niggle wasted his life and was always distracted, never accomplishing much. He never finished his painting of the tree.

But Mercy, a strong but gentle voice, points out that Niggle was kind hearted and helped his neighbour in need. What’s more, Niggle did not paint for fame or money. He painted for the love of art and beauty. Mercy and Justice agree to send Niggle to a kinder place for ‘a little gentle treatment’.      

When Niggle arrives in the heavenly country he finds the tree in his vision, the tree he had been trying to paint all his earthly life. Except now the tree is alive, it is not just a painting. And behind it is the forest and the mountains he had imagined on earth.

Parish joins Niggle in the afterlife and together they work to make this good place even better. The place is named “Niggle’s Parish” and becomes a garden of healing for people as they make their transition into eternity.

Most of us can identify with Niggle. We all have a dream or a vision of what we hope to accomplish in this life but none of us seem to be able to fulfill our aspirations. The demands and interruptions of this world get in the way, as do the limits of our skill and capacity. This life becomes marked by frustration, bitterness and gall until we find ourselves asking, what is the point? 

I like Tolkien’s story though, because it is hopeful. It reminds us this life is not all there is. It imagines a future in which our efforts in this life are not wasted but put to good use in the next life.

Said another way, our purest aspirations in work will come to complete fruition in God’s future. In paradise, the work you do will be useful, bringing you (and others) joy and satisfaction. You will not be frustrated by a lack of time or ability, for you will perform with all the skill you can imagine. [1]

Some might hear Tolkien’s story of Niggle and think: ‘Phew, the pressure is off. I can cruise through this life and it doesn’t matter too much because it will all be sorted in the next life.’  Well, that’s not the point of the story. Nor is that what Paul is saying in 1st Corinthians 15.

In verse 58, Paul writes…

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.  

Some in the church in Corinth were saying there is no resurrection of the dead. Paul counters this by encouraging the Corinthians to stand firm in their belief in the resurrection. Let nothing move you; let nothing shift your hope in the resurrection, because those who hold to their faith in the risen Jesus will realise the deeper meaning and purpose of their life.

The hope of resurrection is not supposed to make us complacent or apathetic. The hope of resurrection is supposed to inspire and energize our work of faith in this world. What we do in this life matters for eternity because it is not just our bodies which are transformed and resurrected. The fruits of our labours in the Lord are also transformed and resurrected.   

Whatever you do in love and faith in this life, bears abundant fruit in eternity. In fact, we could think of the faith and love we share in this life as an investment paying dividends in heaven.

As Jesus says in Matthew 6…

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  

Where is the treasure of your hope? What vision of the future captivates your heart?

Conclusion:

Given that hope feeds faith, how then do we get a seat at the restaurant of hope?  By holding fast to our belief in the resurrection of Jesus and taking time to feed our mind and soul on what we know of resurrection life from the Bible.

Over the past few weeks we have done just that…

In the resurrection those who abide in Christ will be given new supernatural bodies. Bodies that do not get sick or wear out or fail. Bodies that are well suited to eternity. Let the hope of a resurrected and transformed body feed your faith and your soul.

In the resurrection those who abide in Christ will receive a share in God’s kingdom. We will enjoy a paradise in which God’s will is always done perfectly. A place of joy and peace and abundance. No more poverty. No more grief. No more homelessness or war. Plenty of good things to go around for everyone.

Let the hope of heaven coming to earth motivate you to love your neighbour and care for the environment.


In the resurrection those who abide in Christ will experience the redemption of their life’s work. Your purest aspirations in work will come to complete fruition in God’s future. The work you do will become useful and satisfying. Your true calling will not be frustrated by a lack of time or ability.

Let the hope of having your life’s work fulfilled and made fruitful sustain your labour in the Lord now. 

In the resurrection those who abide in Christ will be reunited with loved ones who are also in Christ. Parents who have lost children too soon will see them again. Orphans deprived of their parents’ time & love will be cared for. You who are widows and widowers will meet your husbands and wives once more.  

Let the hope of restored and properly functioning relationships inspire you to be kinder, more patient, more honest, more gracious and more forgiving with those near to you today.


But the greatest hope, the most nourishing hope, of resurrection is the indescribable joy of intimacy with God. The ravages of loneliness in this world will pass like a bad dream. In the resurrection we will be so close to God, so immersed in his love, that we will know instinctively what the Lord wants and be willing and able to do it.

Let the hope of intimacy with God fill you with wonder so that your soul overflows with whole hearted worship and praise. 

“Hope is hearing the music of the future; faith is dancing to it today.”

May the music of heaven give you the rhythm and joy you need to dance through this life. 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?

  • Discuss / reflect on Bishop Frey’s quote: “Hope is hearing the music of the future; faith is dancing to it today.” What does this mean? What does this say about the relationship between hope and faith? 
  • What does Paul mean when he says, ‘the sting of death is sin and the power of sin is death’? 
  • Why does Paul focus on the hope of resurrection (rather than the fear of hell)? What is your relationship with God based on? Does anything need to change?
  • How do you feel hearing Tolkien’s story about Niggle? In what ways does the story ‘Leaf by Niggle’ relate to 1st Corinthians 15:58?
  • What does it mean to share faith and love in this life? How might we do this?
  • Where is the treasure of your hope? What vision of the future captivates your heart? How does the hope of resurrection influence your faith in the present?  

[1] Timothy Keller, ‘Every Good Endeavour’, page 96.

Tawa Baptist

Roots of Freedom

Scripture: Ephesians 6:5-9

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Slavery then and now
  • Personhood, purpose and power
  • Onesimus and Philemon
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Last week someone gave me a book called, Church Signs Across America

  • As the title suggests it’s a book with photos of church signs, like this one
  • The sign reads: “To win in a relationship don’t keep score”

Today we continue our series in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians

  • We are at that point in Ephesians known as the household codes, where Paul talks about the various relationships in Christian homes
  • Last week we heard how wives and husbands are to relate
  • This week we focus on the relationship between slaves and masters
  • From Ephesians 6, verses 5-9 we read…

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favour when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. 9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favouritism with him.

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

Slavery then and now:

A few months ago we were on holiday in Taupo and went for a walk around the lake. In some places the tree roots had grown under the footpath and were lifting the cobbles – not quite as badly as in this picture but enough to be a trip hazard.

  • Today’s reading is like tree roots – over the centuries it has quietly lifted and broken our concrete thinking on slavery and employment relations

Now when we hear the word slavery we might think, ‘How is slavery relevant to us today? Wasn’t slavery abolished in the 19th Century?’

Well, laws were passed in the 19th Century to say that people can’t buy and sell other people anymore, but slavery still exists in the form of forced labour, child soldiers, sexual exploitation and forced marriage

  • There are estimated to be around 40,300,000 people in some form of modern slavery in the world today
  • And it’s not a problem confined to poorer countries either – there are thought to be about 15,000 people in Australia currently engaged under conditions defined as Modern Slavery, and approximately 3,000 people in New Zealand in the same situation. [1]

Although slavery still exists today, it should be noted there are a number of differences between slavery in the ancient world and slavery now

  • As many as one third of the population in Greece and Rome were slaves
  • Slaves did most of the work – without slaves nothing would get done
  • We are used to associating slaves with a particular race of people – like the African Americans of the 19th Century, picking cotton in the fields or harvesting sugar cane 
  • But slaves in the ancient world were all variety of races and served in all sorts of roles, both skilled and unskilled
  • A slave might be white or black, a doctor or a farmer or a business manager or a cook or even a prime minister
  • What’s more, many slaves in the ancient world gained their freedom after the age of 30 – so it wasn’t necessarily an all of life thing [2]
  • The treatment of slaves in the ancient world was mixed – some were treated with kindness but many were abused and mistreated

Ok, if slavery is a bad thing then why does the Bible seem to accommodate it?

  • I mean Paul doesn’t say to the masters, ‘set your slaves free’, nor does he call the slaves to revolt against their masters.
  • To the contrary Paul instructs slaves to do their best for their earthly masters and to have a good attitude about it    
  • This almost sounds like Paul is condoning slavery but actually, he’s not
  • Paul is, in fact, sowing seeds that would eventually grow into roots that would undermine slavery and set people free

The Bible makes it clear that slavery falls well short of God’s intention for humanity – it is not what the Lord wants for people

  • God is free and we are made in God’s image – slavery does not fit with being God’s image bearer  
  • Christ came to set the captives free and, as Paul says elsewhere, in Christ there is no longer slave nor free

While that sounds lovely, the reality is, we don’t live in a perfect world do we. We live in a fallen world and suffer the ill effects of sin

  • God understands this and so he meets us where we are at
  • He comes to us in the form of Jesus, a human being who we can relate with, and he says, ‘Follow me’
  • God’s word, in the Bible, addresses the realities of this world, like slavery, not to condone them but to lead us out of them
  • So when the Bible talks about slavery it’s not holding up an ideal to aspire to – rather it is providing some guidance on how to manage a less than ideal situation by providing restraint for masters and protection for slaves – sort of a first step in the right direction.

It’s remarkable how people’s attitudes change

  • For many years we accepted lead in petrol as normal and even necessary until we realised that lead is toxic and now we wouldn’t dream of using it
  • Same thing with plastic supermarket bags – for years we used plastic bags without a second thought to what happened to them when we threw them away, but now we’ve banned single use plastic bags

The ancient world, that Paul lived in, did not see slavery as an evil thing like we do today

  • For them slavery was simply accepted as a normal and necessary part of the economic system – sort of like we accept having a mortgage as normal and necessary to buying a house – or like we used to accept leaded petrol and plastic bags. 

It would have been foolish for Paul to advocate revolt against slavery

  • The early church was not politically powerful – they were in no position to dictate to the rest of society how people should live
  • The church needed to be moderate in its approach to show the Roman authorities they posed no threat to the peace of the empire
  • Consequently, slavery and other social issues were not Paul’s main focus – he and the other apostles were simply trying to get the message of the gospel out there and establish Christian faith communities 
  • Paul’s approach was wise – he sowed seeds of thought that would eventually grow to undermine and break up slavery
  • You see, slavery isn’t the underlying problem – slavery is just a symptom
  • Paul sought to address the deeper more fundamental issues – in particular: personhood, purpose and power.

Personhood, purpose and power:

On the wall here is a picture of a drill

  • A drill is a tool, it helps a tradie to do their job quicker and easier
  • A drill is a slave to the person operating it
  • It is in your interests to take care of your drill because if the drill breaks the job will be held up and you’ll have to buy another one
  • But you don’t treat your drill with same respect you would a person
  • Slaves tend to be treated like drills – they are not usually acknowledged as people in their own right
  • Slaves are seen as tools for getting things done, for making life easier or for making money

So the first seed Paul sows in these verses is the seed of personhood

  • Paul has just addressed wives & husbands and children & parents, now he addresses slaves, as people, alongside their masters.
  • Given the historical and cultural context in which slaves were thought of and treated as living tools (and not as human beings) it is remarkable that Paul addresses them at all
  • By including slaves in this way Paul is acknowledging their personhood and giving them dignity  
  • It indicates that slaves were accepted members of the Christian community and that Paul regards them as responsible people (like their masters) to whom he can make a moral appeal. [3]

Taking this thought further, Paul gave honour to the role of a slave by identifying himself as a slave of Christ.  

When we look at verses 5-8 of Ephesians 6 we notice that Paul keeps referring to Jesus

  • Verse 5, slaves obey your earthly masters… as you would obey Christ
  • Verse 6, obey them… like slaves of Christ
  • Verse 7, Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men
  • Paul is saying here a person is not defined by their job or their master
  • A person is defined by Christ
  • What’s more, our value and identity as persons do not derive from our social standing or our circumstances but from Christ.

Paul gives slaves the dignity of personhood – and when we see other people as persons (not as tools) we start to value them better.

Another underlying issue Paul addresses in these verses is that of purpose or motivation in a slave’s work and life  

Albert Camus, the famous existentialist writer once said, ‘Without work all life goes rotten. But when work is soulless life stifles and dies.’

  • Albert Camus was talking about purpose or motivation in working
  • For your work to have soul you need to have a good purpose, an intrinsic motivation in doing it
  • You need to feel your work fits with the values you carry in your heart
  • You need to have a sense that you are fulfilling a higher calling
  • Without a good purpose, without an intrinsic motivation, work becomes soulless and life stifles and dies

A few weeks ago I told you about my misspent youth studying business management. It wasn’t a total loss though. There was one case study, from the course on organisational behaviour, which I found meaningful…

  • In the 1920’s researchers carried out some tests on factory workers in America
  • The test involved changing the level of lighting in the factory to see if workers’ productivity was effected
  • As they gradually increased the lighting the workers produced more
  • The researchers thought they might be on to something until they dimmed the lights and found that workers’ productivity continued to increase – which was puzzling and counter intuitive
  • When the illumination studies finished and the researchers left the factory, workers’ productivity slumped
  • Apparently the level of lighting had nothing to do with the workers’ productivity – it was the presence of the researchers themselves that was effecting productivity. Why was that?
  • Some say the workers were more motivated because of the interest being shown in them by the researchers
  • Going a bit deeper though, I think there was more to it than simply being observed – I wonder if the presence of important people doing important stuff gave the workers a greater sense of purpose in what they were doing
  • I wonder if the researchers’ presence gave soul to the workers’ jobs
  • With the researchers there the factory workers weren’t just assembling radios on a production line – they were in fact serving a higher calling; they were part of something bigger and more lasting.
  • Whatever the reason, it became known as the Hawthorne Effect

In verse 6, of Ephesians 6, Paul addresses the deeper issue that we all face in our work, whether we are paid or volunteer, and that’s the issue of purpose

  • What is your ‘why’ for working?
  • What is it that gives your work soul so that life thrives?
  • Paul makes it clear that the purpose (or motivation) for obeying earthly masters is not just to win their favour, when their eye is on you, but to do the will of God from your heart
  • Paul is advocating for an intrinsic motivation
  • Your manager may not always show an interest in you
  • Your boss may not always appreciate your work but God does and his interest in your work, his appraisal of you, means more than your boss’

God sees the good we do in secret and he rewards us

  • But that reward is not necessarily measured in dollars
  • The reward God gives is that of a meaningful purpose
  • God makes our work serve a higher calling – he has the power to give our work soul, so that life thrives.

Personhood, purpose and power

  • The slave / master (employee / employer) relationship is traditionally a top down relationship – it involves the use of power

In verse 9 Paul says: And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favouritism with him.

  • This is a reminder to both slaves and masters that power ultimately rests with God
  • God may delegate his power to certain people for a time but that power is only ever on loan from God – it always returns to him

Do not threaten them, means don’t try to control people with fear – use encouragement – the carrot is usually better than the stick    

And the instruction for masters to treat their slaves in the same way, is a reminder of the mutual submission that Paul described in chapter 5, verse 21

  • If slaves are to serve their masters as if they were serving Christ and masters are to do the same for their slaves, then we have a relationship in which the master is using their power for the well-being of their slave
  • In fact, the master / slave relationship is transformed so that the slave becomes family

Paul was a wise man – he didn’t try to change the legislation or rebel against the authorities – he addressed the underlying issues of slavery by restoring to slaves (and masters) a sense of personhood, purpose and the right use of power.

Philemon & Onesimus:  

Reading Ephesians 6 I am reminded of Paul’s letter to Philemon

  • Philemon was a Christian, someone Paul had led to the Lord
  • Philemon owned a slave called Onesimus
  • It appears Onesimus may have stolen from Philemon and run away
  • This was pretty serious stuff back in the day – Philemon could’ve had Onesimus killed for that sort of behaviour
  • But, in God’s providence, Onesimus found his way to Paul who was a prisoner in Rome at the time
  • Paul led Onesimus to the Lord and then went about reconciling him to Philemon
  • Let me read to you some of Paul’s letter to Philemon
  • Notice how Paul presents Onesimus as a valued person (not as a tool)
  • And how he persuades Philemon to use his power to show mercy and forgiveness
  • Paul reminds Philemon that to win in a relationship we don’t keep score
  • From verse 8 of Philemon we read…

Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10 that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favour you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. 15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20 I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

We don’t know what the outcome was in this situation

  • We do know that if Paul had his way then Philemon would have taken Onesimus back, not as a slave, but as a brother.
  • The letter to Philemon shows us God’s intention to abolish slavery  

Conclusion:

Thankfully, most of us are unfamiliar with slavery, although in working for wages or a salary or having to pay off a mortgage we do have some idea of what it feels like to have someone own our time 

  • What Paul says in Ephesians about slaves and their masters can be applied to the employee / employer relationship  
  • Workers are not tools; they are persons of dignity to be valued
  • Likewise, employers are people too – so employees shouldn’t try to stick it to the man
  • Give your best – work for your boss as if you were working for Christ and God will reward you
  • Whatever our station in life, our purpose is to do God’s will
  • Any power we have is temporary and needs to be used in a way that pleases God.      

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. Why did Paul instruct slaves to obey their masters (rather than rebel)?
  3. In what ways was ancient slavery different from modern slavery? In what ways are they the same?
  4. What deeper underlying issues does Paul address in Ephesians 6:5-9?
  5. Where does your personal sense of identity (or personhood) and value come from?
  6. What is your ‘why’ for working? What gives soul to your work?
  7. How are masters/employers to use their power? 
  8. How might Paul’s instructions to slaves and masters be applied today in employee / employer relationships?
  9. Take some time to read and reflect on Paul’s letter to Philemon this week. What does this letter reveal to us?  

[1] https://www.onestaff.co.nz/blog/modern-slavery-in-new-zealand-addressing-a-widespread-issue/

[2] Klyne Snodgrass, NIVAC ‘Ephesians’, page 327

[3] John Stott, Ephesians, page 252.