"Open Doors" - a message inspired by 1 Corinthians 16:5-9

Paul was hoping to visit Corinth, but for now there were just too many opportunities for the gospel in Ephesus for him to leave there. Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 16:8-9. We read that the door of opportunity was “wide” or “great” ... we might then say that there were many doors open, such was the level of opportunity. And we also read that these open doors were lending themselves toward “effective” work. These were no trifling barely significant opportunities – Paul had obviously discovered in Ephesus avenues of very important ministry.

In Ephesus, Paul was able to speak out boldly in the synagogue for three months (Acts 19:8). Then when stubborn disbelievers forced him out of there, Paul was able to engage in dialogue in a public lecture hall on a daily basis where many heard the good news (19:9). As a result of this movement of God’s Spirit, people even gained healing from touching the handkerchiefs    that Paul had used (19:11-12). There was a mass scene of confession and repentance from those who had previously practiced “magic”, now burning the books of their old ‘religious ways’ despite how valuable in monetary terms they were (19:18-19).

There is also one other dynamic mentioned in 1 Corinthians 16:9 is there not! As if this would be thoroughly natural and expected, Paul mentions that, despite open doors, actually probably because of the open doors, there were “many adversaries”. Such “adversaries” could be interpreted as certain people opposing the good efforts of others, as well as any general difficulty that was being encountered through various (challenging) circumstances, bureaucracy, climate conditions, personal health or spiritual well-being. It is usual, and perhaps expected, that when you are seriously attempting to take strides forward for the Kingdom of God you will face opposition at a number of levels.

Because Paul had been outspoken against the false worship of the “goddess Artemis” in Ephesus, and people were being “drawn away” from such a practice, there was a big financial threat to those artisans who had made a lucrative trade out of producing the “silver shrines” used as part of this false worship. So the silversmith Demetrius incited a bit of a riot against Paul and those working with him (19:23-34). There is bound to be a reaction when toes are stepped on, especially when it involves money or power or control.

Some would be aware of the concerted opposition that has been encountered by those seeking gambling reform on behalf of problem gamblers, which has been brought about by those who wish to continue to profit from the most vulnerable in our community. Thus, if we are looking for smooth running whilst being on mission, we are badly mistaken.

Of course following Jesus was never going to be easy – the deeper you go (despite gaining experience and confidence) – it is still likely to get harder. That is why Jesus talked about his disciples taking up their own “cross” in following Jesus. These disciples would later graphically learn what Jesus meant when they saw him dragging the crossbeam of his cross through the city and then being nailed up and crucified at Golgotha. Leon Morris writes, “It is part of the conditions under which we serve God that when we have great opportunities of service there are also great difficulties in our way”.

Yet Paul didn’t allow what could be seen as a negative situation to dent his enthusiasm toward possible open doors. When arrested and questioned on various occasions, Paul would not hold back about his mission to proclaim the name of Jesus. In prison, Paul would share the gospel with his jailers.

Sometimes doors may look closed, or our own fears may fool our eyes into thinking they are closed ... when in actuality they are open. Sometimes it is a little difficult to know either way, but we should always think positively and pray believingly that God is going before us. It was God who was going before Paul and preparing the way, whereby if Paul knocked the door would be opened. This is somewhat mysterious how all this goes down, but I’m sure we each have experienced an answer to prayer or a thorough surprise that could not have happened if we only thought within human confines.

It is also possible for us to close doors ourselves (through inaction) that would have otherwise been open (either naturally or through God’s provision). This would happen as we procrastinate too long, or we let fear get in the way of our faith – and thus the moment of opportunity passes. In the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus walks on the water, Jesus gives Peter the opportunity to also walk on the water (which would be a remarkable chance to do as Jesus did). Peter started out okay, but when he became affected by the strength of the wind, he began to sink (14:22-33).

Doors would close also as we let ourselves get distracted by less important and more comfortable activities. How often we in the church can prefer little in-house talk-fests ahead of actually getting involved in hands-on mission. Sometimes we think that arguments or conflict within church groups is oh so terrible, but isn’t this often tolerated and even extended, so that we can, seemingly with justification, just stay within our comfort zones. And people way too often give priority to how their own needs can be met in preference to how they can make their particular contribution to the broader community. What a tragedy that doors of ministry close while such inward thinking persists!

So then, how do we locate, knock on, and walk through open doors?

1.     Kindness

·        Offering friendship to neighbours & being available to help

·        Being able to convey why we have hope and peace

·        Thanking people

·        Inviting & welcoming & hospitality

2.     Interests/Hobbies

·        Joining with or starting local interest groups e.g. craft, writing, gardening, cooking, conservation, photography, women’s issues, men’s shed

3.     Service/Involvement

·        Helping local community initiatives through voluntary support

·        Listening to local voices – reading local papers

4.     Causes/Advocacy

·        Getting involved with community causes & supporting those under pressure

5.     Direct Approach

·        Prayer-walking; letter-boxing; door-knocking

·        Organising events and social activities e.g. Good Friday walk, Alpha or Lifekeys courses

Working through all this will require at least three things:

(A) Faith that God is active and opening doors ahead of us

(B) Prayer that God will guide us to those open doors

(C) Creative and imaginative thinking in seeking to enter those open doors.

"Seeking Community Welfare" (Jeremiah 29:1-9)

What does it mean to “seek the welfare of the city”?

Definition: “welfare” – well-being; Oxford: satisfactory state, health & prosperity; perhaps we could add: peace (shalom), harmony, good functioning

What about the interesting phrase, “...for in its [the city’s] welfare you will find your welfare”?

We talked last week about the people of Israel who had been taken north into exile in Babylon following the military fall of Jerusalem in the 6^th Century BCE. This meant that, even though they had reasonable social freedom and economic opportunity in Babylon, they were still separated from their land and their traditional practice of religion, they had to deal with a completely different culture, they were subject to a foreign power, and also they understandably had deep concerns about their future.

Babylon would not be where these people would want to be ... by no means ... but this is where they found themselves. And they would be there beyond their own generation – whilst learning the lessons that the prophets attributed to them. They had failed to live in God’s ways, which had a resultant effect on the welfare of Jerusalem – their community had disintegrated from within. This was of course a repeated theme – remember how Jesus, just prior to his crucifixion, wept over the state of the rebuilt Jerusalem some six centuries later.

One of the lessons that needed to be learned in Jeremiah’s time, and in Jesus’ time, and in our time, is that we don’t live in a vacuum, as an individual, as an individual family unit, as any particular cultural subset – but rather we all are part of a bigger relational melting-pot, normally called a community. Humanity is inter-connected, with one person’s welfare always linked to other people’s decisions and behaviour in life. Often the negative disruption of our lives is linked to another person’s lack of well-being and how this plays out in community life. To at least some degree, each of our well-being is tied to the communal well-being.

Because most communities are quite diverse in many ways, it will require quite a bit of goodwill to protect and maintain each community’s welfare, let alone build its capacity. This may have been the last thing on the ‘to do list’ of the exiles (given how they felt about their personal situations), but those who wanted to restore and grow their relationship with God had no real choice in the matter. Jesus, in his time, was very strong on this as he said, “Love your neighbour as yourself”, and “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. We have a sign up in our house that has God saying to us, “You know that ‘love thy neighbour’ thing? I meant everybody!” This reminds me to even stay positive about those neighbours who don’t meet my particular standards of neighbourliness.

Some may think that the church’s job is to simply attract and extract people from their sinful life environments, and closet them away in the perceived safety of the church, and build the potential population of heaven. However this methodology is far too dismissive of those people who are currently beyond the church’s reach due to the life trauma they are experiencing. And God’s love for all people is so strong, that God desires to connect relationally with people whatever their current situation. The clearest example of this is the very incarnation of Jesus, who shifted home from the perfection of heaven to take up residence in troubled earthly community.

Many people out there, often without realising it, are in exile themselves, because their lives are so disconnected from the best that God has for them and designed for them to enjoy. Many have been deeply affected by the abuse of others. Many others have simply made bad choices. This has left so many neighbours in desperate and seemingly hopeless mindsets. Jesus calls us to be seekers of the lost around us. Remember that when Adam was hiding in the ‘Garden of Eden’ lest his shame be revealed, God was right there saying, “Adam, Adam, where are you”?

Now we haven’t been forced to live around here (in this area), this has been largely a choice we have made. We might still see some relevance here though, because we rightly consider ourselves ‘citizens of heaven’ yet we are stuck here in a hugely sinful environment. We might also feel stuck, in that if things were just a little different we could be living somewhere else that we might consider better ... if we just had a bit more money or a different type of job or a different family situation, or if we hadn’t made that bad decision or acted in a certain way.

But the reality is – we do live here, these are our neighbours, we are residents of the city of Wyndham – and the needs and the problems of the city of Wyndham are our needs and our problems as well to address. Wyndham, and more particularly Tarneit, is our mission field. Some of us will actually celebrate where we live, be proud of where we live ... if for no other reason, than for the God-ordained opportunities it brings.

The people of God are not to neglect the neighbourhoods in which they live. They are to recognise their God-ordained role amongst their fellow citizens. The exiles are to be content to live their life, put down roots, build their home, raise their family, and produce their food – for as long as the exile in Babylon lasts. Likewise, we are to live joyfully and purposely and redemptively in each location that God gives us as our primary mission-field. We should actively engage in the affairs of the neighbourhood in seeking to bring glory to God. If we engage well, we will likely benefit ourselves in friendship, knowledge and in feeling useful. We will also learn more of what it is like to walk in other people’s shoes, and thus become more rounded Christ-like persons.

Many people ignore that they live in community and amongst neighbours, and just seek their own personal welfare, putting fixed private boundaries around themselves. We are clearly called of God however to seek the welfare of the community as a whole – which means making contributions to various individuals and groups, while at the same time praying for wisdom and energy and commitment and strength and blessing (sometimes against the odds). All we can do is try with whatever resources that are available to us to make a positive difference, while praying that these efforts will ultimately, in both known and unknown ways, bring glory to God. We also ask in very practical terms, what can we do? I’ll come back to that.

You’ll notice in verses 8-9, that there were contrary voices to Jeremiah, offering a different message. This was a far more convenient self-centred message, that very soon, rather than decades later, God would bring the people back to their own land, denying their need to be transformed into community honouring contributors. In history, quite often Christians themselves have been distracted from their mission by voices that are not of God. These can be the voices of materialism or certain popular political agendas or sadly even racism. So, Jeremiah includes in his letter, the need for God’s people to be carefully discerning. We need to continually rely on God’s word as our measure – not popular opinion.

Jeremiah was not naive and God was not unknowing about the abuses in Babylon. There were things that were terribly wrong that needed to be confronted. Part of “seeking the welfare of the city” would be addressing those policies and practices that demeaned and oppressed people. Within our local community there will be evidence of: abuse; lack of coping skills, anxiety & depression, feelings of hopelessness; unemployment, rising debt, economic challenges; lack of social connections & friendships; crime; intolerance & prejudice. When we and others are caused to despair over this, we would pray even more!

What can we practically do to seek the welfare of our community???

·        Be ready to lend a hand – to offer support & friendship

·        To get involved with community (service) groups

·        Seek to counter injustices

·        Be positive about the many good aspects

·        Showing goodwill & offering encouragement toward community members (including leaders e.g. councillors)

·        Sharing life & showing solidarity with human need – Andrew Mawson writes, “If you want to engage with communities, you need to build long-term relationships and gain the trust of the people, and the best way to achieve this is to get on with practical project work based on the realities of people’s daily lives, which you commit to seeing through to the end” (The Social Entrepreneur,p.164).

·        Living out an alternative vision – Walter Brueggemann writes, “People are not changed by moral exhortation but [rather] by transformed imagination”.

We’ll pick this up next week when we talk about “open doors”.

In the famous Hitchcock film “Rear Window” there is a very poignant scene that helps to set the scene for what is to follow as the injured and housebound character played by James Stewart observes the goings on in the apartment building opposite his. A lonely lady pretends to have a house guest, obviously in the depths of despair about actually not having such a friend. Watch, at the end, for James Stewart’s character showing a measure of empathy as he lifts his glass to this lonely lady’s welfare.

What would it look like if a collection of Jesus-followers, together with those others interested in a collective journey of blessing their local community (with creative positive activity), stepped out and served in their neighbourhoods? How would that change the future? Neil Cole writes, “If Christians started to take responsibility for our communities and cities, began being more proactive in prayer, and established a real presence of grace and truth, we could have a huge impact”. Cole goes on to write, “God will do the work through us, and he will use us if we are willing to lay ourselves down for others” (Search & Rescue,p.21,50).

Cole also mentions that real community transformation will depend upon our level of personal transformation.

"New Things" - a sermon on Isaiah 43:14-21

1.     Question

What do verses 18 & 19 of Isaiah 43 conjure up in your mind?

2.     Background

We have messages in both Isaiah and Jeremiah designed to encourage the exiles in Babylon that God has not forgotten them. This forced exile north occurred after the fall of Jerusalem in the 6^th century BCE. The prophets are clear that, besides the political and military strength of Babylon, the reason behind this people’s fate ... is equally their refusal to live according to God’s ways. The peoples of Israel should have known better because of God’s long-term benevolent relationship with them. Yet we know, that although God will pause, and allow such people to learn their lesson, ultimately God will offer further opportunities of liberation and freedom. God will do new things.

3.     Resurrection Newness

In the fullness of time, six centuries later, when all other means had failed, God did something completely new in sending Jesus into the world, identifying personally with all humanity. Not only this, when Jesus was killed ... crucified on a Roman cross, God used this as an opportunity for all people to gain forgiveness and release from their sin and shame. The newest thing of all happened two days later, when God raised Jesus from death, allowing his forgiven children to follow Jesus into newness of life! God will not be constrained by the past – God will not be defeated – God does new things.

4.     Old versus New – personal & corporate – failures & achievements

This is especially good when things we’ve tried in the past haven’t worked out, like ... trying to contain God within our own agenda, which helps no one. Or like (on a personal level) ... trying to earn your way into salvation, where we would never be good enough to actually achieve this. Or like ... being judgemental of humanity from on high – this didn’t work for the Pharisees of Jesus’ time, and it hasn’t worked for the church over the years either. We, no matter how sanctified, are way too fragile and vulnerable to try any tactics like these. As we witness to the glory of God, we are faced with an understandable cynicism regarding the behaviour of certain church leaders over the years, and due criticism over the way money and property have been handled in some places.

But also, sometimes we even have to leave things of the past behind when they have been previously successful, for, like it or not, time moves on and culture changes, and they just don’t work anymore. So where people in previous generations were reasonably happy to put their bottom on a seat in a traditional place of worship, this is less and less the case in our communities. Sure, some churches in some localities are quite large, but you would still have to ask what good effect this is having on society at large right across the world. You might then wonder how many of these modern church attendees are truly disciples of Jesus? And does the blessing intended for the local community and the world then remain within the four walls of the church building??

5.     Today’s new thing

I believe strongly that God is doing a new thing, and that new thing is convicting the modern disciples of Jesus to connect with people in their neighbourhoods in new far more personal, relational and creative ways. We are the “sent ones”, not “ones” who simply wait for people to come to us. So it is good for us to meet together, though not as an “end” point of our work, but rather as a means of discerning more precisely how God is guiding us. In coming weeks leading up to Pentecost, I want to consider themes of contributing to community well-being, and also how we might discover where God is opening up new doors.

We just might find new effective ways of witnessing to Jesus that will silence the atheist push forever, just like the Babylonians lost their power to oppress nearby nations. The verses in Isaiah 43 (16-17) re-live God’s liberation of Israel from Egypt, which was God’s timely response to his people living in slavery so long ago. And God will act again in timely ways. This will be a repeating pattern. This is the testimony of the living Word of God. The Israelites of old needed to be restored to their land, the people of the modern world need to be restored to their Creator! David Platt writes, “[God] brought his children out of slavery in Egypt ... for the purpose of his praise among all people groups” (from: “Radical Together”).

If we discern and adopt the new ways of God, then we won’t be left wandering aimlessly in the desert, like the Israelites resisting the leading of God – thirsty and hungry and tired and complaining. Look at verses 19-20 ... for those who truly perceive where God is working, they will know their way, and desert experiences will be met by rivers of refreshing water to drink. Nothing will defeat us, not even wild animals, for we are living as God’s children.

The central words of this passage are (verse 19a): “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” The context from verse 18 demands that we forget about the things of the past, whether they were disasters or whether they were accomplishments, and focus on the present that leads to God’s future. This is both personal and corporate. Given that we have confessed, repented, and where possible recompensed, for our sin, God has forgiven us, and that is done! As Alec Motyer points out “... the past can teach and illustrate but it must not bind; the Lord always has greater things in store – [God] is revealed in the past, but [God] is always more than the past revealed”.

God is drawing us forward beyond all human infidelity, surpassing all finite human wisdom (BW Anderson). We are now people of the resurrection who are looking for God’s next new thing. We almost live in tense expectation. I read verse 19 as a plea to exercise our (holy) imaginations until we see what God is seeking to show us. Now maybe, just maybe, our imaginations may have to be fuelled in some way. We start with the Word of God. This is where we also would ask ourselves and each other some questions. We might also have to prayerfully consider some of the facts that are already on the table, like the latest reflections on Wyndham’s rapid growth, under the heading – “Growth creates more problems for Wyndham”:

Wyndham has once again been named the fastest growing municipality in Victoria – and has used the announcement to call on the State Government to improve infrastructure and services. The Australia Bureau of Statistics data to June 30 2011 shows 12,200 new residents, an increase of 7.8%, moved into the municipality. Wyndham Mayor Cr Kim McAliney warned however that the title of being the fastest growing municipality is not a badge of honour. “While we know that being only 25 km from the City (of Melbourne), having affordable housing and land and friendly and welcoming communities are just some of the reasons so many people move to Wyndham each year, more needs to be done to address the growing pains being experienced by our residents,” she said. “Welcoming over 12,000 residents to our municipality each year means more than just supplying housing – roads, public transport, Police, health and family services all need to be provided to keep up with this rapid growth. “What is desperately needed is for the State and Federal Government to step up and commit funding over the long term to improve essential services and improve much needed infrastructure, in particular schools, arterial road upgrades and public transport.”

Once we take in such demographic information, the questions we need to ask are: “What would sound like good news to these local people?”, “What would they (be able to) respond to?” We have to ask, “What are their issues, needs and aspirations”, before we can effectively supply the gospel based solutions. We have to listen before we speak. This is no different to good overseas mission work, except we now have to deal with the reality of doing things this way at home. As I said last week, this is all pretty heady stuff, and difficult to handle – it involves risk, experimentation and courage.

There is a scene in the film “Mr Holland’s Opus” where the music teacher Mr Holland is criticised for using rock music in his class. Mr Holland’s response is that he will use whatever means available to help his class love music. For this teacher though, this was putting his job at risk.

But, of course, we haven’t been left to grapple with all this alone. While we are willing to embrace the new things of God, and be imaginative and creative, the Holy Spirit guides and inspires our thinking (intuition) and our various responses. A quote from Richard Bolles – “Your mission in life is to be in the place where your deep gladness and the world’s great hunger meet”.

Sunday service message - "Resurrection life" (Luke 24:36-49)

How can we best live out our lives in the knowledge that Jesus is alive? Obviously our lives should show something for the trust that we have put in Jesus. I’m tempted to say that our lives should be spectacular, but it seems that the reality of life on earth continues to dent that possibility for all of us. Spectacular joy and worship seems to be reserved for heaven. But should that be the case? Should we give in to that?? Even given how difficult life now can be, can’t we just find at least a little bit of resurrection and eternal life to embrace now!

1.     Astonishment and Fear

Things can come to us out of left field. Things that surprise, things that scare us; things that we just don’t know how to deal with! Even being presented with something potentially wonderful can frighten us if we are not ready for it. Despite having this previously explained to them, the disciples were still not expecting Jesus’ resurrection. They didn’t know how to respond because they were not prepared for this great happening. In their defence of course, was the fact that they hadn’t had the chance to get over Jesus’ death yet. This too had taken them by surprise, and they were suffering from sudden and deep grief, not only because of Jesus’ loss, but also that they were not able to stop it!

Having come into their presence, Jesus identifies himself through the wounds that were inflicted upon him at his crucifixion (verses 39-40). He is no ghost, he is a mortal human being brought back to life. But sometimes things that are plainly before our eyes, still allude our understanding; the disciples still had trouble recognising that Jesus was alive again. Excitement was building, the disciples started to feel that something amazing was happening, but we read that, “in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering” (verse 41). It seemed too good to be true, and they just couldn’t process properly what had happened.

And I can’t blame them given what had happened on that cross. And Jesus didn’t blame them either; rather, he helped them out of their disbelief – first he ate some fish right there in front of them (something only a physical person could do), and then he “opened their minds to understand the scriptures” (verse 45).

2.     Having Our Minds Opened

Jesus fully and wholly represented the attitudes and interests of God in his life on earth, especially in the last three years. Everything that God had done, and in each of the ways God had communicated with humankind over the centuries, had led up to this dramatic point in time. In a way it would have been ideal if Jesus hadn’t needed to come, yet from the moment humanity was given freewill, and that freewill had been abused, it would be necessary for God to identify with humanity personally ... in a redemptive way. Otherwise human beings would largely remain lost.

Thus, we, as modern Jesus followers, should read all of the Old Testament Scriptures (the holy writings used to teach the people of Israel), in the light of what we have come to know about Jesus. This is the way forward for us in knowing how God wants to relate to the modern world. Jesus was the absolute fulfilment of all God’s desires to connect with and liberate people across the whole world.

Jesus and his gospel rekindles the hope that was first promised in Genesis and makes sense of the whole Exodus liberation experience. The heart behind the old covenant foreshadows the new covenant that Jesus inaugurates. Jesus and his gospel are the ideal which all the judges and kings either inclined towards or rebelled against. Jesus and his gospel add the necessary insights to the life experiences of David, and certainly fulfil the visions of prophets like Isaiah and Micah.

These disciples had actually heard before ... many times ... that Jesus would “die and on the third day rise again” – but they hadn’t understood it. But now was the moment for them to really get it, for the penny to drop, so Jesus “opened their minds” to new understanding. Why?? Why was this so important?? Verse 48 tells us – they were to be “witnesses of these things”. The future of the Jesus movement in the world depended upon them being able to witness to the reality and meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

It seems that the disciples’ minds were opened whether they liked it or not ... I’m sure in hindsight they appreciated that this has happened. I think for us though, we have to allow our minds to be opened – we have to be ready and willing to receive new insight. Rather than being stuck in certain mindsets, we have to be attentive listeners, prayerful, and thoroughly expectant. Then, and perhaps only then, we will be ready to recognise and understand all sorts of things that will aid our level of influence and true witness to Jesus.

Once the disciples’ minds were opened, they fully appreciated that the Jesus whom they followed through his public ministry, and then saw crucified, had been raised from the dead; and that all of this was central to God’s desire and plan to offer salvation to all people. Wow!! They had witnessed the cross, knew Jesus was dead and buried, but now they’re seeing him back with them in person, touching him, and watching him eat lunch.

3.     The Message of Repentance and Forgiveness

What was the other thing that Jesus was opening their minds to (as you read verses 45-47) – the other thing that the disciples would need to witness to? Here it is in verse 47, “... that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations ...”. Jesus’ death and resurrection had a purpose – a real tangible and worldwide purpose, that is, change ... personal, collective and cultural transformation.

This call to repentance, of course, was not primarily a judgement of humanity, even despite the rejection of Jesus just seen; but it was embracing humanity through the eyes of mercy and compassion. God does not seek “repentance” only because of how bad people’s behaviour is, but also because of how much better this could be! This is not so much a reactive response to evil, because if that was God’s primary attitude, he would not have created in the first place; and even if God did create, he could not have abided how things turned out, and could not have been this patient for this long.

When we read in the Noah story how God responded to evil with a flood, we also read that God put a rainbow in the sky to remind him not to take that action again. The Noah story reminds us of the gravity of wickedness and terrible toll evil behaviour brings to human community. But God always has the hope that people would be prepared to freely respond to grace and change; so much so, that the Son of God was prepared to suffer the indignity of the cross. This is what we are to be witnesses of – God’s continuing, often outrageous, love.

God understands people’s situations, their burdens, and their very great need ... way, of course, more than we do. But God does call us to make attempts to connect with their need. Yet first, to be effective witnesses of “repentance and forgiveness”, we need to be free of some of our own shackles, the chains that bind us to our past. Otherwise we limit how much we have to offer!

“Repentance” means to have a turnaround of attitude that accepts Jesus’ rule over our lives (Paul Baxendale). This means we will be serious when we seek forgiveness about doing things differently. The call to “repentance”, which lies right at the heart of Luke’s gospel proclamation, includes both the call to reform individual lives and reform community practices – in line with the prophetic vision of justice found in the Hebrew Scriptures of the Old Testament (R.B Hays).

4.     A Promise of Effectiveness

The disciples were not going to be left on their own or simply to their own devices, even though Jesus was returning to God; for surely the mission ahead of them would be just too hard if that were the case. They were going to be “clothed with power from on high”. Wow again!! So that’s how we can truly live the resurrected life against the odds! Where the amount of fear we experience makes us feel naked in the face of the crowd (which sometimes can be full of antagonism and damaging materialistic attitudes), the Holy Spirit will clothe us with all the resources we could possibly need.

Why should anyone we encounter believe in the resurrection of Jesus? Sure, for many, Jesus could’ve died as the Bible says, and that he did this as a martyr for a cause would not be too hard to accept. But to rise again, to be the Son of God ... now that really is stretching it! We can argue our case if we’re clear enough; but really the only way forward is to live a resurrected life ourselves, a life truly transformed by the events we have read about this Easter, and minds continually open to new insight and direction. Then God’s Holy Spirit will make each of our endeavours effective.

Dawn Service Message - Resurrection Sunday

A little different to us, the first century disciples didn’t quite know what was happening. Thomas doubted; others didn’t recognise Jesus; they were generally pretty well unconvinced; for them this all came as a bit of a shock. These early disciples were still coming to terms with Jesus dying, let alone him rising back to life. For they had not understood when Jesus had told them, on various occasions, that he would die and on the third day rise again.

We, however, know and understand the story well. Jesus died for us on that cross – so that we might experience God’s grace, receive forgiveness and have eternal hope. Jesus rose again, because even death could not limit the creative power of God. Light had returned to illuminate the darkness. Jesus, the innocent sufferer, would rise to take up his position as the leader of a redeemed people.

So here we are, out in the cold, at a time that most of us would still be in bed if it wasn’t resurrection Sunday. Why? Because this is so important to us! I hope you feel a warmth inside because Jesus lives, causing you to rejoice and be thankful. And this warmth, this joy that Jesus lives ... I hope that we’ll still have this tonight and tomorrow and the next day! How long will the fire of Jesus’ resurrection burn within us? For the community in which we live needs a credible living witness to the resurrection of Jesus!

Now, it’s true that the first disciples, Peter, James, John and all the rest, and the women who had attended the grave as well ... they were all a little slow on the uptake. Mark’s gospel even concludes with them all fleeing! Yet when they fully got it, and waited in expectancy as they were commanded, and were subsequently empowered by the Holy Spirit, they began to change the world. They were completely dedicated to the Jesus cause, as shown by the way they lived, worshipped and worked together. In a very short time the good news of Jesus reached all the way to Rome. This resurrection of Jesus was having revolutionary impact.

As we stand out here this morning, we are, it seems, recommitting ourselves to the modern day progress of the good news through our neighbourhoods. For surely, gathering out here is not just about a short commemoration of an ancient event! Rather our presence today shows that Jesus’ resurrection is relevant to the purpose of each day of our lives.

May all those who live around us sense the power of Jesus’ resurrection! May each one know that they are not alone in their fear and uncertainty, but have access to a living Saviour who offers peace and hope! And may all injustice bow down to Jesus and all cruelty be overcome! May our lives clearly say that we have been with the resurrected Jesus this Easter!

Palm Sunday message - "Jesus encounters Jerusalem" (Luke 19:41-48)

1.     Jesus weeps

In Luke’s version of the events of ‘Palm Sunday’, we have a narrative concerning how Jesus reacted emotionally when he actually drew near to Jerusalem. Jesus is coming down the path from the Mount of Olives approaching Jerusalem and then sees the city before him. How did Jesus react?? Jesus wept! Why did Jesus weep over Jerusalem?? He must have been gravely disappointed with what was happening there!

When Jesus previously “wept” at the death of Lazarus in John’s Gospel (11:35), we read that Jesus was “greatly disturbed in spirit” ... this is what led to his tears. So, a question for us would be ... are we ‘disturbed in our spirit’ to the extent of tears when we look at various occurrences in our local area?

These tears of Jesus were not tears of judgement, but rather tears of regret. And the words that follow are not a curse, but rather an expression of a dark reality based on the consequences of certain inaction. It was actually because of Jesus’ deep and abiding love for Jerusalem’s citizens, that he was so moved to tears.

We read that Jesus wept because there was a lack of recognition (or acceptance or understanding or appreciation) of the “things that make for peace” (v.42a). What does this mean? “Peace” is a need set deep within each human being. We don’t respond well to turmoil and long for “peace”. Human beings desire “peace” so much, that they often turn to various substances to try to gain what they can’t find naturally. The need to feel at “peace” is a human necessity.

We need “peace” with God that is gained through the spiritual void within us being filled by having a relationship with our loving Creator. We need “peace” within ourselves, so that we can sleep well at night free of guilt and shame, thus being able to pursue the purposes for which we were born. We need “peace” with others (including all of our neighbours) so that there might be some chance of harmonious dealings in our community and fairness and justice in society.

There is a way to experience “peace”, and this comes through Jesus (the ‘Prince of peace’) and through the forgiveness he brings to us. And here, on ‘Palm Sunday’, is Jesus, and there has been some positive response to him,   yet as we know, there has also been other responses ranging from insincerity right through to outright opposition. This “peace” that Jerusalem needed that day was available in the Divine gift of Jesus, but this fact had basically been missed altogether.

2.     Being deaf and blind

In most people’s minds, Jesus would have been alright if he had just overthrown the Romans and made life more bearable, but not if he expected individuals to actually change their ways – to make for a better Jerusalem. What a lot of the people were cheering for on ‘Palm Sunday’ was not what Jesus was actually going to deliver. They largely wanted a new parochial national leader, not the suffering servant of God that Jesus actually was.

They must’ve had Jeremiah’s century-old catch-cry to the exiles ... “seek the welfare of the city” in their memory banks, but obviously had turned a deaf ear to this. And to not be able or willing to see God in the life and ministry of Jesus was culpable ‘blindness’ – they should have been able to ‘see’! There are consequences when the “things that make for peace” are ignored. Jesus drew on Jerusalem’s previous misadventures and destruction six centuries earlier   to predict a similar fate reoccurring. We know that the people of this city (including the religious leaders) remained unrepentant and therefore at risk, and Jerusalem was destroyed (including the temple) by the Romans some  41 years after Jesus spoke these words. In this case, the consequences of ongoing ‘deafness’ and ‘blindness’ were extreme.

As we read here, the solution, that should have been addressed, was to give attention to “the things that [actually] make for peace”. But we go on to read that these were “hidden” from their eyes (v.42b). How were things hidden from their eyes? How are things hidden from our eyes?? How could I miss something that was right in front of me???

Well I guess my eyes can be closed and blissfully oblivious of what’s ahead of me [like, some may say, when I drive]; or I can put a cover over my eyes so I don’t have to face something; or I can be looking in the wrong direction completely; or my vision can be blocked by something else that stands between me and what lies a bit beyond.

In the Pharisees case, it was the power and privilege that they had that they didn’t want to give up. In the case of the ‘Palm Sunday’ crowd, generally speaking, it was their fixation on political change and closed mind toward spiritual transformation. When Jesus didn’t provide precisely what they wanted, their cries changed from ‘Hosanna’ to ... ‘Crucify him’! Hmmm ... ‘Hosanna – Praise the Lord’ ... as long as this makes my life easier and more comfortable, otherwise ‘Crucify him’!!

In our case, we might think self-protection and reducing risk is a good idea, but it won’t necessarily bring the results we would hope for. It is also possible for us to fill our lives with so many other things that we miss ‘seeing’ the most important thing. Jesus was really looking for followers who would ‘take up their own cross’ and participate in bringing in a new type of ‘kingdom’.

3.     Direct action

As we see in the incident that follows, the problems in Jerusalem were typified by what was happening in the temple. This was the place where people were supposed to be able to encounter and commune with God. The outer area of the temple was the only area where non-Jews were allowed to pray. But what was happening here? This outer area was taken up by ruthless business types ... selling animals for the required sacrifice at highly inflated prices, or cheating people in exchanging money from one currency to another.

Jesus responded to his own disturbed emotional state by taking direct action. Jesus could not abide this gross misuse of the temple. Even though it was likely that the traders and charlatans would return again by next week, Jesus would take strong prophetic action. He called upon the witness of Isaiah and Jeremiah and swept the temple clean – “My house shall be a house of prayer – but you have made it a den of robbers”.

The church of today indeed needs to be a house of prayer, and have all its internal and external functioning attuned and aligned with the purposes of God and the Holy Spirit’s leading. The church of today needs to function so that faith is developed, discipleship is central and mission is its lifeblood. Our community, largely without knowing it, is depending upon us to inject an appreciation of God through the streets of our neighbourhoods.

4.     Lost opportunity

Returning to the scene of Jesus looking down upon Jerusalem, and weeping in compassion and regret, and maybe also in frustration ... Jesus was here lamenting lost opportunity (Morris). People were missing out on this whole “visitation from God”. What a tragedy! There was so much to appreciate – God had not forgotten them after all, far from it.

Even though Jesus doesn’t weep for himself, despite his torturous death being only a few days away, I reckon there might have been some tears shed at the prospect of his sacrifice being in vain!?! The reality of the consequences of unbelief weighed heavily on Jesus. There was so much misery ahead. Things could be so much better ... if only people realised “the things that make for peace”.

We would surely wonder that if Jesus came down from Mount Dandenong or from the top of the Westgate Bridge and approached the neighbourhoods of Melbourne, what his emotions might be. And then as Jesus approached the churches, the places of supposed restoration and transformation, what he would be thinking, and what critique he would bring.

It‘s like back in the 1990’s when Jeff Kennett famously referred to Crown Casino as representing “the true spirit of Victoria”. If that was ever true, we would certainly be showered in Jesus’ tears. It’s like whenever a church organisation tries to cover up its past abuses (rather than confessing its shortcomings) – surely tears would flow.

5.     Responding as disciples

Jesus also weeps over those people who just can’t seem to help themselves and break their various addictions; like those who can’t stop gambling themselves and their families into ruin over and over again. While they remain largely responsible for their actions, where there is addiction, we are responsible for helping where we can. Some people may refer to legislation to restrict a person’s capacity to lose at gambling as being the ‘nanny state’, but it is clear from the Bible that we are our brother and sister’s keeper – especially where there is real vulnerability. And we all suffer together as Jerusalem or any other city crumbles under the weight of their citizens’ suffering.

Jesus looked at Jerusalem and wept. As I asked earlier, are we sufficiently drawn to tears at the state of our society and at the hopelessness evidenced in many of the lives of those around us? For the sake of the welfare of the place in which we live, there needs to be an emphasis on Godly, harmonious, just and generous living – all “the things that make for peace”. And this begins with those of us who have already seen the light! Otherwise civic life will crumble around us, and Jesus will weep once again.

Jesus lived and loved, taught great truths and healed broken people. Jesus fully revealed God, died for our sins and rose again. The sad thing is that people are still missing out on this “visitation from God”.