"The Church's heartbeat" - a sermon on 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Verses 23 to 26 of 1 Corinthians chapter 11 are some of the most famous and most well-read words in scripture. Often as congregations of Jesus-followers gather around the communion table, these words are read. These are the words of Jesus given to his disciples at the “Last Supper” – the last “Passover” feast that Jesus celebrated with his disciples before his crucifixion. These monumental words are recorded by Paul first here – many years before they were recorded in the Gospel narratives. So when Paul says that he received these words “from the Lord”, he is emphasising their importance and the need to pass them on through the generations. Whether Paul received these words from Jesus on the Damascus Road, or through the oral tradition of the early church, they were deemed to be God-instituted, and thus central to the ongoing worship and life of the church. We could say that these words are the church’s ‘heartbeat’. For these words focus us, not just on Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, but also on how this act of grace and gift of salvation is central to our lives.

Jesus took the simple and everyday loaf of unleavened bread and gave it a whole new meaning. This bread, as it was broken, would represent the broken body of Jesus as it was tortured and torn asunder on the cross. This bread, as it was then distributed around, would lead us to understand that Jesus’ body had been sacrificed for those present at such an occasion (then, from then on, and of course now) … “This is my body that is for you” (v.24). We are to partake of this symbol of broken bread in remembrance of what Jesus has done for us. This sort of remembrance though is not just an act of the memory, but also a matter of commitment – that we will symbolise in our own very lives the act that we are remembering. Such a “remembrance” takes us back into that original upper room as a participant, then forward into all the environments that need to experience (and embrace) such a dynamic as this. We are thereby endorsing that this sort of sacrifice is the length that God will go to in seeking to bring about reconciliation with his beloved humanity.

Jesus also took another simple and everyday symbol – one of the cups of wine that would be distributed around the “Passover” table – and gave this rich new meaning as well. In the life, death and upcoming resurrection of Jesus, God was offering a new start … through a “new covenant”. God had ‘covenants’ or ‘agreements’ with his people in Israel before, where God would offer relationship, guidance and blessing, expecting trust and faithfulness in return. However such ‘covenants’ were regularly broken by people who chose to go their own way (leading to all sorts of wanderings, disasters and exile). While God always invited his people back into relationship, there always seemed to be a sense of inevitability about human failure. The prophet Jeremiah longed for and anticipated a more enduring type of ‘covenant’ (31:31-34), where we wouldn’t see God’s law as a kind of tick list of things to obey, but rather as a spiritual ethic that we would hold deep and tight in our heart and be worn (quite obviously) on our sleeve.

This “new covenant” ultimately arrived in the form of Jesus. As we accept God’s great gift to us in Jesus, we become part of this “new covenant”, where we live in a sense of freedom brought about by God’s willingness to forgive us our sins. We talked last Sunday about “declaring the praises” of God in the public arena. Here (perhaps along with baptism) is the most central way we do this … “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes”. This is our representation on earth of the way the Kingdom of God operates i.e. the sacrificial outpouring of the heart of a compassionate God. So even the very act of participation in ‘communion’ is not just deeply personal, but absolutely missional – as this “remembrance” publicly proclaims the glory of God.

Now of course these four verses are often quoted outside of the context given to them by Paul. Paul didn’t just recall and record these words in isolation, but in the context of a certain real live situation. And of course this context gives us a greater idea of their intended impact. Let’s read verses 17 to 22. Here we have Paul’s reaction to a real life occurrence in the church at Corinth. The church there, as a usual part of its life, gathers around a meal. This was sort of a ‘pot-luck’ dinner, where people brought food to share according to their means. Yet, in this particular case in Corinth, those who have arrived early or on time have started eating and drinking, failing to wait for those who can only come later. They possibly also ate all the best of the food, maybe even the whole lot. You might say, ‘bad luck for the latecomers … they should have been on time’, until you understand the background.

The ones who were early or on time would have been the rich and well-off, the ones who would not have had to receive permission to get off work to get there on time. The latecomers would have been the hired workers or slaves who obviously did not have the level of power or freedom as the others. These ones would have also been the much poorer group, who would probably have relied on this church feast as their best or maybe only decent feed for the week. The well-off would have been encouraged to be generous in their provision for the poor, yet in the way it was working out, they were eating and drinking most everything anyway. And they would have incorporated the “Lord’s Supper” (‘communion’) into such a feast as this!!! Do you see the hypocrisy?

The Corinthian church had privatised their celebration – they were acting as (selfish) individuals rather than as a (sacrificial) collective. They should have been actively challenging the socio-economic divisions of the world around them … not reinforcing them!! Didn’t this gathering around food have a higher purpose than just satisfying appetite!? Wasn’t the bringing of food and wine a means to an greater end!? If not, says Paul, then you should have stayed home and eaten there (v.22a)! But there was a bigger picture – the formation of a caring egalitarian community based on the life of Jesus. The ‘pot-luck dinner’ combined with the “Lord’s Supper” should have been a (very natural) means to this end! In the way the Corinthians were behaving though, they were bringing humiliation to the poor (v.22b), and at the same time showing contempt for this “remembrance” and the high aspirations of the church.

No wonder Paul would then remind them of the nature of Christ’s sacrifice. Let’s read on through to verse 32. The behaviour referred to earlier was regarded by Paul as “unworthy” (v.27) – “unworthy” of those who have been given the ‘gospel’, unsuitable for those who should know better, and for those who should have God’s Spirit dwelling in such a way as to make this behaviour unthinkable. With this level of abuse of the meaning of the “Lord’s Supper”, no wonder Paul raises the possible implications of this … being “answerable for the body and blood of the Lord (v.27b)”! Oh dear!! This doesn’t sound good! This phrase suggests that Jesus would have died in vain. This means wasting Christ’s sacrifice. This means effectively rejecting God’s forgiveness that cost so much. This is because, as seen by the Corinthian church’s behaviour, nothing in reality has changed for the better (if anything “for the worse” – v.17b)! More harm is being done than good. God’s character is being publicly besmirched.

So it’s time for members of the church in Corinth to have a good hard look at themselves – refer verse 28. The “examine yourselves” is often taken purely in a personal moral way, but we can see in context that such an examination goes way further than that, and certainly takes in a broad collective ethical consideration. FF Bruce says that, “The context implies that [this] self-examination will be specially directed to ascertaining whether or not [a person] is living and acting in love and charity with his [or her] neighbours”. It is just so important for the internal workings of a church to measure up to the sacrificial charter on which we are based. Double-mindedness or a resistance to the full leading of God, leads to an outcome (or “judgment” – the word Paul uses) that can be really dire. To place human determined limits on our level of response to God can actually harm our health.

So ‘examination’ is needed; so also is “discerning the body” (v.29) – which would indicate “discerning the body of Christ” i.e. “discerning (my contribution to) the health of the church’s functioning. This again highlights the interconnectedness of those who form Jesus’ body in the church. We ‘broken pieces of humanity’ are being reformed into a new collective whole with Jesus at the head. We are thus needing to be attentive to other members of this body (who we are now connected to) and to those things that will aid them in their particular functioning (or, on the other hand, might impede them). We might call all this a ‘complete spiritual audit’. How can we work in harmony with, encourage, and aid the health of … other parts of our body?

Now just before everyone decides not to participate in communion and runs for the door, we should note that Paul never meant that to happen. Verse 28 says, ”Examine yourselves, and … then eat”. This teaching from Paul was not meant to exclude people from participating in the “Lord’s Supper”, but rather motivate us toward a full understanding and application of its very significant meaning. The light and truth of the gospel message can only be declared with integrity and effectiveness when God’s people get their act into gear! And this demonstration of God’s glory depends equally on horizontal relationships as it does on the vertical relationship. We are possibly not going to be able to resolve all the things going on in our mind before the bread and the cup arrive, but what we can resolve is – that we will look at certain areas carefully (with God) in the days to come … and we take the bread and the cup in that mindset.

“So then [Paul says in verse 33], my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another”. Do not rush ahead individualistically as ‘the world’ might, but wait until everyone is present (acknowledging your connectedness in Jesus). This “waiting” can be extended, I think, beyond dining arrangements to broader activities of church life. And this, I think, is proven by Paul then going on to talk about the sharing of spiritual gifts for the common good (12:1ff,7). But for now, how is it that we need to “wait for one another”??? I think ‘patience’ with others would fit here. I also think that this would include ‘care’ for the hurting. And then as well there would be ‘concern’ and ‘support’ for the faltering.  One commentator (Marion L Soards) explains this collective “waiting” as follows: “to put both others and the whole church before … individual desires”.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                Having said all we have said, this is a perfect opportunity, around the “Lord’s table”, to dedicate ones’ life afresh to God, accepting all of what Jesus has done for us. This is a gift that needs to be received, unwrapped, embraced, and taken on as our inheritance. In the days ahead we can properly attune our lives to the teaching of Jesus and the will of God for us (in the guiding company of God’s Spirit). With this as our mindset and heartbeat, we have been welcomed to this table of God’s hospitality. This is God’s love feast … there is forgiveness for all!

"The Church - who are we?" - an exploration through the lens of 1 Peter 2:4-10 & Psalm 96

Who are we as the church?

How would you describe the church, especially in regard to how it relates to the general community?

Let’s delve into some scripture that informs this question of ‘who we are’ in the church. 1 Peter 2:4-10 presents a great vision of the church drawing on many old testament images and metaphors originally concerning God’s people Israel. [Peter, we would agree, would have a great interest in this subject from the moment he heard the words of Jesus (recorded in Matthew 16:18), on this rock {whatever that meant} I will build my church.]

In 1 Peter 2:4 people are encouraged to “come” or ‘draw near’ to Jesus who is described as a precious “living stone”. Then verse 5 describes those who do “come” as themselves “living stones”. So as you accept and follow THE “living stone” you likewise become one of many “living stones” of God’s ‘new temple’ … referred to specifically as a “spiritual house”. [This would of course be a house of prayer for all nations, not the den of robbers that the Jerusalem temple had sometimes become (Mark 10:17).]

Jesus is also described (in verse 6 quoting from old testament texts) as the “cornerstone”, meaning the “stone” that the entire structure is built upon … the first stone that is laid … the foundation stone. The “cornerstone” Jesus is the only foundation that is perfectly safe, sure and true.

Thus we might answer the question of ‘who are we’ as: a spiritual house built upon Jesus.

Before going on, we should note that there is a mention that the one who stakes their life (“believes”) in Jesus, “will not be put to shame” (refer verse 6) … which indicates that we will never really regret or be disappointed or embarrassed by such a decision. Even though the way might be difficult, it will be purposeful and hopeful. And ultimately the follower of Jesus will be eternally vindicated! And conversely, as shown in verses 7 & 8, those who disagree with God or reject Jesus will surely be proven to be wrong. These words were very important to hear for those under strenuous persecution.

Now, in reflecting on this “spiritual house” from verse 5, we should move our thoughts away from a rectangular temple building made of stone to a vision of God’s assembled people. The glory of God is now not seen through the beauty of great architecture and golden decoration, but rather through the beauty of transformed lives and active faith.

Then what happens in such a ‘spiritual house’? What does this look like?

Verses 5 & 9 give us a few images.

First, a “…holy priesthood” offering “spiritual sacrifices”. Priests in Israel were ‘set apart’ for particular tasks, that of teaching God’s law and facilitating sacrifices for the atonement of people’s sins. Thus they were responsible for the two-way street of taking the knowledge of God to the people and bringing the people toward God’s forgiveness. Thus in Israel a priest would stand in the middle between God on the one hand and all the rest of the people on the other. Bringing this thought to the role of the church, we start to see the church as interpreters and witnesses of God for those others who don’t know God. We are thus God’s representatives or ambassadors or advocates in the world. An ambassador represents their country to the other nations; an advocate speaks the views of the one they represent to a wider audience.

So another answer to the question of ‘who we are’ might be: a people set apart [made holy] by God through which God can bless (and save) the world.

Now in the ‘new covenant’ under Jesus, where Jesus has already provided the ultimate sacrifice for human sin, all God’s people have priestly like roles and responsibilities … referred to here as “spiritual sacrifices”. It was an honour to be a “priest” in Israel, and it is certainly an honour to be a “priest” in God’s kingdom today.

But what are these “spiritual sacrifices” that are talked about in verse 5?

1.       COMMITMENT to the 3 “r’s” – repentance, renewal, response;

2.       PARTICIPATION in worship under the broadest application – including acts of witness, kindness, service, sharing, and the bringing of gifts and offerings that enable ministry and the spread of the gospel;

3.       CO-OPERATION – all God’s people are now chosen for, and should be focussed on, God’s mission … collectively, together, as one, yet with our God-given and complimentary diversity, which often requires the complete ‘sacrifice’ of personal agendas in the cause of the greater common good.

Verse 9 offers three further images which build on what has already been said:

·         “a chosen race” – a specially representative and missional people, who can be assured of God’s close company and various blessings. This once related to a particular ethnic grouping, but now applies to all who believe in and follow Jesus.

·         “a holy nation” – as above “holy” meaning ‘set apart’. The Hebrew drawn on here suggests being different or distinctive, but not so much for its own sake; rather ‘set apart’ for a distinct purpose. We are deemed “holy” or ‘set apart’ by believing in Jesus, accepting his gift of mercy, following him, and walking in God’s Holy Spirit. In this sense we don’t become “holy”, we are already “holy” by definition i.e. ‘set apart’ for God’s purposes. What we can become along the journey is more obedient and more equipped disciples.

·         “God’s own people” – ones who God will continue to work in and through; and in being so treasured can thus appreciate their high value. As already mentioned, this is no longer defined by national identity nor geographical boundary, but rather through allegiance to Jesus.

We should note that we are so described not through any merit of our own, but rather through responding humbly to God’s mercy. Yet, there is the implication in all these descriptions that we are to live out in our daily lives the practical implications of our status as God’s own people. We have to ‘be’ who we ‘are’, and this has further implications in every dimension of personal and social life. God’s character is reflected in our character!!!

All of these descriptions are real “in order that” (refer verse 9) we “may proclaim the mighty acts” of God … meaning what?

But before we answer that … there is a helpful line drawn in verse 10 – there is a moment in time when we cross from being our own individual person – over to become one of God’s collective family, and also from one not experiencing God’s grace and mercy – over to one who is experiencing this on a daily basis. This should be our decisive moment of redemption (from darkness into light). This is a line which we should not regress back over to where we were before! So another response to ‘who are we’ is: we are part of God’s movement living together in an atmosphere charged with forgiveness.

All of the above descriptions i.e. “holy priesthood”, “God’s own people”, etc. are the case “in order that” we “may proclaim the mighty acts” of God … meaning what?

We, if you like, are ‘advertising’ all the excellencies of God – who God is and what he has done. And we exhibit transformed, active and effective lives that represent God’s character, creativity, light and mercy.

This latter part of verse 9 can also be translated, “… that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (NIV).

“Declaring the praises” of God – is that another good description of ‘who we are’ as the church: people who deliberately yet naturally declare the praises of God in the public domain.

These are declarations concerning God’s love, mercy, forgiveness, salvation. We praise God because of God’s inherent glory and worthiness. God is the only One deserving of such allegiance and praise and thus evermore due such declarations.

Such declarations are made publicly, clearly, loudly … not just to bring encouragement to one another, but to enable God to draw others to him (who do not know God yet). This is missional praise!! In the same way as Israel’s praise was meant to be heard by foreign nations, the church’s praise is meant to be heard way beyond its walls and confines. Our activities of worship i.e. singing, praying, reading the scriptures and discussing them, and our practice of the sacraments of communion and baptism, are to be overheard across the community. They are to be somewhat of a summons to experience the glory of God – this is “doxological evangelism” (as dubbed by Edmund Clowney)! John Stott writes that it would be impossible for me to truly worship God, if I don’t actually give two cents whether anyone else does or not. So worship is not real without a sense of proclamation or witness.

John Dickson writes as follows: Our friends and neighbours live and breathe in the presence of the greatest Lord. Yet, they do not know it. We, the people of the Lord, who know his majesty over heaven and earth, must stand up on the bus, so to speak, and, in whatever way is appropriate to our gifts, personality and circumstances, promote [God’s] glory.

Declaring God’s praises is something we should do confidently, enthusiastically, spontaneously, excitedly, even vigorously; but not boastfully nor arrogantly as if we were in anyway responsible for how great God is. Rather this is done with humility as grateful recipients, and largely for the benefit of others.

Psalm 96 provides one great example of declaring God’s praises. Here, those who have experienced personally and collectively God’s blessings are invited to share about this far and wide. And whether it was praise from the Jerusalem temple spreading out across the cosmopolitan city, or whether it was the praise from dispersed Jews wherever they had settled and worshipped, those who did not know YHWH would hear clear witness to his name. Sentiments expressed here like “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised” (v.4) would drift on the breeze to all those within earshot, who may just find their needs and aspirations addressed by such words. And we know that many Gentiles found their way to Jewish synagogues wanting to know more.

This psalm expresses various reasons for praise …

·         for God’s daily acts of salvation (v.2),

·         for the signs of God’s activity within human community (v.3),

·         for God’s credibility as opposed to other pretend ‘gods’ (v.4-5),

·         for God’s general creativity (v.5),

·         for God’s presence and beauty seen amongst his people (v.6),

·         for the quality of God’s care and governance of the world (v.10),

·         for the rightness of all God’s judgements (v.10 & 13).

We can think of singing this “new song” (verse 1) in two ways. Firstly, this can relate to all the good things God is doing now. Each generation brings new reasons to praise God. One generation of Israel would have praised God for their liberation from Egypt, while a later generation would have declared praises for their return from exile. For us, possibly each new day brings more reasons to tell our story and offer God praise. And when this is expressed, this gives other people reason to consider if such blessing could be true and available to them. Secondly, this “new song” can relate to the eternal truths that we have long adopted, yet can be seen as “new” to those who have never heard them before.

Looking at Psalm 96 another way, in declaring such praise …

·         there is the possibility that other people will seek this salvation

·         there is the possibility that others will notice God’s presence in community life

·         there is the possibility that the many false gods (broadly speaking) will be revealed as worthless as against the wonder of the true God

·         there is the possibility that God will be recognised as the creator of the universe

·         there is the possibility that God will be seen as the originator of all things that are good and beautiful

·         there is the possibility that other people will join in the mission of redeeming God’s creation

·         there is the possibility that others will seek God’s truth, peace and justice.

"Caring about others" - a sermon on 1 Kings 8:41-43 & the book of Jonah

We talked last week about being a light in our community, and the sorts of things we need to do to turn the lights on in our neighbourhoods. Along this line I was intrigued to read part of Solomon’s prayer on the occasion of the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:41-43). Solomon not only prayed the obvious in terms of the insiders (the people of Israel), but also considered the needs and situations of those outside this national grouping. It seems that Solomon fully understood God’s statement to the ‘father’ of the Jewish faith, Abraham, that he would be a blessing to all the nations (Genesis 12:3). Israel was chosen by God to be a credible witness of God’s love and presence to all the nations of the earth.

Thus Solomon hoped that the presence of God (as represented in this new temple) would be available and appreciated by the broader community. Many people groups found themselves impressed by the character and ethical teaching of the people of Israel, which reflected well on their God – YHWH. Monotheism, rather than a plethora of various gods, was also attractive to many. Others would have heard of God’s great acts of mercy and liberation on behalf of his people Israel, such as the ‘exodus’ from slavery in Egypt.

Solomon prayed that such “foreigners” coming from distant lands, seeking a new future with all their various expectations, would receive all that they would be dreaming of. This got me to thinking about all our new local residents (from wherever they have come from) and all the hopes and dreams they have in their new homes. We mightn’t know them yet, and they may not link with any of our activities anytime soon, but surely we can pray for them in such terms as these: that they will have a positive and happy home life, and that they will be able to participate well in a mutually enriching experience of community.

Part of this praying would be for the people being prayed for to realise Who the ultimate source of their well-being is. And then this would create an even greater groundswell of interest, with a great base of witness being formed. People would come to know God and God would receive the glory! All this from just factoring in care and concern for people outside our particular number. As we read back in the earlier verses, we notice that Solomon was actually hoping for the same outcomes and blessings for these “foreigners” as he was for the people of Israel … with no apparent partiality!

And Solomon seems to pray in this way quite naturally, without giving it a moment’s thought – it was just the most right thing to do, even (and maybe especially) at such an important national event as the dedication of the long awaited temple (seven years in the construction). At the moment which may have caused the most introspection (looking inward) and the most nationalistic pride, Solomon paused to think and pray far and wide. Would this have been what we would have done?

Christopher J H Wright writes, “Sadly, Israel did not always match in practice the open spirit of Solomon’s prayer here, but became negative, hostile and exclusive towards foreigners”. There would be times when people are less than keen to concern themselves outside the walls of their home, or outside the walls of their church, or outside the parameters of their national boundaries. There would be times when our thoughts are fully focussed inward … in survival mode or maintenance mode or in protection mode.

An ‘us and them’ mindset so easily develops – some areas of the media are good at purveying this ‘us and them’ divide, for it builds rating figures and thus advertising dollars. It is easy for us to want to judge, ignore or reject people who are very different to us, or have behaviour patterns that repel us. There is one famous example of this very attitude in the Bible – a person who tried to escape his calling because he couldn’t accept that God would actively embrace people who came from a notoriously bad place. This was Jonah.

God called Jonah to go and preach the message and represent God in Nineveh. But Jonah ran in the opposite direction as far as he could go. Later in the book we come to learn why Jonah was so resistant to God’s call – Jonah could not come to terms with the possibility that this mission might actually be successful. Jonah was not prepared for such ‘evil’ or dysfunctional people to change for the good. Jonah, unlike Solomon, was stuck in a negative mindset about such people.

As the story continues, after three days and three nights in a whale’s belly to think about things (together with his miraculous rescue), Jonah finally did what God had asked him to do. And in chapter three of the book that bears Jonah’s name, we read of the remarkable outcomes. And this from a reluctant missionary – how much better might it have been if Jonah had been really enthusiastic.

We read a lot in the Old Testament that general ‘wicked’ and unjust living in a city would eventually lead to its overthrow. God’s prophets often had to seek to correct Israel itself along these lines, which was at times met with stubborn resistance and thus subsequent military overthrow and exile. The warning to Nineveh (3:4) was “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” As we come to see later, Jonah’s mindset actually was … ‘I can’t wait for forty days to pass and then it will be over for Nineveh and I can go back home’.

Yet this was not God’s mindset, and clearly God had already been working and preparing in Nineveh, because we see how quickly and how positively the people there respond (3:5). If we fully had a grip on how corrupt life in Nineveh was, God’s personal intervention may seem improbable, and the outcome even more so! Yet, God can and does seek to draw people from the ends of the earth to himself, and attract worship and prayer even from those who do not yet fully know him [in all his biblical revelation], and answer the prayers of those who do not yet belong to his covenant people (C J H Wright). Desperation is often a prayer in itself!

We read that the people of Nineveh now “believed God” and, as evidenced by their fasting and wearing of humble sackcloth, they sincerely ‘repented’. This was all a pretty good result from a one sentence sermon!! Some people are right on the verge of embracing God, they are just waiting for a personal invitation. Whether there was a fear concerning  impending doom, a sense of guilt, or whether there was a desire for a different future, the people of Nineveh were ready. Then followed the king in the groundswell of humility and belief (3:6). This is exactly the response prayed for by Solomon at the dedication of the temple.

So you would have thought that Jonah would be overjoyed … but we read (4:1): ... this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. As mentioned earlier Jonah had written Nineveh off, and he would have been quite happy when destruction came! Surprisingly and threateningly for Jonah, the people of this city were ready for change – a response that Jonah was not prepared for and didn’t like. As we read on in chapter four we see that Jonah actually did understand God’s character and way of thinking (4:2 – gracious, merciful, patient, abundantly loving), but still could not accept this positive outcome for Nineveh.

Jonah’s desire to die rather than change his mindset was replicated, for those familiar with Victor Hugo’s book “Les Miserables”, in the character of the stringent policeman Javert, who could not accept that the former ‘criminal’ Jean Valjean had been able to change so dramatically and become a beacon of the community.

So God had a bit of work to do on Jonah’s spirit to bring him into line with God’s way of thinking and acting. Do we ever pray for a person or witness to our faith while still harbouring thoughts that we may not really want this particular person to receive God’s grace or be accepted by God? Can we accept that even someone who has hurt us deeply can be forgiven and restored to relationship with God? Do we speak the truth of God’s mercy easily amongst ‘insiders’, but apply it sparingly to ‘outsiders’? If you read on in chapter four, you see God taking Jonah through a little life scenario that exposes Jonah’s small-mindedness which has totally blocked out any broader concern for the world that God loves.

God, as we see in the dramatic and magnificent final verse in the book of Jonah (4:11) has an emotional investment in all of his creation. What God has created and originally deemed “very good”, God will want to redeem and facilitate re-creation. We do not have that level of investment, for we did not create the world and all its inhabitants, but we are clearly called to embrace God’s level of connection and investment, and thus grow in our care and concern for other people’s situations. Solomon understood, then Jonah has been challenged to accept this (and we wonder what might been recorded in chapter five). Our ultimate example, Jesus, lived out God’s love and compassion day in and day out of his three year ministry.

"Turning the lights on" - a sermon on Isaiah 60:1-5;19-22 & Matthew 5:14-16

Introduction

God had promised that the exiles would return to their land. And God is always true to his promises. Now that once again the people of Israel had been restored, they would need to show whose people they were. In all generations God’s people should be able to physically show where their foremost allegiance lies. Where this is not so, you would have to doubt their sincerity. The people around us have to be shown signs concerning the existence and character of God. Our limited vocabularies will not be enough. Sad to say, sometimes people will refuse to believe in the God that is so poorly represented.

Isaiah 60 early text

Through the prophet Isaiah, God says to get on your feet, get moving, and reflect the light and the glory of God through your everyday lives. There may be many instances of darkness across the earth, however God’s people are always charged with the light and glory of God. Such light will be attractive! As other nations should have been able to recognise Israel’s light 26 odd centuries ago, our neighbours (old and new) should be able to recognise the light in us.

We are carriers of the glory of God because we have become recipients of his gift of grace and salvation. We are no longer our own people, but the children of God. As Paul put it, it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me (Galatians 2:20). So if Jesus is truly the “light of the world” (John 8:12), then that light must shine in us and through us.

Verse 4 brings a restatement of God’s graciousness in regathering the people of Israel following exile. Such a wonderful and promise-keeping God should lead to an outpouring of joy and a commitment to let all the nations know ‘Who’ it is that truly brings life (in all its fullness). What a difference it would make if we could truly see and understand what God can do – we would be “radiant”, our hearts would be “thrilled”, our lives full of joy. People would cross seas to be a part of this, and they would buy completely into what we have bought into.

Why do people get into dodgy boats, organised by even dodgier ‘people-smugglers’, to travel through dangerous weather conditions and huge waves? Because they sense that there is something better on the other end of the journey. Australia, for all its perceived internal problems, is a very very attractive proposition for many people from a variety of tragic situations. Many people live through tragedy and a sense of ‘lostness’ day in and day out in our local community. So they need to find the light – which they can only do if the lights are turned on. God says, “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1).

Matthew 5 text

This leads us to the words of Jesus concerning light (in Matthew 5:14-6). There needs to be an example, something visible for people to see, remark upon, and be drawn to. The light given to us is designed to encompass and illuminate the whole world. Of course Jesus himself would have this effect, but God has chosen that, except for the three (or maybe the thirty-three) years (when Jesus ministered in person), that ordinary everyday people would fill that role or provide that example. Before Jesus’ time it was meant to be the nation of Israel, and they had mixed results. After Jesus’ time it was to be his Spirit-filled followers, and they have had mixed results (we have had mixed results).

Darkness is simply the absence of light; yet it so easily binds whole communities. When in the face of darkness God created the light, the “light” was deemed to be “good” (Genesis 1:4). So, it makes no sense to cover up a light source, that is, unless you want to stay in the dark or keep others in the dark. In covering up our light we will also likely starve it of oxygen and put it out altogether … perhaps forever! If we tend to hide our light, we would need to think out the reasons for this … and take any required action. If our light isn’t shining, we would need to consider what is blocking its way … and take any required action.

Our light-source is important so that we can see our way, and that others can also see their way no matter how little light they have for themselves. Our light, because of where it takes us … into identifiable “good works”, points toward a source that is above and beyond human capacity. We have been ‘lifted up’ (out of the depths – Ps 147:6) by our experience of Christ’s resurrection into being a city perched by on a hill for all to see.

The Question Is

So, how do we turn the lights on???

·         Positive living – showing a sense of purpose, being hopeful even in difficulties, showing how our deepest aspirations have been fulfilled

·         Encouragement of others

·         Being forgiving and not giving in to bitterness

·         Being open to approach – metaphorically or literally leaving the front porch light on … demonstrating that we are here and available; having a ‘welcome’ sign out; offering a friendly wave and a smile (to initiate contact); lingering a little … maybe in the food-court or at the letterbox; walking around the neighbourhood being conscious (and prayerful) about what is happening; having picnics/BBQs in public parks; shopping locally … supporting small businesses and thanking retail assistants

·         Practical effort – helping others in whatever ways needed (material, emotional, spiritual, practical); Isaiah 58:9b-10 reads: If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry, and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.

·         Building community through developing relationships and bringing people together

·         Being peace-makers – being counter-intuitive in the dog-eat-dog, individualistic, selfish, competitive and aggressive environment … (actively) seeking harmony; YET,

·         Being prophetic – naming institutional injustice e.g. profiting from problem gambling, detention of asylum seeking children, animal cruelty etc., and calling for repentance and change in instances of ‘external wrongs/evil’ e.g. abuse, violence, relational betrayal

·         Prayerful attitude – demonstrating trust in a higher source of being beyond ourselves (to be later identified as God – Father, Son, Spirit … in whom we can have a personal relationship).

Isaiah 60 later text

Isaiah 60 concludes with a great eternal vision of God as the only light we will need. No longer will we be confined as humans are confined, needing the sun and moon through which to find our way. Despite the potential we have as light-bearers here and now, we are restricted it seems by our humanness and the pressures of life. While this should never be an excuse, it is the reality. But it won’t always be so! Our days of struggle and mourning will come to an end, and God will be all we need.

Conclusion

Meanwhile of course we remain called as light-bearers – this is God’s light in us … part of God’s magnetic or gravitational pull towards Divine hope. A lack of light where light has been promised or is expected can repel people into deeper darkness. Light is a powerful metaphor, used both to signify the joyful good news of the salvation that God brings, and also to picture the world-transforming quality of the lives and deeds of those who come to that light and live by it (Christopher J H Wright).

"The Other Side" - a sermon on Mark 5:1-20

Introduction

Jesus was taking his disciples to “the other side” of the lake into Gentile territory. After Jesus had stilled the winds and calmed the waves, they all arrived safely at their destination. This “storm” incident had allowed Jesus to challenge his disciples concerning their level of faith, and whether they would let fear get in the way. And when we read into chapter five we see why Jesus needed to prepare his disciples – they were certainly going to be taken out of their comfort zones with what they were about to be confronted with.

Jesus “stepped out of the boat”, and his followers, if they were to be truly his followers, would have to ‘step out of the boat’ as well. We are being led to appreciate, I think, that these disciples were in fact courageous enough to follow Jesus into this ‘foreign’ territory, for they had not ‘abandoned ship’ when the waters had become calm. No doubt the disciples were now going to watch every move Jesus made and listen to every word Jesus spoke; for they were very early in their learning journey, and thus they needed much guidance.

A Desperate Need

At the same time there is another picture being painted in this narrative as well: that of desperation and hopelessness. There are places where people of good faith will just have to go. No wonder Jesus wanted to go here to lead the way! Without a minute to catch their breath, out came one of the most desperate and scary individuals you could possibly imagine. This was a strong violent character who also was self-harming. Those living around him had sought to restrain him, such was the threat they felt.

The message of the text seems to be that this man was completely consumed by evil, and he was living amongst the dead as if awaiting his inevitable fate. His was a living death – all appeared lost – his very humanity destroyed! Imagine being under the weight of enough pressure to drown 2000 pigs! This would be enough to break most people. We don’t know his circumstances and what had led up to this state of affairs – Jesus just sought to deal with the reality before him.

And right here the Jewish-born disciples that were present faced a collection of their worst nightmares (culturally speaking): the ritual uncleanness of a man living among the tombs, together with the presence of thousands of pigs, and then there was the very mention of the “unclean spirits” collective name of “Legion” with its connection to Roman oppression (“legion” being a military term designating a brigade of some 6000 Roman soldiers). Talk about facing all your fears at once (spiritual, cultural and political)!!

A Prevailing Problem

What would Jesus do (“WWJD”)? What did Jesus do? Jesus confronted, face on, the evil that was causing the oppression of this poor man! Jesus called the “unclean spirit” out of the man, which turned out to be a “legion” of “unclean spirits”, and ultimately dealt with them with finality. This is a picture of what Jesus ultimately achieved in his life, death and resurrection – the potential of a complete victory over evil and darkness.

This also seems to fulfil the vision of Psalm 147:6 ...

                                             The Lord lifts up the downtrodden;

                                             he casts the wicked to the ground.

Jesus didn’t attack or criticise the poor man himself, rather Jesus looked behind the particular behaviours to see where the problem actually lay. Jesus, being Jesus, realised straight away that there was a terrible evil lying behind this man’s situation that needed to be dealt with – and Jesus said, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit” (v.8)!

The “unclean spirits” or prevalent evil was badly affecting this man and his behaviour, yet was separate to him and could be despatched. We see the dramatic difference when this evil was lifted – first he found his “right mind” and got into some clothes (v.15), then quickly became a living, active and effective witness to Jesus (v.20). Jesus came to offer people freedom from such oppression, and indeed this man was now free to be his own person again (and in this case, God’s person), and also now free to live in harmonious human community.

What sort of “unclean spirits” or evil might we have to confront on behalf of other people? What oppresses our neighbours today???

·        institutional evil where economic (and other) resources are unequally and unfairly distributed leading to poverty and homelessness

·        external evil through the activities of others in abuse, violence and relational betrayal

·        internal evil through adopting self-destructive behaviours and forming addictions relating to drugs, alcohol, gambling; or even material acquisition and workaholism

·        supernatural demonic evil entering either through deliberate repeated sinfulness or through human vulnerabilities caused by unresolved negative past experiences.

Of course evil makes itself comfortable in society and sometimes in people too! Note how the “unclean spirits” did not want to be cast out of this man (v.7b,10). Therefore the task at hand will often be difficult. Yet such ‘darkness’ still recognised the light of Jesus (v.6-7), correctly interpreted the presence of God, and rightly understood that it was at a disadvantage. So, ‘evil’ looked for survival and thought it would find a good home in the “swine”. Yet, again, the “unclean spirits” had no chance with the full application of Jesus presence set against them!

The Ongoing Mission

Now, why wouldn’t Jesus have allowed this man to go with him (refer verses 18-19)??? The answer actually goes back a few verses. Change, even good change, can be scary, and hard to accept. For instance, sometimes we don’t actually like a friend or a member of our family to grow closer to Jesus (thus change), because it tends to alter the balance of our relationship with them. Strange that!!

Despite this miraculous and magnificent outcome, people were “afraid” (v.15), and then asked (actually ‘begged’) Jesus to “leave their neighbourhood” (v.17). This incident didn’t make Jesus ‘flavour of the month’ as we might have expected, nor even popular in this new region. But the work would have to go on! Who else was going to share the good news of hope around these ten cities of the “Decapolis” region (especially with the cold reception Jesus himself was getting) other than the healed man himself!

And how did this go (refer verse 20)??? With Jesus they were afraid (v.15,17) – with this man they were amazed! Jesus chooses to leave a local behind to do the work in his own personal neighbourhood. Rather than being part of a larger band of roving disciples, this man has his own particular mission field. This home-town boy was well-placed to tell the story of his own dramatic liberation.

Yet as Jesus promised when he commissioned his disciples following his resurrection – “I will be with you always”, and subsequently this was realised in the coming of the divine Holy Spirit upon them. The followers of Jesus will act in Jesus’ name, empowered by Jesus’ very presence, to do the works of God. This will mean bringing a measure of hope to the hurting. Sometimes this will be in the face of difficulty and opposition, but we see in this passage how such realities can be overcome!

"Healing the Broken-hearted" (Psalm 147:1-6)

Psalm 147:1-6

Praise the Lord!
How good it is to sing praises to our God;
   for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting. 
² The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
   he gathers the outcasts of Israel. 
³ He heals the broken-hearted,
   and binds up their wounds. 
⁴ He determines the number of the stars;
   he gives to all of them their names. 
⁵ Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
   his understanding is beyond measure. 
⁶ The Lord lifts up the downtrodden;
   he casts the wicked to the ground. 

Introduction

The first 6 verses of Psalm 147 very much deal with God’s special abiding care for and restoration of the needy ... within the larger context of God’s great creativity and understanding of the workings of the whole universe. This psalm then moves on to address God’s general provision for all (v.7-11) and then subsequently declares God’s good governance over all creation (v.12-20).

Beginning

Verse 1 is an eloquent expression of praise, engaging the participants in an understanding of the worth of acknowledging God’s graciousness – it is not such a strange thing to be singing praise to God, rather it is simply “fitting” (and thus it should be a natural thing to do). As well as being “fitting”, it is good for us to worship God because it frees us from an undue and unhelpful concentration on ourselves.

Psalm 147 verse 1 provides us with the very simple basis on which we worship God – God lavishes grace on us; this meaning that God is always seeking to connect with us, relate with us, and give us the most important things we need to excel in life. For this reason it is “fitting”, and we might also say healthy, to bring praise to God.

Context

Verse 2 suggests that this psalm dates from the post-exilic period, when the people of Israel were returning to their land and homes following their exile to the north (in Babylon). The Bible generally viewed these exiles at least partly responsible for their fate due to their rebellious activity in allowing oppression and injustice and being so easily influenced by the latest trendy small g ‘god’. Yet there were also political and environmental challenges coming from outside forces like the strong nation of Babylon.

There would come times of repentance, and there would power-shifts in the region, and the people of Israel’s time of exile in foreign hands would come to an end. God, the gracious and merciful God, is certainly prepared to re-gather his people and offer them a future once again. This re-gathering (in verse 2) begins the thoughts of this psalm directly concerning those whose lives are not going well for them.

God Sandwich

This is a great God. The statements of God’s magnificence in determining and naming the stars, and having complete understanding of all His creation (v.4-5) are sandwiched by two other statements concerning God’s concern for the “broken-hearted” and the “downtrodden” (v.3,6). And so here is a direct link between God’s wondrous creativity and God’s gracious mercy. In the midst of the greatness and vastness of creation, God does not miss any incidence of human misery.

God names the stars as God also knows each of our names. We might often scratch our heads about the things happening to us and to others and wonder whatever meaning there could be to this, but God knows and understands everything about what is happening – and in this way can bring exactly the right amount and type of help. God has understanding ... (v.5) ... “beyond measure”! This should reassure us during our times of trouble.

Cast to the Ground? (v.6b)

Whatever else we might say about the last part of verse 6, we can know that where we stick close to God, God will deal with those who oppress us and others. This might not happen according to our preferred timing, but it is God who has the “understanding” and the “abundant power” (refer verse 5) to orchestrate this in the right way at the right time. As God “lifts up” (or raises) the “downtrodden”, as part of the same process ... those who would cause such situations will be brought low. God will vindicate the weak whilst opposing the proud.

Broken-hearted & Downtrodden (v.3,6)

We might wonder how someone would become so “broken-hearted” or “downtrodden”? On the other hand we may well have experienced such feelings ourselves, and come to understand the cause. For the ancient exiles there was isolation – some exiles had been separated from their family and friends; all exiles had been separated from their culture and spiritual centre. So there was a sense of loss of home, or, homelessness. This, and the loneliness that it brings, leads to feelings of broken-heartedness and hopelessness. This is very much the experience of many of our indigenous peoples in Australia since white settlement.

We know, given our levels of depression and suicide in this country, that much has gone wrong in people’s lives. There are people trying to survive without good family structures, or having directly suffered from neglect or abuse of various kinds. Then there is those who have lacked for education and economic resources. Other people begin okay, but later, relationship difficulties or unemployment or illness strikes. Many try to quell the pain with a variety of addictive behaviours.

We might see the “broken-hearted” and “downtrodden” as ‘wounded souls’ who have had their spirits dented, and very much lack for the relationship with God they were designed to have. They may never have had the opportunity of embracing such a relationship. The question for us is: how does God in actual terms “heal the broken-hearted” and “lift up the downtrodden”?? If we believe and even quote this psalm, what are we meaning???

• ·       Jesus offers forgiveness and a new start – this first deals with any sense of guilt, but also with any sense of unworthiness or shame
• ·       God can also touch a person’s life miraculously, taking away heavy burdens and replacing them with a peace only God can give; but often the process takes longer than this, and there are many ups and downs along the way
• ·       Where wounds are bound up (v.3) ... this stops infection coming from the outside and helps the workings of the internal immune system to kick in; from this we can understand that there is often a partnership in healing between the healer (God) and the one whose heart is broken ... where they have to work together for any progress to be made
• ·       Yet for God to be lifting up the “downtrodden” (v.6), this gives a sense of such a person being carried, carried for awhile in the loving compassionate arms of God – it is God’s strength that engages with our weakness and lifts us up
• ·       Jesus brings the opportunity of a new family, a supportive community of like-minded travellers; and it is those who have started down the track of healing and salvation that are well-placed to assist those just at the fork of the road ... the earlier (v.2) concept of God “gathering” the exiles or outcasts seems to be instructive here – healing for the “broken-hearted” occurs as God gathers such sufferers together

So, Paul starts his second letter to the church in Corinth with these words:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NIV).

• ·       Jesus offers hope through giving purpose to life – purpose that is based around helping others (thus taking the wounded person beyond themselves); there is the initial healing that comes through Divine forgiveness, but healing also comes as the gift of forgiveness is worked through in the context of relationships and community.

 Conclusion

We are surrounded by events and struggles that are beyond us, that are too big for us. In the midst of those challenges, it is valuable to know that the God of heaven knows and understands the burdens of life in a fallen world. God cares and is involved and God’s love for us is undiminished by the hardnesses of life.

(From the Preface to the RBC Ministries publication “Hope in Times of Trouble”, 2011).

"Faith versus fear" (Mark 4:35-41 & Daniel 6:16-23)

What makes us frightened? What do we do when we are frightened? To go across to the “other side” was quite a scary proposition for the disciples. They would be encountering people and situations they hadn’t experienced before. So understandably there would have already been raised levels of concern before the disciples even got into the boat.

Then came the wind and the waves. Then, as we read, the boat became “swamped”! Jesus, who knows the end from the beginning, and that all was going to be well, was quite relaxed and sleeping in the stern of the boat. Jesus here represents the same level of peace that he offers to his followers. Though, when Jesus was awoken by his scared disciples, he was instantly aware of their fear.

Not one to let them continue to shake in trepidation, Jesus stilled the wind and calmed the seas. Everything became calm! It was then, in the calm aftermath, that Jesus wanted his disciples to reflect – why had they acted as they did? Where was their faith? Clearly the amount of fear they had shown had put the reality of their faith in doubt! They were following Jesus, but were they actually putting their absolute faith in Jesus? This is a bit like the difference between people who go to church as against those who are the church! Well, perhaps the answer is seen in verse 41 – “who then is this ...” – they were still discovering who Jesus really was.

Perhaps this rings true for us. Sometimes we suffer from fear, even though most of the time we reckon our faith is reasonably strong. This is because we are still discovering who Jesus is, and the totality of what he can achieve. It would be reasonable for us to have reservations about sharing the good news and sharing our lives with our neighbours. It would be understandable to have some sort of fear reaction to becoming involved in ‘cultivating the soils’ in our local community. Perhaps the answer to this possibility, is to embrace getting to know Jesus more, and by doing this, getting to know God more.

We have to acknowledge that the greatest enemy of faith is fear, and that while it is a natural and sometimes helpful reaction, we have to deal with the negative impacts that it brings ... such as ‘flight’, passivity, making bad decisions, or lacking in confidence.

We have a strong example of one person who had become totally and completely convinced of God’s availability and ability to deliver him from harm. Now we know that sometimes people continue to suffer and die for their faith, yet they are able to maintain their integrity and stability throughout their trials because they have been able to fully put their trust in God ... that indeed, no matter the outcome, God will certainly be with them.

Such an example is Daniel. Daniel had already refused the “royal rations” in chapter one, so that no one could ever think or suggest that he had become more aligned with the king’s agenda than with God’s. He removed such a temptation by drawing a line that he would never cross. Daniel would not allow himself to be identified with Nebuchadnezzar’s excesses. The fact that Daniel on his vegetable diet was in better condition than would ever be expected, led him into a position of great respect and influence.

Now Daniel had to resist a command to pray only to the king. This was of course put up by Daniel’s jealous opponents when they could find nothing wrong with the performance of his duties in Babylon through which to bring him down. The punishment for praying to any other (divine or human) over a thirty day period was being thrown into a den of lions. Yet not praying to his God was not something that Daniel could accept. As we read in verse 10 of chapter six:

Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open toward Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had done previously.

So we know what happened from there. Yet on the basis of all God’s faithfulness in the past, Daniel could rest easy, because he knew that God would be with him. Daniel knew that his friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had been rescued from the fiery furnace under similar circumstances (when they had refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue).

Such was Daniel’s effectiveness, integrity and innocence, that King Darius, despite administering the set penalty, spent a sleepless night agonising over this, and fasted hoping that Daniel might survive. The king had wished Daniel well (refer verse 16), hoping that Daniel’s God might actually prevail. Next morning, the king rushed to the den of lions, and called out hopefully to Daniel. We then hear that Daniel is alive, with the testimony that an angel of God had closed the lions’ mouths all night long.

Daniel’s was a special trust – it was active and practical, it was very public and completely unashamed or unapologetic, and it stood up under pressure. This was because his faith in God was so embedded in his character – it was so central to who he was as a person! Daniel’s long history of prayerful trust had held him in good stead whenever the pressure was turned on.

Now what about those disciples in the boat many centuries later!?! They were certainly a work in progress!!

To be fair, Jesus’ disciples had been plucked from obscurity – doing other jobs and following other passions, some of them very different from being on mission for God, suddenly having to adjust to following an itinerant teacher with a very radical and counter-cultural message, who, despite having some fans, was attracting some very dangerous adversaries. Their very selection, it seems, was based on the effectiveness they would be able to have, not straight away, but rather in 2-3 years time after Jesus had left them. So indeed, and quite naturally, the disciples were ‘works in progress’! Just like us!!

So to ask the question, “Who then is this” (Mark 4:41) is a fair and acceptable question. In fact, it is a question that we should continually ask. Who is God for us? Where is Jesus in this situation? How is God’s Holy Spirit leading us now? What am I being taught? Where is God present in this challenging moment?

Though apparently asleep in the stern of the boat (that was the disciples view of things anyway), Jesus was ready to still the wind and calm the waves and get the disciples safely to their destination. To all of the disciples’ insecurities, Jesus says, “Peace! Be still!”. Of course this particular destination (on the “other side”) would present many further challenges – like gardening in some of those apparently “bad soils” of the earlier parable.

Yet these disciples may now be better prepared for what was to come. Modern day disciples of Jesus like us may even come to appreciate and enjoy their work on the “other side” ... even drawing meaning and satisfaction from some good results along the way.