First Sunday in Advent - Thanks, Memory and Hope (Isaiah 64:1-9, Mark 13:24-37)

First Sunday in Advent

I asked you last week to remember what you have to be thankful for…

Last Sunday we reached the end of the Christian year – Christ the King Sunday.

And today we begin again… the first Sunday of Advent.

Four Sundays of anticipation – as we look back and remember how desperate we are for the birth of Christ in our world.

Today we also share communion.  In more formal – fancy churches than our own the communion service is often called the Eucharist.

Eukaristeo is Greek for giving thanks.

When Jesus broke bread he 'gave thanks' and gave it to his disciples.

When we break bread we give thanks.

*  *  *

We're grateful for the bread.

But we are more grateful for what the bread means.

A body broken for us.

Blood shed for us.

*  *  *

When we take and eat – we remember – as if we were there – what Jesus did for us on the cross – and what that meant.

The love of God broken open for us.

His identity made known.

His command to us to love.

*  *  *

We give thanks.

We remember.

And we hope.

*  *  *

We hope because we know that after Jesus was crucified and buried – on the third day he rose again and ascended to heaven.  And we put our faith in that hope – because we know that Jesus who loves us and redeems us will judge us justly in the future.

But we know that he works with us in the present to help us be who we are called to be.

And do what we are called to do.

We hope for the kingdom of God.

*  *  *

Giving thanks is remembering what God has done – and – hoping for what God will do in the future.

Isaiah 64:1-9

Isaiah reminds us that life is actually sometimes pretty *difficult* (and we have other adjectives to describe that level of difficulty that I'm not supposed to use in polite company).

He writes for a time in which people are traumatised by the world around them.  They have been abused – beaten down – money is tight – nothing is as it should be.

Maybe he gives us words we would like to say:

64  "Why don't you tear the sky apart and come down? The mountains would see you and shake with fear. ²‌They would tremble like water boiling over a hot fire. Come and reveal your power to your enemies, and make the nations tremble at your presence!"

We want to say that when we are treated unjustly – when we see a world that's living in ways that are unfair to millions of people.

Just come down Lord and put the world right.

There is a part of us that wants that – sky splitting apart – mountains shaking, the nations trembling at God's presence…  Politicians running away in shame as their motives and deeds are exposed.  Business leaders realising that their methods were only temporarily profitable…

There is another part that doesn't.  We want justice but not for us.

*  *  *

Two weeks ago I spoke about the way Isaiah sees things – in Isaiah 6 – as he is worshipping he sees God enthroned – in spite of the fact that King Uzziah is dead and his throne his empty.

He knows that the glory of the Lord fills the earth.

That all is held together in God.

*  *  *

In this part of the scroll of Isaiah we read another way of seeing:

Isaiah remembers what God has done in the past and so he has the courage to pray for God to act in the future.

*  *  *

Let us remember and give thanks because Isaiah prayed that God would do something – and in Christ he did do something.

Let us have hope – because God will continue to work into the future.

Mark 13:24-37

This passage is about being expectant.

Advent is a time of expectation – of hope.

We had a foretaste of Christmas this morning as our Sunday School presented the manger scene to us – the birth of Christ.

Here Jesus speaks about the coming of the son of man… the coming of the son of man is an answer to prayers – the moment when God finally puts the world to rights.  The language may be a little confusing – the words that Jesus uses have often been abused by those who claim to have special insight into what they mean…

I caution you to beware of people who are a little over confident in their interpretation of what Jesus says here.

But the parable of the fig tree reminds us of something that is true – and a little bit about how God works, and how Jesus fulfils the Old Testament prophecies…

*  *  *

Around January when things start to get warm – when the grapevines and fruit trees start to look heavy we know that we will start to see tractors.

They will have big trailers laden with fruit.

We know that not long after Christmas we should anticipate some heat in this area – we make preparations – installing fans in anticipation / servicing the air con…

*  *  *

In the Old Testament we learn that God is faithful to his people… he rescues them from slavery in Egypt.

When they go into slavery in Babylon (the time of Isaiah) he rescues them again.

And we know that when we cry out to him he will rescue us again.

Jesus – is just the sort of thing God does.

*  *  *

We look back – remembering what God has done in the past – we look forward to the future.

When we take communion this morning I invite you to give thanks.

As you give thanks – remember.

As you remember – hope.

God is faithful and will bring the world to justice.

*  *  *

Where we are might be a place of darkness…

AIDS, death, finances, relationships – whatever disasters are looming in on you right now.

There is hope.

Because of God – everything will be alright.

Perhaps not what we expected.

But alright.

Social Justice Action Group | Ephesians 1:13-23, Matthew 25:31-46

After a hectic week – this is a bit of a scruffy sermon.

But I have done the best I can with what I have.

Click here for the podcast.

Action Groups

In the past two weeks we've talked as a church about some of the things we plan to do in the year to come in specific groups that we've assigned to do what God calls us to do.

In the first week we spoke about our ministry to youth and families.

In our second week about the call to us to grow spiritually.

And now, in our third week we talk about social action…  The larger Methodist Church calls us to have two groups in this department:  Justice, Service and Reconciliation and Human Development and Economic Empowerment.

Because we're a small church it seems sensible to combine these two groups into one.

So we have our Social Action Group.

*  *  *

Social action is a means by which we hope to work practically for the Kingdom of God in our midst.

*  *  *

Often we reduce the gospel to a spiritual story, a story about how our hearts are changed, our sins are forgiven and we get a free ticket to heaven.

Sometimes we hear what people call a prosperity gospel, our hearts are changed, our sins are forgiven, we get a free ticket to heaven and if you send your money now – you will also get very very rich…

Less popular, but more faithful to the gospel that Christ preached is a gospel that counts the cost of discipleship – that demands practical action and reaction.

*  *  *

The Bible never separates body and spirit – for the Bible even heaven – the resurrection is a physical reality.

When Jesus said: "The Kingdom of God is among you…" he really meant what he said – just as our reading from Isaiah 6 last week spoke of the glory of the Lord filling the whole earth.

In a Christian understanding of the world we live in the physical and the spiritual are intertwined – wrapped together.

And so – if you try to separate the gospel of Jesus Christ from the need to transform the world, to bring justice where there is injustice you begin to neglect a whole lot of what Jesus says – you begin to ignore huge tracts of the scriptures; you begin to form a gospel different to that of the Bible.

Ezekiel 34:11-24 & Matthew 25:31-46

Sadly Matthew 25:31-46 is one of those passages that make us feel uncomfortable. 

If I had a choice I guess I would choose not to preach it – not to read it – its one of the reasons I sometimes don't read the Bible.

We don't like things that make us feel uncomfortable.

And so – if I want more people to come back to church next Sunday I might be tempted not to read these words and talk about what they mean for us.

Maybe I would preach about how Jesus wants us all to be very very rich.

*  *  *

These words change the way we see those nuisance people who knock on our doors and ask for food.  Who don't say please or thank you...

For us South Africans living in a country with a ginormous gap between the rich and the poor they are words we would rather not confront because they are too costly.

Poverty stands right in front of us – staring us in the face if we open our eyes.

What should we do?  What have we done?  How would we be judged by a King who judges on these terms?

*  *  *

Human law insists that we don't harm others – its easy to be judged by that kind of law; but the law of Christ, the true ruler of the world, the law by which we will ultimately be judged – demands that we feed the hungry, welcome strangers, clothe the naked and give the thirsty something to drink.

If we do that – we are regarded as righteous.

Ephesians 1:13-23

In the letter to the Ephesians Paul commends the church for their 'love toward all the saints'.

The Ephesians are famous for the way they love God's people.  (I hope one day we could get a letter like that – Dear Paarl Methodists – we've heard about your love for all god's people! And because of your love we are so excited – we can't stop giving thanks for you – we remember you in all our prayers.

*  *  *

What stands out for Paul – is the Ephesian's love for the saints.

*  *  *

In Jesus' judgment of the nations – he judges those who love in a practical way: feeding, clothing, and caring as righteous.

Those who don't love practically – are not counted as righteous.

*  *  *

What I find interesting in the gospel reading is that those who are judged to be righteous are quite surprised…

"But…

when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink?  When did we see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes, or naked and clothe you?  When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?"

Without being aware of it – they've done amazing things – and they weren't expecting anything in return.

*  *  *

But if you think about it – its not that strange.  Often those amazingly generous and saintly people that we meet are strangely surprised when we comment on their generosity and kindness; their heroic resolve to do amazing things.

We ask them why they do what they do and their simple response is:

"What else could we do?"

"They were hungry so we fed them."

"They were homeless so we housed them."

"They were sick and so we nursed them."

"We couldn't just close our eyes and let that happen."

*  *  *

Doing what Jesus desires is just what comes naturally to some people.

And its quite challenging for us Christians how many of those people who take Jesus command to love practically wouldn't even call themselves Christians, I have a feeling that those of us who think God's love is limited to people who believe the right things might be surprised at who we meet in what we sometimes call heaven. 

Being Human

Being a Christian – I have a remarkably positive regard for our humanity.

I think people are actually good.

I believe they were created that way, just as Genesis tells us.

Not only are we good – but we are created in the image of God.  We have the kind of love in us that Jesus shows in dying on the cross.

That's why I think some people do amazingly self sacrificial things without even noticing it. 

Its nothing for them to stay up all night next to a sick child; to work doubly hard to make sure a patient survives.  To risk their lives in war to protect people they don't even know.  For teachers to work long hours in difficult conditions for little money and appreciation.

*  *  *

We see goodness in the innocent love of children for strangers.  Heather told me how the grade ones at her school – on a trip to the zoo – realised that the children from another school didn't have lunch like they did and so began to share out what they had.

*  *  *

Later on in Paul's letter to the Ephesians – chapter 2 vs 10 he writes:

"For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life."

*  *  *

In the part we read today Paul writes about how when we hear and believe the gospel of Christ and his kingdom reign – we receive the Holy Spirit and are transformed… we become the people that God created us to be.

He speaks of how the Spirit makes us wise, helps us to know God, opens our minds – so that we will know the hope to which we have been called.

When we believe in Jesus we begin to be (super)naturally transformed into the people he describes in 2:10 – good works become our way of life.

Conclusion:

Today is 'Christ the King' Sunday.  The Sunday on which we as a church remember that God really has exalted his son Jesus Christ to the highest throne.

Part of Jesus being King means that he is also judge.

Let us learn to live in ways that would allow Jesus to Judge us favourably – to count us among the righteous – and not the unrighteous.

*  *  *

How we do this practically?

As a church I think we must learn to care for the poor and in need.  We give a tenth of our income – what more can we do?

We need to take stock of who we are  - what it is that we have to offer the needy around us.

Can we educate?

Can we share?

Can we empower?

*  *  *

How can we challenge those in power to do what God would want them to do?

If Christ is Lord over all things he is also Lord over government and municipalities.

As people with voices and power – how do we tell those in power to look after the poor.

How do we speak against systems and policies that keep people poor? (Underpaid teachers and police etc? Overpaid seniors?)

*  *  *

Within our families how will we teach our children these Kingdom values?

Can we teach them to imitate our own generosity?

Encourage them to buy Christmas presents for others?

2008-11-16 Worship and Spirituality - Isaiah 6:1-3; Romans 1:21-25; Romans 12 1-2; Luke 17:11-19

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Worship and Spirituality

Three snapshots.

Worship helps us to see the world and everything in it differently.

What we worship determines our behaviour.

Worshipping Jesus makes us whole.

Isaiah 6:1-3

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was sitting on his throne, high and exalted, and his robe filled the whole Temple. 2Round him flaming creatures were standing, each of which had six wings. Each creature covered its face with two wings, and its body with two, and used the other two for flying. 3They were calling out to each other:

"Holy, holy, holy!

The Lord Almighty is holy!

His glory fills the world."

- Isaiah 6:1-3

Isaiah sees his vision in the temple at a time of great crisis for Judah.  King Uzziah has died.

According to 2 Chronicles 26 he reigned for 52 years, he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, managed a powerful army and had great success – defeating the Philistines and rebuilding towns in the area.  At the end of his reign he became arrogant and tried to offer incense in the temple – the priests job and was struck by leprosy.

On the whole Uzziah was a King greatly loved – a symbol of power and stability for the Kingdom of Judah.  About the time he died his Kingdom was under great threat as the Assyrian nation grew – surrounding Judah and threatening to invade it.

For the people of Judah it was a stressful time – a time of not knowing what was going to happen next.

Personally I like it when life is predictable, I like to know that some time in the net few weeks, months or years a marauding army is not going to attack my town, kill me and take my wife and children as slaves.

The people of Judah felt the kind of uncertainty I think we sometimes feel…

Will we have enough money?

Who will rule the country?

Will I get well?

Will I be robbed?

*  *  *

Perhaps we could fill it in for ourselves:  "In the year I discovered I was sick…"

In the year my relationship broke down…

In the year I lost my pension in a bad investment…

Isaiah writes:  In the year King Uzziah died.

When Uzziah dies – Isaiah worships in the temple and as he is worshipping he sees the Lord – seated on his throne, his robe filling the temple.  He hears angels singing – Holy Holy Holy is the Lord Almighty and his glory fills the whole earth…

The throne of Israel is empty – but the throne of God is still just how it was.

The world is a scary place, but woven into the fabric of reality is the presence of the Lord – somehow Israel need not fear because God is still, always was and always will be on his throne and his glory will always be around us.

*  *  *

In times of distress we need someone like the prophet Isaiah to remind us – that when such and such happened – I saw the Lord seated on his throne and his glory filled the whole earth.

When times are good – I think we also need someone like Isaiah to remind us that as grand and powerful as we might think we are.  God is still God.

Romans 1:21-25 and 12:1-3

The second snapshot is from Paul's letter to the Romans.

A quote from the beginning and one from the middle, Paul writes about the human condition:

They know God, but they do not give him the honour that belongs to him, nor do they thank him. Instead, their thoughts have become complete nonsense, and their empty minds are filled with darkness. They say they are wise, but they are fools; instead of worshipping the immortal God, they worship images made to look like mortal human beings or birds or animals or reptiles.

 And so God has given those people over to do the filthy things their hearts desire, and they do shameful things with each other. They exchange the truth about God for a lie; they worship and serve what God has created instead of the Creator himself, who is to be praised for ever! Amen.

- Romans 1:21-25

Paul offers a theory on how immorality enters the world in which we live – people become like what they worship.

When they exchange the truth of the living creator God for a lie – they worship and serve what God has created they become like the creatures and beasts that they worship.

Paul is probably writing from Corinth, Corinth is well known for its wealth and debauchery – Paul has to reprimand someone in the Corinthian church for sleeping with his stepmother.  Plato's polite name for a prostitute is – 'a Corinthian girl.'

In Corinth there was a large temple to the goddess Aphrodite – who had an annual festival known as an Aphrodisiac – no prizes for guessing what happened there…

People worshipped money, sex and power and when they worshipped these things they became overpowered by them.  The God's of money, sex and power seldom counsel one to take better care of the poor – to love your neighbour – or even to love yourself; because they are not personal and loving gods.

*  *  *

In Paul's introduction to the letter to the Romans he explains how worshipping the created and not the creator results in people being filled with wickedness, greed, vice, jealousy, murder, fighting, deceit and malice, they gossip and speak evil of each other and God – they are proud insolent and boastful.  We begin to get a picture of a world gone seriously wrong.

*  *  *

For eleven chapters he explains to Jews and Gentiles what it would mean to put one's faith in Jesus and the living God.  How people can be transformed into who they were created to be.

How the Holy Spirit, Jesus work upon the cross sets us free from all of those things and establishes the Kingdom of God.

In chapter 12, having concluded his argument he asks us to respond:

So then, my brothers and sisters, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer.

Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind….

- Romans 12:1-2a

Worship of the living God – of Jesus sets us free from all that our materialism and greed produces in us.  It is the beginning of a transformed world.

Luke 17:11-19

Snapshot one from Isaiah tells us how worship makes it possible to see the way the world really is.

Snapshot two from Paul shows us how worshipping idols destroys us and worshipping God transforms us.

In our third snapshot we learn about how worship makes us whole:

Listen to Luke's gospel chapter 17 – the healing of the ten lepers:

11 As Jesus made his way to Jerusalem, he went along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12He was going into a village when he was met by ten men suffering from a dreaded skin disease. They stood at a distance 13and shouted, "Jesus! Master! Take pity on us!"

14 Jesus saw them and said to them, "Go and let the priests examine you." On the way they were made clean.t 15When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He threw himself to the ground at Jesus' feet and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan. 17Jesus said, "There were ten men who were healed; where are the other nine? 18Why is this foreigner the only one who came back to give thanks to God?" 19And Jesus said to him, "Get up and go; your faith has made you well."

- Luke 17:11-19

*  *  *

Your faith has made you well.

Made
You
Well.

*  *  *

When I read that passage I see that all of the lepers are cleansed, their leprosy is gone – but when one of them returns to Jesus, bows down before him.  Praises him.  Acknowledges who he is he is made well.

It seems to me that he is made well in a different sense than healing from leprosy – I believe he is restored to wholeness.  I guess that even if his leprosy hadn't been cured; his worship might have made him whole.

*  *  *

We long, I think, to hear Jesus say those words:  "Your faith has made you well."  As we come to him with our own wounds, needs and brokenness.  We want to be made right somehow.

Perhaps our being made right has something to do with our worship.

Conclusion

3 snapshots:

A different way of seeing in Isaiah.

Transformation – in Romans.

And finally, healing and  wholeness in Luke.

*  *  *

Why then, are we so messed up – why is the world the way it is.

In Old English worship comes from the word 'worthship'.

In worship we acknowledge god's worth to us.

*  *  *

Crudely put it would sometimes seem – if time is money – that God isn't worth that much to us.

If we spend 1 hour of our week worshipping God we're down to 0.6% of our time.  If we count getting to church and back we push it up to 1.2% and if we spend 30 minutes a day in prayer we might start pushing 3%.

*  *  *

A while ago I told the story of the kids who snuck into the store and mixed up the price tags.  The next day when the shop opened customers were amazed to find that a box of smarties cost R8000 and a huge plasma screen TV cost R5.89.

There was chaos.

*  *  *

I think that we're seeing a world broken by us and others putting the wrong price tags in the wrong places.

People have mispriced other people – leading to a humanitarian crisis.

We have mispriced the environment – leading to an environmental crisis that my grandchildren will have to deal with.

We have mispriced our god – leading to a decline in our own morality, and a mix up in the values of everything else.

*  *  *

When we learn to worship – and to weave our worship into every moment of our lives – our work, our play, our rest, our love – we will begin to see the Kingdom of God in this place.

AMEN.

The Kin'dom of God | 2008-11-09

Meetings!

Over the next three weeks after the service we will be having meetings. 

I don’t like meetings.

I don’t think Jesus said – now go and have lots of meetings, I think he said: “Go and make disciples.”  But unfortunately the business of making disciples demands a little bit of organisation – something at which I am terrible – that’s where you come in.

Its my guess – in my understanding of the earliest church – the one we read about in the Bible – that a lot of what their weekly meal and service was about was also about co-ordinating what they were going to do in service of God together.

Just conversation that led to action:

“See you tomorrow at sunset – and we’ll go visit the sick.”

“I’m baking bread tomorrow – can I bake you some?”

“Theophilus has a new book from Luke – he says he’ll be reading it out loud on Friday – let’s go and listen.”

Perhaps one of the grandmothers of the church, accustomed to telling stories, someone good at remembering the stories about Jesus said: 

“Bring your kids to my house on Saturday morning and I will tell them some of the stories that I have heard about Jesus.”

*  *  *

One of the things that Nicky Gumbel said has stuck with me:  Church is a lot like a football game.

Thousands of people desperately in need of exercise watching a few people desperately in need of a rest.

I don’t think Paarl Methodist is totally like that – but the goal for the next three weeks will be to get more of us involved in and doing the work of God in this place to build the Kingdom.

This congregation has one minister – and no other staff – so being part of it means taking part in it.

*  *  *

Family in the Story of the Bible

I want to look at a bit at what family means in the story of the Christian scriptures – in order for us to understand what we can do in obedience to God and why we are doing it.

Honest

Often the first verse I think of when I think of families and Christianity is Jesus’ difficult words to us:

³⁵        For I have come to set a man against his father,

and a daughter against her mother,

and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;

³⁶        and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.

³⁷ Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸ and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Matthew 10:35-38

The earliest church was faced with the terrible reality that religion often divides people and families.

In some cases within the early church whole households were converted to Christianity – everyone including slaves baptised in one go.

But where individuals joined the faith there was bound to be conflict; members of elite families who joined the early church would have soon been in trouble for associating, eating and fellowshipping with all the wrong sort of people.  For disrupting the order in society – treating slaves and servants as if they were brothers and sisters.

Roman society and religion centred around the gods of a particular family – the patriarch or male parent, paterfamilias was the priest of the family and his house was practically a temple to the gods of his family. 

When gentiles deserted their domestic religions they literally became divorced from their original families because their rejection of the family Gods was so scandalous.

*  *  *

So we have this picture of divided family – but there is also a picture of a newly created family:  Those who became Christians became part of what was understood to be a whole new clan; when Jesus teaches his disciples to pray he teaches them:

⁹ “Pray then in this way:

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

- Matthew 6:9

When I call God Father by implication I call you brother and sister.

In Romans 6:28 when Paul speaks about the resurrection of Christ he says that he is the firstborn within a large family – the family he is talking about is the great church of which we are all a part.

Christian Household

Within the family of the church – Paul set out codes of behaviour within Christian families:

 In Col 3:18 - 4:1 – reflecting and in some ways revolutionising Roman norms Paul writes about Christian family…

‘Wives, submit to your husbands’

reflecting a Roman norm,

‘husbands, don’t be harsh with / embitter your wives.’
‘children, obey your parents…’

My favourite when I was a teenager:

‘parents do not irritate your children.’
‘slaves – obey your masters…’

Paul draws a picture of Christian family that reflects household order in Roman homes, but he reminds but he ends his passage with a reminder of who we are in relation to God:

“Masters, be fair and just in the way you treat your slaves.  Remember that you too have a Master in heaven.”

- Romans 4:1

Remember that you too have a Master in heaven.

A kind of threatening reminder that you will be held accountable for the way you treat the people in your household – family and staff alike.

A frightening reminder – I think to those who use these verses as an excuse to abuse their wives, children and staff – that one day they will receive what they have given; because our God is merciful, but also a God of justice who ‘protects the weak from the strong’ (Psalm 35:10).

*  *  *

Paul helps the typical Roman household to see how the living God makes a difference in the way they live in and see the world.

In the typical Roman household the Father is head of everything, and he is the family priest – the one who communicates with the gods.

He has a lot of power – he is like a mini God himself; he can treat his family as he likes – in some ways the father is the family’s God.

*  *  *

In Christian families – the relationship is different.  Children, wives, (even) slaves – everyone must be treated with dignity because the God revealed to us in Jesus Christ is King.

The physical father no longer has all the power – he has to be subject to God’s power.

*  *  *

So in Christian families we see a change in the way the world operates, and they become symbols of God’s Kingdom – the family becomes a mini symbol of the Kingdom of God.

A symbol of God’s Kingdom

In the Old Testament we read about how the family is where the Kingdom of God begins.

We hear the thoughts of God about letting Abraham see the destruction of Sodom in Gen 18::

“Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed by him?  No, for I have chosen him, that he may charge his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice; so that the LORD may bring about for Abraham what he has promised him”

- Genesis 18:17-19

God wants Abraham (the symbolic father of all of Israel) to raise his family in the way of justice and righteousness – Sodom represents the opposite of this, in Ezekiel 16 we read about why God decided to destroy Sodom:

“This was the guilt of (your sister) Sodom:  she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.”

- Ezekiel 16:48

God’s plan for Abraham and his family is that they be a community radically different to those who are proud, greedy, lazy and selfish.

And teaching these values begins at home with the Israelite’s story of the world and who created it and how he wants it to be – and continues through the generous life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ – and then through us the Kingdom living community that Christ begins and empowers with the help of the Holy Spirit.

What should we do?

In scripture we have several pictures of family – Jesus paints a picture of family divided in some cases because of the gospel and the demands of faithfulness to Christ. 

Paul shows how family takes on a new shape as people realise each other’s value in the light of the love of God.

In the Old Testament God shows Abraham is judgment on the selfish on the proud – so that Abraham will raise his descendants to live differently – in a way that establishes the Kingdom of God.

*  *  *

Today people look all over the place for the people and leaders that will change the world.  They invest their hope in Barak Obama; Nelson Mandela; Trevor Manuel and the list goes on and on…

I think they’re looking in the wrong place.

I think we need to look down and not up – I believe that its God’s plan to change the world through the way we raise our families and our children; as we learn to live by the values that Christ has taught us and raise our children to do the same.

*  *  *

After the service – those who are interested will meet together to discuss some of the things that we could do to minister to youth and families in this community, and hopefully bring the Kingdom in that way.

Amen

The Greatest Commandment | Psalm 40:1-8; Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Matthew 22:34-40

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The Greatest Commandment

Samuel Johnson, an 18^th century writer writes:

"We are more often required to be reminded than informed."

- Samuel Johnson

Today we get reminded – not informed – what is the greatest commandment?  And hopefully most of us will answer quite easily:

'Love God and love your neighbour', or as Jesus replies to a question from a Pharisee who is an expert in the law:

"'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.'  This is the greatest and first commandment.  And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.'  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

- Jesus

*  *  *

The beauty of Christianity is its absolute simplicity – we need to be reminded of that. 

According to Jesus this whole big book can be summed up in two commands. 

Love God,
and love your neighbour.

To be a Christian – all you need do is believe in Jesus, and when you believe in Jesus you make his priorities your priorities.

His priorities are:

"Love God,
Love your neighbour."

And his life's actions illustrate this truth. He loves enough to reach out to those who are usually excluded.

He loves enough to take the form of a servant even though he is God. 

He loves even to the point of his own death on the cross.

All of these actions are a physical, a visual illustration of Jesus' love for God and the people that God created.

He simply does the will of the one who sent him – and to do the will of the one who sent him is to love.

*  *  *

One of my favourite books is Mr God this is Anna, (its been a while since I read it).  In it Fynn, who finds Anna, a 5 and a half year old runaway has this conversation with Anna:

'Do you believe in God?'
'Yes.'
'Do you know what God is?'
'Yes.'
'What is God then?'
'He's God.'
'Do you go to church?'
'No.'
'Why not?'
'Because I know it all.'
'What do you know?'

'I know to love Mister God and to love people and cats and dogs and spiders and flowers and trees,' and the catalogue went on, '- with all of me.'

*  *  *

I agree with Anna.

*  *  *

Once you have learnt to love God and people, and perhaps all of God's creation with all of you – you needn't go to church anymore.

Learning to love…

We're here because loving God, ourselves and others is not something we're very good at doing.

We're here because like alcoholics or drug addicts we desperately need each other's and God's help in order to overcome our addictions to selfishness, prejudice, anger and hatred – all those things that keep us from loving.

God is quite easy to love – God is perfect – but people, real people, are obviously not easy to love, nor are they perfect… 

Loving is learning to accept ourselves 'warts and all' and those around us with their 'warts' and love them as we should.

Real People

In my first year of ministry I came home one afternoon – sat down on the couch and began weeping.  Sobbing. 

Ministry brought me in touch with the reality of some of the evil of which people are capable.  I had been visiting people in their homes and asking them to tell me their stories…

I listened to long and difficult stories.  Some were amazingly positive, but many were sad and dark.  Women beaten and abused by their husbands, neglected by their children, forgotten by the church. 

In squatter camps I walked into hot stinking shelters where people were dying of AIDS – rooms that smelled like death – and no one offering meaningful care.

I heard stories of parents who sexually and physically abused their children.

I listened to stories of rape.

I visited a mental asylum where people lived on cement floors – their teeth pulled out to keep them from biting themselves and others, their food some kind of slop.

It was as if someone was peeling away the skin of humanity and showing me that we are not made of sugar and spice and all things snice… but rather slugs and snails and puppy dog's tails – as the rhyme goes.

*  *  *

To love, to really love – we have to learn to love beyond what we like – into the dark places of ourselves and other people that we would rather not visit.

The Command

When we take a closer look at Jesus two most important commandments we realise what Jesus has done with the scriptures of the Old Testament.

The first commandment is part of the Shema, words from Deuteronomy 6 which Jews would recite every morning and evening:

"Hear, O Israel: the LORD (Yahweh) is our God, the LORD alone.  You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might."

- Deuteronomy 6:4-5

People were instructed to keep these words in their hearts, recite them to their children, speak about them at home and when away from home, when going to sleep and when waking up.  A sign on your hand, your forehead, on the doorposts of your house and your gates…

These words should be the centre of your life.

*  *  *

In Jesus interpretation of the law and the commandments he takes Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and adds to it Leviticus 19:18 –

"…you shall love your neighbour as yourself."

- Leviticus 19:18

Not only that, but he tells us that the command to love our neighbour is the same as the command to love God.

When you love the people that I love – you love me too.

When you harm, hate and mistreat the people that I love – you do the same to me.

*  *  *

Loving God is difficult – because loving God means loving his creation, and part of his creation is the messiness of our humanity.

The messiness of who you are and who I am.

Perfect Love

Methodists emphasise the fact that it is not impossible to love perfectly.  Jesus wouldn't command it if he didn't think it was so: 

Speaking about how God loves without prejudice, Jesus instructs us:

"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

- Matthew 5:48

The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 13:10

"Love is the fulfilling of the law."

- Romans 13:10

Christian perfection is to love.  John Wesley would ask in C18 English:

"Do your bowels yearn over them?"

Sounds funny now – but for him – evidence of our relationship with God was the fact that we were learning to love people.  And he asked whether in the pit of our stomachs we felt a hungry kind of love for all those around us.  A love that sometimes moves us to compassion – always moves us to mercy but never to judgment.

Originally the Methodists formed themselves as a group, not a church – Methodists went to their own churches on Sundays.  But they met during the week in class meetings to to speak about how God was transforming them and about doing new things:  They visited prisons, tried to help the poor, set up free dispensaries to give medicine and aid to the sick, they founded schools.  They put their love into action.

They had three simple rulest to guide them, they are part of our rules today too:

*  *  *

Do no harm.

Do all possible good.

Attend to the ordinances of God.

*  *  *

Do no harm…

This meant that Methodists should avoid evil wherever possible.  Especially evil that harms other people.

They insisted that in business Methodists did not make gains to the injury of others by trading on their ignorance, weakness or necessity.

They took a strong stance against corruption and avoided malicious talk.

It is up to each of us to evaluate our lives – asking what harm we do.

We need to ask whether the way we earn our money is honest or harmful, we need to ask if we harm the environment at the expense of future generations.  And if we need to we need to change our ways.

Not because a law requires it – but because love requires it.

Do good of every possible sort…

The Methodists saw this as doing good to people's souls as well as their bodies.  They wanted to tell people about God who created them, loved them and wanted them to live in love.  They wanted to care pastorally and practically for those in prison or hospital – for those trapped in poverty.

How can we find opportunities to do good – as a community, as individuals?

Attend to the ordinances of God

Finally, Wesley called these 'means of grace'.  Ways in which we are transformed into Christlikeness.

Worshipping with other Christians, taking communion, praying, reading the scriptures, fasting and practicing self discipline.

*  *  *

And so the early Methodists grew in obedience to that simple – yet difficult command – to love God with all our heart, mind and soul.

And the second which is just like it:

To love our neighbours as ourselves.

*  *  *

These simple commandments are the foundation on which the Kingdom of God is being built in us, in this community and in this land.

We might – as Anna did – know it all – but to do it all we need each other.

Amen

Righteousness: Why sex workers are better than priests... | Psalm 25:1-9, Ezekiel 18:1-32, Philippians 2:1-17, Matthew 21:23-32

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Click here for this weeks study guide.

Why are sex workers better?

Matthew 21:23-32

In Matthew's gospel Jesus has a debate with chief priests and elders, at the end of this debate he tells them that prostitutes and tax collectors are better than them.

The people have begun to recognise that Jesus is God's chosen and anointed King, they are listening to him – possibly doing what he teaches them to do…

* * *

The priests and elders of the people – worried about what Jesus is saying, about how he is upsetting the status quo ask: "By what authority are you saying these things?"

(To them, Jesus ideas are a bit unbiblical; and perhaps a bit difficult to hear (challenging)).

Jesus answers their question with a question, a question about authority: "By what authority did John baptize?"

The Pharisees know they have been caught –

They think to themselves:

"If we say his authority came from God – he will ask why we didn't trust what he said…" (Do what he told us to do?)

"If we say it is from men – the people will be angry, because they regarded John as a prophet and believed what he said."

Knowing that they're in trouble whatever they answer – they simply answer:

"We don't know."

* * *

Just like us – the Pharisees are reluctant to take responsibility for their own actions and reactions.

A parable of two sons…

Jesus then tells several parables about responsibility - responding.

We look at the first one this week:

A father asks his sons to go work in the vineyard.

One said yes and didn't, the other said no and did.

The better son is the one that actually did what he was asked to do – even though he didn't at first.

* * *

Faith, for Jesus is not measured by the words we say, or the prayers we pray, but by the things we do…

Prostitutes and tax collectors are better than priests – because they put what John teaches them into practice.

* * *

In Luke's gospel (Chapter 3:9-14), when John preaches and baptizes the people ask:

"What should we do?"

If you have two coats – give one away.

If you're a tax collector – collect only the amount assigned to you.

If you are a soldier – soldier responsibly, don't abuse your power.

If you have lots of food and someone has none – share it.

* * *

John's preaching is undeniably practical. Demanding a practical and not just a symbolic response.

Prostitutes and tax collectors are better than priests – because they obviously responded to John's preaching and changed their ways.

Philippians…

In Paul's letter to the Philippians we are also called to respond to the good news about Jesus.

Last week I spoke about the hope that Paul has in the face of adversity – in this section of the letter he encourages us to respond to that hope.

Philippians 2:1-17

Paul encourages us to be in harmony of mind, to love, to do nothing out of selfish ambition, but to regard others as better than ourselves – look to the interests of others rather than your own.

He makes stringent demands on us – and then he holds up Christ as the example – the living Word.

Paul then quotes what might have been a Psalm of the Early Church, a short statement of praise and belief – in two parts.

One about what Jesus did, the second about what God did.

First Section

Jesus Christ who though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.

- Philippians 2:6-8

Paul holds up to us the example of Jesus and asks us to respond by imitating him in his humility.

Jesus – who was 'in the form of God' did not exploit his power – but became like a slave – being born in human likeness…

He goes from the highest point in creation – to live among the lowest.

* * *

Paul goes on – even though he made himself so low – he went even further, he was willing to die.

Not only did he die – he died on a cross.

The lowest, ugliest form of death, reserved for slaves and outcasts. Outlawed as too barbaric, even for killing slaves shortly after Jesus was crucified.

* * *

In dying the way he did Jesus takes the form of the lowest of the low. Making himself the least important in all creation.

Therefore…

Paul joins the first part of the poem with the second using the conjunction 'Therefore'.

Jesus suffering and death was not for nothing:

Paul describes what God did because of what Jesus did:

Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

- Philippians 2:9-11

God has made all things subject to him. Greeks worshipped gods in the heavens, earth, sea and underworld – Paul announces that whatever beings there are – they must acknowledge Christ's rule – he is exalted above them all.[1]

Because Jesus humbled himself – God raised him up.

Therefore…

Paul tells us what Jesus did – what God did because of what Jesus did – and finally – what we should do, because of what Jesus has done. How we should respond to his authority:

Work out your own salvation…

Paul's command to us is that we should work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (12).

Paul teaches that we are saved by god's grace, through the faith that we put in Jesus (Eph 2:8) – but the nature of that faith is that it is not separated from our actions.

John Wesley said:

"We speak of a faith… which is productive of all good works, and all holiness."[2]

If the priests and elders had believed John they would have responded with action. But they didn't respond – because they didn't acknowledge his authority.

On the other hand – tax collectors and prostitutes did believe, and they did respond – therefore they, in Jesus' words: "…are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you."

* * *

In business, in life, in all things we are constantly faced with practical moral dilemmas. Questions about how we should react to situations, what we should do in situations. No one can make those decisions for you – we are responsible for our own actions.

We should try to follow the example of Jesus.

But Paul acknowledges that each of our lives are complicated – he instructs us to work out our salvation carefully – with fear and trembling.

Fear and trembling means just that – imagine a bomb disposal expert figuring out which wires to cut. That's how seriously we need to take our response to the message of Jesus.

Willing always to make the greatest sacrifices possible to be who God calls us to be.

* * *

That sounds difficult, but Paul carries on – and this is the grace offered us through faith:

"…for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure."

- Philippians 2:13

We work out our own salvation with fear and trembling – but, at the same time Paul lets us know that God is working in us, moulding, transforming, healing us – helping us to see what we should do, to be who we should be.

Conclusion…

Prostitutes and tax collectors are better than priests because they hear what John says, and they respond.

Jesus challenges the priests with a question – "By what authority did John baptise, was it from heaven (from God) or from people?"

* * *

I ask us to consider - what holds authority in our lives?

Jesus authority is made known to us in his humility – dying on the cross.

His authority is affirmed to us in the fact that God raised him from the dead and made his name higher than any other.

God made him our eternal judge.

* * *

The priest's answer to Jesus question about authority is 'we don't know.'

I invite you to know.

To make up your mind.

And when your mind has been made up – to respond to that authority.

* * *

Today we take communion together, a sacred meal.

When we eat together we remember what Paul is talking about in the letter to the Philippians – Jesus humbled himself even to death on a cross.

We remember that God has raised him up and enthroned him.

As we eat – we remember that he is the bread of life, that God, through his Holy Spirit empowers us to be the people we are called and created to be.

When you take communion today I invite you to respond to God's grace and power offered to you in Christ – to make a commitment to Christ, crowning him as the authority in your life, trusting in his empowering love.

And as you go out to your jobs and your lives, I trust that you will be nourished by the eternal food that he offers you.

Amen.

---

[1] CS Keener and InterVarsity Press, eds., The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, ed. CS Keener and InterVarsity Press (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1993)

[2] J Wesley, Sermons on Several Occasions (Oak Harbour, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc, 1999), no. 1, para. 3.1.