Sunday 3 March 2013, Lent 3, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Luke 13:1-9, Repent! Bruce

A question:  what is the first word that we have recorded being uttered by Jesus?  (I will give a clue in a joke …)

Matthew 4:¹⁷ From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Mark 1:¹⁴ After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ¹⁵ “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

In Luke’s gospel, Jesus proclaims that the prophecy of Isaiah has been fulfilled in him, and that their lives must change – repentance.

A common theme is that the God revealed in the Old Testament is rather austere, grim, vindictive even.  By contrast the God revealed in the New Testament by Jesus is altogether “nicer”, perhaps friendlier.

And then we encounter Jesus for ourselves, and discover that to follow him is not to find a cuddly “pushover”, who will allow us to live however we like.  There are consequences to our actions.

He has been asked about the latest atrocity committed by the occupying Roman forces – a massacre at the temple.  He responds that we are all in danger, all facing an uncertain fate, unless we repent.

Does this sound unwelcome?  Would we rather it was not so?  We might of course also wish that gravity were more forgiving, or that we could negotiate a loss of weight, so that we would not automatically fall if we stepped out into a void.  We might wish that we could be like Adam and Eve, only more successful, and help God to redefine what is good and evil.

Some may object that no one should have the right to tell us how to live our lives.  We are free agents.  We have had enough of being told by the authorities, by the church, by our families, by society, how should live.  We are free!

My contention is that God wants to free us from the things that will damage us, and hurt those around us.  When Jesus commands us to repent, he is like a fire alarm calling us out of a burning building.  Loud, insistent, not to be ignored.  This is not the time for a carefully worded, polite suggestion that we might wish to consider, if we are so minded …..  We must act, and act now!

And what is repentance?  It is to have a complete change of mind and attitude, so that what we once thought good and desirable is now seen for what it is, as to be left behind, turned away from.

This may at first seem negative, painful.  I would ask you, however, how many times that we have been brought up short, forced to examine our situation, to make the right choices even if they at the time seem unwelcome.  Out politicians are forced to rue their past actions, sometimes in very public ways, but this is a process that we are all called to go through.

Our Lenten theme this week is that we are being called to a constant process of being remade, remodelled from within, so that we want the things that God wants and approve of the things that God does.  We want to find ourselves responding like God in a godly manner – a good way.  We focus this week on that work of the Holy Spirit which lasts for the whole of our lifetime – to become more like Jesus.

What is needed is a complete change of heart and mind and will.  Only God can do this. 

But how?

The key is an attitude of internal search for God and surrender to his will.  We are called to live lives dedicated to hallowing his name, living under his kingship, seeking his will in every aspect of our lives.

It might be helpful remember that gravity can be our friend.  Two designers have produced a light that is powered by gravity, and will bring cheap artificial light to developing countries.

In the same way we can actively use all the experiences of life to help us be open to God.  This is to move beyond mere external religious acts to a heart’s search for God.  Paul comments that the children of Israel leaving Egypt were part of the external church.  They had the sacraments – external signs of baptism (the red sea) and communion (manna and water from the rock), but their inner lives were not being touched.  He equates the grievous sins of idolatry, sexual sin, testing God, and grumbling, and makes the point that something more than external “going through the motions” is required.

What is needed is a complete change of heart and mind and will.  Only God can do this. 

And the good news is – that he loves us and wants to bless and to help us.  Jesus tells a story about a man who despairs of an unfruitful fig tree; he wants to dig it up and burn it.  He is prevailed upon to give more chances, to do more to promote growth, to keep trying.  Jesus reminding us that he wants the best for us.  There are consequences to sin and selfishness, and these brought him to the cross, where he died in our place. 

What is needed is a complete change of heart and mind and will.  Only God can do this. 

C S Lewis created a great character when he wrote about Eustace in The Voyage of the Dawntreader.  The boy is hateful, spiteful, and greedy, and ends up being turned into a dragon.  This is terrible, and he tries to undo the damage.  He sloughs off his skin but underneath he is still – a dragon.  He does this several times, until he gives up in despair.  And then he is visited by the lion Aslan, who stands for Jesus in the book.  Aslan strips away the dragon skin, which is a much deeper, more painful process, but which brings Eustace a new start, redemption.  His outer appearance is changed, of course, back to being a boy again.  His inner character, his thoughts, motivations and actions, have also been completely transformed.  Is he now perfect?  No, but he is now a loyal follower of Aslan.

What is needed is a complete change of heart and mind and will.  Only God can do this. 

He does it when we invite him into our lives.  We ask to come by his Spirit, to bring us forgiveness through the blood of Jesus, to help us trust in him, to give us new life, a new start.  We then come every day, or perhaps many times during the day, seeking him, consciously walking with him, so that he can retrain us and lead us in godly ways.

We take seriously the word of God, spending time reading it, listening to it, studying it.  Listen to what Jesus says:

Luke 6:⁴⁶ “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? ⁴⁷ As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. ⁴⁸ They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 

Luke 8:¹⁵ But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Luke 8: ²¹ He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

When Martha is complaining that Mary is sitting, listening to Jesus instead of helping in the kitchen: Luke 10: ⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 11: ²⁷ As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”  ²⁸ He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

We can repent, we can know a complete change of heart and mind, as we spend time in God’s word, and learn to put it into practice, changing our habits and opinions to be more like Jesus.

What is needed is a complete change of heart and mind and will.  Only God can do this.    Let us pray…

Sunday 3 February 2013, Grander Vision Living, Isaiah 6:1-6, Luke 5:1-11, Bruce

Yesterday 2 February we celebrated the feast of the Presentation.  Forty days after Jesus was born, he was brought to the temple to make the prescribed ceremonial offering.  Fist an old man named Simeon took him and prayed a remarkable prayer over him:  “my eyes have seen your salvation”, “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”  Then an ancient prophetess named Anna also prayed, and “spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”  We remember this at the end of the brief season of Epiphany, that time when we celebrate the shining forth of God’s glory, Jesus’ revelation to the world.

We return to the temple for our reading from Isaiah.  At a time of political and social turmoil, when the old, disgraced, leprous king has just died, Isaiah has this amazing vision as he worships in the temple.   He sees this host of angels, worshipping God, and he is terrified because he is suddenly aware of his sins and imperfections.

An angel touches his lips with a coal from the altar to purify him, and many take this as a picture of the work of the cross, cleansing and purifying us.  Isaiah hears a voice saying ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And Isaiah says ‘Here am I.  Send me!’

Both of these stories are about Christ being made known, his glory being allowed to shine forth.  But how?

This is the fourth week of our series Just Walk Across the Room.  We were reminded of the single greatest gift we can offer the people around us, which is an introduction to their creator and lover of their souls, God himself.

Then we thought about living in 3D.  We were encouraged to Develop friendships, Discover stories, prayerfully Discern next steps. These three things are what we can think about, pray about, and act on when we’re operating in the Zone of the Unknown. The 3D framework reminds us to take things slow with people, allowing the other person to be in the spotlight, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead the dance.

Last week we looked at the power of story.  How important it is to know God’ story and tell it well.  What is our story of before Christ became real in our lives, and what has happened after?

Today we look at Grander Vision living.  Sometimes there are wonderful things for us to see and experience, but we miss them because we are concentrating of the surface view, and don’t look with.  If you had been in the temple on the day that Simeon took Jesus in his arms, you might just have noticed an old man with a baby.  You might have missed the proclamation that here is the hope of all humans, the one who will bring healing and forgiveness to all who will turn to him.

If you had been in the temple with Isaiah, you might have seen only the prophet struck by remarkable vision of God, and missed the wonder and glory of it.  Or you might have seen the angels and been caught up in the eternal song of “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord!”   You might yet have missed the real thing that was happening, the point of the whole exercise, that God is looking for those who will go for him.

If you had been on the sea shore with Jesus, you might have heard him preach and seen the crowds; you might have seen the disciples going out (against their will) to try again to catch fish and having a miraculous result.  You might have seen Peter fall on his knees and confess his sinfulness.  But you might have missed the grander vision, the point of it all.

God’s priority is people.  All that Jesus did was about reaching out to seek and to save those who were lost.  The priority is people.  On a day when these three career fisher men had made the most significant and amazing catch of their professional lives, Jesus points them to a bigger catch, a higher priority, people.  He is asking them to completely reorder their lives, so that from now on they will seek to fish for people.

Prioritizing people. This is what so much of our four-week series has been about, as you’ll recall. Taking walks across rooms for people. Caring more about other people than about yourself.  Having a sort of “radical inclusiveness” for people, even if they look different, talk different, act different, vote different, and so on.

And so Jesus asks all of us who say we want to be walk-across-the-room people … Will you choose the Grander Vision in your situation?

It’s the big-fish opportunity that awaits us all:

You can catch fish … or become fishers of men and women.

You can be a successful businessperson … or excel at the business of redeeming lives.

You can be the top student … or focus your attention on studying people.

You can shine as a superstar salesman … or care more about letting your light shine in the lives of people all around you!

We are to reorder our lives, so that the way that we live speaks of God.  The way that we conduct ourselves at work, the way that we drive our car, the way that we treat our spouse, parents or children or friends.  All that we do and say, and the way that we do it and say it is a light shining so that others will see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven.

As we make people the priority, we focus on potential.  We see so many folk who seem to have no thought or concern to live God’s way.  Very often they seem to be far from living the sort of life that God is looking for.  But we look beyond that, seeking for what God can do in that person’s life.  We let God do what he wants to in a person’s life – we are not there to impose our judgements about how they should behave.  Instead we practice a kind of radical inclusiveness that shares God’s love with everyone.

We get a clue to this later in Luke chapter 5, where we read in verse 27 that Jesus encounters a tax collector called Levi or Matthew.  Here is someone obviously beyond the pale, but Jesus calls him to follow him.  This was a completely unlikely event to take place – this materialistic, money grabbing person sold out to the Romans, who obviously had no time for God.  But Jesus called him and he followed.  We can do the same.

We can also learn the next step.  Start small …. But start.

The first thing that Matthew does is to throw a party.  He invites his erstwhile colleagues and friends to meet Jesus.  Nothing fancy.  Just keep it simple, and do something.  Do what makes sense.  If you dog walk, invite a friend.  If you make cup cakes, have a tea party or coffee morning.  If you live near a park, have a picnic.  Do what seems natural.  Get the ratio right.  Try to have the Christians outnumbered by the non-churchgoers.  People do not like to feel ganged up on.

Do share this grander vision?  Will you join me in making people a priority?  Will you share your life with others?

Discussion pointers

1.     Have you ever thought that being a Christian meant you had to become a lifestyle referee to the world about you?  What did you think when Bill said Christ-followers are under no obligation to play such a role?

2.     What did you think about the Matthew Party concept – an event where you invite a few Christ followers, several seekers, and several people who want nothing to do with God?  What fears or concerns are raised by the idea of hosting one?

3.     Apart from the idea used in the video, what other ways could be used to invite meaningful conversation at a Matthew Party, or any other gathering?

4.     It is vital to make the most of God’s supernatural power that is available to every believer through the Holy Spirit at work in us.  Study the following verses to see what you can learn about the Holy Spirit’s involvement in the life of the Christ-follower:

5.     John 14:16-21;               Acts 1:8   Romans 8:26-27

6.     God’s timing and plans are often different from ours (see Isaiah 55:8).  How can we develop God’s patience when it doesn’t seem like any spiritual progress is being made in the lives of people we care deeply about?

7.     Based on that we have learned so far in this four week experience, what are some ways you can build trust with people who are far from God, so when things finally turn spiritual, they are convinced you have their best interests at heart?

Pray together asking God to help you to be his mouthpiece.  Pray that you would play the role you are supposed to play in people’s lives.  Pray that hearts would melt, people would be changed, and that their place in eternity would be secured. 

You might like to name some people who you would like God to open a door for your message. 

Commit to pray for an opportunity to share your faith with them, especially during the week of Camberley Connections, March 9-17^th 2013.

Sermon for Sunday 27 January 2013 – Just walk across the Room, Three week – The Power of Story –1 Peter 3: 8, 13-22 and Luke 5:12-16

Two weeks ago Bruce introduced the idea of Just Walk Across the Room. Bruce talked about being willing to enter the Zone of the Unknown and listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and encouraged us to Just GO! How did you do? Like to hear! Last week Bruce suggested we become 3D people. And suggested we DEVELOP friendships. Why, just take a look at the world, our community, the road where we live, there is not enough friendship in the world. We were to move out of our comfort zones, our cocoons of comfortability and protectedness, and go on living in ‘search mode’. He encouraged us to DISCOVER other peoples stories and to value them for who they are. Bruce also suggested we should also to get in tune with the Holy Spirit so that we can DISCERN with God the next steps. Taking time to pray, looking for any promptings about the way forward in our friendships. So how is it going? I would really like to hear how you are doing.

This week we are talking about the Power of Story. So are you sitting comfortably, then I’ll begin……. God has a story to tell and as He is not here himself to tell it; He has entrusted us with that task and we need to learn to tell it well. We also have stories to tell about us, I have a number of stories to tell about my life, what I’ve been up to, how I can to faith, some will be interesting to you, and some won’t. Laurie will have a lot more stories to tell than me, because he is a little older than me, and Amelia won’t have as many to tell because she is a lot younger than me. But we here all have a faith story to tell. Of how we came to come to St. Michael’s and who/what brought us here. We all have our stories and we need to tell them well.

Today’s gospel tells us about one of the many healings that Jesus did in His ministry and I love this story because it encompasses all about God’s love for us, His mercy and His willingness to respond to sickness whether its emotional, physical, psychological and He did it in ways which meant everything to the person concerned. Take this story. Lepers were outcasts, they lived in the caverns or makeshift shelters outside the village or towns.  If you were fortunate enough to have family and friends you get fed. Food would be brought to you and left on the outskirts – the designated line/wall that should not be crossed. Lepers were not to be touched because you would get disease. If you were a leper you lost everything, job, family, home, friends, and status.  No one approached you, you were alone. And lepers were not supposed to approach people, but this man came into town and came to Jesus in desperation and asked Jesus to heal him.

Jesus did the unthinkable – he touched the Leper – a no-no and everyone who was there would have seen Jesus do this. Yikes! Jesus touched a Leper – medical alert! This could have immediately repelled other people from seeking him. But it didn’t.  Touch in this instance was the important part of the story – sometimes words do not have any meaning but a touch of the arm or a hand shake, a hug does more wonders than words. Jesus didn’t care about whether to touch or not He just did it.  When, was the last time any of us Walked Across a Room and touched or shook hands with a person with sever eczema or a lady or gentleman of the road, or a lonely person? And Jesus goes on to tell him not to tell anyone but go to the priest (doctor) to get it confirmed that you are healed and then make the appropriate offering.  But the news spread – became infectious. The salvation work of the Lord was being done – a BRIDGE – between God and this leper – and his people had been built. The people who saw what had happened obviously forgot that Jesus had touched a leper because the crowds sought Him. Jesus response to success was to withdraw and to pray and commune with His Father. He did not allow popularity to detour him from the Father’s will. From listening to his Father and finding out the next step.  Despite His success Jesus regularly communed with His Father, ignoring the phone, text, diary to spend time with God. To keep the communications open so that as He was always In-tune with his Father, so He could be more effective. Do we take the necessary time to listen to the will of God, to act on it promptings and then to draw back to Him for support and guidance? Or do we blunder on and then wonder why  when things go wrong.

Jesus said ‘I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has cross over from death to life.’ (John 5:24).

But how are people going to know about that eternal life, if we don’t Walk Across the Room and strike up a friendship with them? How are they going to hear about how life was for us before Jesus entered our lives if we don’t get to a point in the relationship where we can see that we are different or tell them that Jesus loves them for who they are! God, the Father has been given a wonderful role to play, to share in the spreading of the Good News.  He hasn’t told us to stand on the street corner or wear a sandwich board, He has asked us to be friends with other people, to show love and courtesy, to be a local church of peace, to share the love of God. And if this causes other people problems to the extent that we as Christians suffer for saying and doing what is right, we should follow in Jesus’ example, we witness not by making noise or fighting back but by showing meekness and fear. A gentle witness can make a big difference in a violent world.

Our goal is to learn to tell God’s story and our own faith story well. Regardless of whether you think or feel you are formally ‘gifted’ in evangelism or not, all Jesus-followers can engage in a spiritual conversation and do what they can to point people towards a faith in God. By learning God’s story and making friends and learning your own faith story you will have the opportunity to sow seeds and see other peoples’ lives change as they engage with God themselves.

How many of you realise that you have Walked Across the Room when you came along to the Jubilee Party or the Olympic event, or coffee morning or Youth BBQ.  Seriously, you engaged with the wonderful residents on the estate. You gave your time and willingness to get wet, to forge a bridge for Jesus. You made a difference to them and now we have been seeing them come into St. Michael’s on various occasions. So if you think you can’t do this, well sorry to late, you already have.

My faith story is a gradual one where at different times various people have Walked Across to Room, literally and metaphorically which has moved me on my journey with God.  (I tell you a story or two)…………

What was your life like before you came to faith? How is your life now? May I encourage you over the next week to write it down and think about your life before and now.  What difference has it made in knowing Jesus? By writing it down and learning it well you will become so familiar with it that when you are asked; and you will be, you will be ready to communicate like a Walk Across the Room Person. You will realise that stories and the words used to tell them are powerful and when used well they infect others…like a smile, laughter, love. Are we willing to be a Walk Across The Room Person? A God friend to others?

Let’s Pray.  Father, thank you for sending your Son Jesus to be the person who Walked Across The Room to us through others.  We ask for your help in writing our ‘faith’ stories. Give us wisdom and guidance in the coming week as we seek to befriend people we don’t already know and help us to be ready to share You with them in the ways you feel is appropriate for each person. In Jesus Name.  Amen.

Discussion pointers

1.       In this week’s video clip, there were several really bad stories! 

o   Long–winded – went on and on

o   Fuzzy – never got to the point

o   Religionese – full of Christian jargon

o   Superior – full of pious haughty language

Which one bothered you most and why?

2.  Discuss what features you noticed as common to the “good stories” that were told at the end of the video clip.

Ensure the following points are made: 

When a person is open to hearing your faith story, all they really want to know is

o   what you were like before you met Christ

o   how you came to know Christ

o   and what you have been like after submitting to him. 

In other words your ‘personal before and after’.  That is what makes a faith story good!

3.  Exercise: With a partner from within your small group work through the following:

Write down 5 adjectives that describe what you were like before you came to Christ.  If you came to faith at a young age, describe what you were like before you came to develop a more mature thriving relationship with Christ.

Choose one that best describes your ‘before’ state.

Now, describe the circumstances that caused you to give your life to Jesus. What was the most significant thing about your making the decision?

Your ‘after’:

Complete this sentence explaining the primary difference Christ has made in your life:

Since inviting Christ into my life, I’ve become ______________________________________

You are now ready to tell your ‘before and after’ story.  If you have time, practise telling it to your partner.  N.B. Be sure to mention one or two areas of your life that Christ is still refining.  No-one has ‘arrived’ – it is important to acknowledge this reality.

Sunday 20 January 2013, Just Walk Across the Room, Week Two, Living in 3D, Luke 15, Bruce

Last week we introduced the idea of Just Walk Across the Room.  We talked about being willing to enter the Zone of the Unknown, and listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  We finished by encouraging each other to Just Go!  I wonder if you have noticed any change in the way that you have engaged with people in the last week?

Of course the question arises, what do we do if we have a conversation with someone?  What do we think about?  What do we pray about?  What do we do?

The suggestion this week is that we become 3D people.  First, we Develop friendships.  There is not enough friendship in this world.  There are many lonely folk.  God is calling us to leave our comfort zone, our cocoon which is so protective, and purposefully reach out to others.  You might call it living in “search mode”. 

Does this seem a little strange?  I think that this is what Jesus is pointing to in the three stories that he tells in Luke 15.  He has been meeting all sorts of people in the market place, and the good religious Pharisees are alarmed and upset at the characters that Jesus is spending time with.  They criticise him for it.  There is a sort of internal logic that runs: God is like us.  We can see that these folk are living disreputable lives, and we disapprove.  God obviously condemns them as well.  We are right to stay clear of them.

Jesus responds to this way of thinking by telling stories.  You can imagine a Pharisee turning over in his mind the stories, about a sheep, about a coin, about a son.  What did they all have in common?  Lostness.  And in each case the thing that was lost was precious to someone, and they went out of their way to find it.  There was effort, and commitment and involvement; a shepherd combing the countryside.  A woman sweeping each corner.  A father pining and keeping watch.  They all longed to find that which was lost.  And there was a narrowing down; a hundred sheep, ten coins, a wayward boy.  I wonder if the penny dropped, realisation dawned that Jesus is talking about how the Father loves everybody, indiscriminately, lavishly, without exception?

Jesus is here describing the motive force that is impelling him to go around meeting people – God loves the lost!  And so do we.  We value them by reaching out in friendship.  You might say that you do not have time for 100 new friends!  The truth is that they feel the same way!  If, however, we reach out to 100 folk, how wonderful it would be if we found one, or two, or perhaps three true friendships?

And so we walk across the room, literally or metaphorically.  And it may be that we are meeting someone we would not normally spend time with.  Someone with a different coloured skin, or who supports a different political party, or who seems much less cultured or polite than us(!), or perhaps seems richer or better dressed than us.  There are no strings attached.  This is not a trick or a technique.  We merely want to be friends, and that reflects the heart and character of God our Father.

And what do we do?  We Discover stories.  It is good to get to know people, and to value them for who they are.  I know some folk are worried that I am advocating that we should all be evangelists, plaguing people with gospel truths, whether they want to hear them or not.  Actually I am strongly suggesting that we do the opposite.  It’s good to listen.  We are not telling anyone what to do.  We are not saying that we have all the answers.  We are merely showing interest and sharing our Father’s concern.  We are prayerfully reaching out, but with no strings attached, and we are seeking to be ready for those precious, rare moments when it seems that someone might like to explore a relationship with Jesus.

This brings us to our third point, Discern appropriate next steps.  Keep praying in your heart all the time, looking for any promptings about the way forward.  As a friendship grows, we may find that they tell us their stories and that we are entrusted with their real concerns and needs.  In small groups this week we are going to consider “forks in the road”.  These are when we are faced with a choice about what to do or say.  As we were saying earlier, it’s good to listen.  There will be many times when the Spirit’s quiet prompting will be to say or do nothing, when it would be unhelpful to bring God into the conversation, or to invite someone to church.

Equally, there will be times when we are led to some small step forward.  We might perhaps lend a book or leaflet that has been a blessing to us or that we feel would be helpful.  We might offer some practical advice or help.  We might even offer to pray for them on a regular, consistent basis.

May we each have the Father’s yearning heart, the Son’s self-giving searching love, and the Spirit’s gentle caring impulse to reach out in friendship to all we meet and know.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Discussion pointers for midweek groups

1. Can you identify either of the following patterns in your own life? 

‘cocooning’  (safe in a comfortable Christian circle of friends)

or ‘connecting’  (increasing love and desire to connect with people outside the faith)

2. Christ-followers need to be intentional about mixing with people who are far from God.  When/if you notice yourself veering towards a cocooning pattern, can you think of ways of moving towards connecting again?

3. Were there ways that you related particularly towards “Super” Dave’s story?  e.g.

·         negative religious experiences

·         witnessed a close friend submitting their lives to Christ

·         significant loss – eg death of a close relative or friend

·         lengthy journey to faith in God

4.    Bill Hybels says, “everyday seemingly insignificant things can become divine life-altering tools in the hands of compassionate Christ-followers.” 

What role did the following everyday things play in Dave’s journey toward God?

                books/tangible resources;                 time;          recreational interests

5.    Expressing a heartfelt emotion also played a major role in Dave coming to faith in Christ.  What did you think when Bill told Dave, “I’m not going to heaven without you, Supe”?

                How does this comment reflect a ‘bottom-line value of love” towards Dave?

Have you ever felt this way about someone in your own life? If so, did you tell them about it?  If you didn’t, what stopped you?

6.    Why do you think it is so important to understand people’s own stories before trying to

       engage in spiritual discussions with them?

Sunday 13 January 2013, Epiphany 2, The Baptism of Christ, The Greatest Gift, Bruce

Welcome to week one of a four week series entitled “Just Walk Across the Room”, and to a talk entitled “The Greatest Gift”.  We do this on the Sunday when we particularly remember the baptism of Jesus by his cousin John, when Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit and heard his Father’s voice.  Jesus is God’s great gift to us.  Some gifts have a real effect on us.  If I give you an alarm clock but you never set it or use it to wake you up, have your really “received” it?  If I give you a membership of a club, but you never bother to go, have you really received and valued the gift?  In the same way, God’s gift to us of his Son Jesus has a profound effect on any one who receives him.  In the words of our collect today, we “recognise him to be our Lord”.  Our attitudes and lifestyles will be changed as we become more like Jesus.

Epiphany is the missionary season of the church’s year.  We celebrate the glory of Christ shining out, and our part in it.  If we have received the gift, so we also recognise that we have the greatest gift to pass on.  The single greatest gift we can give people is an introduction to the God who created them, who loves them, who has a purpose for their life.

We are talking about evangelism.  I can imagine that this will raise all sorts of emotions, and possibly fears, in the hearts of many here this morning.  I am not talking about learning a method or a complicated formula, or going out of your way to be embarrassed or humiliated.  What if I were to suggest that it is as simple as taking a walk across a room?  The course is based on a book of that title written by Bill Hybels.  In it he relates the true story of an Afro-American man whose life was changed when a stranger extricated himself from the circle of friends he was with, walked across the room, and extended the hand of friendship.

How do we go about sharing the greatest gift?

The first point is to be willing to enter the Zone of the Unknown.  Just to talk to someone we do not know can seem uncomfortable.  Bill seems to suggest that there is a reserve we must overcome, and he is from Chicago.  We Brits might find it even harder!  We all find it easier in a group of familiar faces.  Even groups of clergy tend to stick together.  This is very human, natural, understandable.  But I believe that if we are really made in the image of God, and wanting to be like his Son Jesus, then we are called to leave the comfortable place and enter the Zone of the Unknown.  We have the greatest gift, and we want to pass it on.  This is for every one of us.

But we might quite naturally be concerned that we will make a mistake and get things wrong.  Yes we might, unless we have some help and guidance.  We are learning to listen for the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  Did you notice that an essential part of Jesus’ baptism was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit?  Did you notice our first reading from Acts 8? 

“¹⁴ When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria.¹⁵ When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, ¹⁶ because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”

It seems that it was inconceivable in the early church for them to exist without a living experience of the Holy Spirit.  A little later in the service I will say to you “The Lord is here!”  and you will respond “His Spirit is with us!”  He is the one who inhabits our praise and helps us as we meet Jesus at his table.  He is also the one who is with us and in us as we go to work or go shopping, to the gym or to a club, care for the children or grandchildren, drive a car or ride a bus.  He is the one who is changing us to be like Jesus.  One of his top priorities is to change us into “walk across the room” people, who will follow Jesus and share him with our families and friends, neighbours and colleagues.  Every single one of us. 

But how?

Just remember that we are walking in the Spirit every day.  It is not that I happen to be a Christian and I happen also to play golf; I might be a follower of Jesus who plays golf with my friends.  It is not that I am a Christian and I happen also to shop regularly at “….” Supermarket; I am a follower of Jesus who is taking the presence of Jesus with me amongst the shoppers and staff.  Whether I am in an office or in school, at the surgery or riding a horse, wherever I am, I am walking with Jesus.  I am salt in the world, a light shining in the darkness.  Salt can be very useful in purifying and cleansing, but not if we keep it closed up in the container.  It needs to come into contact where it is needed.

Now if you are anything like me, you will be uncomfortable at the thought of sharing Christ’s love with others, because I am such a bad advertisement for Jesus.  To use an out of date analogy, I do not always do what it says on the tin; I am concerned that my life does not adequately reflect the faith I would love to share.  The heart of the gospel is that we are not good enough.  We were never good enough, and we never will be, at least in this life.  But God has demonstrated his love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 8:5)  We walk across the room, not to say how wonderful we are, or our church is, but how wonderful Jesus is.

He is wonderful because he made the same walk.  In the familiar passage from Philippians 2 we are asked to have the same attitude of mind that Christ Jesus had:

⁶Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a human being,
    he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

In other words, Jesus left his Zone of Comfort – heaven, glory, the Trinity, and came to live on earth in a way that was far from comfortable.  So this brings us to our third point: Just Walk!  He lived this out again and again as, prompted by the Holy Spirit, he had encounters with many sorts of people.  On one occasion he deliberately separated himself from his circle of friends and disciples, to spend time with a disreputable woman, who was also a Samaritan.  At first she argued and changed the subject, but I get the impression that Jesus was happy just to talk to her and see what his Father God would do.  You can read about it in John 4.  When you do, you will see that what started in an unpromising way ended with many people from her village coming to find out more about this man, who spoke to her in such a special way.

You might imagine that, years later, the Christian community in that village might have asked themselves the question, how did we become Christians?  And one of them might have responded that it all started with that man, Jesus, who took a walk from his comfort zone to meet a woman who was on the edge, to share God’s love.

I know from my own experience that this is not easy.  We live busy lives with lots going on.  But I do encourage you to take seriously the fact that we have received the greatest gift – Jesus, and we can do our part in sharing that gift with others.

As I close, I wonder if you would like to cast your mind back.  Was there a person who “walked across the room” for you, who helped you in your path to meet Jesus, to encounter God and grow in Him?  Let us give thanks for all those who have shared the love of Jesus with us, and let us also pray that we can become people who share Jesus with others.

Amen.

Epiphany, Sunday 6 January 2013, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12, Bruce

Epiphany means unveiling, revealing, letting the light and the glory shine out. 

The big debate is about when Christmas ends, and when Twelfth Night begins.  (The custom used to be to mark the beginning of a day from sundown the previous evening, and so Twelfth Night Officially began last night.)  It is part of a world of Christmas that is safe, familiar and mainly for the children.  Presents are bought and exchanged, food and drink are consumed, games are played, and we act out the Nativity, with (mostly) children playing the parts.

But now we go back to the real world.  Back to work, back to school, back to business and news as normal.

Gays can be bishops (apparently), women cannot be bishops, the killing continues in Afghanistan and Syria, there is still unrest in Egypt, there are rapes in India reportedly every 20 minutes, we have seen the shooting of children in Pakistan and in elementary schools in America, riots go on in Northern Ireland over the non-flying of a flag.

The Gospel claim is that this is precisely the world described in the Christmas story.  Jesus was born into a fractured, violent world.  Famously, some were hostile to him (like Herod), some were indifferent (like the teachers of the law), and some worshipped him (like the Magi).

The strangers who arrived from the East were Magi, the latest in a long line of holy and learned men who had been the intellectual and spiritual force in Persian Society for centuries.  The prophet Daniel had become an honorary Magus when he interpreted the dreams of rulers in Babylonian and Persian times.  They predated Zoroaster, but had become associated with the Zoroastrians, and had become a powerful force in Parthian politics, charged with choosing the next king.

The arrival of these men, however many of them there were (the earliest traditions suggest there were 12), possibly with a retinue and armed escort, would have been a shock and an alarm to Herod.  He had ruled in Palestine for 40 years, thanks to the Romans.  He ruled a frontier state that had changed hands frequently in the border wars between the Parthian and Roman empires, with Rome in charge at present.  He himself was not a Jew, but half Idumean – a race that were ancient enemies of the Jews, so there was alwaus a question mark over his kingship.  He was known as Herod the Great.  He built many notable buildings, including starting the temple of the time of Jesus, and on occasion had been wise and generous, giving gold to the people at times of famine.  He was also famously suspicious and fearful of any attempts to supplant him, and murdered many potential rivals and also family members to secure his position.   In 4 BC the Roman emperor was aging, the Parthian succession unsure, Herod himself was old and infirm and getting more paranoid – and these strangers from the East with a track-record of king-making appeared and announced that someone else – a true Jew - has been born to be the rightful king.  Herod was troubled.  As he was famous for his vindictive ways, it is no wonder that all Jerusalem was troubled with him.  It was if Spaniards had arrived at the court of Elizabeth I to announce that James would be King.  Or if Americans had arrived at the headquarters of President Bashar Assad to announce who would now be in charge of Syria.  This might even be a complicated attempt to provoke a war with Parthia.  How not to make friends and influence people.

Except that it was all a bit of a mystery.  No-one else seemed to know anything about a new born king.  The bible experts could find a reference tucked away in the prophet Micah, but it hardly seems to have stirred much interest.  The cunning king sends the Magi to narrow the search and find out precisely where the new king is to be located. 

Much debate has taken place about exactly what they saw in the sky, how literally to take the account, whether a star did actually move across the heavens.  The record though is that they were led unerringly to the spot, and they rejoiced as they went.  They found the holy family living in a house, so some time had elapsed since the birth.  It is possible that Jesus was now anything up to two years old, so we get this picture of a toddler receiving gifts.

And what are we to think about him?  In Matthew 1 we read that the angel had told Joseph that Jesus would save his people from their sins.  Now the Magi have arrived, announcing that Jesus is a king, the king of the Jews.  Herod and his advisors are in no doubt that this is a claim to be the promised Messiah.  The first recorded words of Jesus’ public ministry at “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew 4:17)

What are we to think about him?  That he is a Saviour and a King.  He is the King of the Jews.  But he is not limited just to the Jews.  The readings selected for the feast of the Epiphany remind us that the kingdom of heaven extends over all the earth.  So we have these star led chieftains at the beginning of Matthew’s gospel, as part of the Christmas story, announcing that Jesus is king of the Jews but also that he is king for every gentile as well.  Matthew ends his account with Jesus commanding us “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19,20)

Epiphany means unveiling, revealing, letting the light and the glory shine out.  The Church every year celebrates the great missionary season, when we remember that we have a treasure, we have been entrusted with something precious, and that it is for sharing.  I encountered this when Jane and I attended an Anglican church to arrange for our banns to be read in January 1980, and received a call to reach out.

This world that is so far from perfect, there is so much to distress and alarm us, it seems to be so dark.  It is precisely in this world that we are called to let our light shine and to make Christ known.  The arrival of these strangers from the East to worship Christ is a call to each one of us to lift our eyes above the humdrum and the ordinary, and the negativity and low expectations that can drag us down.  We are called to share in worship of the king of the universe, and to share him with those we live amongst.

The Magi travelled over 1000 miles.  There are many ways that we can respond to the call make Christ known – to manifest or “epiphany” him.  Some travel to Uganda or China, or to Farnborough.  Where is God calling you to travel to?  Next week we start a short series called “Just Walk Across the Room”, which is designed to help each of us share our individual story of Jesus with friends and neighbours.  Most of the congregations in Camberley will be doing this over the next month, as a preparation for Camberley Connections in March, when we will welcome some students from Wycliffe Hall and work with them for a special week of faith sharing.

God’s “intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known” (Ephesians 3:17), as we work together to share our story of Christ.  Some will be hostile, some will be indifferent, but there will be some who will be profoundly grateful for the opportunity to be welcomed in to worship the King of all.

Discussion Starters

1.       Gold for a king, incense for a priest, myrrh for a sacrifice.  If you were forced to choose only one of these, to represent Jesus, which would it be and why?

2.       Which is more important, the gifts that the Magi brought, or the fact that they came at all?

3.       What do you think is “the mystery of Christ”? (Ephesians 1:4)  How might this relate to Camberley Connections?