Missing the point!

John 6:1-21

Moments of Clarity

Martha wrote to one of those “Dear Dolly” type columns in the newspaper seeking assistance. “I was running late for work and did not have time to warm up my car, but I still left before my husband as normal, but about a kilometre up the road my car stalled so I walked home to get his help. When I walked in I was shocked when I found him sitting at the computer, still in his pyjamas and with a bottle of whisky next to him. I was shocked and we ended up arguing, and then crying when he eventually had told me that he had lost his job months ago and had been day trading on the share market trying to keep the money coming in, but had basically lost our savings and now has turned to the bottle. I don’t what to do; he’s lost our money, has no job and has lied to me?”

Dear Martha, assuming that everything is o.k. when your car is warmed up, the reason it stalls when the motor is cold may be due to the air/fuel mixture running to lean. The vehicle’s onboard computer is supposed to adjust the mixture based on temperature as well as load and acceleration. For some reason the computer is adjusting wrong. Let’s look at the possibilities why this might be………………………………”

Missing the point

It happens so easily, deadlines, timelines, pressures, what we want to see against what is actually happening and almost above all in our society, no time to simply stop and think. In one of my previous chapters of my work life I was a team leader of 30 people within a building of 2,000. One level, one room except separated every 400 to 500 people by rows of glass offices. It was literally a sea of computer terminals with everyone working to meet deadlines. Deadlines that if were missed threatened fines of hundreds of thousands of dollars per month from the company we were service provider for, and daily potentially hundreds to thousands of dollars compensation per missed individual transaction to the customer, never mind the negative goodwill. Often, I would arrive at say 7.30/8.00am to be hit like a tidal wave and not until 11.00 o’clock did it subside enough to even be able to turn on my computer never mind grab a coffee. Everyday was somewhere between craziness and an adrenaline rush, between despising it and loving it. And everyday succeeded, felt like playing in and winning a grand final.

Occasionally, retreating from the madding crowd to one of these glass offices in order to plan to achieve the unachievable, I would look out-from a step back-and think “what the……is this”.

Moments of clarity, where we see something more than just the moment.

This week’s gospel message describes two very familiar miracles of Jesus: The feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus walking on water. If we were there that day what would we have seen? We’re Jews, oppressed by the Romans who have occupied our land. We are desperately seeking the promised messiah but have been misled or let down by those previous that have announced to be him. Then we hear of a man named Jesus performing unbelievable miracles so we rush to him and see him healing people and feeding thousands from five loaves of bread and two fish-surely this is the messiah. We are in the boat with the other apostles and our teacher, Jesus calms the seas-surely this is the messiah. So we follow him into Jerusalem, this is the moment-waving our palm branches as the promised king, the messiah arrives. Side by side we will stand with our leader against those who have enslaved us. Then we see him powerless, arrested by the authorities, beaten and sent to death-and he cannot raise a finger to save himself.

With our fellow apostles, we remember the amazing teachings and miracles we’ve seen, nothing was impossible. We believed this man was the messiah, but now it’s over as he dies like just another common criminal and we ask ourselves “what was that all about”.

Then three days later, hiding in fear of reprisals he appears to us and we remember the things he had told us, the things that just made no sense at the time. Then we have a moment of clarity where we finally see more than just those individual moments and things that have taken place. We finally see and understand. Understand that everything beforehand, those times of wonder and rejoicing, and those times of confusion and doubt have led to this one ultimate understanding, that Truly Jesus is the Messiah, the promised one sent by God to bring freedom and life. The one who has taken us back to the Father through the forgiveness of sins.

Our lives are full of moments. Moments covering the whole spectrum of our understandings. Some that seem to make sense and some that don’t. Moments where we have a great idea-that seems to fail, yet then seemingly by chance through some insignificant moment, things fall into place.

We are that boy amongst the 5,000. We have five loaves of bread made from barley and two small fish the size of sardines, the type of bread and fish that only peasants ate. Surely this is only enough to feed ourselves for the next few days. Do we hide it and keep it for ourselves as it won’t be enough anyway for everyone and then we’ll just starve just like the rest. But against all logic, for some reason we hand it over-and the rest is history and we wonder “what was that” only to find out that our one small act would be used by the saviour, recorded in history as a testament to his power, a testament of his care for those in need while he was walking to his own death. His death that would bring the greatest miracle of all, the forgiveness of sins-for us in the crowd that fell away in his hour of need, for we the apostles who in fear for ourselves denied him in his hour of need, and for us the peasants who have seemingly nothing to offer. Peasants that without knowing and through none of our own design, our insignificant gesture which we only begrudgingly did in the first place have somehow has been used by Jesus on the road to his destiny. His destiny that brings salvation to all those that believe-on his road to the greatest miracle and gift we will ever receive-faith.

The road to faith. Johnny Cash’s brother, called to be a preacher dies very young in his teens. Johnny the musician, who broke most of the rules in the book on his way home, who in his later years would tour with the great preacher Billy Graham and open up his evangelist shows. One evening Billy said “I’m starting to think they are only coming to see you” to which John replied “Whatever gets them here Billy”.

The miracle of faith.

I worked with a physically handicapped girl who was always positive, friendly and helpful. Somehow it came up about the difficulties in our society for handicapped people to which she responded “we all have handicaps, the only difference is that mines on display for all to see”.

I talk of arguably the greatest Australian Rules Footballer player of the modern era. It is said to make it at the highest level you must excel in two of the three musts: speed, strength and ability. He had all three. His ability and speed would dumfound and his strength intimidate. A player, seemingly born of unnatural gifts. But a humble shy man who wrote in his book that he came to despise and hate the attention that his talent had brought him. So much so that at times, in despair he would find himself locked in the toilet before the game in tears. Moments that brought him some clarity and allowed to him to recognise a man of who he would later talk of and say: “that if it wasn’t for His Lord and Saviour Jesus, he would not be here today.”

The miracle of faith-through no power of our own, given to us, to sustain us.

Last week with Josh we were looking through DVD’s and he noticed me eyeing off the movie “Any given Sunday” and he instantly said “oh no, not again, not tonight”. (So we watched Fawlty Towers)-AGAIN. I’ve only watched it in full a couple of times-but there’s one scene I’ve watched countless times as it reminds me of everything that’s good about team “combat” sport.

In the scene Al Pacino is addressing an American football team that are losing at half time, and it goes like this: We are in hell at the moment. We either crumble as individuals or as a team we fight our way back into the light. In football the inches we need to win are everywhere. They are there in every break of the play and in every second of the game. In football as in life, we claw with our fingernails for those inches; we’ll die for those inches. Look into the eyes of the guy next to you and you will see a guy that will die and go the distance with you.

It’s a stirring speech that every time I hear it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and there’s a lot of truth to it: except in our salvation. The one clawing with his fingernails is Jesus. Joy and suffering are all around us, but Jesus died for us, and he does go the distance for and with us. Jesus searches and seeks out sinners to show the work of God in their lives, to bring them to faith.

Us here today, we did not welcome Christ and we did not deserve to be in his presence. But he came to us all the same, brought us forgiveness and has given us life here and life ever after.

A boy with five loaves of bread and two small fish amongst the hungry multitude. We too may be but peasants with only crumbs to offer, but crumbs we offer that when in our Lord’s hands bring his miracle of faith and salvation to those still lost in the multitude. Praise be to Christ. Amen.

 

The right sales pitch

 Get the message

Mark 6: 30-34, 53-56

The disciples had just returned from a missionary expedition. (&) We could assume they would be excited to tell Jesus of their successes and maybe even question him regarding their unsuccessful moments. Did we say the wrong thing? Should we have stayed longer? And so forth. We can almost hear Jesus saying, or at least thinking: “well done my good and faithful servants”, and with compassion, realising of their aching and hungry bodies, –saying first come with me and rest.

The meaning of the word disciple is messenger, and these messengers must have had much success in sharing the good news as it has spread quickly and Jesus is besieged with people.

Following verse 34 is the feeding of the 5,000 men. Men, add the rest of the family and what are we talking? 10,000, 15,000? Quite a crowd. It may not seem like a Foo Fighters concert at the SCG until we take in the logistics of the situation. The neighbouring towns of Capernaum and Bethsaida-goods sized towns in their day had populations of 2,000 to 3,000 each. So in today’s times, here in Dubbo, with no public transport or cars, say 220,000 people on foot converging on the shores of the river with no PA systems and no crowd control. In relative terms this is a huge crowd of people, all searching and looking for answers, and “Jesus had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd”, and heals people and teaches them: gives them his good news, the Gospel.

Compassion: The dictionary states it as “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering”.

Jesus in compassion, teaches, heals and in the accompanying verses feeds them.

I asked a colleague of mine why he became a Pastor and he replied that he would do various acts of kindness supplying food to the needy and giving away money, but it always seemed he was like the boy that put his finger in the dyke, and during this he came to see that the long term answer to their pain was to hear of Christ.

Jesus in his compassion healed those who come to him because he felt their pain. How blessed were those who he touched and healed, yet this was not Jesus’ main reason for being. His healings were more like the boy with his finger in the dyke-see a problem, fix a problem. We know from Jesus’ recorded miracles that almost always he told the recipients not to tell anyone. Why? Because of his nature how could he say no to those coming to him, he couldn’t, so he healed people as they turned up. But his reason for being-the reason he walked our earth was to die for our sins-to bring the long term never ending miracle of spiritual healing. He came, to lead the lost home, to be their shepherd-on his way to the cross he healed people’s short term woes, but much more important he taught them-that they would know in him the love of the father-because he felt their pain, their need for the truth, their need for a shepherd and their need for a leader.

Leadership is so crucial, in all aspects of life.

We’ve all heard the term “it all stems from the top”. (and) generally it does. The leader sets an example, keeps it together when everyone else is confused, fearful and so forth. Yet ironically, the best and most effective leaders, while yes, “in them it does all stem from the top” do not talk down to those below them, they talk with them, are concerned for them, serve them-and that’s what alternatively leads into their leadership from the top.

I found this insightful quote on compassion: “Compassion is not a snob gone slumming. Anybody can salve their conscience by an occasional foray into knitting for the poor. Did you ever take a real trip down inside the broken heart of a friend? To feel the sob of the soul-the raw, red crucible of emotional agony? To have this become almost as much yours as that yours as that of your soul-crushed neighbour? Then, to sit down with them-and silently weep? This is the beginning of compassion.” (Jess Moody).

Our shepherd, our leader-Jesus, from him it all stems- from the top. But he did he sit in a ivory tower- he came down to our level. The bottom rung, the lost, to lead us home. To take our just deserved pain and sin on himself.

It always amazes me that when there’s a tragedy, quite often God gets the blame, or at the least said that he doesn’t seem to care. For a moment, even with our feeble human wisdom let’s think about this. We do know and understand what love is. Think of someone that no matter what they did, you love them so much-that when they are hurting, all you want to do is take away their pain. That even though they may error in their ways towards you, there is nothing that you would not forgive them for. That’s love.

Then we read in the bible that our love, the best of our love is small, miniscule to that of God’s. That God in His perfect love gave us His son, to be hungry, to feel physical pain, to be beaten, tortured and ultimately die a tragic death. We would forgive that loved one of ours of anything-unconditionally. Yet the powers of darkness sometimes succeed in making us wonder of our forgiveness before God. We feel the pain of that loved one of ours, yet the powers of darkness sometimes succeed in making us doubt that our Lord cares about us.

Can you see how ridiculous and utterly wrong that is? Our love to others doesn’t rate a mention to that of God’s or our Saviour Jesus. Yet even we know the hurt from seeing our loved ones suffer. Imagine the hurt that Christ feels in his perfect love when he sees us in pain, sees people hungry, dying and lost. If we just thinking rationally of this we can understand it when we are told that the whole of “heaven cheers in joyfulness when one sinner turns to Christ” and is saved.

Compassion. Why doesn’t God just cure all our ailments now, bring world peace and bring food to the starving? He has the power to do so, but God is not a puppet master. He lets us have a brain, free choice-he didn’t make robots that are just yes sir, no sir-he has given us the right to decide, to think for ourselves-even when that leads to doing things that are totally opposite to what’s good for us, or him. That’s love.

In the garden when we fell to sin, the earth became fractured and so did our perfect relationship with God the father. In our 50, 60, 100 years on this planet, due to sin we have times of suffering-God has had to live with our suffering for thousands of years. Every soldier on the battlefield, every one cold on the streets, and every person not full of hope who has believed the lies said against our Saviour: God, perfect in love has endured.

God perfect in love, calls people to be volunteers, nurses, doctors, all of us in our occupations to heal the sick, alleviate some of the pain, and to bring some joy and laughter to our human world. God perfect in love, saw his Son endure pain, the pain we brought to him.

We cannot imagine how hard that must have been for God-yet the world, we, are tempted to doubt what he says. Our Lord, who on the cross-in agonising pain says of those that put him there: “forgive them father they don’t know what they do”.

Our Lord who his way to the cross, when people came to him for physical cure, healed them because of his perfect love.

In our lives he brings health or at least some relief from the pain through those he calls in their vocations in life. In His perfect love he is not a puppet master. In His prefect love God lets us make our own mistakes. In His prefect love he gives us shelter, food and assistance in the hurt-through his children like us.

In His perfect love, he puts up with our doubts towards him, our anger toward him, the hurt we do to others and ourselves and asks no more than that we accept His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ-that in him we receive complete and utter forgiveness, life today and eternal-that we accept our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ so that amongst the pain we can feel his love to sustains us in faith, that we may follow His son Jesus back to him.

Compassion: On our way home, The Father, The Son and The Holy spirit will continue to endure in our pain, endure with our mistakes, vices, and anger towards Him. Continue to provide for us and all people-that we may know the truth-that in Christ-nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Even in our small portions of human wisdom and love-how could we think anything different? How could anyone think different?

Jesus said “Forgive them Father for they do not know what they do”

They don’t know: so he teaches.

Let’s pray we always hear and know that truth, let’s pray that those that still “don’t know what they do” hear and know the truth. Pray that we won’t be deceived by half-truths and lies, but hear and know the full truth, that in Christ, no matter what we are, where we’ve been or what we’ve done, that when in Christ, all are home: totally, absolutely and unconditionally forgiven. Amen.

 

Are you telling the truth?

Sermon Based on Amos 7:7-15, Ephesians 1:3-14, Mark 6:14-29

“The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”

One of my previous pastors had a great talent in bringing to life, or of hitting the point of the weekly message within our lives. Two come to mind clearly, one a public sermon and one just for me. I’ll talk of the second first. It was the football season, and there’s only one way to play footy-hard. You’re not just playing with your team mates, you’re playing for them. You stick by them, through thick and thin-on and off the field. Due largely to this attitude, not consciously-but doing it all the same-I was rocking up to church a little too tired and dazed from what in country footy circles, would be considered the appropriate form of recovery the night before. On one such Sunday, upon being greeted by my pastor at the end of the service-with a big smile, his outreached hand and the other around my shoulders, he joyously said “It’s always great to see you on Sundays looking so good”. I knew what he meant, he knew that I knew what he meant-but how it was done, with tact, humour and in good natured love-strengthened our relationship.

The second was in a public sermon. I think there might have been some scobling within the ranks (or something but that is not the point). He went through the truth-the Gospel but then finished with “you know what you are doing that is wrong, so stop it, and stop it today”. It is an unusual end to a sermon and whether it hit his desired point I’m not sure-but it certainly did with me. That is not the recommended way of finishing a sermon, but he was right. He was not preaching to those who knew no better, he was preaching to the converted-we who should know better.

But as we also know, the truth can hurt, and the truth is what is in play in all three readings today.

In Amos, after the death of King Solomon the land of Israel was divided into two kingdoms, the south and the north-the north of which had gone off track. The prophet Amos is given a vision by God that shows this kingdom is totally out of line, both politically and religiously. So off Amos goes to tell the king this truth. Only to receive back biting, being caused of stirring trouble and so forth, and the response-if that’s the truth we don’t want it-so rack of, get out of here.

In the Gospel of Mark, again the truth gets in the way of things. John the Baptist, as outlined in Leviticus tells the King that he is committing adultery by being married to his own brother’s wife while his brother is still alive. This charge infuriated his wife Herodias and she nurtured a sustained against John and bided her time to silence him. Yet ironically, the King was at least on the right track so to speak as we hear in verse 19 and 20: “And Herodias set herself against him, and desired to kill him; and she could not; for King Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. And when he heard him he was much perplexed, yet he heard him gladly.

We see some hope here for John. In fact he had only put John in jail to try and appease his wife. Essentially to protect him from a worse fate by imprisoning him. Is this not the same scene in which we see in Pontius Pilate with Jesus being put up for his death by the Jewish authorities-for his telling the truth?

(and) like Pilate, knowing the man is innocent, knowing it wrong-but not having the strength of his convictions, the king falls meekly to those offended by the truth, and lets them have their way.

Amos, John the Baptist and Jesus-scorned, convicted and punished for what? Because they brought before their societies the truth of God.

And we ask ourselves what has changed?

The church preaches the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. That we bring our sins before him, we give them to him and he sets us free-forgiven. How could anyone not think that is good? Simply because of that word itself, sin. Because sin tells us we are doing something wrong, and that doesn’t quite fit into the “if it’s right by me, then its right” mentality.

We preach salvation in Jesus, we don’t preach damnation. We don’t preach God hates you, we preach he loves you. But in the “if it’s right by me, then its right” society it has become our right to sin-and if that’s the case there’s nothing to forgive and anyone that tells me otherwise is a bigoted judgemental fool. Well that part I’m not arguing with, because I am a sinner. I sin all the time-but that does not make it my right to sin, unfortunately its part of our human condition.

That’s why we need Jesus, because we sin. We do what’s not right. Like Paul said: “I don’t do what I want to do, and do what I don’t want to do”. That’s why we need Jesus, that’s why God gave his own son and why Jesus gave himself-that although what we are-in him we are saved.

There’s the truth. But the truth that unfortunately cannot be understood when the need for it cannot be seen.

One author whose name does not come to mind gave a scenario showing this plight:

“A man in in a burning house, but he doesn’t know it. So when the fireman turns up, he says he doesn’t need him. When he asks him to leave the house he resents it and resists. Eventually the fireman takes him kicking and screaming against his will from the building, which only after getting out-does he realise that the house was on fire and that he was in peril”.

So what to do? We hang in there. We don’t preach the law; we preach the truth by showing the need for Jesus the Saviour. We don’t interpret the truth of God according to society; we interpret society according to God.

We live in the world, but not of the world. We live with our own faults and those of others. We put our arm around those who ridicule us and allow Jesus to put his around us.

We are all care and no responsibility. We were not responsible for our own salvation-Christ brought that, and we are not for others-God will bring that as he sees fit.

Jesus, who as we heard in Ephesians “God has chosen for us to be holy and blameless before his sight by being adopted as his sons and daughters through Jesus Christ, that in accordance with his pleasure and will, to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding, and made known to us”.

There’s the truth and we care by telling the truth-that like in Amos day, John the Baptists day and the when days Jesus walked on this earth-that now-today, we all need Jesus-Jesus who brings life-today and for evermore. Amen.

 

An Unlikely bunch

Mark 6:1-13

“An unlikely bunch”

Bruce Willis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Jobs of Apple, Gary Larsen-the Far Side Comic’s guy, Johann Sebastian Bach, John “Cougar” Mellencamp, Stormin Norman Schwartzkophn-Leader of the Allie forces in Desert Storm one, Ace Freley from Kiss, David Hassellhoff, Theodor Geisec-The Author of the Doctor Seuss books and Kris Kristofferson all have something in common. They are all Christians, and incidentally, Lutherans.

Actors, rock stars, extremely clever humourist, millionaires, Leader of the military, and the Hoff-“Babe watch” Aren’t Christians meant to be sought of like boring or goody two shoes’…well I’m not sure-but some of these “guys”-Christians, oh then I remembered myself. No they’re fine.

A lecturer at the sem. said it best. Half way through our first class, he looked around and stated “It never ceases to amaze me of just how ordinary (make that un-special) the people are that God calls to this place”. As usual, he was write-at least in my instance (if Greg, Harry or Jade are reading this).

It reminds me of some call meetings where you get the sense that they might not be happy to call Jesus himself. Obviously the good people of the Gilgandra-Dubbo parish aren’t so pious as seen in their recent Pastoral appointment.

But we might ask what’s changed. We heard that Jesus goes to his home town and they essentially ridicule him. Seriously, they’re hanging with the man and won’t listen to him. (and) what of the disciples, they see this-and then Jesus sends them out to preach and teach-sounds to me like a bad career move to me.

But they did, and had success. Were they better orators or had more charisma than Jesus? Hard to imagine. No the power, their power was that they were doing God’s work, preaching and teaching the truth-The Gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Incidentally, a study of effective leadership found that charisma is only a very, very minute part. It’s more to do with consistency, fairness, not just talking too-but listening and so on.

But we do know that many people listened to Jesus and came to faith-but also we know, many didn’t which we see with Jesus on the Cross. But why didn’t they listen, who knows, led by the devil, worried about their own status-we could go through all our human traits. But one thing for sure that confused them was Jesus himself. He seemed to come from back to front land. He’d have a crack at the up standing Pharisees and yet, seemed drawn to the outer fringe of society. He would openly declare that Roman guards-the opposition, the Samaritans-about as popular in those times as a New South Wales person in Brisbane at the State of Origin last Wednesday, that a thief, prostitutes and so forth-he would openly declare that their faith will see them living in one of the many rooms in heaven.

Look through the bible, some of God’s and Jesus’ “support staff” where frightenly a lot like us.

(and) right there we see the gospel. Certainly Jesus’ has workers in the field from the top shelf, but he also has plenty as well from the other end of the scale and all the way in between, so that HE can be heard, so that he can save Prime Ministers, farmers, small business owners, CEO’s, Bank workers, the homeless, the shamed and even pastors.

Likewise, Jesus speaks in Cathedrals and on death row. Amongst others, there are two worship services I’ve been too that I’ll never forget.

One, under the stars in one of the bush camps out of Alice Springs, with the Pastor reading by a gas lantern. The worshippers sitting in the dirt, and many with a VB in hand. (and) I’ll remember till I die when one of the VB guys started getting a bit too loud and his wife giving him a good old clobbering.

And two, in a small bush church-Not a Lutheran one as we couldn’t find one. But a town with a few houses and the church. There were about ten people there, the pastor had a strong stutter and was the only musician, and he certainly was no Darryl Reichelt, Janet Cheal, Jenny or any of our talented musicians.

But in those two services-it felt as if I could almost reach out and shake Jesus’ hand. Every Christian in the world owes our salvation to Jesus-we know that. But Jesus didn’t write it down, the only thing we hear of Jesus actually writing was only one time and that was with a stick in the dirt, and we don’t even know what he wrote. That actually intrigues me, I’ll have to ask him what we wrote when I meet him.

We owe everything to the Triune God-we know that: but how do we know that, because a group of unlikely gentleman called apostles and others that witnessed the life of Jesus. An unlikely bunch-that now sees us, a just as unlikely bunch-hearing for ourselves the Words of our Saviour-His Words direct to us.

His Word that is powerful, His Word that works, His Word that saves.

An unlikely bunch. A friend of mine several years ago had a good job, a loving wife and family and was liked, trusted and respected by most. But outward appearances can be very deceiving, as no one knew of his long inner fight in what he saw of himself. But one night, he found himself with no fight left. So after drinking in the shopping centre car park for a while-he realised it was just too much, so he drove thru the bottle shop to buy a few last drinks for the “trip”. As he was being served, a bedraggled homeless looking gentleman approached the attendant as he was walking over with my friend’s drinks, but remained by the car-which by now had alcohol bottles on the seat, cigarettes and money lying around.

But he did not ask for any of these things, but in an obviously NOT inebriated tone asked for a ride to the nearby suburb. My friend replied that he can’t as he’s not sure where he’s going. This bedraggled looking man, then clearly and with authority said “Jesus Christ knows who you are, and you are one of his” and walked off. My friend is now alive and well, and a committed Christian.

An unlikely bunch they were and an unlikely bunch we are, to hear his Word for ourselves-and live in that Word that others might just somehow find peace with their Lord and Saviour.

I’ll finish with a prayer.

Lord, we did not ask for you but you came to us anyway. We do not deserve your love and forgiveness but you give it to us anyway. Lord, as unworthy as we are-we thank you and ask that whether it be preaching in a Grand Cathedral, loving and serving our family and friends, befriending those who do not like or agree with us, or simply a smile to a stranger-that somehow, your Word will be heard-and they will find peace. Amen.

 

His story repeats

Mark 5: 25-34

“His-story repeats”

In Fridays paper there was an article about home ownership and the difficulties of getting into the market for the first time. Its point was that it is still possible, but in the old fashion way-of saving first. In this day and age that would seem rather an interesting concept as highlighted by the journalist’s summary line of “Generation right now is going to have to wait and save”.

Here we are talking about consumerism in our society and whether the author is talking specifically of Gen. x, y or z I’m not sure, but I would suggest “generation right now” is not confined by birth date. I’m not really sure whether I’m a baby boomer or generation something because I don’t really care as it all sounds very impersonal and like reading from a physiatrist instructor’s manual.

But in truth, “generation right now” sneaks up on us all, certainly in consumerism I can see the benefits-my “need” to have the latest released big screen LED smart TV that has just come on the market. I know my darling wife is not here today but I’ll keep a copy of this sermon for her. But in “generation right now”, if not in our desire for things-we surely would have been at some time in relation to others. Where we see a person or their actions at a given time and make a judgment call based on what we see and know there and then. Or put more rightly on what we think we know.

I was reminded of this several months ago when talking to a taxi driver he remarked of the incredible stories he hears from customers of their life experiences. Stories where he saw a different person at the end of the journey to the one he saw at the start.

In a quick reading of today’s Gospel lesson it seems quite straight forward as we see Jesus healing people simply because of their faith. And that is the message. Jesus doesn’t interrogate them first to see if they are theologically sound-he simply sees their faith.

(and) that picture of simple saving faith is one we must always rely on for us and for others, because that is not part of the Gospel, that is the Gospel. That no matter how bad or how good we’ve been has no bearing on our worthiness of salvation. Salvation is only based, is only given through Christ. That In Jesus Christ our Saviour alone we are justified by faith, that we have eternal life.

They say fact is stranger than fiction, and that may well seem so when we consider that we are saved in Jesus Christ alone through faith. That’s it-that’s the simple truth. Yet that simplicity of the Gospel, because of our fallen human characteristics can make the belief in that truth the hardest of all truths to come to know. In “generation right now” we might see and admire a person of great faith. To even wish it was us, to even covet that faith. But I wonder if we would wish to covet that person’s story behind how they came to know and rely of that simple truth of salvation in Christ alone.

We all have our own story and our own faith journey that is unique to us. Paul said “I have been all things to all people that they may be saved” and throughout our lives: The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit have talked to us in the way we need to hear them on our journey to faith.

Martin Luther like Paul seemed to have this gift. He could converse, discuss and argue theology with the most profound minds, yet he could also explain the truth in the earthiest of ways. A favourite of mine, (I cannot remember his exact words) but is the time where he speaks of saving faith where he meets God in his day of reckoning and as his life is laid out before him things are not going so well. So he turns to Jesus and asks or reminds him, hey I trusted in you as you said-what’s all this judgment business-to which Jesus cannot but get him off the hook. The truth is we are saved in faith now but that still is a great picture for when we fear for of the indiscretions of our lives.

In today’s Gospel we see a lady who within seven short verses, through faith is healed.

“For she said, If I touch his garments, I shall be made whole. And straight away Jesus, perceiving in himself that the power proceeding from him had gone forth, turned him about in the crowd, and said, Who touched my garments? And his disciples said to him, You see the multitude thronging and yet ask Who touched me? And he looked round to see her that had done this thing. But the women in fearing and trembling, knowing what had been done to her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said to her, Daughter, your faith has made you whole; go in peace, and be whole of your plague (or cured of your illness).”

This interaction, how long was it, a few minutes-half an hour maybe? How blessed to be this lady-this sounds like “generation right now” stuff. Until we see what’s really in play here. Certainly we see Jesus’ power and his compassion, but the central point is that somehow this lady has come to faith. Faith that sees her healed physically, but more importantly, by Jesus acknowledging her faith sees her knowing, being told that she receives his whole promise-eternal life.

We might covet her meeting with Jesus, in hearing those words until we ponder how she got there, of her journey to faith. Her story of haemorrhaging blood for twelve years. Twelve years of seeing doctors, spending all her money on various unsuccessful treatments, but all in vain as her condition grew worse. Her twelve years in which she could not attend worship because of her being deemed unclean. Twelve years that because of her “uncleanliness” was judged and shunned by people. Yet somehow in this hopeless situation, her wretched existence she has come to faith in Jesus.

We might not want to covet her journey to faith but we don’t need too-because we have our own. We might covert her interaction with Jesus, the wonderful experience of hearing his words to her of his blessing-but we don’t need to-for he has said the same to you individually and personally-in faith alone you are saved.

That simple but beautiful truth, so simple that it can take a lifetime to understand. Lifetime of our unique experiences to realise that our story is actually His story-Jesus. A lifetime of the Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit-working with our errors and hardships, our fears and our pain that in spirit, in Christ and His promises we are actually “Generation right now”. That today, in faith in Christ ALONE-you are saved. And that knowing that faith, you know that through “many toils and snares you have already come, Tis grace that has brought you safe thus far, and grace that will lead you home. Thanks be to God. Amen.

 

Are you a man or a mouse?

Mark 4:35-41

Are you a man or a mouse?

Coming out of ancient India there is a fable of a fearful mouse. Living in continual terror of the cat, the mouse asked a magician to change him. With a wave of his wand the magician turned the mouse into a cat. Unfortunately, the “cat” realised it was now afraid of the dog. The magician once again intervened, and the cat became a dog. Not more than a day had gone before the dog approached the magician and confessed to his newfound fear of tigers. With a sigh, the reluctant magician once again transformed the dog, this time into a tiger. Of course, now the tiger lived in dread of human hunters. The magician had had enough. His final words were “Be a mouse again. I cannot help you, for you have the heart of a mouse”.

In the Gospel lesson we see a boatload of men with fearful hearts. Many of them had been fishermen, but they left their boats to follow the all-powerful Lord of life, Jesus Christ. Since their call to be disciples, they have seen many great and mighty wonders and heard the message of love from the Messiah. Peter had witnessed the healing of his own mother-in-law, but is still seen here with a fearful heart. The disciples have seen Jesus heal lepers and cast out evil spirits, but are still here with fearful hearts. One after another, the sick sought out the Saviour. One after another, they were healed and sent home. By the power of God’s love, the sick were made sound, the troubled transformed and given peace. Yet the disciple’s having seen all this are still fearful when without warning, a storm sweeps down on them. Confronted by the whistling wind and waves they are fearful and floundering as they call out to a sleeping Saviour, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” Note that they don’t cry out for help to the all-powerful Creator. They do not summons him with the title of a respectful “Lord” or “Master”, but as teacher-and a seemingly uncaring one at that.

Their words, “Teacher, don’t you care”, what a dagger that must have been in Jesus’ heart that night. Not care? Caring is what made Jesus tick. It was caring that caused his Father to offer a promise of salvation to sinful Adam and Eve in the Garden. It was caring that caused Jesus to be born in a Bethlehem stable. It was caring that called Jesus away from a comfortable life as a carpenter in Nazareth. It was caring that made him leave mother, brothers, and sisters. It was caring that made him heal the hurting. It was caring that led him to raise the dead. And it was God’s great caring that would someday have a beaten Jesus stand before a Roman governor. Unjustly accused by his own priest and people, forsaken by both government and justice, Jesus would lay down his life for helpless humanity. A caring Jesus lived, died, and rose for this frightened world. Jesus not care? Could anything be more from the truth?
You will remember the poem of the two sets of footsteps in the sand along the beach. A lady is talking to Jesus as the scenes of her life flashed before her eyes and in each scene she noticed that sometimes there were two sets of footprints and other times there were only one set of footprints. This bothered her because during the low periods of her life, when she was suffering in anguish, sorrow or defeat she could only see the one set of footprints. So she said to the Lord, “You promised me that if I followed you, you would walk with me always, yet when I needed you most there is only the one set of footprints. Why when I needed you most you were not there for me?” To which the Lord replied “The times when you have seen only one set of footprints is when I was carrying you”.

Our lives are real, we laugh and we cry, we know joy and we know pain and everything in the middle. Yet our earthly lives are held together by two great bookends. That before our lives, Christ walked to the cross and that in him we are given eternal life. Though our lives can seem like being on a rollercoaster that change and confuse, these two facts remain immovable.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing because it allows us to see more than snippets but whole events and in hindsight, when we look back at those times when the waves were crashing over the boat we can see our Lord present and caring. Present through His gift of faith to get through it, and present in those he sent before us, that they comfort us, be with us and help us grow in it and through it. We all have or will have these experiences in our lives-and when we do, they show the love of God then and give us strength in the knowledge of His love in the future.

Those bookends of forgiveness and eternal life and our Lord’s presence with us now don’t take away our live trials and tribulations, but let us face them and overcome them. That analogy about whether the glass is half full or half empty is about whether we see things as a pessimist or as an optimist. Being if you see the glass as half empty you are a pessimist and half full an optimist. While as a general statement that’s all well and good, but throughout our lives our perceptions can change due to circumstance. Where seeing the glass half empty of carrot juice is as an optimist but only half full of beer as a pessimist.

Our perceptions change. When a certain well known footballer won the Brownlow medal and a couple of premierships playing Aussie Rules Football for his club. He had plenty of talent but the thing that elevated him to a place of awe was his physical work ethic-it seemed unending. Then his public fall to drug addiction and the resultant sacking by his club and even banning from playing in the AFL. To some from hero to zero. How our perceptions can change in an instant. From media reports it seems that he is still struggling in this area, and because so, on talk back radio he is regularly admonished. That he should have learnt his lesson, that he’s selfish and so on. Then there’s reality, his perception where when going through rehabilitation he proudly stated that without the need and shield of any substance abuse, he had posted a letter at the post office.

Our perception of others, of ourselves and even of God can change due to circumstance-but His of us doesn’t. In moments of great happiness Jesus walks with us, and in moments of great sorrow he carries us.

Nineteen years ago I heard this poem read out at the Catacomb church in Coober Pedy. It was written by Nadine Stair, an 85 year old lady from Louisville in Kentucky U.S.A. She talks in the in the past tense, but in Knowing of the Love of our Lord, whether we have one year or many years to live, in knowing our Lord we see the freedom and beautifulness of our lives with and in Christ.

“If I had my life to live over, I’d dare to make more mistakes next time. I’d relax. I’d limber up. I’d be sillier than I have this time. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would take more trips. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and eat less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I’d have fewer imaginary ones. You see, I am one of those people who live sensibly and sanely, hour after hour, day after day. Oh I’ve had my moments and if I had to do it all over again I’d have more of them. In fact I’d try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I’ve been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot-water bottle, a raincoat and a parachute. If I had to live my life over, I would stand bare-foot earlier in the Spring, and I would stay that way later in Autumn. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry go rounds, I would pick more daisies”.

Jesus once said to a group of people listening to him, that “the truth will set you free”.

Whether old or young-the time we have on earth is a gift from God. Times to work and times to play, times to grieve and times to laugh-live in every moment of your life, live it knowing that he is there, and knowing that in His every moment, you are His beloved child, because the truth, His love has indeed set you free Amen.

 

 

 

“Its a present”

Mark 4:26-34

“It’s a present, so be present”

Today’s Gospel reminds me of the trip we went on to pick up Josh’s puppy Kobe. Taking a detour along a dirt road due to the floods we came upon a train crossing and as I was looking along the track to see if it was all clear, Cathy remarked that “I think we’ll be fine”, and as I turned my head I saw four sheep standing under the shade of full size tree, growing right in the middle of the railway tracks.

But as we sat there I laughed at what this would look like to a local who knew and used this road regularly. From the perspective of the locals, who knew, that whether it be day time, raining or at night, knew that without even looking they could cross safely-because that tree, which started as a seed that somehow lodged where it did, now not only shows that they are safe from destruction from an oncoming train, but now grown-gives shade to their sheep.

Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of God, will grow, is growing in and amongst all the nations of the earth-that they nest, that they live their lives in the kingdom of God. It is a wonderful picture of today and of the end. Living in God’s growing kingdom today and knowing of what awaits us at its earthly fruition.

Like at that railway crossing-one side the tree giving shelter to the sheep who we will join forever on our last day and on the other, potential peril, but peril we can cross in the knowledge that we are both on our way and already are part of his kingdom.

John Lennon in singing of his then young son Shaun sang “I can hardly wait for you to come of age, but we’ve got a long way to go and for now I guess we’ll both just have to be patient” evokes imagery of our sure promise, united with those gone before us in glorified body’s-no fear and no pain-the full realisation of the promise that the Lord has given you.

But John Lennon goes on and sings of the beauty that he is experiencing with his young boy-the beauty of his life while he is still growing but then also the contrast “but we’ve got a long way to go, a hard road to flow”

We too suffer those contrasts in our lives on our road to the joy of what awaits. Contrasts, that given what life can dish up can start us to doubt. It would seem, and indeed we are told by some climate people that we are living in a time of unprecedented disasters. Whether it is true or not, it would seem that in the Western world the Church is in times of unprecedented decline.

Where we as individuals continually seem to get it wrong, self-serving instead of serving others, seeing the stick in others eyes but not the log in our own. Spiritual attacks reminding us of our sinful disposition and constantly pushing in thoughts to make us doubt where we sit in God’s kingdom. It’s like a one two punch in boxing, first we hit with the truth, you’re a sinner-and then the knockout blow-to either make us believe we’re beyond help, or to make us think that it relies on us in the way of our deeds, our works. It’s a smart trick because if not for the Word of God telling us the truth, in our human disposition we prefer to live in the profit side of the margin-where in the short term we get confused with the big picture.

Like in our world, we catch the train to work and make money from which we pay taxes. The taxes of which are partly used to subsidise the train fare. A cost centre to bring a greater profit but in another area. But know, every aspect should be running in profit-so the train ticket prices go up and guess what-less people travel by train and back to square. So sell it off to private investors who to make it profitable need to reduce costs-slash the wages, meaning less tax paid, less money to spend-less tax collected from retailers.

I know this is VERY simplistic, but my point is in our lives-sometimes there are times, short term costs that bring profit, bring growth-spiritual growth.

For the Kingdom to grow, for our growth in it, sometimes there has to be a cost centre. Testing times, hard times-but times that bring fruit that allow Christ in-to form us, to grow in us.

A Jewish legend tells that King Solomon once approached a jeweller and asked him to design a ring on which would be inscribed words that would be true and appropriate at all times and in all situations. The jeweller brought the king a ring on which was inscribed: “This too shall pass” In times of pain the king looked at the ring and was reassured. In times of joy and exultation the king looked at the ring, and felt sobered.

We too on our road know of those joys and pains-situations where we wonder where God is in it all, and times where we would like to see some action, to see a response to our works, to see His kingdom grow-in the world, and in us.

When this happens, don’t be too hard on yourself-Jesus knows the gig down here, he knows the distractions and the confusion they cause. That’s why he walked to the cross-because he understood. He told his apostles what he was doing and it confused them. Yet through Christ on the cross and his raising the kingdom of God has spread. Yet through normal people, first the apostles and the ones that followed-through telling of Jesus and announcing the Word of God the kingdom has grown.

And now, just like the apostles, now it’s our time-our time to plant the seed in the world and to let the seed grow in us.

How will that happen? I do not know, but I do know what tools we have available-and that is the Word of God. A powerful tool as Isaiah 55:11 tells us “That the Word will not return empty to me, but will accomplish what I desire”, and we are comforted by 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Labour in the Lord is not in vain”.

The Lord says the kingdom of God is Growing and when, where and how he does it is his concern. What is our concern is planting the seed-the tool he has given us-the Word-to ourselves and others.

So how does that look, for us-for me and you-present ourselves before the Word, read it, study it-let it work in you. You may not feel it working, but I can tell you it is-because Christ said it is.

How does it look, we present ourselves before the world, in our workplaces, homes, sporting clubs-wherever you are-and live life now knowing that that tree is on the train tracks, that in Christ-no matter how things appear he is there with you, just like we will be with him at end.

Do we stand on a soapbox-we don’t need too-God has placed us exactly where he wants us at this moment-we live life but loiter with intent knowing that he will bring before us someone that will want too or need to hear his Word.

Tour the world like Billy Graham preaching the Gospel-if that’s your calling, go for it.

But generally, it can be just being who you are in Christ: A world renowned theologian and teacher at the sem. Is an absolute book of knowledge-it is incredible the amount of in depth information he retains in his mind.

Yet from his classes there were two seemingly insignificant things that did and still do speak to me.

I had only completed one week of study when I was given some time studies after my brother tragically died. I was confused but I did return and after I entered my first class back, he clasped his like in prayer and looked to the heavens in thanks. That one small thing, helped sustain me for the next five years.

And the other, in class we were discussing what it means to grow as a Christian and after all our discussions, he said you are growing as a Christian is when you understand more and more those Words “Christ have mercy”.

The task of the church is not to usher in the kingdom, but rather to make ready the way, and we are growing in it and with it.

We stand before the Word of God and in the Word of God, and we present ourselves to the world in the Word of God and with the Word of God.

Amen.

 

” Believe it or not! “

” The answer my friend is blowing in the wind “

 

Poor old Nicodemus, he is a ruler of the Jews and somehow he has been “touched” by the Words of Jesus. So under the cover of darkness so that his colleagues would not know, he has gone to talk to Jesus. This is a big deal for him because here he is, an elite person in his society-that has been taught and taught the accepted ways-the only commonly accepted ways and he goes to consult Jesus.

We can almost hear him thinking, I wonder if what he says is true-and one part of him hoping to hear the truth and the other part, almost scared that he may hear the truth, the truth that will not sit comfortably with his current lifestyle. Where he would have to say to others-I was wrong-or just as hard, or harder to be prepared to go from respected rabbi and the associated society backslapping to….well, quite probably just the opposite.

His question of “how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Given the situation I would suggest is more than appropriate.

His question reminds me of the many times I have been asked why I decided to leave my previous occupation of 25 years in the finance industry and become a pastor. Often, people are dumbfounded by it and when I answer their question I tell them the truth. Being that essentially I do not know-I can point to several incidences and times that give me confidence that maybe it was a good thing, a correct thing to do-but the how it came about-that I honestly cannot really answer-it just seemed to happen.

Any of us here today, do we really know when we came to believe, for most-I would suggest that over time it just seemed to happen.

In a world that’s mantra is be masters of our own destiny, it seems an absolute mystery that a person who has seemingly mastered this world, a person of extreme wealth and prestige will bow down next to a beggar from the slums and both stretch out their hands, humbly in hope and faith to receive the body and blood of Christ.

Of being born again in the spirit. Jesus tells Nicodemus: “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit”.

What a great answer to us here today. Did we decide to be filled with the spirit of faith-no, it just seemed to happen, are we to judge or believe that we can control who, how, when others will come to faith-no.

It would seem we are helpless, and in ourselves we are because no amount of logical discussion, no amount of tearful and joyous testimonials can bring a person to faith. They can get a person inquisitive or want to know more-but can cannot bring them the spirit of faith.

Prior to leaving Adelaide, one of the removalists asked the “why a pastor?” question and during our discussion it became apparent that he was well versed, very well versed in fact in the contents of the bible but also said, “I would like to believe, but I just can’t”.

Born again in the Spirit. Was this guy Baptised? I do not know. He wants to believe but can’t-how’s that work-I do not know.

But what we do know, is that God wants this young man to be of his kingdom-and how the Holy Spirit will do that-is in God’s wisdom and ways.

God works in mysterious ways-isn’t that the truth. We can but marvel of his wisdom.

Born again of the spirit-like Nicodemus we can ask how does this work. Of course we are talking Baptism-but how does that work. How does Holy Communion work, how is it that the Words of God are not just letters on paper-but work like a living and growing organism.

We could hit the theology books and come up with a majestic answer-but in truthfulness, all those answers could still get back to a follow up question like our kid’s ask us-how, and another how, and another.

There are so many things we do not know-“God is and always was”. Try that one on for size.

A lecturer at the sem. asked us-why doesn’t the bible tells us these things-and I think this was about the only answer I got right in my whole first year when I nervously responded “because we don’t need to know” to which he added, it might even be negative for us to know.

Studying the scriptures-that is an honourable thing for all Christians to do. To study how God has saved us, why he needed to save us by sending his Son, to be inspired to act on his love to us by loving others-absolutely-But we don’t read them so that we can become God like. Those big questions-God doesn’t tell us because we don’t need to know.

Those big questions like how and where the spirit does its business.

We are told what we need to know.

Today’s verse: John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”.

That, God tells us-because we need to know it-it is important.

That Holy Baptism, Holy Communion and the Word of God brings and builds faith-so that we believe in His son-we know these work because God has told us they do-he has told us because they are important.

“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes, so it is with everyone born of the Spirit”.

How did we come to faith, to believe and trust in those Words of John 3:16-we know the ways God has told us-through Holy Baptism-The Sacraments-the Word of God.

How they work, I do not know and don’t need to know except that they do work.

If you have ever doubted your standing before God-just remember that the spirit has blown your way-come to you, that now you believe. And if you ever doubt the future-remember the past-that in our sin-in our shunning of God-he chased us down-would not give up until he had us, that against our natural wishes, he put it all on the line so that you are here today.

Jesus said “treat others like you like to be treated” and “love others like you love yourself”. Well what if your love for yourself is not so great, what if you know that you don’t deserve to be treated with any respect or kindness?

If you have ever wondered of those two statements from Jesus, like I have. Think of your standing before God-how he wanted you so much in His kingdom that the spirit blew your way-You are Important to him.

So treat others like we like to be treated, love others like we love ourselves-I do not know how that pans out because that can change with circumstances.

But what has panned out is that we, you have been given faith. How we like, or feel like we should be treated, how we love ourselves sometimes may not be so useful.

From how we have been treated, how we have been loved by God to bring us here-we know that he will continue to do so. The rich man next to the poor, with the gift of faith holding out their feeble hands at Holy Communion, today, with the gift of faith when we hold out our feeble hands-rejoice in the gift of the Body and Blood of our Saviour, and rejoice that you believe-and rejoice in the proof of how important, how highly God thinks of you-given as proof to you by you being here.

And pray-that the Holy Spirit will be heard by those that have not joined us yet-that they too will bow before the Father, alongside their Saviour Jesus and marvel of his love for them. Amen.

 

” Over to you God “

: Ezekiel 37:1-14

“Over to you God”

When investing in Real Estate, the mantra is location, location, location. In Australia, high end would be water frontage on Sydney Harbour. Prime real estate. Manhattan, New York, Beach front, Monaco-If you have to ask how much, you can’t afford it.

Then there’s Jerusalem, and specifically the Temple Mount. Now we’re talking the epee-centre of real estate. A piece of land that no amount of money can buy.

For the Jewish community, this is the holiest site on earth. The sight where King Solomon built the temple in which the high priest communicated directly with God. The site that now houses the Muslim Dome on the Rock-revered by them as the location of Mohammed’s ascent to heaven.

One scholar noted that the destruction of the temple and loss of the land, and resultant inability to rebuild the temple is considered by the Jewish as a far, far greater tragedy than the holocaust. The holocaust where some six million Jews perished-two thirds of their community.

This has been hotly contested land throughout history. As it is in today’s Old Testament reading.

In the year 597 BC, a time in which the people of Israel have been gravitating away from God to that of false religions and the ways of the surrounding cultures and the time where the Babylonians successfully invaded and claimed rule over Jerusalem. After pillaging both Jerusalem and the temple of their riches, the King returned with them, and prominent Jewish officials, craftsmen and approximately 10,000 of the Jewish population-among whom was Ezekiel, to Babylon, which is in present day Iraq.

In short, this group of Israelites have been taken from their homeland and not only are they in a foreign land against their wishes. Their ability to worship at the temple, the place where God was present has been taken from them.

A situation that the group Boney M sung about in their son “By the rivers of Babylon”. Using words from Psalm 137 and their own they describe the situation:

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down. Yes we wept, when we remembered Zion (Jerusalem). When the wicked carried us away in captivity….now how shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land.”

They are away from home, and away from God, and now in their exile, and only in their exile have they come to truly know what they have lost, what they threw away by abandoning God and as said in psalm 137 “How they wept when we remembered Zion/Jerusalem”.

This is not a good place to be, both physically or spiritually-a seemingly hopeless situation.

They abandoned God, and now God has seemingly abandoned them. But now they weep of that loss. When we hear the word repentance we may think of being sorrowful of our ungodly actions, our sinful actions. Of course there is that aspect; we admit that in our service confessions

“Almighty God, merciful Father, I a poor helpless sinner, confess to you all my sins, and repent of all the evil I have done. I have deeply displeased you and deserve your punishment in time and in eternity. But I am sorry for my sins…”.

But repentance is more than being sorry for our sins; it means to turn towards God, and in their exile, although seemingly without hope this Jewish community have now turned back to God.

They say history repeats and indeed it would seem so. When the forefathers of these people were captives in Egypt, in The Book of Exodus we are told that “the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help, and their cry for rescue came up to God and he heard their groaning”, and as we know, God enlisted Moses into his rescue plan.

History repeats- In their repentance, God hears his people in Babylon and now enlists Ezekiel to prophesise to the people, to announce the Word of God to them.

“Then God said to Ezekiel, these bones are the whole of Israel. They say their bones are dried up, their hope is lost, they say they are completely cut off. Tell them…I will put my spirit in them, and they shall live, I will place them on their own soil, and then they shall know that I, the Lord, has spoken and will act, says the Lord”.

Given the gravity of the situation we might have thought that it would be appropriate for Ezekiel to enquire further as to how this may come about, but when God asks him, can these bones live-can Israel be restored, there’s no maybes, no how’s or let me think about it for a moment, not even “yes Lord in you bring life to them” but just simply ‘O Lord God, you know’.

What an answer of faith. This is a tough response to give-a response that says no matter what it looks like, and no matter what the outcome-a total trust in God’s ways and actions. This is our “your will be done” response. Your will God, no matter how confusing, no matter how hard it may be to see any goodness in it-at whatever personal cost or hardship-in trust in God-we’ll just go with it.

That trust, just going with it is not so easy, because often, very often God acts differently to how we would expect.

To slaves in Egypt, God doesn’t send down a battalion of angels, but works through a fallible human being, Moses. Likewise in Babylon, God works through Ezekiel.

Is this how you would do things? Try this one. You created the world and all its people-they owe everything to you but their response is to basically say thanks for that, but we don’t need you anymore so we are outa here. I’m glad God acts different to how I would to such a bunch.

This bunch impoverished in sin, does God justifiably unleash his wrath on them? No he unleashes it on himself by giving his Son to be beaten, tortured and sacrificed in their place. In our place.

The words we pray at the start of the weekly message in the sermon. “May the words of my lips and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you Lord” come from Psalm 19, but are also used appropriately in that Boney M song “By the rivers of Babylon song”. Appropriate because like in the sermon, like in the situation they faced in Babylon and like Ezekiel answered “O’Lord, you know” there is a sense of trusting in the Will of God. That God will act and will make things happen even if how he does it make no sense to us.

We do not need to know how, that by living out our Christian life as best we can, that somehow God will use it to help build His kingdom in Christ-that’s His business and we’ll just go with it. We only need to know why-that he wishes for all to be delivered from the exile of sin in this world. To give them the gift of repentance, to see and turn back to God, and to cling to the redemption and forgiveness delivered by Jesus.

That’s what we know and that’s what we have received.

Moses, Ezekiel and now all those saved in Christ-us-recruited by God to let his voice be heard by those still held in captivity. To know in faith and trust, that in our lives as Christian’s that God will use our words and actions so that his voice be heard and seen-FROM US, maybe seems a strange way of getting things done but let’s just go with it and leave the rest to Him-He’ll sought it out. Amen.

 

Is it a bird or a plane?

Acts 1:15-17, 21-26; 1 John 5:9-13; John 17: 6-19.

“It’s a bird, it’s a plane….no it’s a duck”

That saying: “If it quacks like a duck, if it walks like a duck and if it looks like a duck-well it’s probably a duck” comes to mind upon hearing today’s scripture readings.

1st John “We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son… And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is his Son. He who has the Son has life…I write things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you know that you have eternal life”.

These words of John, where did he get them-the inspired Word of God-well yes, the bible is the Word of God but what has Jesus told us in Todays Gospel: Jesus is praying/talking to God the Father and says this of his disciples: “For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They know with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me”.

God testifies salvation and eternal life in the Son. The Son, Jesus, gives this testimony of this eternal life to the disciples, including John-and then John to us-that in believing in Jesus Christ the messiah-we have eternal life.

I would say the ducks have well and truly lined up. Sometimes the cold hard facts are the facts-believing in Jesus-you know with certainty that you have eternal life.

Yes, sometimes against what our mind tells us, the facts are the facts.

A few years ago I went to the Doctor. He asked the usual questions, Date of birth, age-39 (O.K. it was more than a few years ago). And as he was writing them down, he asked again “what did you say your date of birth was?” Again I answered. He then went on to say well if this is your date of birth, that means you’re only 38. As I protested he got out his calculator and showed me on a piece of paper his workings and indeed I was only 38 at which he said anyway “what can I do for you?”.

To which I replied “Well nothing now I feel brilliant, just book me in for the same time next year” and off I went.

Well Jesus tells us, and God by the way, that he is not giving just us another year, but never ending years-eternal life, and they don’t even charge a $22.50 gap fee. What a bargain. It’s a bit like that movie, “I’ll have whatever she’s having.

Knowing this, indeed we are poor helpless sinners-but we don’t need to be poor helpless miserable sinners. This is where Martin Luther was coming from when he used his famous quote “sin boldly”. Was he saying go out and purposely sin to throw it in the Lord’s face, absolutely not. He was talked about when he was, when we are under spiritual attack. When the forces of darkness see us sinning and suggest that because of our sin, we’ve blown it. Luther in saying “sin boldly” was not to test God, but to answer these allegations-to say yes I did sin-there you go I admit it and no doubt I’ll sin again, but that does not and will not change the rock solid promise I have, the promise that we have received from our Lord and saviour so put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Romans chapter 8: For you are children of God… You did not receive a spirit that makes you again a slave to fear…The spirit himself testifies that we are God’s children. Now if we are children of God, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. Those who are saved are children of God through faith in Christ Jesus”.

At least with a walking, quacking duck there’s some subjectivity. It could be a Red Crested Diving Duck or just a low flying Mallard. But there is no subjectivity, no second guessing the Words of God that we have heard concerning eternal life.

In Jesus, eternal life is your inheritance. That cleared up, where to from here. Well don’t ask me, I don’t even know how old I am (or should I say young). So let’s ask Jesus? Today’s Gospel.

“I have given them your word..They are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world…As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world”.

In the world but not off the world. That seventy million dollar lottery two weeks ago, three winners. Do you think they are at home now worrying that the price of petrol is up four cents a litre? Eternal life in the bank-what’s to worry about?

Kerry Packer was in a casino in the United States and he seen this rather loud guy who everyone was gushing over and asked him, “You must be important, who are you?” to which he boasted “I’m worth fifty million dollars” to which Kerry replied “I’ll toss you for it”.

Eternal life, it’s in the bank and we carry it with us now-during our lives. But do we boast of it, shove it in other people’s faces. No, because as Saint Paul said, “we do not boast of ourselves. We boast only of the Lord”.

In the world but not of the world, how does this look. Are we to hide ourselves away in a monastery? To withdraw from society in prayer and meditation? This would sadly seem a reduced version of the faith that Jesus died to bring to this world. Of course there is need of prayer, meditation and quiet times when we shut the door to the world to be alone with God, absolutely-but we are still to be in the world.

So how does this look? Look in the mirror, that’s how it looks. Sometimes life is the six inches in front of our face. Christianity does not release us from our problems, it offers us a way to solve our problems or even live with them ala’ Paul when he asked God to “take away his thorn in the flesh”, only to be told “My grace is enough”.

Christianity does not offer us a life in which troubles are escaped and evaded; it offers us a life in which we can face our troubles.

However much it may be true that Christians, you and me are not to be of the world, it still remains true that it is within the world that we live out our lives as Christians.

Because of Christ, we don’t live of the world, likewise we live in the world because of the will of Christ. His will that all people may come to know him.

Our world, where we live in the six inches in front of our face. Living in our sin, amongst others sinners. Yet living with forgiven sin-in the freedom of knowing where it all ends, in eternal life. This freedom that lets us have a crack at befriending our neighbour across the road. The freedom that allows us to be ourselves, that allows us to live in our lives as they are under the sure and joyful knowledge-that, that face in the mirror belongs to a forgiven sinner, and that, that face in the mirror belongs to a person who living in the grace of God, and trusting in God, can go about their normal business-living in this world and truly trust and believe that even through us and our seemingly small or error ridiculed attempts of serving our Lord that others may come to see and know his peace-We can live joyously and just have a crack without the need to see any results-Because he has told us “That His Will, will be done”. Amen.