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2nd Sunday after Pentecost – Matthew 6:24-34

For those of us with a credit card, how prophetic is the name ‘Mastercard’; rather that our slave, it has become our master and we are its slave as we work to pay it off!  ‘I have a mountain of credit card dept’, one man told the other.  I’ve lost my job, my car is being repossessed, and our house is in foreclosure, but I’m not worried about it.’
‘Not worried about it!’ exclaimed his friend.
‘No.  I’ve hired a professional worrier.  He does all my worrying for me, and that way I don’t have to think about it.’
‘That’s fantastic.  How much does your professional worrier charge for his services?’
‘Fifty thousand dollars a year’ replied the first man.
Fifty thousand dollars a year? Where are you going to get that kind of money?’
‘I don’t know’, came the reply.  ‘That’s his worry’.

For a country that rides on the back of the saying ‘now worries mate’, surprisingly, we are a bunch of worriers. Anxiety and stress in Australia is at an all time high.  Stress management experts say that only two percent of our “worrying
time” is spent on things that might actually be helped by worrying.
The figures below illustrate how the other 98 percent of this time is
spent:
40% on things that never happen
35% on things that can’t be changed
15% on things that turn out better than expected
8% on useless, petty worries
98% of the time our worrying doesn’t accomplish anything, yet we
continually worry. We worry about our treasures, our homes, our
possessions. We worry about finances, about children, about parents.
We worry about our health, our futures, and Jesus names some more things we worry about ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

Why is it we worry so much?  Is it the things that happen in our lives that are the cause of our worry?  Or is it deeper?  Is there something other the ‘things’ which cause us to worry, what is at the root of our anxiety?  Surely God did not create us to be worry warts. In John 16:24 Jesus says us saying ‘Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.’

Jesus, when confronted with so many people without joy, worrying about things, and I am not talking about non-believers, but those who believe in God, he was frustrated with their internal suffering; he was hurt that their worry robbed them of the joy he wanted for them.  He said to them ‘For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.’  Jesus tells the believers, and he is telling us, God knows what you need, so trust in him to provide everything; stop worrying.  But he doesn’t just say that, Jesus goes to the core of our worry; the reason we worry ‘seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’

Worry, anxiety, angst; the 98% factor, Jesus says, is a sign that we have not put the kingdom of God and his righteousness first; that we in fact have an idol in place of God; that what we are worrying about, has in fact replaced God and it has become our worship, our hope of joy…our idol; it consumes all our thoughts, desires and hopes.

As Luther says ‘a god is whatever you look to for fulfilment, for good things and what you run to for help in trouble.’  If indeed God is put first and his righteousness, then we would not be so worried, because we would trust that God would give us what we need;  We would place all our worries onto him as Peter says ‘Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you’.  Let me say it again ‘Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.’

A doctor once said ‘you don’t get stomach ulcers from what you eat, you get ulcers from what is eating you’.  In other words, worry and anxiety reveals we have become enslaved to an idea, a vision, a hope or dream which we desire at all costs, even if it hurts us or other to get it. And this happens surprisingly easy.  There is a progression, a slippery slope which leads to something becoming idol in our life and replacing God and causing us to worry. I would like to list for you four steps which lead to worry. (modified from the book ‘Peace maker’ by Ken Sande pgs 102-109)

Idols and worry begin with;
1)  Desire:
Some desires are inherently wrong –like vengeance, lust or greed.  But many desires are not.  There is nothing wrong with desiring peace and quiet, respectful children, a loving spouse, a new computer or even a growing church.  It’s the choices we make when our good desire is not met, that can cause us to make an idol of our desire.

There are two choices we can make.
o    We can choose to place our trust in God and seek our fulfilment in him.  And ask that God would grow and mature us in faith so that if things don’t work out, we will graciously accept it.  And in doing so we become more like Christ (Romans 8:28-29 ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son’  -JOY-

The slippery slope begins: .-THE SEEDS OF WORRY-
o    Or we can keep fighting to achieve our desire, dwelling on our disappointment and allowing our desire and disappointment to control our lives.  This leads to self-pity and bitterness towards those who stand in our way, including God

2)  Demand: -THE CULTIVATION OF THE SEED
Unmet desires can work themselves deeper and deeper into our hearts.  Especially true when we see our desire as something we need or deserve and therefore must have in order to be happy or fulfilled.
o    When we see our desire as being essential to our fulfilment and well-being, it moves from desire to demand.  It evolves from ‘I wish I could have this’ to ‘I must have this’
o    When a desire becomes a ‘must have’, it has grown so strong that it begins to control our thoughts and behaviour.  In biblical terms, it has become an idol.
o    An Idol is anything apart from God that we depend on to be happy, fulfilled, or secure.  A demand de-thrones God from our lives.
o    It is often not what we want that is the problem, but that we want it too much.

3)  Worry THE SPROUTING OF THE PLANT
A demand that is unfulfilled, that has become an idol, usually leads us to worry and anxiety; about the unresolved desire; about God and others.
o    We worry about what is going to happen; we worry how we can be happy; we worry over why God does not fulfil our desire.
o    We begin to play God, by worrying and making judgements about ourselves and others.
o    We have set our desire up as a mini-god and place all trust in it eg; ‘once I have a loving relationship I desire, then I will be happy and fulfilled.

4)  Punish BEARING FRUIT
Idols always demand sacrifices.  When our idolatrous desire is not met, someone suffers; someone must be sacrificed.
o    Others are sacrificed- we react in anger, lashing out with hurtful words, our actions to inflict pain.  We reject and hurt God
o    We sacrifice ourselves by withdrawal from relationships and from the ones we love and who can help us; from God himself.  We fall into to bitterness and become miserable and lose our joy.

If this is you, if your desire has brought you to the point of constant worry, or to the point of punishing others or yourself in order to fulfil the desire, then Jesus words are for you: ‘seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’  Redirect your desire onto the Lord, onto God our Father who knows what you need.  Confess to him, Lord Jesus I need you right now; Ask God to deal with the self-made idol and to replace it and to fulfil you with his righteousness, his presence, with his goodness and love, which surpasses any human desire.

This is the good news we have; Jesus has come to release us from whatever holds us captive; whatever makes us a slave. He is our professional worrier.  How are we to pay for such a service…well, thanks be to God, that’s his worry.

Trinity Sunday 2008 – Matthew 28:16-20

As with many blokes, I love things with power.  Blokes, and many women of course, enjoy the benefits of power.  Take for instance, the humble family car.  We could be driving around in a small 3cyl Suzuki, but no, we have to buy a V8 Holden or, dare I say it, a Ford, to feel the excitement of unleashing all 250 kilowatts of power.

We love power and we love to use it, ever faster, ever higher should be our motto.  Drag racers strive to go faster with their super powerful cars; cars that can now go down the ¼ mile in under 5 seconds.  From a standing start, they can reach speeds in excess of 450km per hour.  Wow!  That’s power.  Or, what about the space shuttle?  Its powerful engines propel the shuttle into orbit in 8 ½ minutes during which it will reach a speed of 24,500km/h.  Now that’s power.

Or is it?  Our first reading this morning was about how God created the heavens and the earth.  God, our Father, spoke creation into being.  By the power of the word, the world as we know it came into existence.  Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t think we have seen anything as powerful as God’s word; would you agree?

I have a DVD by Louie Giglio, who examines this sort of power better than I can; let’s take a look.

When we understand the power of God’s word in scientific terms, termes we can understand, we begin to realise the immense power of God’s word.  What God says happens!  Creation is a living example of God’s powerful word, still being sustained by his word as he speaks new life into existence.

Yet, God creating the universe by the power of his word is not his most powerful act.   The power of his word has achieved something far greater; the word of God, the same powerful word which brought the universe into existence, became flesh and lived among us in the man Jesus Christ, as St John writes ‘the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.’

Yet, this powerful fete is still not the word’s most powerful act.  No, we need to go to the end of the gospels to find that; Matthew writes ‘The angel said to the women (at the tomb) “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead’

The word of God has the power to raise the dead to life!  And for us, who are dying, this is the most powerful act of God because his word raises you and me to life.  We were once dead in our sins, separated from God, but now, by the power of Jesus Christ, we live a new life in him.  This is real power, life changing, creating power spoken to us from the word of God himself.  Remember earlier, God spoke ‘let their by light’ and it came into being?  Jesus spoke to you saying ‘whoever is baptised and believes will be saved’; you are baptised, you believe –you are saved’.  Now that’s the power of God’s word.  What God says happens.

This is the good news we have, the incredible power of the word in us; we are raised to new life in Christ to live with him eternally, even though we die.  This is the power given to us in our baptism as Luther says ‘Stated most simply, the power, effect, benefit, fruit, and purpose of baptism is to save.  No one is baptized for the purpose of making him a prince, but as the words say, that he may be ‘saved’.  To become saved is, as we know, nothing else than to be delivered from sins, from death, and from the devil, and to come into Christ’s kingdom and live with him forever.’

And this powerful word of God, the word which raises people from the dead, is precisely what Jesus passes on to his disciples and on to us when he says ‘All authority on heaven and earth has been given to me, go and make disciples of all nations baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them everything I have commanded you’.  Jesus, the word of God, the power of God, passes on to you and me, the power of his word to raise the dead; to bring to life people who are still dead in their sins; sin which separates them from God.

Its like when your parents pass you the keys to the family car; you now have the power to get around and the freedom to use it.  However, you also know, that the power does not belong to you, it has only been passed onto you for you to use; hopefully for your benefit and the benefit of others.

Jesus’ passing on of the powerful word works the same way.  We don’t own it, all authority has been given to Jesus, not us.  However, as we speak God’s word to people in their need, their suffering, or in their desire just to know about the hope we have, the power of the word given to us, the good news of Jesus, changes lives and raises the dead.  Just as written in Hebrews ‘For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.’

Of course, the power of God’s word is always a hidden power; not dramatic or spectacular, but hidden in the soul, like a seed underground.  We plant the word as we speak it and only in the future will we see the fruits of God’s word, only in the future will we witness the life changing power.  For now, all we may see is small and insignificant things or perhaps nothing at all.  However, the power of God’s word is indeed at work in those we speak the good news to around us.  In the coming months, we as a church will be looking at how best we can enact Jesus mission command in our community and how we can best equip you to go unleash the power of God’s word in the lives of the people you know personally.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” and it was so, will make the light of his Son Jesus Christ shine in our hearts and in the heart our community as the gospel is proclaimed, because – what he says happens.  Amen

Sermon: John 20:19-23 The peace that passes all understanding

Who has a place a place of peace; a safe place; an area set aside, for you to be still and to refocus your life? And where is it; what is your place of peace?

An artist was commissioned by a wealthy man to paint something that would depict peace. After a great deal of thought, the artist painted a beautiful country scene. There were green fields with cows standing in them, birds were flying in the blue sky and a lovely little village lay in a distant valley. The artist gave the picture to the man, but there was a look of disappointment on his face. The man said to the artist, “This isn’t a picture of true peace. It isn’t right. Go back and try again.

The artist went back to his studio, thought for several hours about peace, then went to his canvas and began to paint. When he was finished, there on the canvas was a beautiful picture of a mother, holding a sleeping baby in her arms, smiling lovingly at the child.

He thought, surely, this is true peace, and hurried to give the picture to the wealthy man. But again, the wealthy man refused the painting and asked the painter to try again.

The artist returned again to his studio. He was discouraged, he was tired and he was disappointed. Anger swelled inside him, he felt the rejection of this wealthy man. Again, he thought, he even prayed for inspiration to paint a picture of true peace. Then, all of a sudden an idea came, he rushed to the canvas and began to paint as he had never painted before. When he finished, he hurried to the wealthy man.

He gave the painting to the man. He studied it carefully for several minutes. The artist held his breath. Then the wealthy man said, “Now this is a picture of true peace.” He accepted the painting, paid the artist and everyone was happy.

And what was this picture of true peace?? The picture showed a stormy sea pounding against a cliff. The artist had captured the furry of the wind as it whipped black rain clouds which were laced with streaks of lightening. The sea was roaring in turmoil, waves churning, the dark sky filled with the power of the furious thunderstorm.

And in the middle of the picture, under a cliff, the artist had painted a small bird, safe and dry in her nest snuggled safely in the rocks. The bird was at peace midst the storm that raged about her. (1)

Peace is not about stopping the storm, its about finding peace in the midst of a our storms; being at peace, or having inner peace, even while all around us, troubles and despair reign down. To find peace we often run for cover to a physical place; a geographical point away from life’s storms. However, a physical place can never give true peace. Jesus’ disciples had just endured a very severe personal storm. They just witness the crucifixion of their dear friend and teacher, and now they were gathered together behind closed doors, in a place of refuge; a place they had run to, in the hope it would give them some peace from the ongoing turmoil.

Yet even here they found little refuge. Despite removing themselves physically from the storm ravaging outside, inside their hearts fear deprived them of the peace they so desperately needed; fear they would be found by the Jews; fear of what were the Jewish leaders were going to do; fear they would be arrested; fear of life without hope, stripped them of any peace.

This same search for peace is going on in each and every one of us. You and I are not exempt from life’s storms, and neither is anyone else. Every one in this town has their own storm to endure; personal hardship which causes restlessness and despair. We, like the disciples, are very good at hiding from our storm; our personal problems, by going to a place we hope for peace; we hide our emotions, our true feelings, our worst fears, behind the closed doors of our private homes, or behind the empty bottle of whisky in the pub; or the gambling rooms; or behind the magazine in the porn shops.

Yet, as we all know too well, our personal storms still rage within our hearts. There is no peace to be found in a geographical place; even with in the walls of a church building. Peace, true peace which passes all understanding, is only found in the one who can bring peace in the midst of a storm; only found in the one who comes to us, into our hiding places, into our hearts and to say ‘peace be with you.’ And that person is the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

In the midst of the disciple’s storm, Jesus came and said to them, “Peace be with you.” Jesus imparts the peace the disciples so desperately needed. He tells them that they can feel peace in their hearts. In the midst of the storm, He is with them, and they had nothing to worry about. He has endured and overcome sin, suffering and even death. He is the nest in which we can rest in the midst of our storms. He showed them his hands and side to prove to them that he wasn’t a ghost, but that he was the same Jesus they had known, the same Jesus they had seen crucified just three days earlier. The same Jesus who said he is the way and the truth, and the resurrection and the life.

Jesus breathes/imparts/anoints the disciples with the Spirit who brings Peace, the peace which passes all understanding; the peace we now have between God and us, through the forgiveness of sins. We, as members the churches of Gilgandra also have this peace. The Spirit of God breathed upon us, anointed over us through the word and water of our baptism. We have the peace in the midst of the storm that only Jesus can give, yet have we inturn imparted this peace upon the people of this town?

Peace is what they so desperately need. We may not be united in doctrine, we may not worship in the same buildings, but we are united by the same peace of Jesus. And this peace, which you and I treasure, has no denominational boundaries, no cultural barriers or age restrictions. Our challenge as Christ’s disciple’s, is to be Jesus in the midst of the people of Gilgandra; in the midst of their storms.

Jesus comes to you in an invisible way, through his Word, not to stop our storms, but to bring peace in the midst of the storm. Every time you hear the Word of God, Jesus steps into your life and says, “Peace be with you.” Every time you receive the Lord’s Supper, Jesus is right there, through his body and blood, and he fills you with faith and hope and peace. Through the Word, through the Sacraments, that’s how Jesus appears to you and speaks to you, just as he did to the disciples. But it is you and I, the disciples of Jesus, who then go out into the storms of others with the peace of Jesus.

It is you and I, the churches of Gilgandra who can make a difference. We don’t need to be the stiller of the storm, but we are called to bring Jesus’ Spirit of peace in the midst of people’s storms. Like this picture depicts. (look at it, meditate on it, what is it saying to you?) Jesus, with his hand upon your shoulder, will guide you and provide for you a path into and through someone’s storm; a path to reach them; a path to enable you to place you hand on their shoulder and say ‘the peace of God which passes all understanding, all storms, keep you always in Christ Jesus’. Amen

Get Real – Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Get real is what David thought when he tried on Saul’s armour to fight Goliath; it was too cumbersome, too heavy to fight with. Get Real is what David did when he took off the ill fitting armour, picked up five smooth stones from the brook, and went out to battle Goliath; David got real, and when he did, he was freed to fight with God’s armour, and not human armour.

Get Real was the name and focus for the two day conference Bill, Karen and I went to in Sydney last week.  Rev Dr Michael Foss was the key note speaker.  He is the senior pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran church in Burnsville, Minnesota.  His passion and ministry focus is to redesign the Lutheran church for a new age of mission and ministry.

Get Real is what the Lutheran church needs to do if it is to stop the out flux of members; if we are to stop losing all our young people; if we are to be faithful Jesus’ calling to make disciples of all nations.

To Get Real, Foss argues, means to take off the old armour, the old ideas and ways of doing things, which served us well in the past, but are no longer effective any more.  Everyone here would feel the same as he does, we hurt when we see our dear children, previous members, and people in the community rejecting faith in Jesus, no longer coming to church and we are confused and stumped as to what we can do: who is to blame? Us? Is God’s word not effective any more?

No, Foss says, it is the system that is letting us down; its the way we do ministry that needs to change.  Its like David trying to fight for God’s people in Saul’s armour; our church is trying to fight for God’s people wearing cumbersome, out of touch and impractical ways of doing ministry.  A ministry that no longer connects with the changing world and no longer even connects with those in the pews; that’s why they are leaving.  It is a mode of ministry based on membership instead of discipleship.

For the Lutheran church to Get Real in today’s post-modern, post-Christian world, Foss says it needs to move from membership to a discipleship way of thinking; from making ‘members’ who receive ministry, to making disciples who give ministry; to Get Real means to listen to the preacher duck, and learn to fly.

I will close this talk posing some of Pastor Michael’s challenging questions; questions we as a congregation need to face.

The text for this morning’s address is:
Luke 10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.
2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.
4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’
6 If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.
7 Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you.
9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’
10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say,
11 ‘Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.’
16 “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

o    Jesus has just sent out 72 disciples to go and tell the good news to the surrounding towns, that the kingdom of God is near.  Can you tell me what they were told to bring?  Nothing!  Even money was not needed.  Nothing was taken along to assist with the mission task, Jesus had already given them everything they would need; they were to just go out without a plan, with out and map, without an itinerary.
o    mission is not about what we have and what we don’t have.
o    I don’t have…our church doesn’t have…its not about what we are to carry…its not about the preparations and the plans; its not about how well we create and run mission programs.

Mission is first of all about who we are.  Jesus sends out the 72 with nothing, yet when the disciples come back they say ‘”Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”  With nothing but the word and command of Jesus, not even any money, great things were achieved.  So great, that Jesus even sees the devil fall like lightning from the sky.

o    Jesus is not concerned about what they did; he is not concerned about the route they took, the type of people they saw; the mission strategies and procedures they undertook.  Jesus is not interested in programs.  Jesus is first and foremost interested in reminding his disciples of who they are.
o     ‘do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’
o    They are children of God.  They are forgiven, they are loved by Jesus and they are his disciples; that is who they are.  And flowing out of this knowledge is joy.  A joy that gave them the courage to go out and tell others.
o    We are children of God.  We already have every gift. Everything we need.  We have forgiveness, grace and eternal life; we have the spirit.  In baptism we become a child of God. We are loved by Jesus and we are his disciples; his followers.

o    And as a child of God, are we not already fully equipped from the work he has assigned for us?  Just as he prepared the 72, Jesus has already prepared us for what ever he calls us to do.  He has given us his spirit, his words, his presence as he has promised ‘do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.’

o    Yet as Lutherans, we still need to have everything planned out and be fully prepared before we attempt any sort of mission.  We are afraid to step out on to the mission road without a road map!  We are afraid to lose what we have in order to go with nothing.  We need to know precisely what to expect and have contingency programs in place, ready for every possible scenario.

o    Jesus sends out the 72 without any of this, yet look what happened.  Jesus knew they would learn as they go, learn to trust in God; trust his word and his faithfulness.

o    Pastor Michael Foss posed this question to us ‘are we in the LCA more worried about what we have, than who we are?  As disciples of Jesus, are we prepared to let go of what we have and learn as we go, and learn to trust in God, and develop an authentic Australian expression of Lutheranism?  And are we ready once again to rely on the faithfulness of God, as our forefathers did and become disciples of the church and not just members’?

o    Put your hand up if know of a time when God was faithful to you?  Is God’s faithfulness a once off deal, only valid for that point in your life?  Of course not; God is always faithful.  Fix your eyes on God’s faithfulness.  (how do you row a boat? Turn around and try to look over our shoulder?  What happens?  When we row a boat, we don’t concentrate on where we are heading we focus our vision on a fixed point on the shore and row away from it)

o    We go backwards into the future.  As Christians, we fix their eyes on the previous faithfulness of God to go out backwards into the future.  We fix our eyes on the cross, and on the open grave; we fix our eyes on the font from which we received new birth and became disciples of Jesus.  As long as we fix our eyes on the faithfulness of God, we can go back into the future as disciples with faith that changes lives, that serves beyond the church, that risks everything for the sake of others.
o    Think about this:

o    We have faith because we stand on the shoulders of those who taught us the faith…do we have broad enough shoulders to carry the next generation?

o    Are we able to dream big enough that only the NEXT generation can fulfil it?

o    As disciples of Jesus, do we see ourselves as just bricklayers or kingdom builders?  Same calling, different vision!

1 Peter 2:2-10

There is a real art in building a house.  Steve and Darren would know better than most of us, the work and that goes into every meticulous detail to ensure they build a solid house; a house that will last for a very long time.  Of course, care also goes into the safety of those building the house. Occupational health and safety laws help us to have a safe working environment.

I have some photos of safe working procedures.

Why do we build houses?  Why do we go to great lengths to rent or own a house?  Is it just for shelter?  Just to have a place where we can unload all our stuff?  No.  A house is more than bricks and mortar; more than a storage facility.  A house is where we live, where our lives are lived out and a place we call ‘home’; home with the family.  A place we feel welcome, wanted and needed; a place where we feel safe.  And for children, our house is where mum and dad are; places were they belong to our family and are a part of it; a place of trust, knowing that us, as parents, have the best intentions for them.

As parents we build houses and live in houses so that our family can live together as one.  Our hope is that our family would grow up in the house, one in trust and unity; one in safety and respect as a family.  Yet we know all to well, that the house, our house, can in fact be quite the opposite.  The house we provide for our family can turn out to be places of pain and anger and places that are not safe.  Our selfishness is exposed as we grow together as a family.  Living as a family in the tight confines of a house, often leads to arguments and power struggles; ‘this is mine’, ‘I never get a turn’, ‘you are always so picky’, and so it goes on.  A house becomes a dwelling place of individuals; a place where there are a number of ‘me’s’ but no ‘we’s’.

The walls of a peaceful looking house, with tranquil gardens and meticulously finished décor, can often hide the real picture can they?  A house can hide the anger and fighting, the separateness and the division within a family; hide the group of ‘me’s’ and present the family as a ‘we’.  Often this is the reality we face, a broken home; a house that is a place for hurting individuals, rather than a home for a loving family.  This is the effect of sin and it strikes at the core of society, the family.  The devil strikes at the inner fabric of who we are; who we were created to be- members of a family; people who belong and have their identity and self worth in being valued member of a family.

The devil knows that if he can break down the family home, he can break down society.  If he can break down the ‘we’ of a family home and make them into individual ‘me’s’, he can destroy a whole family.  And in destroying the family, he is destroying each individual.  You know yourself, when there is a breakdown in the relationship between your spouse, or another family member, when you are no longer a ‘we’, but a ‘me’, you don’t feel whole anymore; you’re incomplete; a part of you has been taken away.  And if not resolved, this leads to anger, resentment and revenge.  We try and reclaim what we lost.  We hurt the one who hurt us, to get even, to get back what we had.  And if we can’t get it, we look to fill our emptiness elsewhere.

Drinking, gambling, internet and even extra-marital affairs are just some of the things we do to try and fill our emptiness, reclaim what we think we have lost.  And these often become our addictions, because they can never fill the emptiness inside.  Sin empties us of relationships, makes us individuals, loners searching for a house, a home, a family to be part of.

It is for this reason that Jesus came into the world; to rebuild broken relationships, to restore the house of Israel, to make us part of the family again; God’s family.  We were originally created to be in relationship with God; created to be in his image, to belong to him and to others in relationships.  Sin changed all that, and so we live with a continual sense of loss and separation from a house we once lived.  St Augustine expresses it this way ‘You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you’.  We are restless and empty until we find our home with God.

And so God sent his only Son Jesus into the world to build a new family home for us to live; a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands but by the loving hands of our Saviour. A house in which we can live forever and never be separated from him.  What is ironic about Jesus’ house, is that we provided the tools and the materials for its construction; the wood for the cross, the iron for the nails, and the hammer and spear for its completion.  Jesus used these tools and materials, normally used to bring about separation and death, to build a house that will restore broken relationships; our relationship with God, and our relationships between each other through the forgiveness of sins.

The house Jesus built is a radically different house, built on forgiveness, grace and mercy; built out of love for others rather than love for self.  By dying on the cross and rising again to new life, Jesus broke the power of sin; forgiveness is available to all who call on his name. By the wood, nails and spear, our relationship with God is restored; we are forgiven; we are whole again.  Jesus has given us a new house to live in; a new family to be a part of; a place where our hearts are at rest.

Not only did Jesus build the house, he is also the corner stone, the central building block of our new family home, Peter writes ‘Jesus is the living Stone– rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him’.  And through the waters of our baptism, we are born again into God’s house; we are part of his family.  By the power of the Holy Spirit, we become part of God’s living house.

Jesus is the corner stone and we are like the bricks which make up his house.  Peter adds ‘You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.’  Living stones in God’s house, that is who we are in Christ.  You and I are part of God’s house; a house built on forgiveness, grace and mercy; a safe place for family members.

This is where Jesus’ forgiveness makes a difference in our families now.  We are living stones of God’s new house. As baptised believers, we all have a part to play in Jesus’ new building.  Peter calls these parts ‘our spiritual sacrifices to God’.  That is, in our own homes, in our own families, we sacrifice our self for the sake of others.  Our spiritual sacrifice is to remain a ‘we’ and not a ‘me’, especially in times of conflict.  Our spiritual sacrifice is to pray for God’s Spirit, to pray for our families, to pray that we would let go of the old self, the old way of doing things, to let go of the addictions we have to fill our void, even when we don’t want to.  Now that is truly a strong house; a true family home; a home built on Jesus Christ the corner stone is a strong home.  It is built on the ‘we’ and not the ‘me’ and a home who trusts in the Lord will never be put to shame.”

Amen

1 Peter 1:3-9

I have here some number plates.  Where are they from?  Why do I have them in my hand and not on my car?

Yes, I have had to change the number plates on my car when we changed states.  Really, we have given our car a new identity.  The old plates are now useless, invalid and cannot be used to identify the car; the new identity plates reveal and correspond to the new reality that the car now belongs in and operates in New South Wales.

We also take on a new identity when we move states.  Who here has moved to a new state?  You would know well then, the changes that come about with such a move.  It could be seen as a beginning of a new life; a new birth into a different world; a different way of living and thinking; a different way of doing things and different ways of speaking.  Words no longer have the same meaning.  Port is no longer a fortified wine, it’s a case you carry; who would have guessed.  And no one knows what fritz is.  Grant becomes GrAnt and dance becomes dAnce.

Yes, when we move state, its really like being born into a different world.  The old ways of doing things and the old ways of thinking are no longer valid in this new world.  There is no point telling country energy the stobey pole out front has just been struck by lightening, they have no idea what us ex-South Aussies are talking about. We must take on and conform to the new world we find ourselves.  Like the car’s new identity, we now live according to the new world we find ourselves.  Simply by being in NSW, we inherit the life, the values and benefits of this state; a new world passed down and given for us long before we got here.

Jesus’ resurrection from the grave ushered in a new world; a world completely different to what we have now.  A world in which there is no condemnation over sin, there is no death, no fears or suffering.  Revelation, a book which describes this new world says ‘There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” The old world, the world we live in, has been surpassed and a new world of the resurrection is now in place.  A world born out of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead; born out of his suffering, born out of his punishment for sin and is therefore no longer part of the old order of things; the way we see and experience things now.

Peter talks about the new resurrection world as being eternal; it cannot die away, spoil or fade.  It is a world different to the world we know and live in, where everything eventually dies.  Sounds wonderful doesn’t it.  Want to be part of it?  Want to move to this new state; (power point) The state of NSW… the New Saviour’s World?  I don’t know anyone who would not want to move to a state where the two truths of this world ‘death and taxes’ no longer exist.  I don’t know anyone who would not want to live in a place where tears are a thing of the past and suffering is unheard of.      The state of the New Saviour’s World

Unfortunately, this is not the case.  In fact it is quite the opposite, many people are actually opting out of the new world.  They no longer believe this world could possibly exist.  No longer believe that Jesus rose from the dead to be the first born of many to enter into this new world.  And what is so sad, is many of our friends and family cannot comprehend such a place and so reject it as wishful thinking.

Why is this?  Why is it that so many want to miss out on such a state as the New Saviour’s World?  Why is it, WE sometimes feel as if the new world does not exist? Is it because the Saviour’s New World is too different, too hard to comprehend; too unbelievable?  Is it that we and many others in this world, only know suffering, only know death, and only know happiness and contentment in the things we have; material happiness and so think there can’t be more to life?  After all, we conclude, nothing much changed for me after Jesus’ resurrection.  We still die, we still suffer, we still need to find our own happiness.

Perhaps that is the key to our problem, we are hanging onto the old world, we have yet to grasp faith in the new; we are yet to know what it means to believe.  Perhaps we still base our faith on what we see around us, and not what is unseen and what is yet to come; perhaps we don’t understand what it means to take hold of a promise from God.  We see and experience almost a complete opposite to what the New Saviour’s World is supposed to be and so, based on this, we decide the new world can’t be real; we are like doubting Thomas ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”

That sort of thinking s not faith, as Jesus said ‘blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  Faith is as Paul writes ‘we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.’  The resurrection of Jesus ushered in the new creation, the second creation if you like; the beginning of a new state, a new world which is now encroaching on this world.  The New Saviour’s World, yet to be realized, yet to be revealed, yet to be seen, but is never the less, it is real.  And it is making a difference now and bring changes to people’s lives now.

In faith we believe this to be so.  As Christians we are believers;  believers in the new world; that is, we believe in the resurrection of Jesus and the beginning of a new world order.   Peter writes ‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade– kept in heaven for you.’

By faith we are born into the state of New Saviour’s World; a world that will never perish; a world where we will live eternally with God.  Faith is trusting in the promise of God that there is such a place as heaven; a place given to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus; a place Jesus began when he rose from the dead, never to die again.  Our baptism is where we were born again into this world.  We became citizens of New Saviour’s World; a place where we never die.  And this has an enormous impact on the way we now live in this world.

When we change states in Australia, like from SA to NSW, we leave behind the old ways and conform to the new world we find ourselves.  As heirs to heaven, we have a new identity, a new birth into a new world. We now live according to the new world we find ourselves.  We inherit the life, the values and benefits of this state; a new world passed down and given for us by the grace of God through faith Jesus Christ.

As children of the New Saviour’s World, we are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for we are receiving the goal of our faith, the salvation of our souls.  And this hope colours and changes our world now.  Our life here on earth is the beginning of a new life eternal; we have a different way of living and thinking; a different way of doing things and different ways of speaking.  So let us show that we live in this new state by our actions towards one another.  Let us show others that the resurrection has made a difference to us and can make a difference to them.

Yes, by the power of the resurrection, and by the power of your baptism, you are a citizen of heaven; you are in the New Saviour’s World.  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

He is risen, He is risen indeed – John 20:1-10

The power has been unleashed, the horse has bolted, or as the song goes ‘who let the dogs out!’  There is no turning back, no changing of time, no looking at the past; the world is now a different place.  Jesus has risen from the grave; halleluiah!   The resurrection is the power that drives Christianity; it is the source, energy and heart of the Christian faith; our faith.  Without it, with out Jesus rising from the dead, we would have no need to be here.  In fact we wouldn’t be here, there wouldn’t be a church and there wouldn’t be a religion called ‘Christianity’.

The power of the resurrection is like the power of a car engine; it’s what makes it go. The key component to a car is the engine; it’s the power that drives the car. It is the force and heart of the car which makes it go. Without an engine, a car would be pointless, in fact totally useless and irrelevant to any body.  Without an engine, there would be no such  thing as a car.  The internal combustion engine changed the world forever; it changed us as a society and changed the way we do things;.

Surprisingly, for such a big world changing thing, the engine is really quite small and quite a simple invention.  The elements of fuel and air are brought together, compressed, and then burned to produce energy and that energy is spent on driving the wheels of a car. Most people don’t really know how the engine works, they just trust that when they turn the key, they can make use of the power; it is the life changing power they are after.

The resurrection is the engine that drives Christianity; it changed the world forever and it powered civilisation into a new era.  Even though the resurrection is such a small blip in human history, it is the power, the force, the heart of Christianity and it is what you and I believe in.  St Paul is convinced the resurrection of Jesus is so central to our faith, he writes ‘If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.  And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith; you are still in your sins.’  Just like a car is useless with out an engine to power it, our faith is useless without the power of Jesus’ resurrection.

Is it no wonder then, that the devil is constantly trying to disprove and discredit the resurrection as nonsense and a trick.  Is it any wonder, people have been trying to prove the resurrection is false for the last 2000 years.  Some, like Sigmund Freud would argue that the story of the resurrection is just a projection of the inner desires of the disciples; a story brought about by their extreme circumstances and imbalanced mental state.  They so desperately wanted Jesus to rise from the dead, Feud would say, that they convinced each other he did.  The resurrection story is just a wish coming from their subconsciousness.

Others argue that we cannot place trust is 2000 year old writings.  We can’t be certain they got it right.  Yes, because Jesus rasing from the dead is the power of our faith, it is the first thing the devil attacks.  Perhaps you have also questioned the resurrection; is it real, did it really happen, perhaps Jesus never died or someone actually did steal his body?  Yes, I think we all, at one time or another, wonder what if…?

We shouldn’t be surprised about this.  Something so central, so important, something that is the power and heart of our faith, is always going to come under attack from the devil.  If he can take the resurrection away from us, he knows we have nothing.  There is no hope and so no faith to believe in.  There is no forgiveness and no life after death. The devil wants to take the power out of our engine, the God event that drives Christianity; Jesus raising from the dead.

Well let’s give our engine a once over; let’s take a look at the resurrection, and like a tune-up on our car, we’ll analyse its power, check for faults and reaffirm its solid truth  as a reliable engine, suitable to be at the heart of faith.

Many wonder whether THE NEW TESTAMENT RELIABLE?
Archaeologists have found an abundance of original copies of New Testament manuscripts dating back to the first centenary after Jesus ascension.  In fact over 24,000 copies are known to be in existence today.  And they are identical to the gospels you and I read in our bibles.  Luke wrote at the beginning of his gospel “authentic evidence” concerning the resurrection. Sir William Ramsay, who spent 15 years attempting to undermine Luke credentials as a historian, and to refute the reliability of the New Testament, finally concluded: “Luke is a historian of the first rank . . . This author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians. ”

What about the Roman seal which was broken when the stone was rolled away?
The consequences of breaking a Roman seal were extremely severe. If this ever happened, the Federal police of the Roman Empire were called into action to find the man or men who were responsible. If they were apprehended, it meant automatic execution by crucifixion upside down. People feared the breaking of the seal. Jesus’ disciples would not have done this as they displayed signs of cowardice when they hid themselves. Peter, one of these disciples, went out and denied Christ three times. They were not courageous men willing to do such a thing!

The large stone rolled away
On that Sunday morning the first thing that impressed the people who approached the tomb was the unusual position of the one and a half to two ton stone that had been lodged in front of the doorway. All the Gospel writers mention it.  Those who observed the stone after the resurrection describe its position as having been rolled up a slope away not just from the entrance of the tomb, but from the entire massive sepulcher. It was in such a position that it looked as if it had been picked up and carried away. Now, I ask you, if the disciples had wanted to come in, tiptoe around the sleeping guards, and then roll the stone over and steal Jesus’ body, how could they have done that without the guards’ awareness?

ROMAN GUARD GOES AWOL
The Roman guards fled. Why else would they flee, other than from fear over being on duty when their superiors arrive to inspect. The fear of their superiors’ wrath and the possibility of death meant that Roman soldiers paid close attention to the minutest details of their jobs.  Dr. George Currie, a student of Roman military discipline, wrote that fear of punishment “produced flawless attention to duty, especially in the night watches.”  The guards fled because they had no explainable excuse for the seal being broken and the stone rolled away.

GRAVECLOTHES TELL A TALE ALSO
John, a disciple of Jesus, looked over to the place where the body of Jesus had lain, and there were the grave clothes, neatly folded with the Jesus’ face cloth separated and also neatly folded. The first thing that stuck in the minds of the disciples was not the empty tomb, but rather the empty grave clothes–undisturbed in form and position; Why would grave robbers unwrap Jesus’ body and fold the linen cloths?  No, Jesus must have risen and placed them there.

WOMEN ARE THE FIRST WITNESSES
The women were the first to spread the good news of Jesus’ resurrection.  At the time of the resurrection, a woman’s testimony was not valid in a court of law, only a man’s.  So why, if the disciples wanted to trick people into believing Jesus raised from the dead, would they get the women to spread the news when most people would not believe a woman’s testimony?

SO there we have it, just some of the proofs which will help you to place your trust in the power of the resurrection.  Some inexplicable proofs yes, but finally and ultimately, there is really only one proof we need, Jesus own words.  He said ‘I am the resurrection and the life’, who ever believes in me, even though they die, yet they will live.  Do you believe this?’  Yes Lord we believe. He has risen….He has risen indeed; halleluiah.

The silent treatment

The silent treatment.  Does everyone know what the silent treatment is?  It is when a husband or wife or a close friend whom we normally communicate with, refuses to talk to us.  In fact it goes further than this, the full blown silent treatment also includes refusal to recognise the other person even exists.  Have you had the silent treatment placed on you?  If you have, you will know how it feels – lonely.

A friend or marriage partner will usually give us the silent treatment because we have hurt of offended them in some way.  Perhaps we made some cutting remark or did something to betray their trust, and now the friend we dearly love, refuses to look, to talk and even to acknowledge us.  Nothing we say or do seem to change the situation; it is like all connections with our loved one have been cut.

And what is so horrible about ‘silent treatment’ is that we have no way of resolving the issue; we have no way of communicating or gaining their attention.  We have been cut off; the silent treatment is really saying ‘I am mad and I refuse to deal with you and now you must suffer the consequences of your actions; I’m turning my back on this relationship’.  Silence causes a great chasm between the two people that cannot be crossed.  It can’t be seen, and it’s negative effects can only be experienced by the one person it is intended for; the perpetrator.

Good Friday is ‘silent treatment day’ for Jesus.  The time of year we mark as the day God turned his back on Jesus; the day God refused to have anything to do with his one and only Son; the day God’s silent treatment on Jesus made a great chasm that could not be crossed and it’s negative effects could only be experienced by the one person it is intended for; Jesus.

Mark records the precise moment God gave Jesus the full blown silent treatment; refusing even to acknowledge him; refusing even to look on him with kindness.   This is the moment when God walked away from his Son.  Mark writes ‘At noon darkness came over the whole land until 3 in the afternoon. And at this hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”– which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Full blown silent treatment!  God, Jesus’ God, his own Father, refuses to speak and refuses to acknowledge Jesus; in his own words ‘he is forsaken’.  At this point no one but Jesus is experiencing the isolation and rejection.  Those standing around, those mocking, those weeping, those executing, those criminals each side of Jesus, have no idea of what is going on; no idea of the enormity of this situation; when God rejects his Son.

O yes, some present may have an inkling.  Nature itself, which normally displays the glory and majesty of God, is darkened; the light and heat of the sun is blackened, nature displays God’s anger; The darkness is a manifestation of the utter separation and loneliness Jesus is experiencing during the silent treatment.

And Jesus, deep, loud and desperate call ‘My God, My God, why have you forsaken me’ gives some idea to those around, that something big is happening; something beyond their understanding; beyond our understanding; that the Father could be so angry as to turn away and leave his Son to die.  Here, in the darkness and rejection of Jesus, we have the difference between Gethsemane and Golgotha; the difference between last night and today.  In the garden Jesus has a God who hears and strengthens him; on the cross this same God has rejected him.

Why?  Jesus was made sin for us, made a curse for us; Jesus is made revolting for us.  Every evil thing humans have ever done and will ever do.  Every evil thing we have done and will ever do is placed upon Jesus.  Jesus, even though he was without sin, is SIN – for us.  Our sin is on the cross; So repulsive and so disgusting, that God turns away from Jesus and gives him the worst ever case of silent treatment.

We can thank God that it was not us.  Its bad enough to have someone we love turn away from us, but to have God, our God, turn away from us in our deepest need, would be too much to bear.  We can thank God that Jesus took this rejection upon himself so we didn’t have too.  Jesus thirsts for God, but God has removed himself.  It is not that Jesus left God, as is often the case with us, Its far worse, it is God leaving Jesus; Father leaving Son; the son cries, but there is not response.

What is meant by God being silent?  What purpose did it achieve?  To be forsaken by God is to suffer his wrath and anger against sin.  In giving Jesus the silent treatment, he was saying ‘I am mad and I refuse to deal with you and now you must suffer the consequences of your actions; I’m turning my back on this relationship’.  And it is only in this wrath, in this rejection of Jesus, that the price of sin was paid.  Jesus endured the full penalty of sin, our sin, when God turned on the silent treatment.

This is where the rubber hits the road for us.  God’s rejection of Jesus means we are not rejected.  It means that we can come to God full of sin, knowing that he will NOT give us the silent treatment because of our sin.  He can’t.  His anger over our sin has been dealt with in his rejection of Jesus; God is always going to be there for us.  To hear our concerns and answer our prayers.

And that’s not all.  There is one other very important event that happened on the cross; an action by God which profoundly changed our circumstances before him as we pass from this life into eternity.

Jesus died in the arms of his Father.  The silent treatment ended, his wrath over, God turned to acknowledge Jesus; the Father once again welcomes the Son.  With Jesus’ dying words ‘into your hands I comment my Spirit’ the Father takes hold of Jesus and places him in his care in order to raise him from the grave.   In death Jesus was not forsaken by God.  This is the breaking ray of Easter hope.   In death, because of Jesus, we too will not be forsaken by God.  We too, will die in the arms of our Heavenly Father; what joy in the midst of suffering.

Maundy Thursday 2008 – Luke 22:7-16

As evening draws near, and darkness covers our land, it is a reminder of the darkness of sin which covers us all.  And it is a reminder of the darkness of this night, Maundy Thursday.  The night Jesus is betrayed; handed over to human evil, to be flogged, beaten and crucified.

But before this can happen, while there is still light; while Jesus, the light of the world still shines, there needs to be a preparation and a celebration of the Passover meal.  Jesus and his disciples are reclined at a table like this; like us.  And they are eating a holy meal, a meal instituted by God himself as an everlasting decree.  A Passover meal which is a reminder of the night God brought the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt.

However, this meal is different, and this time a new meaning is placed on the meal.  This is going to be the new Passover, the new covenant meal.  Jesus is hosting this meal and he is instituting what is going to be the culminating event, a lasting will and testament to a new deal between God and man; a celebration of a new exodus from slavery.

How?  Luke records ‘Then came the day of unleavened bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed’.  On this night, outside among men, and inside among God’s people, together with this meal, Jesus is being prepared as the new Passover lamb.  To replace the temporary and continuing sacrifice of the original Passover lamb in the Temple.  He is replacing the old Passover with a new purpose. Jesus took this meal and made it his meal; this is Jesus’ Passover, because on this night, he is the one who must be sacrificed and it is he who stands on the threshold of a new era of salvation.

Tonight we have before us Traditional Passover food, the same food Jesus and the disciples would have ate.  Except we as Christians have a different emphasis, a deeper purpose, yet in a way, we have the same meaning to the meal as the Jews.

• Maror: bitter herbs, usually horseradish or romaine lettuce, is used to symbolize the bitterness of slavery in Egypt.  The Charoses: a mixture of apples, nuts, wine, and cinnamon, is a reminder of the mortar used by the Jews in the construction of the buildings in Egypt as slaves.  The people of Israel were horribly treated as slaves.  The harder they worked the more the Egyptian king forced them to work.  Many could not keep up and were flogged and even killed.  There was no way out.

We too are in slavery.  St Paul writes ‘When you were slaves to sin, what benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!’  We are born into bondage of sin which holds us as slaves; it is our master.  No matter how hard we try, we cannot fully and completely fulfil what God demands of us; Sin has us in bondage and it is killing us, as Paul writes ‘the wages of sin is death’.  Just as the Jews where in bondage in Egypt and needed rescuing by God, we also need to be rescued

The Beitzah: a roasted egg, is a symbol of life and the perpetuation of existence.  And the Karpas: a vegetable, preferably parsley or celery, represents hope and redemption from God; served with a bowl of salted water to represent the tears shed in slavery and calling out to God.
Our hope of salvation is Jesus Christ As Paul writes ‘God has chosen to make known among us the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  While we still have tears, we live in the hope of Jesus Christ, for he is our redemption from our bondage to sin.

• Matzoh: Three unleavened matzohs are placed within the folds of a napkin as a reminder of the haste with which the Israelites fled Egypt, leaving no time for dough to rise.  Deuteronomy records ‘You shall eat no leaven bread with the Passover meal; seven days your shall eat it with hurried flight- that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you come out of the land of Egypt.’

This is the bread which fed the Israelites as they were freed from slavery.  It is also the manna sent by God to feed the Israelites while in the desert.  The Matzah is both a bread of freedom from slavery and a bread of life which will feed them in the desert until they reach the promise land; a bread of salvation and of life.  In the Last Supper, Jesus takes this bread and says ‘take and eat this is my body which is given for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.’  With these words, Jesus is the bread which will now be eaten as the true bread of salvation and life.  His body, in which we feed is the bread which will bring us out of slavery, from our bondage of sin, and his body is the bread which also feeds us until we reach the promised land; the New Jerusalem.  He is the bread of salvation and life.

Zeroah: traditionally a piece of roasted lamb shankbone, symbolizing the paschal sacrificial offering.  Passover lamb was to be without blemish and with no broken bones.  It was to be slain and its blood was sprinkled on the door posts, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.  In the meal Jesus is holding, the paschal lamb, or Passover Lamb was sacrificed in preparation for the meal at 3pm in the temple.  The blood of the lamb was then sprinkled on the altar and on other holy parts of the inner sanctuary to pay for sins, and is also a reminder of the blood which saved Israel when the angel of death passed over the people; the sacrifice of the lamb saved them from death.

Jesus is the new Pascal Lamb; without blemish and with no broken bones.  In this meal Jesus is preparing himself for His death on the cross; to be the new sacrifice for our salvation.  His blood is poured out for us so that the angel of death will pass over us. Jesus blood is now the blood which is sprinkled on all of us to pay for our sins; Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

The cup of Wine: four glasses of wine are consumed during the meal to represent the four-fold promise of redemption.

This is the cup Jesus took and said ‘Take and drink of it all of you for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins’.  The wine in the cup which was the promise of redemption, is now fulfilled in the blood of Jesus.  The blood of the Passover lamb that was sprinkled on the altar for the forgiveness of sin, is now Jesus’ blood, in, with and under the wine.  The promise of redemption is Jesus and he gives us his blood to sprinkle on our hearts to purify us and cleanse us of all our sins.

Yes, this is a special meal of utter importance for us who believe in Jesus; a meal which gives us salvation from sin and death and a meal that gives us life eternal.  So let us now join with Jesus and share in the meal he is hosting, and eat and drink the body and blood of the sacrificial lamb who takes away the sins of the world.

John 11

What qualities make a good mate?
We Aussies treasure a good mate.  In fact Australia was founded on mateship and mateship is what forges us as a nation.  Mates on the sports field, mates on school grounds, mates at work.  Without a good mate, someone to rely on, someone you can really trust, our lives can be very lonely and a lot harder to handle.

It is during the most difficult times in life, when the chips are down, that mates seem so important.  In fact, have you noticed, it is precisely in suffering, a special bond between mates is made; in a time of disaster, people pull together and mateship is forged; the sort of mateship we remember most.  The people of Nyngan endured a flood which engulfed their whole town, with most buildings over a meter under water and nearly everyone evacuated.

This happened nearly 20 years ago, yet even today, even though the people and the town continue to prosper, the thing they talk about most, is the flood and how they suffered together and how mates come together to see a mate through a hard time; mates who worked together to see this disaster through.

Yes, it is important to remember the hard times, the suffering and trials, and to remember mates who never gave up on us.

I often hear Christians say that the believer’s life is a life of victory, of joy and boundless possibilities; health and wealth gospel you could say. And many of the modern Christian songs of praise now reflect this thinking.  Yes, while it is true, Jesus has won the victory over sin and death, and we should be joyful over this news, is that all there is to know about God?  Is the God of victory and joy; the post-resurrection God, the only God we need to know?  Is the resurrected and ascended Lord Jesus no longer the suffering Lord?  No loner the one called Emmanuel, God with us, even in our suffering?

Let me pose you another question, is having mates all about the good times, the joy and victories?  I think not.  Mates are there for us also in the hard times, and the suffering.  And if we can sing ‘What a friend we have in Jesus, well then Jesus needs to be our mate in suffering also.

The story of Jesus raising Lazarus is a story of mateship amongst suffering. And it is a story that all of us can relate to;   Its about the hard times, about suffering and sorrow and its about death;  It’s a story about how Jesus, a friend of Lazarus, a mate, came to those suffering ; to be with the people and to be a mate with them, even in death; topics, which most Christians rarely talk about; yet isn’t it ironic, that much of the bible is about God helping those in trouble and suffering.

As Christians, we need to recognise the reality of death and suffering, of family hurts and tragedies, because it is inevitable, and when it happens, we want to know that we have a God, who is not only understanding, but who is a friend who will be there with us, to help us, like a mate in a time of disaster.

Mary and Matha were in such a situation; distort, as Lazarus, their brother, was dying.  They were helpless; what could they do?  Who could they turn to?  Immediately, on realizing Lazarus’ dire situation, Mary and Matha sent a message to Lazarus’ dearest friend Jesus.  ‘Lord, the one whom you love is dying’, or in Aussie lingo, ‘Jesus, your best mate is dying’.  Yes, they trusted that their mate Jesus could do something, they were not sure what, but they knew a good mate would always see it through; they trusted in him and believed he would help.

When Jesus arrived at the place where Lazarus lived, he was greeted with Mary’s tears of helplessness.  ‘Lord, if you were here, my brother would not have died’.  If you were here, your mate Lazarus would not have died.’  It is as if Jesus failed to be a good mate and didn’t see a friend through a hard time; Lazarus had died and Jesus was nowhere to be seen.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus let Lazarus die, and when he did finally turn up, why he didn’t just go straight to the grave to raise Lazarus, but instead, went first to those most desperate; to those suffering most?  Why he came face to face with hurting mates?

Perhaps he did this to demonstrate his love; his willingness to share in the burden of a friend; to show that he is able to be called upon, even in the darkest hour, even when he has seemingly left them all alone.

Perhaps he did this to fulfil their deepest human desire,… to have God with them, amongst them in their hopelessness, amongst the tears, and in the midst of despair.  Perhaps he did this so he can offer an amazing hope; and he did just that!  Jesus stood among the suffering and said ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die’

And with these words still resounding in the ears of Mary and Matha, and those present, Jesus calls Lazarus out of the grave; raises him from the dead, to show that his words are not empty; to show that he is in deed a good mate; faithful and true to what he says, and always there in time of need.  Jesus is among the dead and the mourning to be the resurrection and the life.

And can I assure you, he is among us still today, Jesus is Jesus and he is a friend of sinners, a good mate, still hang’n round those of us in need, answering our calls for help, coming to our aid and fulfilling our deepest desire;…to have Jesus with us.  However, his aid may not be what we expect, or when we expect it, as Mary and Matha found out.  Perhaps we too will call out ‘Lord, if only you were here’.  But it just maybe, in allowing us to suffer, Jesus is giving us time to be with him, so that he can be  amongst our hopelessness, amongst our tears, and in the midst of our despair, so that he can offer us an amazing hope.

Just as in earthly tragedies, which heighten our desire for a close friend to be with us, our trials and our struggles in life also heighten and reveal the true longing for God we all have; that desire to fulfil a need to be with God.

In trials Jesus comes to us, not to just fix up the problem, but to just be with us, to fulfil our longing for him, just as he did with Mary and Matha.  Jesus fulfils our need to see and experience God; Jesus makes God personal; here is God face to face; here is God who we can know and handle, feel and name.

How is Jesus present with us?  Simply when a fellow Christian visits and reads God’s word to us and prays with us, because Jesus has given as an incredible promised ‘where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am also’.  And he is with us bodily when we partake in the sacrament of Holy Communion.

And in Jesus just being there, amongst our daily struggles, whether we realize it or not, Jesus is calming our restless hearts; filling our yearning for him with the promise of hope and a way out.

Lent is a good time to remember that Jesus left the glory of heaven and suffered for us; a time to remember that through his suffering and death he forged a new mateship with us; and it is a time to ponder once again how he is with us in our need by his body and blood, in the bread and the wine, so that his word may continue to ring in our ears and splash on our lips ‘whoever believes in me  will never die, but be raised to eternal life’.

He came through with Lazarus, and raised him from the grave; and he will come through with us, in this life, and in the life to come.  So who better then, to have as a mate in times of suffering and strife than Jesus; who is not only he for us on earth, but here for us in eternity; yes what a mate indeed. Amen