Author: admin

We are very good at separating, classifying, and highlighting dangerous and toxic things.  We live in a hyper clean world where everything is super clean and hygienic.  Anything that is not, is clearly labelled ‘unsafe for human contact – its toxic.  I have a bio-hazards container here. Everything that is deemed toxic and dangerous to us is placed in this container and disposed of.  Why?  If we touch it, we would become what we touch; toxic and dangerous.  Then we too, would need to be clearly labelled and segregated until we either die from the contamination, or, some sort of treatment cleanses us of our toxicity.

Dangerous and toxic goods must be identified, segregated, clearly labelled and deemed definitely ‘off limits’ to all.   There are other dangers too, which we are obsessed at trying to label as ‘off limits’.  We are all familiar with this sort of stuff; ‘bunting’, safety vests and warning lights.  All equipment designed with bright colours and fluorescent stickers to warn us of danger and to clearly label and segregate us from dangerous things; like holes in the ground, or a church hall that is falling down.

Toxic and dangerous things, we fear them and stay well clear.  We simply don’t want to become what they are –dangerous and toxic, or worse still, we don’t want to die from contacting toxins or falling into a hole or by being hit on the head by a brick.  Its all about self preservation.

However, have we taken these precautions one step further…in our quest for self preservation…in our infatuation with cleanliness and safety, have we labelled as ‘toxic’ and ‘dangerous’ even people?  People who are different to us, people who, because they act differently and don’t have ‘Christian morals’, have we segregated them from us and label them as dangerous?  Have we, because we know what is right and good, know what God expects of us, and know we can’t allow ourselves to be ‘toxified’ by these people, place them in a ‘toxic’ waste container to be disposed of; incinerated in hell? Out of sight and out of mind, in places like West Dubbo, or even here in North, or Wilcannia, Burke and other ‘out of the way places’?

Its very easy for us, who, because of the Holy Spirit, because we love Jesus, because we know what sin is, to become labellers and segregators; defining people…the toxic from the harmless; bunting off the good from the bad.  It is very easy for us to always claim the high moral ground, and exclude from Christian fellowship, those who don’t make the grade.  Very easy indeed!

Knowing this helps us to understand why Jesus offended so many people when he mixed with sinners; the unclean.  Helps us understand why he angered the Pharisees and caused them to say ‘”Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”  The Pharisees and ‘good, well meaning’ people, people like you and I, are prone to uphold God’s laws and Christian morals at the expense of mercy and forgiveness.  Its as if we need to protect ourselves from their toxins.  We  bunting off the bad from the good;  We  classify the ‘sinners and tax collectors’ as toxic people and place ‘no go’ zones around them…they are dangerous.  Like the Pharisees thought, to come into contact with these ‘sorts’ would mean becoming what they were; unclean; you would become, God forbid, a sinner like them!

However, nothing is ever black and white, or as we label and it mark it off.  It would be different, Alex Solzenitsyn notes, if there were ‘evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them.  But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being’…or as an article in Time magazine states ‘Evil is a word we use when we come to the limit of human comprehension.  But we sometimes suspect that it is the core of our true selves’.

The reality is, the same toxic waste, the same dangerous goods, the same germ of sin we find in others we have separated from ourselves, even in the most diabolical homicidal manic, is present in our own self; in you and me.  As the scriptures say ‘all people have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  There is none righteous, no not one.’

If anyone is to make a dividing line between good and evil, if it is anyone has the right to classify and segregate the toxic from the clean, it should be Jesus.  It is Jesus, the Son of God, who knew sin better than any of us.  It is Jesus who actually lived a holy life, who was without fault; it is Jesus who said ‘”If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at the adulterous woman.”.   Yet does Jesus, holy and perfect in every respect and has the right to do so, put up the bunting and place ‘no go’ zones around sinners; around us?

Certainly not, he did the opposite.  He not only ignored barriers, he tore them down.  Jesus entered into our sinful world to destroy the barriers which separated sinners from God.  Jesus crossed the bunting, pulled down the hazard lights and entered into the houses and the lives of toxic people; the lives of sinners…our lives, to forgive and to heal.  He entered the house of Matthew the tax collector and ate with him.

And while he was eating many where attracted to the spectacle…some to join in with Jesus and enjoy his fellowship, receiving forgiveness and healing, they are the sinners.  The others came to scoff and complain.  “How can a godly man mix with such toxic people?”  They are the righteous –the ones holding the high moral ground.

Jesus replies ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”’  In eating with the labelled, the sinners, in saying this, Jesus is demonstrating the gospel- the good news…Jesus mixes with sinners and heals them.  (go through bunting to toxic box)

Jesus goes beyond the barriers goes where no man has gone before and opens the toxic waste box of people’s hearts, of our hearts; to reveal the brokenness, the regrets, the hostility and anger, the resentment, the shame and then he neutralizes it; sterilizes it by saying ‘its ok, I know what you have done, what you are, I forgive you, I give you a new start; and chance to right what you have wronged’.

The toxins of sin no longer have power when revealed and forgiven; toxin is not toxic, not deadly when neutralized.  This is why St Paul boasts ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The power of sin no longer controls us when Jesus comes to have a meal.  And he comes today, calling you to share a meal with him. Where he opens the lid on the toxins in your heart and neutralizes them by forgiving them with his blood.

The Lord’s Supper is our time to be detoxified; to be free to make another new start.  To be made aware that before God, there is no bunting separating the good from the bad, no hazard lights indicating who might be dangerous…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

So as we leave Jesus’, let’s leave behind all the ‘safety gear we use to protect ourselves, to divide, to segregate, to ostracize others from ourselves.  Let us leave behind the bunting and the moral high ground and remember Jesus words ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”  That means Jesus has come to call you and me and it that means he has come to call everyone.
Amen

We are very good at separating, classifying, and highlighting dangerous and toxic things. We live in a hyper clean world where everything is super clean and hygienic. Anything that is not, is clearly labelled ‘unsafe for human contact – its toxic. I have a bio-hazards container here. Everything that is deemed toxic and dangerous to us is placed in this container and disposed of. Why? If we touch it, we would become what we touch; toxic and dangerous. Then we too, would need to be clearly labelled and segregated until we either die from the contamination, or, some sort of treatment cleanses us of our toxicity.

Dangerous and toxic goods must be identified, segregated, clearly labelled and deemed definitely ‘off limits’ to all. There are other dangers too, which we are obsessed at trying to label as ‘off limits’. We are all familiar with this sort of stuff; ‘bunting’, safety vests and warning lights. All equipment designed with bright colours and fluorescent stickers to warn us of danger and to clearly label and segregate us from dangerous things; like holes in the ground, or a church hall that is falling down.

Toxic and dangerous things, we fear them and stay well clear. We simply don’t want to become what they are –dangerous and toxic, or worse still, we don’t want to die from contacting toxins or falling into a hole or by being hit on the head by a brick. Its all about self preservation.

However, have we taken these precautions one step further…in our quest for self preservation…in our infatuation with cleanliness and safety, have we labelled as ‘toxic’ and ‘dangerous’ even people? People who are different to us, people who, because they act differently and don’t have ‘Christian morals’, have we segregated them from us and label them as dangerous? Have we, because we know what is right and good, know what God expects of us, and know we can’t allow ourselves to be ‘toxified’ by these people, place them in a ‘toxic’ waste container to be disposed of; incinerated in hell? Out of sight and out of mind, in places like West Dubbo, or even here in North, or Wilcannia, Burke and other ‘out of the way places’?

Its very easy for us, who, because of the Holy Spirit, because we love Jesus, because we know what sin is, to become labellers and segregators; defining people…the toxic from the harmless; bunting off the good from the bad. It is very easy for us to always claim the high moral ground, and exclude from Christian fellowship, those who don’t make the grade. Very easy indeed!

Knowing this helps us to understand why Jesus offended so many people when he mixed with sinners; the unclean. Helps us understand why he angered the Pharisees and caused them to say ‘”Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” The Pharisees and ‘good, well meaning’ people, people like you and I, are prone to uphold God’s laws and Christian morals at the expense of mercy and forgiveness. Its as if we need to protect ourselves from their toxins. We bunting off the bad from the good; We classify the ‘sinners and tax collectors’ as toxic people and place ‘no go’ zones around them…they are dangerous. Like the Pharisees thought, to come into contact with these ‘sorts’ would mean becoming what they were; unclean; you would become, God forbid, a sinner like them!

However, nothing is ever black and white, or as we label and it mark it off. It would be different, Alex Solzenitsyn notes, if there were ‘evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being’…or as an article in Time magazine states ‘Evil is a word we use when we come to the limit of human comprehension. But we sometimes suspect that it is the core of our true selves’.

The reality is, the same toxic waste, the same dangerous goods, the same germ of sin we find in others we have separated from ourselves, even in the most diabolical homicidal manic, is present in our own self; in you and me. As the scriptures say ‘all people have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, no not one.’

If anyone is to make a dividing line between good and evil, if it is anyone has the right to classify and segregate the toxic from the clean, it should be Jesus. It is Jesus, the Son of God, who knew sin better than any of us. It is Jesus who actually lived a holy life, who was without fault; it is Jesus who said ‘”If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at the adulterous woman.“. Yet does Jesus, holy and perfect in every respect and has the right to do so, put up the bunting and place ‘no go’ zones around sinners; around us?

Certainly not, he did the opposite. He not only ignored barriers, he tore them down. Jesus entered into our sinful world to destroy the barriers which separated sinners from God. Jesus crossed the bunting, pulled down the hazard lights and entered into the houses and the lives of toxic people; the lives of sinners…our lives, to forgive and to heal. He entered the house of Matthew the tax collector and ate with him.

And while he was eating many where attracted to the spectacle…some to join in with Jesus and enjoy his fellowship, receiving forgiveness and healing, they are the sinners. The others came to scoff and complain. “How can a godly man mix with such toxic people?” They are the righteous –the ones holding the high moral ground.

Jesus replies ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”’ In eating with the labelled, the sinners, in saying this, Jesus is demonstrating the gospel- the good news…Jesus mixes with sinners and heals them. (go through bunting to toxic box)

Jesus goes beyond the barriers goes where no man has gone before and opens the toxic waste box of people’s hearts, of our hearts; to reveal the brokenness, the regrets, the hostility and anger, the resentment, the shame and then he neutralizes it; sterilizes it by saying ‘its ok, I know what you have done, what you are, I forgive you, I give you a new start; and chance to right what you have wronged’.

The toxins of sin no longer have power when revealed and forgiven; toxin is not toxic, not deadly when neutralized. This is why St Paul boasts ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The power of sin no longer controls us when Jesus comes to have a meal. And he comes today, calling you to share a meal with him. Where he opens the lid on the toxins in your heart and neutralizes them by forgiving them with his blood.

The Lord’s Supper is our time to be detoxified; to be free to make another new start. To be made aware that before God, there is no bunting separating the good from the bad, no hazard lights indicating who might be dangerous…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

So as we leave Jesus’, let’s leave behind all the ‘safety gear we use to protect ourselves, to divide, to segregate, to ostracize others from ourselves. Let us leave behind the bunting and the moral high ground and remember Jesus words ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” That means Jesus has come to call you and me and it that means he has come to call everyone.

Amen

(open by standing there reading the paper)
I have read some pretty scary stuff in the papers over the years that affect us personally; threats of terrorism, droughts, murderers on the loose, global warming, fuel prices and interest rates set to rise again; scary stuff.  (read story from paper)

Let me read something even scarier, not from the newspapers, but from the bible ‘”Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Now that is scary news, if it isn’t…well perhaps should be.  How confident are you?  How certain are you, that if the Lord Jesus walked in here, right at this very moment and said ‘not everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of God’, that Jesus is not speaking about you? Or are you uncertain that perhaps you may be the one left standing alone as Jesus says to you ‘I tell you plainly, away from me you evil doer’.  Scary stuff!

Are we one of those Jesus doesn’t know?  Who among us, are one of those to be counted as evil doers, excluded from the kingdom of God?  This is stuff nightmares are made of, being thrown into a fiery hell, while all along, we thought we doing the right thing.  Is Jesus speaking about me, even though I say ‘Lord, Lord’ and do things in his name?

It’s hard for us to imagine someone being able to chase out demons and do miracles and yet being rejected by Christ. But Scripture is full of these examples. Take Judas. He chased out demons in his time. Jesus sent him out with the others to teach, yet he remains condemned. The Bible also mentions Caiaphas, the high priest. He denied Jesus as the Saviour; yet he made a prediction concerning Jesus to be the Saviour saying, “it is better for one to die for the whole nation.” Then there’s Simon the sorcerer who was baptised and believed but yet the disciples said to him ‘You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God!’

On the surface, these men appeared to be very godly with huge amounts of faith. But yet Jesus wants no part with them; ‘Away from me you evil doers’.  Why?…I think we can be certain why; they substituted faith in the Messiah for faith in themselves. They substituted themselves for Christ; substituted sand in the place of rock; building their whole life and ministry on the shifting sands of self promotion; on a self gratifying lifestyle and on quick fixes, rather than building their life and ministry on the rock that is Christ; on his word and his works.  They thought they knew better!

When the German Lutherans first arrived at Pt Adelaide South Australia in the early 1800’s, to start a new life of religious freedom, they soon found there was better farming land to the north of Adelaide.  We now know this land as the famous Barossa Valley.  We admire the expertise and foresight these early settlers had in developing such land, particularly the vineyards.  However, what is not so well known or admired, and for good reason, is what happened when they first settled in the Barossa.  The group, high on self confidence because things had been going so well, found a place to set up a town.  Nestled among rolling hills, was some perfectly flat land.  The soil was soft yet stable, easy to dig for foundations and roads.

They quickly agreed ‘this would be the place for the first settlement in the Barossa’ and called it Hoffnungsthal.  However, when the local Aborigines saw what was happening they were baffled.  Why they were building their town in such a spot.  The new settlers where building in a dry lake bed.  The new town would be under water if it were to rain heavily.  The aborigines pleaded with them, but the settles, confident in their own expertise and knowledge, didn’t heed the warning.  ‘What would these primitive people know, where are their houses, what makes them experts?’ were probably some of the thoughts going through the minds of the settlers.

Yet, when the rains came down, the floods came up, and wouldn’t you know…the water washed the town away.  What was thought to be a solid foundation for building their houses, turned out to be dangerous land; they built their house on the wrong foundation.  Their arrogance and hope in their own expertise became their down fall.

This story highlights what Jesus is saying to us; though outwardly we may be doing all the right things; all the things Christian do; visiting the sick, pastorally caring for the poor, even worshipping in Jesus name saying ‘Lord, Lord’.  All this will be flawed and futile, like the work of the settlers who failed to listen to the Aborigines, if we do all our ‘Christian duties’ without faith in Jesus and listen to his word; if with work without the love of Christ in our hearts; if we speak about Jesus but fail to live according to our own words, we are building our faith and ministry on the wrong foundation, on our own arrogance, like the settlers.

So what is this foundation on which we build?  How can I be certain I know the Lord?  What things must I do to have a relationship with him, so he doesn’t say ‘away from me you evil doer?’ To find the answer, perhaps we need to ask the question differently, turn it around.  Perhaps the question is not, “Do I know the Lord?” and ‘am I doing the right things’ but “Does the Lord know me?” Does the Lord have a relationship with me? And ‘what has the Lord done for me?’

The solid foundation on which we build is that God knows us.  Yes, God in Christ Jesus first loved us before we ever knew him.  In 1 John 4 is written ‘This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.’

To be certain you are not the one Jesus says ‘depart from me’, hear these words and take them to heart.  Trust in them, write them on the wall, on the palm of your hand, and memorize them. Like the Aboriginals who could have saved the settlers, if they had a first listen to them, …before you build your ministry, first listen to the Lord; hear his word and promise to you ‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.’  The Lord does know you by name through your baptism.  By the washing of the water and the giving of the Holy Spirit, he made a relationship with you and made you part of God’s family.  And in this, he makes it clear what he has done for you. The scriptures say ‘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,

These words are for you, to assure you that God does know you and love you; that we already have an inheritance in heaven.  This is the foundational promise for you, to give you certainty that, as you trust in these words, you can confidently build on this relationship, by serving and loving God and serving and loving other people.  Jesus will not say to you ‘I never new you!’  He can’t, because the work that we do is built on and flows out of Christ’s relationship to us.

So if we read this passage again, should we be afraid?  Is it scary stuff?  No, certainly not.  We don’t do live our Christian life by our own arrogance our boasting, we do it because God first loved us.  You can have every confidence that as we serve one another here in our community in Nyngan (Gilgandra), as we seek God’s forgiveness and mercy as we love and forgive those in need, our sure and solid on rock, Jesus Christ, from which all good works flow, will say to you ‘well done, good and faithful servant.’  Amen

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

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.

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