Category: After Christmas

Isaiah 43:1-7

• There are times in our lives when we are tempted to turn from the person we most love.
• There are times in our lives when we are tempted to leave what we most treasure.
• There are times in our lives when we are tempted to deny what we most believe in.

I’ve heard of a supposedly happily married man who went on a business trip and ended up in bed with another woman – why would he do that?

I’ve heard of a highly respected businessman who gambled away all his investors’ money – why would he do that?

I’ve heard of totally committed Christians who have totally renounced their faith – why would they do that?

People will give different answers for such erratic behaviour, but this much I know:

• we need to be absolutely sure that we are totally loved by God, or we might fall,
• we need to thank God and celebrate his love daily, or we might be led astray,
• we need to pray for God’s help and commit to follow God daily, or we may sink.

Israel knew that it was created by God, and rescued and redeemed by God, and brought through the Red Sea into the Promised Land. Israel knew that God was faithful, and loving and that their future depended on God’s promises in his covenant with them, and their trust and obedience to live faithfully as God’s covenant people. But Israel constantly:

• hankered after the fertility gods of the nations around them,
• ignored the Sabbath in pursuit of materialism,
• turned from the righteousness of God to treat the weak and poor & alien unjustly.

Despite all the warnings and calls to repentance from the prophets, God finally stepped in through invading armies and Israel was led into captivity. Here God lovingly wooed back the people he created and loved and had committed himself to.

But now says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you O Israel: Do not fear for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine … I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour. I give Egypt as your ransom … Because you are precious in my sight, and honoured, and I love you.

God is always more loving than his people, always more faithful than those he calls to follow him. Just imagine hearing words like that spoken to you after you have turned from the one you love, or cheated dreadfully in your business, or doubted God because you could not understand his ways. God does speak to you like that when times are good, and when you are at your worst. God is always loving and always faithful, regardless of how you feel towards him or treat him. “God is the same, yesterday, today and forever,” even if you bob all over the place on the turbulent waters of this life.

But how can we know God is always loving and faithful even when our love for him and others grows cold? How can we know that God is still faithful to us, even when we become unfaithful to him, or to his call on our life, or to our relationships at home or work? Let’s discover the love and faithfulness of God at Jesus’ baptism.

Now when all the people were baptised, and when Jesus also had been baptised and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘you are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.’

In 30 years all we know of Jesus is the stories of his birth, the visit of the wise men, and his parents taking him to the temple at twelve. After all these silent years, here Jesus stands in the queues waiting to be baptised by John. He looks like everybody else. He acts like everybody else. Nobody recognises him as different. In Luke’s Gospel, not even John is said to recognise him as the Son of God.

But suddenly the heavens are opened, and the Holy Spirit descended, and a voice spoke from heaven. This is no ordinary baptism. Every other baptism was a preparation for the coming of the Messiah. This was the Messiah. This was the Son of God. This was God announcing from heaven, that his Son was here and ready to begin his ministry.

Listen to God’s amazing words to his Son: “You are my Son, the beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Almost a repeat of Isaiah 43 “I have called you by name, you are mine … you are precious in my sight, and honoured and I love you.”

And if sinful Israel needed to hear such words from God, so sinless Jesus needed to hear them from his Father. Jesus was being called into a mission where he would be tempted every step of the way, every time he opened his mouth, and every time he acted in God’s name.

He would be questioned and ridiculed by church and state. He would be welcomed by the poor and needy, but rejected by the powerful. He came to bring life, but he was killed. What Israel did to God in the Old Testament, the people did to Jesus when he was on earth. How people rejected Jesus then is how people reject Jesus today. Yet he loves us. Yet he is faithful to us. “If we are faithless, he remains faithful.”

How could Jesus remain loving and faithful to God and us when faced with temptation, suffering and rejection and death? Because he heard God say at his baptism: “you are my Son, the beloved; with you I am well pleased.” In the strength of that assurance he could face all that the devil and rebellious humanity threw at him.

And God spoke the same words to Jesus at his transfiguration. In the strength of that assurance he could face his suffering and death. Every day Jesus met with his Father in prayer. Every Sabbath Jesus met with his Father in the synagogue. Because he knew how loved and precious he was to God, his Father, he was able to be loving and faithful to God, and to love us to the end.

God came to you once, as he did to a baby baptised today, in the water, with the Word: “you are my child … I have called you by name … you are precious in my sight and I love you.” In your Baptism you were baptised into Christ, and the words the Father spoke to his Son at his Baptism, he spoke to you his child, at your baptism. “You are my Son [my child], the beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

We need to hear those words ringing in our ears each day as we begin and end the day with Jesus. We need to hear God telling us how much he loves us, each time we face temptation, each time we make decisions, each time we are called to take a stand for God. We need to celebrate God’s love in regular worship, eat and drink his love in Holy Communion, hear his love in regular Bible reading, and be encouraged in his love as we regularly meet with God’s beloved people. Leave today knowing you are God’s beloved child, & never forget it … never, ever forget it.

I am God’s beloved;
I am God’s beloved;
I am God’s beloved.    Amen.

Pastor David Christian

Christ esteem…chosen by God before everything – Yes you!

Ephesians 1:3 – 14

 

 

 

A few days ago we said goodbye to the Old year 2015 and saw the New year 2016 in. Maybe you even decided to make a New Year’s resolution.

New year’s resolutions usually mean, that we hope to change something in our lives, or give up something that is causing us grief.

We hope this will mean a new beginning, or a new start or maybe new things, all this to make us feel good about ourselves – to lift our self-esteem.

New Year resolutions are usually aimed at health, wealth, or a change of a behaviour. The reason we do this, is because we know that we are sick of the way we have become.

Maybe, you are like me who has struggled with my fitness – I have had good intentions to start walking and change my diet, but I can never quite get started.

Now unless we are truly strong willed and are really determined, our attempts to stick to our plan usually ends in disappointment, giving us a sense that we have failed, as we fall back into the same old habits that have been tormenting us.

Our self-esteem ends up in tatters and all seems lost, we feel alone, and helpless – What is the point?

At these times we feel utterly worthless, useless. We can’t even do what we want to do, let alone what we ought to do.

It could be that I would like to love others better, or get angry with others less often, or when people ask for help, that I actually do what I say I will do. I ask myself why is this so?

In Pauls letter to the Romans 7:19-20 we read, ^19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. ^20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. It is because of sin, this is the reason why we have low self-esteem and no confidence in ourselves.

In all this we ask where is God? We feel distant from Him, maybe we are ashamed and don’t want to be close to God. Anyway, why would God even bother about me? Does God even care about me?

If you still have doubts – In our reading today Paul reassures us in verse 4, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love.

God has chosen you, in love. He knows you, because he Himself has created you. He knows that you are weak in sin, but in Jesus Christ he chose you and willed you to be his forever.

Listen carefully to the Words from Isaiah 43:1 ‘But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.

In this verse we have five references that speak to you! Created you, formed you, redeemed you, called you, and you are mine!

God is speaking to you. Yes, you! He has called you by name, He has chosen you!

But how do we know that God has chosen you and me?

Firstly, something has brought you here to church this morning. Amongst the busy-ness of your lives you have come here to worship, when you could have been doing something else, like sleeping in or visiting friends

Well the reason you are here, is because you are in Christ.  Paul uses these two important words in Christ which appear Three times in our text.

It is here that Paul is focusing our attention on in Christ, as the key to our salvation. Paul wants you to know, that God gave his Son for you;

Just pause for a moment and think about this…

this is how much He thinks that you are important, He want’s you, Yes, you! God raised Jesus again for you, to give you eternal life. God’s great saving plan in Christ is for you, to lift you up, to show you what you are really worth.

You are special. God has chosen you and me. He has predestined us for adoption. Verse 5 says, he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

In Baptism we have be adopted, reborn into God’s family through His Son Jesus and his atoning blood, death and resurrection. United together, we have been adopted as Gods true family. It is because of this we know that we inherit what is God’s (1:11; Rom 8:17).

Now here is the thing, it doesn’t matter about our self-esteem. It does and always will be destined to fail and disappoint us.

You start to doubt yourself. When this happens it leads to you no longer valuing yourself – you doubt your self-worth.

The reason that this happens is because of our sinful nature, our self-esteem just doesn’t cut it. But that’s not the end… in Jesus you have Christ esteem.

It is because Jesus has died for you – you have Christ esteem. Jesus values you and loves you more than his own life.

God has sacrificed his Beloved Son, who died for you, and rose for you, for your salvation. Now that is really something. You are special.

It is because of God’ love in Christ that you are special. Do you know why? Ephesians 1:6 ^6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

What is Paul saying to us in this verse? It is because of God’s grace that he has chosen you. Because you have been baptized into Christ and united with Him, you too are beloved of God.

As God said to those who witness Jesus baptism “this is my beloved Son, whom I am well pleased (Matt 3:17). So to when you are sorry and repent of your sins and believe in Jesus as your saviour, you become Gods beloved children. It’s not just Christ but we too who become Gods beloved.

Christ esteem is the there for you, Why, because God has redeemed you through the shedding of His blood. Verse 7 says,^ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

The prophet Isaiah says in 43:1 I have called you by name, you are mine. In 1 Peter 2:9 you are a chosen race. Yes, you.

Do we have a guarantee? We sure do. In verse 13, Paul speaks about us receiving the Holy Spirits seal, his absolute pledge – he is referring to something quite concrete, and that is our Baptism.

We have the seal of the Spirit, and we remain sealed in God’s love each day, as we hear the word of truth, the Good News of Jesus Christ, and believe in Him, we then receive our salvation in Christ

Nobody can take this gift away from you.

But wait there is more!

With this guarantee, you need to know that your name is written in the book of heaven. Luke says in 10:20, rejoice that your name is written in heaven.

As we come to the threshold of this new year, St Paul gives you something better than new year resolutions.

He gives us a new year’s gospel; he shows us that, despite our sins and failures in life, we are beloved and special to Him, and of great worth.

Remember then, that you have always been God’s precious heavenly people. God has predestined you to be his, by the shedding of Christs blood for you.

You have something better than self-esteem, you have Christ-esteem. He died for you and has given you every gift and blessing. Your baptism is the guarantee that you are truly special. No one can take that away from you.

Yes, you have been chosen by God. Yes, you are Christ-esteem. Yes, you are God’s, sealed by the shedding of Christs blood, and yes you have the guarantee of eternal life.  Rejoice then, because God has chosen you. Yes, you!

Amen.

1^st Sunday after Christmas B

Luke 2:22-40

The seven days in the weak

There was a married couple who had to wait 16 years before their first child was born. Over those years, nothing weakened their hope or anticipation of this joyous event. You can imagine how they radiated joy when they held their long-awaited child in their arms for the first time.

Sometimes it seems we are just waiting around in life. But what are we still waiting for to happen in our lives? Are we looking for fame, security or prosperity? Or are we still longing for our lives to be transformed by God’s presence?

Some people think that they can experience God just as easily on a golf course, or walking around a lake, as in church. And in truth God is truly with us where ever we are, but sometimes the problem for us that we get distracted in these environments and don’t actually worship but sought of hang about and while it is true that just attending church worship is not essential for salvation, it is the place, the Lord’s house-where we are sure to find His encouraging and motivating presence because here, in our little church through the Word of God and Holy Communion we hear of our unmerited forgiveness, strengthened in faith through receiving the gifts God has provided and in response to such overwhelming grace received by us flawed but saved people, then challenged to no longer live for ourselves, but for our Saviour Jesus Christ and our neighbours and fellow-church members that He loves so dearly.

The Christmas story concludes with women and men in the temple, where God can impact on their lives. As soon as possible, Jesus was brought to the temple, to be in His Father’s House. There Jesus is met by two people who have waited all their lives for this moment, Simeon and Anna. Anna had never missed a Service. She was from the least, lost tribe of Israel and was a well-known figure at the temple. Anna is called a prophetess, a title of rare distinction, given to only seven other women in the Bible. She used the tragedy of her young husband’s death as an opportunity to grow closer to God. She filled the vacuum in her life with praying for others and living for the day when Jesus would come to the temple.

In God’s service, there’s no age limit. St. John wrote our fourth Gospel while in his 80s. Now in her 80s, Anna becomes an exuberant witness to our Saviour’s coming. She knew sorrow, but had not grown bitter. Anna hadn’t grown old with the sense of dejection and dependency that afflicts many older men and women today. Anna served God with heroic fidelity. She knew God doesn’t let His faithful servants shed a needless tear.

After wrestling with God in prayer for many years, Anna now sees God’s likeness in the face of His Son, Jesus. Any pastor can tell you of elderly Christian widows aglow with the joy of salvation. Anna cannot restrain her joy at seeing our Saviour. Bubbling over with joy and gratitude, she shares with everyone she meets the arrival of salvation from fear and guilt, from sin and death, in the Son of Mary. Years later, many people remembered what Anna, with a youthful exuberance, had told them about the greatest day of her life. It’s as if being in her Saviour’s presence has made her feel young again and given her new energy to sing our Saviour’s praises.

The gift of salvation is worth singing about, worthy of a full-bodied celebration, as Simeon shows. His joy too knows no bounds as he sees for the first time the whole reason for his existence. In an unforgettable picture, Simeon takes the Christ-child in his arms and sings a hymn of praise to God for the precious gift of Jesus. Simeon’s song is one of the treasures of our Holy Communion liturgy. What a moving overture and personal expression of thanksgiving this post-Christmas hymn is. Simeon was given a greater promise than he’d asked for. He confesses more than is visible to human eyes.

Simeon’s song contains no narrow reference to just himself. He sees the good news of Christ extending to every nation, over all the earth. In fact, he mentions the Gentiles (all non-Jewish nations) before his fellow-countrymen. What a magnificent, universal vision so soon after Christmas Eve! Having reached the highpoint of his life, the zenith of his existence, he savours the fulfilment of his fondest dreams. There’s nothing secretive about our Saviour’s existence. His death for all people was a public event and not something for some super-spiritual elite.

Light is a symbol of security. Jesus is a Light to the Gentiles because only in Christ can all people find a safe and secure future before and after death. Although our salvation came at great personal cost to Him, our Saviour Jesus believes we are worth saving. Instead of employing force, Jesus surrendered His life to save us from all that would ruin us in this life, or in the life to come after death. Jesus brings us salvation now from distress and despair, defeat and disappointment. The New Testament speaks frequently of salvation in the present tense. Salvation is a present experience of our Saviour’s help and companionship, love and protection. Salvation is our Lord’s sovereign act of rescue that can be tasted here and now and fully enjoyed in the life to come. Jesus saves us from the corrupting influences around us in our community, so that our lives are shaped week by week by His transforming presence.

Simeon can depart in peace because salvation brings peace with God, peace like nothing on earth. His peace fills us with a cheerful contentment, because it alone meets the deepest longings of our hearts. To taste Christ’s gift of salvation is to experience His goodness and grace in our lives, week by week. It is knowing that all you do for your Lord is never in vain. Simeon shared St. Paul’s motto: “For me to live is Christ, and to die is more of Christ.” In the presence of Christ, the Lord of life, death loses its terror.

The Lord’s Supper is called a “Means of Salvation”, because in this priceless sacrament, we receive the blessings of salvation now. Simeon’s song is part of our Holy Communion liturgy, to remind us that we receive the benefits of the birth, life and suffering of our Saviour in this life-giving, life-enriching sacrament. In Holy Communion, we receive the same Saviour whom Simeon held in his arms. Christ’s presence in the bread and wine is as real to us as it was in Simeon’s arms.

The work of Christmas continues in the Lord’s Supper. Holy Communion enables us to face the future free of fear, because of the pledge and assurance of our salvation this sacrament so boldly bestows on us. For hundreds of millions of Christians throughout the world today, receiving Holy Communion will be a privilege they receive with trembling joy and gratitude. Why? Because although so hard to comprehend and in deed that which can be only comprehended through the miracle and gift of faith, today when you come to the alter and receive Holy Communion you as forgiven sinners and brothers of Christ and Son’s and daughters of the Father receive “a foretaste of the feast to come.”

 A promise from our Lord, thus a truth and a fact that we take with us from this House of God forged in forgiveness in Christ to the far reaches of our everyday existence.

 Our salvation that we sing of today in joyful songs and hymns of praise to which the melody of what we have received in Christ sees us through the next seven days that should we become weak in spirit or service, we need not endure a week to forget of needless earthly imprisonment of being caught up in the musts of great fame, riches and security, but live the week fully in every action be it in times of hurt or times of great elation in the richness and security of our Lord and Saviour who hung on a cross for the whole world to see and for you to know, that you are His. Amen.

Our Testimony is Him

1^st Corinthians 1:1-9

In our second reading today,  the apostle Paul addresses the members of the congregation in Corinth and what he says to them, also applies to us today as Christians sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be saints together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Saints in Christ, a title or position of the Corinthians in their day, and the title and position of us in our world that can be hard to comprehend when we look deep into ourselves and see what lurks within.

In Pauls letter to the Corinthians, we see these special people called saints don’t seem to different to anyone else as if the following chapter we hear that they were split up in factions setting themselves up to be better than the other. There was bickering and squabbling going on among them with their differences becoming so strong that they were ready to fight about them to the point of suing one another and taking their matters to court.

Lust and pride, envy and jealously reared their ugly heads in their midst and had led them off track to where Paul found it necessary to reprimand and correct them of their ways. Fast forward to the world of Christianity today we still see that just as then, we too of our time express and show the same side effects of sin in our lives.

And yet to us, like Paul to the Corinthians we are called to be saints. Sinners in ourselves yet saints in Christ.  Amazing yet true because of Christ sharing the glory of His holiness with us. Hard to comprehend yet not just wishful thinking as we come to hear and know that it is because who we are, sinners all, that the Father sent his only begotten Son into the world that he might take upon himself our very sinful nature and bear the burden and the penalty of our sin.

Our Saviour Jesus who lived a sinless life that no one could find fault in Him. Who in His suffering and death paid the penalty for sin that we ought to have paid so that we might be set free from the guilt of our sin and be counted worthy to stand in the presence of our holy and just Father in heaven.

Christ shares with us the glory of His righteousness that all who call on His name and accept Him in faith as their Saviour are called saints. Jesus Christ the Saviour who came upon this earth as God’s beloved Son shares His sonship with you by faith so that you too, are called the sons and daughters of God.

The beautiful truth of the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour that we must hear again and again so that we not fall to doubt of where we stand before our Father in heaven as we travel this side of heaven knowing the “inconvenient truth” of our sins.

Sinners and saints. Sinners in ourselves and yet most assuredly saints and renewed in Jesus Christ our Saviour. A contrast as far apart as East to West, or north to South yet met in the middle at the axis point of our Jesus Christ who does not deny to us our sin, but overturns it to bring His freedom and forgiveness. His freedom and forgiveness that erases the heavenly consequences of our past failures and sins that their load of self-doubt and conscience is turned inside out as we see His hand at work  bringing us forgiveness and safety amongst the Kaos. His forgiveness and safety among the Kaos not that we deny those moments, but that we not deny Him. His forgiveness and safety among our worst of times and sins that change the past that the failures are not condemning, but turned over, that in them we take His Gospel to those still chained and heavy laden.

Last week unable to sleep with things on my mind I turned on the T.V. to watch evangelist Joyce Meyer preaching in a stadium before a huge throng of people. Ten thousand people in America hearing her preach to them and one at 5.00 am in Murray Bridge who needed to hear the truth of the sin they knew of themselves, and the truth of the forgiveness and new life they have in Christ.

Set free in Christ we see that though we have suffered in the past from our own and others doings, we see that He was there carrying and moulding us that we come to know His Gospel for ourselves then, or at some point in the future.

Moulding and carrying us through the darkness that should we fall again, we not doubt His presence or the grace He brings that again we see His light of a new life burn bright in our lives and rise again, knowing the words of Paul in today’s reading, that:

“He will keep you strong to the end, so that you are blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Because) God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”

For me, sometimes I don’t feel so strong and maybe you the same. But for me and for you I know our Lord and Saviour is, as too I know God the Father is faithful and that is our message to our Christian Brothers and sisters, to our friends, families, work colleagues and people we meet.

And just as importantly, maybe even more so some-times, that is the message to our selves.

Not a message of wishful thinking or denial of our actions past, but the message to you from Christ himself who through your failures and tribulations brought you His grace. The message to you from Christ himself, that having received His grace have been enriched in every way, that in all your speaking and in all your knowledge it can be a testimony of Christ the Saviour confirmed in you.

And though in our world others may doubt the truth of Christ, just as when we fall we may doubt our standing before God the Father, we testify to His truth that comes not from ourselves, but from Christ himself. That in trust in Him alone as your only Saviour and only hope, just as you are today, in Christ you stand before God the Father glowing spotless in the righteousness of Christ, saved and most assuredly given eternal life. And we thank God for every moment that has led us to know that truth, and thank God that we can most assuredly attest to both others and ourselves of His love, His life and His grace that is freely given to all in Christ.

“I will never forget you”

The author Ron Lee Dunn tells the story of two altar boys.
One was born in 1892 in Eastern Europe. The other was born just three years later in a small town in the USA. Though they lived very separate lives in very different parts of the world, these two altar boys had almost identical experiences. Each boy was given the opportunity to assist his parish priest in the service of communion. Ironically, while handling the communion cup, they both accidentally spilled some of the wine on the carpet by the altar. There the similarity in their story ends.

The priest in the Eastern European church, seeing the wine stain, slapped the altar boy across the face and shouted, “Clumsy oaf! Leave the altar.” The little boy grew up to become an atheist. His name was Josip Tito – the communist dictator of Yugoslavia for 37 years.

The priest in the church in the USA upon seeing the stain near the altar, knelt down beside the boy and looked him tenderly in the eyes and said, “It’s alright son. You’ll do better next time. You’ll be a fine priest for God someday.” That little boy grew up to become the much loved Bishop Fulton J. Sheen.

I don’t believe we can ever underestimate the power that affirmation and encouragement have in our lives. When we are feeling particularly disheartened and depressed about what is happening in our lives, positive and encouraging words begin to lift us out of the doldrums and lead us to see things a little differently. You may never know the impact of your words but do not underestimate them.

Someone once said,
Flatter me, and I may not believe you.
Criticize me, and I may not like you.
Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.
Encourage me, and I will not forget you.
Christmas seems such a long time ago now but it was just 3 weeks ago that we celebrated the birth at Bethlehem; the beginning of the earthly life of our Saviour.
Today we celebrate another beginning in the life of Jesus – it is the beginning marked by baptism. Jesus now is a grown man and approaches the banks of the River Jordan one hot and dusty day. There he comes face to face with John the Baptist and even though John tries to deter Jesus; Jesus is baptised. Here at the Jordan, Jesus enacts God’s saving deeds for human kind by [literally] standing with sinners. In his baptism he becomes one of us. He takes on himself our sin; and then heads forward to Jerusalem and the cross. There He as the sinless one offers up his own life as the ransom payment in the place of many; in the place of you and me.
As Jesus left the Jordan River we are told ‘heaven was opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and lighting on him. Then a voice said from heaven, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased.” The other gospel writers record this same event but the words Jesus hears is even more personal. The voice from heaven speaks directly to Jesus, saying, “You are my own dear son. I am pleased with you“.

What a way to begin a new stage of one’s life!
What a way to feel before setting out on a new course!
What a thing to hear and reflect on later when the challenges that life would throw at him would be almost too much to bear.

We all long to hear the words, “Well done!” It’s easy to be critical and negative. All of us have felt at some time the pain of a negative and critical comment. Praise the Lord that we have a God who is an affirming God, an encouraging God. Usually we express our appreciation after a person has done something that pleases us but with God, it’s different.Before Jesus had told a single story or had healed a single person, before Jesus remains faithful to his task as Saviour, before he speaks about God’s love and forgiveness, in fact, before he does anything there is affirmation. God speaks those longed for words, “You are my own dear Son. I am pleased with you”.
God affirmed Jesus at the beginning of his ministry and he affirms his relationship with us even before we are able to do anything that we might think would earn God’s favour. In grace he says to us, “You are my dear child and that pleases me”.
Baptism is an act of God which celebrates how special and precious we are in God’s eyes. In our baptism, as in the baptism of Jesus, we celebrate God’s welcoming love, a love that comes prior to anything we may have done and prior to anything we may yet do. When the water of baptism was poured over us, however long ago that might have been, he made a personal promise;
“I promise that I will be with you always.
It doesn’t matter where life’s journey will take you, I will walk beside you.
Even if you aren’t always loyal to me, I will always be loyal to you.
When life takes a turn for the worse, I will be there to comfort and help you.
When you need superhuman strength to overcome trouble,  I will be there to give you the strength you need.
When you call to me in prayer, I will always be listening and will use my power to answer your prayer.
When it comes to your dying moment, I will take you to the place I have prepared for you in heaven”.
God has made a promise like this to all those he calls his dear children. In the Old Testament he promised the people who were experiencing very troublesome times, “Even though it is possible for a mother or father to forget their child, I will never forget you. … I have written your name on the palms of my hands”.

“You are my own dear child and my love for you will never stop. Be certain you are loved right here and now. Your name is written on the palm of my hand.”

How’s that for affirmation and encouragement. The almighty and all-powerful God of the universe makes a commitment to one of his creation to affirm us as his dearly loved children even when we don’t feel as though we deserve that kind of favour. He tells us he will hold our hand to comfort and encourage us even when the situation appears to be hopeless.
Today, the day we recall the way Jesus was affirmed and encouraged by the voice from the heavens and the descending dove, is a great day to remember with thanks the way God has assured us that we are his “dearly loved children” and affirms that regardless of what may happen he will not forget us and hold our hand, even carry us if necessary, through dark valleys and troublesome times.

This promise is certain.  He says this to each of us, “You are my own dear child”. “I will never forget you. … I have written your name on the palms of my hands”.

© Pastor Vince Gerhardy

 

Second Sunday after Christmas

Ephesians 1:3-14

(this sermon uses the illustration of a filthy rag.)

I have here a filthy rag.

You can see it’s filthy, and it’s a rag. In fact, there is nothing appealing about this rag at all.

But would anyone like this rag?

Would anyone like to take it home? Would anyone like to care for it and love it? Would anyone like to clean it up, patch it up, and give it a special home?

Anyone?

Now before anyone promises to take it home, I should tell you I’m not willing to give this away for free. It will cost you.

So how much should you have to pay for this dirty rag?

$1?

$100?

$1,000?

No, that price is too small for this rag.

How about you swap one of your children for this rag?

Now I know some parents might be very tempted to swap their children at times, but what if I tell you that you would need to be willing to give up your child’s life.

Anyone still want this rag?

I don’t think anyone in their right mind would like to exchange their child for this dirty rag!

Yet God our Father, before we even knew him or even wanted to know him, decided to swap his Son for us – we filthy rags!

Now before anyone objects to being called a filthy rag, especially as you are all dressed so well, I am trying to illustrate how dirty and unclean we are in God’s sight. From our own perspective, we are intelligent, hard working and valuable people and are nothing like a filthy rag. We see good people in the mirror, but God sees everything we try to hide. God sees the grime of our selfishness, greed, jealousy, hatred, apostasy, and sinfulness oozing out all over us.

Just like this filthy rag, we cannot save ourselves. We can’t clean up our own act. We have nothing to offer as payment; in fact even our potential use is unappealing.

Just like this rag, and despite what we think of ourselves, there is nothing appealing about us at all. We continually rebel against God and hurt him. Our only hope as filthy rags is that God made us in his image, God chose us to be his own, God paid our ransom price with the blood of his own Son, God adopted us as his own children, and God cleaned us up through his forgiveness. All actions are God’s and are not based on our own worth, or even our potential worth in any way. After all, do you really think you’re worth more than God’s own Son that he would give him up as a swap for you?

Yet despite the fact we are worth no more than a filthy rag, he did all this for us!

Such amazing love!

We struggle to fathom such love because we normally only love people who are worthy of our love. We love only as a response to something good they have done for us. On the other hand, if someone hurts us, they’re off our ‘love list’. But God does the opposite. God loves you despite the fact you are not worthy of his love! God decided to love you even before you had a chance to do anything for him! In fact God loves you even though you continue to hurt him.

We struggle to understand God’s love, especially once we realize how unworthy and unlovable we really are. In fact, if you think about it, if you think God loves you for who you are or who you could be, you’ve just limited God’s love. God’s love, God’s amazing grace which saved wretches like you and me, is beyond our comprehension, yet this is what Paul is trying to communicate to us today.

He tells us of the Father’s decision to adopt us as his children. He tells us how he did this through the blood of his only beloved Son. He tells us of the Holy Spirit whom God gave to us as a down payment, as a guarantee of our inheritance as God’s adopted people.

Now why would he do such a thing?

What’s the purpose of his gracious and loving action to adopt us?

Well, his purpose of adoption, his purpose of swapping us for the life of his beloved Son, is so that we can come before him as clean and blameless people. Now he can’t have filthy rags in his presence, so he needed to clean us up by using his own Son’s blood. He did this so that we filthy people would become holy people without blemish or stain. He did this so that we might be like his Son.

Now of course we can’t be like his Son, but again this shows God’s extraordinary grace.

The only way we can come into his presence as holy people is through the blood of his only beloved Son Jesus Christ. That’s the ransom price for us filthy rags. God willingly swapped his own Son for us filthy rags We can’t measure that love. We can’t fathom the grace. We can’t understand the undeserving favour of God.

Despite the fact that all people are like filthy rags in his sight, he willingly paid this price for all people, no matter how good or how bad they are. This is the message of the gospel, but unfortunately, only some believe it. Those who believe this message of grace are those God has chosen.

Now this may raise a question in your minds. What if someone doesn’t believe, does that mean God hasn’t chosen them, that he hasn’t predestined them to receive his grace and love?

No, it doesn’t mean God has not chosen them for salvation. God loves and wants to save every ‘filthy rag’ in the world, but strangely some of them reject his grace and love. It’s like the rags didn’t want to be swapped or cleaned up. It’s like they want to stay just like they are, as if there is nothing wrong with them. God’s grace is still there. God has chosen them, but they choose to reject his grace and love.

But since we believe, we are assured God has indeed chosen us for his very own!

Therefore this is the mystery we celebrate.

We celebrate the love of God shown through Christ Jesus and guaranteed to us through the deposit of his Holy Spirit on us. We celebrate the fact God chose us for his very own, even though we don’t deserve it. We celebrate that God chose us filthy rags, that he paid our ransom price through his Son’s cruel death, and that he has made us clean and holy through the blood of his own Son. We celebrate he has sent us the Holy Spirit as a pledge to guarantee this is all true, even though we are yet to see this wonderful message’s fulfilment with our own eyes.

This is the glory of God shown to us, we filthy rags.

Praise God that, even though we have nothing to offer him, he chose us and wants us to come before him as clean and holy people through the blood of his Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sermon for Second Sunday after Christmas.

       John 1:1-18

 

We spent a lot of time getting our homes in order in the lead up to Christmas, didn’t we? Especially if we were having guests or family over for Christmas, we may have spent hours cleaning, decorating, cooking, and reorganizing. We want our homes to be welcoming places for those who visit us.

What kind of home welcomed the Son of God? What kind of dwelling place did he find? Well, you know the story well. There was no room for him at the inn, so his first home was in a stable. Not long after that Herod want to annihilate him, so he and his parents made Egypt their home. Upon return, his home became Nazareth, and there he lived for the next thirty years. Then, when his public ministry began, he was a guest in all kinds of homes. He dined with religious elite and with the prominent Pharisees of the day. But he also entered the homes of sinners and outcasts, like Zacchaeus. He visited the homes of those who were sick and those who had already died, like Jairus’ daughter whom he raised to life. In the many homes where he was a guest, there were those who loved him dearly and welcomed him. But there were also those who plotted his death – indeed, he would soon make his home in the grave; he would become a guest in the tomb.

But the gospel for today speaks of another home that Christ entered. In 1:14 the evangelist John tells us: ‘The Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us’. ‘The Word’ here refers to Christ, God’s Son. And what is meant by ‘flesh’? Flesh stands for everything we are: our bodies, our souls, and our minds; but also our weakness, our mortality and our sin. And that’s where Christ has made his home. He has made his home in our flesh. The Son of God has become a resident in all that we humans are.

What kind of welcome did he receive to this home? Not a warm one, John tells us: ‘though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him’. He stands at the front door of his own home, his own children answer the door, and yet they tell him: We don’t know who you are – good bye’.

What kind of welcome does he receive in your home? Do you always feel at ease with Jesus at your kitchen table, or in the back seat of your car? Is he welcome in the conversations you share and the thoughts you think? Do you invite him to join in the gossip? Is your home, is your flesh, a fitting place for Christ?

Well let’s face it, often it isn’t. But that’s just the point! Christ was born in Bethlehem for no other reason that he could live in your life. The Word became flesh so that you can welcome him every day. Christ is always a guest in the home of sinners. He won’t politely ask to leave when we become embarrassingly entangled in sin. He doesn’t mutter excuses about needing to be elsewhere when our good Christian front falls to pieces. As long as you’re willing, he’ll stay. For the Word became flesh – and he still is.

But as long as he stays, your home will also change. And that’s because as well as entering your home, he also brings gifts. Not a box of toys or bowl of tossed salad, but something much better. Listen again to our verse: ‘The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…who came from the Father, full of grace and truth’. He comes with Christmas hampers full of grace and full of truth.

By his grace he accepts the state of our home – but with his truth he repairs and restores it. By grace he redeems us from the sins of our flesh – with his truth he renews us to serve him. His grace puts up with our ignorance and silliness – his truth enlightens our minds with the knowledge of God. By grace he dwells with sinners, and by his truth he sets us free from sin. This is the guest who enters our homes: the One who became flesh and dwelt among us.

And this is also what Christmas is all about. For these days will soon pass through Epiphany and then on to Lent and Easter and Pentecost. The baby in the manger will grow, he will suffer, he will die, he will rise and take his place in his eternal home, at the Father’s right hand. And there, brothers and sisters in Christ, he prepares a home for us. Not in fallen flesh, but in the new creation. For the one who wrote: ‘the Word became flesh’ also recorded Jesus’ promise: ‘In my Father’s house are many rooms…and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am’.

May the Son of God, who prepares a home for us, dwell in our homes today and always. Amen.

Christmas 1 (1^st Sunday after Christmas)

Hebrews 2:10-18
I don’t know about you, but I often feel a little flat the day after Christmas.

On Christmas Day, I try to focus on the good in people, the good in the presents I received, the good in the food and drink I enjoy, and the good times I have with my family.

On Christmas Day I tend to be a little more patient with people, a little more patient with things that need cleaning, a little more patient with what needs to be done.

Christmas Day is a day of happiness, joy and celebration, and if there is anything that threatens to upset this day, I will often try to ignore it or deal with it tomorrow.

Well, today is Christmas Day’s tomorrow. Today I feel a little more tired, a little more worn out, and a little more drained. The good I focussed on yesterday has become a little harder to see. What I left undone yesterday now needs to be tackled.

Christmas Day is often a day where we try to escape from reality and all our problems, our work, and our petty arguments. We focus on the good instead of the bad.

But the day after Christmas Day is a day when we all come back down to earth. Reality hits again. Work beckons, children fight, gifts break or don’t fit as planned, the bank balance has shrunk considerably, and the bills will start rolling in.

Of course, this is not the same for all people. Some people’s Christmas Day is also tinged with sadness and grief, especially if loved ones were missing, either through distance or death. If one’s health has deteriorated during the year, some may find that their Christmas celebrations are not the same as they used to be.

I don’t know, maybe I’m the only one who feels a little flat after Christmas, but maybe others feel the same.

Yesterday we heard again the good news of Jesus’ birth. Angels and shepherds sang praise to God because he has come to be with his people. Truly cause for celebration, hope and joy. But what do we hear today? He is already being chased by death!

Reality hits!

From the very beginning, death chased him. He and his family needed to flee out of his own land so that he would survive infancy. He had to escape to Egypt, the place from which God had already saved his people so long ago.

Isn’t it strange that here is God himself, the King of all creation, who is all-powerful, but now needs to run from Herod’s butcher’s knife.

Of course, we know how the story then develops. Jesus’ whole life is one of obedience to his Father in heaven as he endures suffering, criticism, beatings, and even death.

Oh what a morbid subject to talk about the day after Christmas Day!

But this is reality!

Jesus, the one through whom all things came into being, came to us in human flesh in order to establish our salvation through his suffering. This means that as he entered our world in human flesh, he also lived in our bittersweet reality, felt our excitement and fears, and would even experience the loneliness of death.

The King of creation, who has no peer on earth, now calls us his brothers and sisters because he is like one of us – one of us in flesh, but also one of us who has experienced suffering and temptations just like us, although with one exception – he remains without sin. Despite the fact he has no beginning or end, he also experienced the isolation and finality of death, just like all of us will.

Jesus knows that death and fear love to surround us and often stand at the edges of our celebrations. Death, the fear of death, or the slow death of aging will spoil our joys and will easily bring us down into a helpless state of despair or depression. He knows this. He has experienced it.

In this way, just like a good lawyer needs to get to know his client and a good doctor needs to get to know his patient, so too Jesus is able to identify with you – with all your frustrations, your temptations, your sufferings, your flat days, and he is also familiar with your eventual victor – death itself.

Jesus came to suffer and die in order that he may identify with your suffering, but also so that you will not despair of your suffering or lose hope in the face of death.

He frees you from your slavery to death and the fear of death. Yes, they are still there, staring and threatening you on your days of celebrations, your days of regret, and on your depressing days, but that’s all they can do – glare and threaten you. They no longer have any teeth. Even when you look in the mirror and are reminded of your dying through your aging, you can shout back that Jesus doesn’t even help the angels, but he helps you in your weaknesses.

Jesus, through his death, has destroyed the power of death. The devil is defeated.

Jesus, through his suffering and death, is now able to identify with you, even in your post-Christmas celebrations, or your post-Christmas blues.

Herod was not victorious over Jesus. Jesus and his family survived.

Suffering and temptations were not victorious over Jesus. Jesus endured and remained faithful and obedient.

Death was not victorious over Jesus. Jesus still lives and still stands before God the Father, feeling your pains, your sorrows, your depression, your suffering and your fears. He stands there, whispering in his Father’s ear, asking for mercy, claiming that you are his brother, his sister. You are one with him through faith. He will not be unfaithful to you or abandon you.

I don’t know about you, but I often feel a little flat the day after Christmas. Yet, I also know that Jesus will remain triumphant and will be faithful to you and I, no matter how we feel today, or tomorrow, or the next, or…

Because the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Colossians 3:12-17.
If Christ came to you this Christmas??

 

Was Friday, and today for that matter, a holiday for you? Or was it a holy day? In other words, was it merely a day of relaxation, eating and drinking; an opportunity to sit back and enjoy a quiet time, or was it something significantly more? Yes, we could fit church in there somewhere, but in many ways, it was just a break from normal life; or was it a truly special day? If it was a holy day, it means Christ was born anew in you. Then that being the case – what difference does it make for your life? What does it mean that Jesus is a part of your life yesterday, today and forever? These are some important questions we need to ask ourselves now that Christmas day has once again come and gone.

It is obvious that many go through Christmas without any great change taking place in their lives. There is no renewal that has taken place:

Christ meaning no more today than he did last week. For them, Friday was merely a holiday: a festive day with family and friends: a day to eat, drink and be merry – for who knows, we might not be here next year. Yes, perhaps they went to church. After all, it is the right thing to do; just to let God know that we haven’t forgotten him completely. But that is not what Christmas is all about.

Christmas means, Christ come to be with us: come to be a reality in our life. And that is what happened on Friday; Christ came to every one of us. He came to share life with us: He came seeking to be the most important part of our lives. He came to do something about mending that relationship we had broken with God and those around us.

However, sadly far too many, were too wrapped up in the presents, Christmas dinner and other things, to recognize and even give thought to him. There were too many other things to do and think about: too many other cares and hassles that they were involved in.

But for those of us whom Christmas has touched: that Christ touched through his presence with us, is what made this Christmas special.

Again, there is now change taking place in our lives, with Christ’s presence bringing transformation for our lives.

Our reading this morning tells us something of what is part of this Christmas present that came to be with us. Christ’s presence among us means that we now become more compassionate toward one another;

Kinder and more humble in our living of life: gentler and more patient in our dealings with others. Now for some of us that is really something. But for all us, we could do with a little more of those things. Well, with Christ here with us, those things will begin to happen more and more in our lives. The more Christ is the centre of our lives the more these things will become evident.

But that is not all. In the hassles and difficulties that we have with others around us, we now bear with them and even find the strength to forgive as the Lord forgave us. And so the nature of our relationships with those people changes: our tensions and difficulties are overcome: Our Lords forgiving presence toward us, enables us to have a changed attitude in our relationships to fami1y, friends and associates. Now this is really something! And it is so much needed.

But even more: The love that God has for us becomes evident in our lives. Our community is drawn together by the selfless giving of ourselves for the benefit of others: love radiates out from Christ’s presence, through us, to others; and suddenly from the outworking of all these things in our lives, we begin to see some changes taking place in our society that is so much needed. Christ here with us has its effect through us to our community; and there then we begin to see more of the sorts of things that we know are good and positive – rather than divisive and destructive. All of this and more has come to us this Christmas – in this most wonderful of presents.

But, we are reminded here that there is still more to this gift. The peace of Christ now rules in our lives; so there is no need to get uptight and frustrated by what is happening around us. We can be at peace with what is happening in our world: the sickness, tragedy and events beyond our control no longer need to cause us to overwhelmed or afraid. We now have our God in our midst, giving us peace: bringing peace to our community through our changed attitude.

And with that comes thankfulness: Thankfulness for all the wonderful blessings that are there in our lives. Now that we are able to see beyond our cares and hassles, to all the great things happening around us as result of God’s activity, we can more and more give thanks to God . So instead of being negative and finding fault and being gloomy, we are also able to see and be positive about life. Thankful for all God is doing in and around us.

But in this reading, there is still more. Assured of our Lord’s presence, love and goodness that he has for us, we also find that the Word of Christ becomes something that is of greater value for our lives. Suddenly Scripture becomes important for us; helping us to keep close to our God. There we are reminded again and again of who Jesus is and what he has done for us. Along with that, we also are given directions for living our lives in a way that is good and helpful for our relationship with him and the people around us. That means that we will now see the Word of God as being more important to us than what the philosophers and educators of today are trying to push down our throats. For now, we know that God has that which is truly helpful and good for all of life: Here we have that which is true and is able give us that which can be relied on.

Now lastly and most importantly, this reading points us to the greatest change that takes place for us: everything that we now say and do, is done in the name of the Lord Jesus. Not in the name of what I want. Selfishness and self-centredness has gone out the window, because it is no longer important to us or for us. For now, we realise that what I want and what I think is good and important, only leads to heartache and distress. With the Lord Jesus as our leader, guide and friend, we now know that we are on the right track. He alone holds the answers to all of life and death. He has a reason, purpose and meaning for all that happens in our life. Everything that we have, are, think, say and do only has any importance and value because of him and what has done for us.

Now there we have only very briefly been shown what we have now as a result of Christmas. Christ with us, means all this and more is becoming a part of life for us. What a present – what an event is Christmas. All of this and more is there for us, all because our Lord chose to come and be with us. Let us not forget this great happening as we go on. Let us not turn our backs on all of this by getting too involved in all these other things in life, so that Christ becomes crowded out once again. Instead, let us make the most of what our Lord is seeking to do in and through us. Let us live ever mindful of the wondrous gift that has been given to us. Yes, with the coming of Jesus Christ into our lives this is what is in front of us. May he bring to us all these great changes that he has in mind for us and then may the true peace and joy of this season go with you now and always. AMEN.