Category: After Pentecost

“(Re) Born Free”

Luke 18:1-8a

Here today we come as one. The old and the young. All different in earthly wealth, occupations and interests. Yet we meet today in faith as one body knowing we are free in Christ and knowing that through that faith in Jesus Christ our Saviour, that the chains of our sin have been taken from us and given the promise of being the Sons and daughters of God the Father both here in this world and in the world to come, I ask what could there ever be to want for or worry of.

But then I remember a speech from Nelson Mandela after apartheid was turned over in South Africa where he said (I cannot remember exactly but the point meaning) “we are now free people, but before us we still have the great battle to realise what freedom is and what it is to live in it”.

Free in Christ that are just words on paper if we don’t know what they stand for. But words that become alive and part of us when we realise the gravity of what has gone before that we may hear them for ourselves.

I really did not want to go over old ground, but I feel I must. At six years old I announced to my Mother that “there is something God wants me to do but I just don’t know what”. Thirty seven years later and having been just accepted to study towards ordination in the church I was confronted by a man whose world had turned on him. A man whose immense courage and strength had been replaced with fear and weakness and for the next three months I essentially became his pastor as he came to understand our Lord who does not look to punish and take life from those who turn from him, but our Lord who looks to reward and give life to those who trust him and in his last months he truly came to that trust like that of a little child and those words that I said to my mum all those years ago, once forgotten came back to me and I said to Cathy that, that was the moment that God had prepared for me my whole life. But then, just into my studies came the inner fight “you’ve done what it was, so leave”. I sought advice from those close to me in the church and from those close to me outside the church and that all offered the same advice-to stay, it was of no comfort to me and after weeks of internal warfare, beaten and bruised one night I laid at the Lords feet in prayer and over and over for hours begged for an answer. I cannot actually remember falling to sleep but when I woke I had the clearest words implanted that I have ever known, the non-judging and even comforting words of “it didn’t have to end this way”, followed by “know my word” and that I still don’t know and understand them all, I do understand those that bring freedom in Christ.

The Words of God the Father, the creator who always was and always is who gave His only Son to be shackled, beaten, tortured and killed only to weep for those inflicting the pain and ask His Father “to forgive them for they know not what they do”.

Shackled, beaten, tortured and un-merciless killed on the cross that those shackled, beaten and tortured in their sin and lives can kneel at the foot of His cross and be given mercy in Him that they may be restored and rise and walk in His freedom.

You and me here today and all those who believe and trust in our Lord and Saviour, though we fail-His success is ours, and though we our sin lives in us-we live in his righteousness, washed clean in His blood and accepted spotless before a God of love. Our God, God the Father. You and me, we are free in Christ to walk without fear or anxiousness of how we stand before our Father in heaven. Yet a freedom that the powers of darkness who with any means possible look to confuse and deny. The powers of darkness who tell Christians the truth of our sin to take that freedom, but the powers of darkness who lie to Christians of the consequences and have us not know that “there is no condemnation for those in Jesus Christ” (Romans 8.1).

Like to those Mandela spoke, that we know “we are now free people”, we still have that daily battle before us to realise what freedom is and what it is to live in it”.

Free in Christ to say I don’t know how baptism works but I know it does because I know the cost of our Lords life behind the promise “That those who believe and are baptised will be saved”.

Free in Christ to know that though in ourselves we have no right to approach Our Lord, but knowing in Him who gave His Body and Blood for us we come to stand or kneel at the alter in Holy Communion knowing that in His sacrifice we restored to walk forgiven and given life and salvation.

And free in Christ to evoke His name before God the Father and take it to him in prayer and know the words of 1 John 5:14-15 for ourselves, that “this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him”, and so “rejoice always; pray without ceasing. And in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Free in Christ to live in His freeing truth that some of us heard so well said in bible study on Thursday.

“A little boy brought a fistful of dandelions to his florist father who made beautiful arrangements from exquisitely lovely flowers. The boy came into the florist shop with a fistful of wilted dandelions that he had picked in a field. Without a word, he looked up to his father and shyly handed the dandelions to him. The father gladly accepted the fistful of dandelions. He told his son that they were beautiful. He took a vase, filled it with water, put the flowers into the vase, and placed it onto the middle of the counter so that everybody who came into the store that day could see the beautiful gift that his little boy had brought him”.

We are free in Christ to know His word for ourselves and free to honor Him by bringing our lives of wilted dandelions before him and calling upon Him in our day of trouble, that He may rescue us. Amen.

 

Luke 17:11-19

The maths seems simple. Ten lepers cry for mercy and are cured but only one returns to praise God and thank Jesus. The maths seems simple as so it can be when we see and make an opinion of people based on what they do and have done before us in our societies. It can seem very straightforward and uncomplicated, but it almost never is.

In my previous job in a bank we were undertaking a training session about the importance of “checks and balances” within the workplace to reduce the risk of embezzlement and the instructor said that on the law of averages if you have ten people, no matter what the situation one will always be honest, one will always be dishonest and for the other eight it will depend on their situations. Eight out of the ten that want to do the right thing but given the wrong situation, be it to feed an addiction, make the payments on a house they can’t afford or to just put food on the table are susceptible to fall into doing something they otherwise would not. It seems a damning statistic until I see Abraham and Isaac on a mountain top or God the Father giving His Son Jesus Christ to be nailed to a cross on a lonely hill in Jerusalem and realise that given the wrong situation or one of such gravity I am one of those eight, or in today’s Gospel-one of the nine.

Ten lepers. Nine Jewish and considered the people of God and one a Samaritan despised by the people of God. Two types from either side of the tracks normally separated by racial and religious differences but here united as outcasts by their societies because off their carrying a highly contagious and incurable disease that most certainly would result in premature death.

The diseased, dis-enfranchised and rejected hidden from society and living in those parts where only the odd passer-by may unwillingly stumble upon and hear their warning cries of “unclean” before taking a wide birth around them. All except Jesus who as we’ve heard heals all ten and in the commentaries I’ve read many summarise that nine of the ten in not returning took their physical healing for granted and as such did not accept His spiritual healing as evidenced in the returning and grateful Samaritan. They may be right and certainly Jesus commends the returning Samaritan but before we get on board with such judgements let’s have a closer look at these ten people and especially the nine.

Firstly, not just these lepers but with all lepers is it not a mark of high character that living under the bondage of a disease that they did not earn or deserve that they actually warned away those not inflicted from themselves. Then with these lepers, nine Jewish and one Samaritan “enemy” could they not have simply turned away from the one and had a tidy Jewish leper colony of their own. Then when Jesus approaches, as one they cry out to Him for mercy only to hear a most puzzling response “to go and show yourselves to the priests” and remarkably without hesitation or reasoned follow up questions, they do just that and in discovering on the way that they have been cured, only one returns to thank Jesus while the nine continue on their way. Which I might add is what Jesus actually asked of them never mind the thought of being able to hug loved ones for the first time in years and most importantly, to be able to once again worship in the temple to which due to their unclean illness were not able. An outcome that cannot be understated as even to this day, that the temple has been destroyed in war and cannot be rebuilt and worshipped in due to the Muslim dome on the rock being built in its place is considered by the Jewish a tragedy much greater than that of the World War II holocaust. So how could we place any judgement what so ever on these nine who for all we know gave a great witness to what Jesus did for them. Yet Jesus without condemning them, does make a favourable statement towards the Samaritan who did return and I wonder if he knew more of what was taking place than seems to be placed before us in this short piece of scripture. I’m sure he did but what He was placed before us clearly shows that at the heart of our lives should be Christ, but it still leaves me wondering of the nine what if this? And what if that?

We are left wondering and maybe that’s a good thing because that’s God’s business. Yet paradoxically, in knowing that it’s God’s business we aren’t left wondering because we know that if in fact they still haven’t fully grasped the situation we know he won’t give up on them. We know it because we’ve been there in the wilderness separated from the kingdom of God by the stain of our own illness called sin. Sin, that like leprosy for those in this scripture had no human remedy and no matter how much we could try and scrub ourselves clean with good works and pious living still could not be cleansed.

To ten lepers 2,000 years ago Christ came and gave them the simplest of instructions, to “go and show your selves to the priest”. No question and answers just seven simple words that followed in faith cured their disease. To you, me and all those in the world today Christ comes with a message akin to that of the ten. No questions, no catches. Just believe in me and you shall be saved.

So I ask you, do you believe that Jesus Christ the Son of God died on the cross for your sins. If you have answered yes-then like to a Samaritan leper He now says to you “Your faith has made you well, so rise and go your way” and tell of me to the other nine that like you, they may be cleansed of sin and stand alongside yourselves before God, clean and pure through my blood.

Through the blood of Jesus Christ who gave himself on the cross you have been given eternal life and life in this world. So fall at His feet giving Him thanks and praising God with a loud voice-that those still lost, will follow His voice and receive His peace. Amen.

 

Sermon Hebrews 11:29-12:2

How will you run your race?

 

The atmosphere is electric. Excitement and anticipation is all around. People leaning forward in their seats, just to get a better look. Children standing on seats unable to contain themselves. Hearts beginning to beat faster. There are others too whose hearts are beating faster, excitement building, unable to stop the anticipation, as they look ahead and focus on one point. The dream to be the best and to do their best has now begun. The athlete in this Olympic race stands at the starting line with now only one goal. To reach the end.

It started four years earlier for this athlete. She had missed out on a chance to run in the last Olympic Games. The next day she returned to her training plan. The early morning starts, the repeated efforts, the weights sessions. How many times had she wanted to give up? How many times did this training regime feel like a treadmill?

You know the routine, you know how it is. Wake up, eat a carefully selected breakfast, train for two hours, home for more carefully selected nutrition, weighed and analysed, short rest, some study only to return to the track again that afternoon for another training session. Recovery that evening in an ice-bath, stretching, more study, food and then bed. Only to be repeated again and again. Now all of this hard work, the set backs, the muscle strain, the early mornings has been worth it as she stands ready for the starter’s gun.

In the Olympics and in many races in life the athlete tries to win, to be the best, but what would you do if after all of that training it came undone? On youtube you can see a clip of the Olympic Games in Mexico City where in 1968 a man from Tanzania ran in the marathon. Soon after starting the race he cramped up due to the altitude and fell heavily. His wounds were hurriedly dressed and although he was in pain with a dislocated shoulder as well as his knee injury he was determined to finish the race. After the sun had set, he entered the stadium to cheers from the remaining small crowd and finished the race over an hour after the rest of the athletes. When asked why he hadn’t withdrawn from the race, he simply replied ‘My country did not send me 5000 miles to start the race, they sent me 5000 miles to finish the race.’ This man’s name was John Stephen Akhwari.

Have you ever been in a race? Perhaps not an Olympic race but a race where there was a start and a finish. How did you feel? Did you prepare your body and mind for the big event? Did you analyse your food and it’s nutritional value to assist you? Did you think about tactics or a plan for how to run your race? Perhaps you decided to go out hard and then fall over the line or hold back a bit and save some energy? What about perseverance? Would you continue even if like the Tanzanian runner you fell?

There are many ways to run a race. Our text today encourages us to, ‘run the race with perseverance the race that is set before us looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of faith.’ Yet unlike an Olympic race, this is the Christian race in life. The race that God has set before us.

In this race the vital thing is to keep our eyes on Jesus. The focus is not to run faster as in the Christian race speed is not important, rather perseverance and keeping our eyes on Jesus. Prayer, reading the bible and coming to worship are ways to help just that – to keep your eyes on Jesus.

There is only one tactic needed to run the race before you-and that is faith. Faith in Jesus Christ, the one who has run his race and now sits God’s right hand. Faith that is not earned, rather it is a gift. Faith that is so vital to us, faith that is already given in our baptism and it’s something that we grow into as we live our life in Jesus. Faith that is gift from God, strengthened by the Holy Spirit through hearing God’s word and receiving the lord’s supper.

We need to live our lives as best we can and be careful not to fall into sin, or return to sin when we have been made free from it. This sin that clings so closely to us and holds us back. When we are not sure if sin is holding us back, think about the commandments. Is there sin holding me back or clinging to me as I run my race?

When an athlete runs, he or she only wears the clothing they need for the race. They only carry what they need and no more that may weigh them down. So look at the clothes you put on. Not only the garments that cover our bodies but those other items we put on. Perhaps putting on more material things to make us feel more successful in life and to even give us more status in the race. Our texts encourages us to lay aside every weight and the sin which clings so closely and let us run. What is holding you back or weighing you down? Lighten your load by giving this all to God and run, not so much to win as you already share the victory in Jesus. Rather run as one who is free to run in faith with Jesus.

As John Stephen Akhwari said his country didn’t lay the race out for him to start but to finish the race. God lays this race out for you to not only in Jesus start it, but to finish it in Jesus. You have the victory in the one who has won the victory on the cross. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus has won the victory over sin, death and the devil. This victory is offered to all who believe, who have faith in the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, as we have heard in the one who has run His race and finished.
Yet while you run your race, there are a great cloud of witnesses who will cheer you on. All of the faithful who have gone before, who have run their race with perseverance, now encouraging you to persevere and run with determination pointing you to Jesus. Imagine running along a road with the path lined with those who have completed the race in faith and now stand there waving and cheering. Imagine the great cloud of witnesses such as David, Samson and all the prophets. Alongside are all the faithful from this congregation who have lived and died in Jesus, who have kept their eyes on Christ and who now cheer us on in our race.

As you look at the people will you see some from your community who are pointing you to Jesus along your journey when you become tired or despondent? Will you point others to Jesus as a witness along their race? Will you pray for those who are burdened? How will the world see you and how will you treat your fellow runners? Just as some had given up on John Stephen Akhwari finishing, you too may have friends, family, team mates or colleagues who will also give up, unlike the faithful, the great cloud of witnesses that remain there until you have finished. They have died and now wait for you and all Christians until we all finally received our inheritance in heaven.

Let’s not forget that you are not running alone? Christ ran the race that God set before him – humbling himself as he ran the race, a path that lead to humiliation, suffering, scourging, and finally to the cross. Christ persevered with this even though he asked his Father if his race could be changed but not my will, not my race Father but yours. No one could run the race for Jesus and no one can run your race that God has called you to run.

It might be time to ask you how your race is going? How is your nutrition going for your race? What if you run out of puff and can’t complete the journey? Be nourished and strengthened to keep running by the power of the Holy Spirit as you gather around God’s word and participating in the foretaste of heaven in Holy Communion. In faith then run, run as a free person by receiving forgiveness of sin and living under the grace bestowed upon you by God. Unlike the Olympic Games where the athlete runs alone, relying on his/her strength and preparation to finish, placing all their faith in themselves, the Christian race has something special about it. Let me re-emphasise the runner never runs alone and the runner places faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus runs with you, he walks with you and binds up your wounds when you stumble and dusts you off, yet also Jesus runs ahead clearing the way for you too. He removes stumbling blocks and carries you when you no longer can move. He is the pioneer and perfecter of your faith. He begins your faith and perfects it along the way. He is the beginning and the end of the race, so live in him and finish your race in him to finally receive, as you have now but fully then your eternal salvation.

Amen

Mark Gierus

 

Luke: 16:19-31

This Word of our Lord is to be understood with the message and setting of the Gospel we heard last week concerning the parable of the unjust Steward where Jesus was primarily talking to His disciples about a man who eventually saw the need to use his limited time not to gain worldly acceptance, but to prepare for the future, death and eternity by using wisely the temporal things they possess.

The Pharisees were listening to this and when Jesus said in verse 13 that “No servant can serve two masters; for he will either hate the one or love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” Jesus hit a raw nerve with the Pharisees who were listening because in verse 14 we are told that when “The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, they scoffed at him”. Unperturbed Jesus went on and hit them with an inconvenient truth, that “You are those who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts”

In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus addressing them and explaining to them his message, and he does this by holding up a mirror of themselves in the rich man as they are told that as the rich man enjoyed his wealth that they too, the Pharisees were lovers of money. But a significant connection is to as what they are actually doing wrong, -which both the rich man and the Pharisees don’t understand, and before we ridicule them, we need to take a step back-because the Pharisees did not break and enter houses or rage and pillage, just like we are not told of any such like activity of the rich man. For both of these, seen in the context of their world-what are they actually doing wrong?

So Jesus gives them a stark picture and shows the rich man and Lazarus as polar opposites in regards to their worldly situation, as far apart as east to west.The rich man is not struggling in the middle class, the scriptures description of his purple cloths of fine linen were the height of expensive fashion and the description of the gates that Lazarus lay at indicate his house was more like a palace, or at the least a mansion which stresses that this guy is loaded, just as we see Lazarus as homeless, destitute and with no social security back then, if he received some scraps from the rich man’s table he would consider himself fortunate and point of the dogs licking his sores is significant as this does not show sentiment towards Lazarus as dogs were considered unclean, so confirming that he was both in physical misery and an outcast. Lazarus is at the bottom of the heap.

But then the great leveler, death, and we see the roles reversed. Lazarus has been received in heaven and the rich man in hell and in his torment simply asks Abraham to send Lazarus to cool his tongue from a single drop of water from Lazarus finger.

 But there is no drop of water for him, just as there had been no food for Lazarus before. The measure by which the rich man lived was now being measured to him, and the irony abounds, while in his earthly life, the rich man feasted and lived the high life and I note that the scriptures don’t say he actually gave the scraps to Lazarus, they only say Lazarus wanted them-in his earthly life it is like he doesn’t even notice Lazarus at his gate. Yet here he knows his name, suggesting he had seen Lazarus in his pain, actually knew him but had ignored him, looked the other way, or mainly only looked after number one-himself.

 Abraham’s response is not harsh, his address as son is tender, but gives a reasoned refusal to his request and points out that in his earthly life he could have spent time with the things of God and been enlightened in the Word of God, but he chose the “good things”-fine linen, daily merriment and feasting. He had chosen what he wanted and now he must abide by his decision, and now there’s a great chasm between him and Lazarus, as far from east to west-and it cannot be crossed.
The Rich man knows his situation and implies if he knew of all the information he needed, he would have acted differently, and now asks that Lazarus be sent back from the dead to warn his brothers. This guy is one serious wheeler and dealer, no wonder he was such a good accumulator of wealth in his time of earth.

 Again we see the contrast between Lazarus and the rich man, because while the rich man is still asking for, negotiating, wheeling and dealing Lazarus is silent like he has been throughout the parable. He neither complained about his time on earth, nor does he gloat to the rich man after death, and nor does he express any resentment of the rich man’s endeavors to have him sent on errands-Throughout, he accepts what God sends him.

 But Abraham denies his request and says you had all the information you required because in his response in referring to Moses and the prophets means he had the scriptures, he had the poor at his gate-but denied both. This all seems straight forward, so why was this so confronting to the Pharisees? To answer that we look at the charge against the rich man? Was he charged because he was rich, no? Was he told to sell all his belongings and become poor himself, no?

So what was it? It was his total lack of compassion, he put himself first and foremost, and after that had no place for others in need. He had the Word of God, it told him of how he should live, how to use God’s gifts in justice and support of others yet he chose not to.

 And in honesty that can be difficult, because like the rich man, I know what I should do-but it is difficult. Look at our society, people work extremely hard, come home exhausted, flop on the lounge, put on the T.V. only be blasted with advertisements imploring that they need this and this: then all of a sudden-we seem to need it, it goes from I would like to have to a I must have. But the Word of the Lord, says no, take a step back so you can see things clearly. And this reminds me of the reporter talking to one of the early Astronauts, who asked what was it like? And he responded, “I looked toward earth, a peaceful blue world shining in the darkness, it is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, but then I could see my mind, wars, starvation, famine, arguments over insignificant “garbage”, and I asked, what are we doing down there? And I think to myself, what if I was showing an intergalactic visitor around earth who

remarks what a wonderful place, it’s so beautiful-look at the treasures you have. Your food, your friends, your technology-What a great place. But then he notices amongst my beautiful world, some homeless up the street, people downtrodden, no respect being given to the aged, injustice. Then on T.V. he sees a documentary on countries where scores of people are dying of starvation and where people endeavoring to escape such places, are jailed because, seemingly to him, the one’s with plenty, like myself seem to think they are a threat to my way of life. Right now I think I would be trying to change the subject.

 Even more sobering is what if that intergalactic visitor who I was talking to was God the Father? Our God who works in mysterious ways. With one of his most mysterious being his game plan of allowing humans to care for his people. And we do, Christians and non-Christian’s alike. Walt Disney’s only reason for building Disneyland was because when was young he could only look through the gates at the other children enjoying themselves- in theme parks: so as a young child, his dye was set in that he would build a park where all children could afford to visit. Bill gates gives enormous amounts of money to charities. And some may say, yes it must be hard because after giving he’s down to his last few billion. But the point is he doesn’t have to give, and significantly, he hasn’t only been charitable since acquiring his extreme wealth. Because, when he was about to marry, his mother only gave his wife to be one word of advice “our family thing is we give to the needy, way before we became so fortunate, that’s what we do, Bill will not change about that”.

And down to our level, we show compassion to those in need. Being rich is not the problem, and yes we are the rich man-but we do show compassion. But then, I think back to St. Paul’s words-I do what I do not want to do, and don’t do what I want to do. And this is the problem, with our world’s rampant consumerism, our sin; we give, have compassion, but sometimes fall asleep at the wheel. Ironically we know God is working through us and what an honour that is, but we also know our efforts are sometimes tainted, sometimes we’d rather not, and sometimes may look the other way. We have shown compassion as directed by the Word, yet no matter what we do, how much we give-we know we come up short. Our whole life seems like a battle. Now we see we are not only the rich person, we are Lazarus-we need and desire for compassion. Even when we seem to be doing the right thing, it can still seem like its three quarter time, we’re ten goals behind and kicking into the wind and we need a miracle. So what can we do?

 General Norman Swartzkof, the commanding general in Desert Storm one when the allied forces regained Kuwait was asked what do you do when in a battle situation and you are confused and are unsure of the direction to take. He responded and said, when in a situation as you have suggested, I return to rule 4 of the US forces handbook, which states make a decision, back it all the way and do not second guess yourself. Some where do we go when we need a miracle, so we don’t have to second guess ourselves about where we stand in relation to our life to what God desired of us. We turn to Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Who does not reject our request for a drop of water to sooth our lips in our torment, but gushes forward soothing water in our baptism. Gives us himself in Holy Communion and in His Word So that we no longer need to doubt, but to go forward to meet God the Father who no longer sees our ways and shortfalls, but sees us washed clean by the lamb his Son, and saved in faith in Christ alone your sins are taken from you as far apart as from east to west and welcomed home as His good and trustworthy servant. Amen.

 

“Losing to gain”

Luke 16:1-13

In studying this text it was very clear that this is a tough piece of scripture to understand and some theologians differ in their viewpoints to some of its many parts.

In preaching and teaching, like in our Christian lives the topic is always the good news of Jesus and that is how it always must be. But like we don’t look from afar to those in need, nor did Christ to us as he came to us in the muck to bring us the truth.

Our muck that cost His life that we may for ourselves understand Him when he tells us “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free”

This is a difficult text and I pray that “the words of my lips and the Meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you Lord”.

Everyone in this life has and will experience and live with pain. That’s just how it is and we all deal with it differently, or at least we think we do.

In the last year of studies at the Seminary/Australian Lutheran College the potential pastoral graduates take together a three month “physc.” type class that is not designed to understand others but to bring out our own stuff and help with understanding ourselves. It is a little like the “Better Blokes” concept where in a safe and non-judgemental environment the participants sometimes for the first time lay it all on the table.

For some, to re-live the un-liveable is too much and a horrific and harrowing experience. And that I would prepare for sleep knowing that my regular nightmares and thrashing of arms and legs awaited me in my sub-conscious state, it did not concern me and the lecturer made comment to the unusual, almost callous strength I had of carrying on without any wounds from the pain of life’s hardships.

Yet when I found out this week that our good friends and a colleague of mine is coping with the harrowing prospect of losing their 15 week old baby still in the womb, I realised I was wrong and for the first time, I think I understood Jesus’ words He has told us today because while Jesus sets this parable about mammon (money) it could be any of the multitude of “retail therapies” that we gravitate towards to hide our innermost fears of not being as successful or strong in our earthly dream as it was meant to be and try to deceive others and indeed ourselves like a photo shopped portrait on Facebook, and “stop me in my tracks” on a first reading of this passage of scripture Jesus seems to be impressed with the wisdom it takes to pull off such a charade. Jesus knows cunning when he sees it, yet the cleverness he acknowledges here is the type displayed in a guy I once worked with who had remarkable ways of avoiding work, yet ironically he spent more effort getting out of work than simply doing the work put before him in the first place.

Like to that man, Jesus warns us of spending a lot of effort focussing on hiding our shortcomings, our shame, our fears and our sin from others and ourselves to “fit in” and be accepted because eventually and ultimately our eyes will be drawn away of our relationship with God the Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

We all like to be accepted by those around us but should our Facebook portrait be different to the one we see in the mirror each day we are building our self-worth on a house of cards that will sooner or later come tumbling down and that is the central point of this text found in verse 9 of the steward only wanting hospitality now, up and against Jesus pointing to His eternal welcome saying:

“And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into eternal wealth”.

An earthly rise before our fall to where we have to face those things hidden in the nether regions of our sub conscious minds and souls and throw the guilt, the shame and the pain at our Lord’s feet and understand the words “Lord have mercy” truly for the first time and line up alongside a slave trader and know for ourselves what he found in the depths that “we were once lost, but now are found. Was blind, but now see that it was grace that taught our hearts to fear and grace that relieved them”.

Jesus said “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” His truth and freedom that came in the darkness of His death and in the light of His resurrection. His truth and freedom that shines into the darkness of our souls that we too are raised up in our earthly lives and understand the words of Isaiah not from ourselves, but for ourselves from our Lord and Saviour who has accepted you as you are, forgiven your sins, and wherever you may go continues to travel with to lead you home. And “Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men and women stumble badly, yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary” and in each of our hearts heed His words “That my grace is sufficient for thee, for most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me”. That together as one we can profess, that “The Lord is our strength and our song, and he has become our salvation; this is our God, and we will praise him our father’s God, and we will exalt him.

The other day while driving, I noticed a boy walking not to school, but away from school and later found out that he misses a lot of school because after he’s dropped off, he wanders the streets till classes finish and can then return home”.

As our offerings to the Lord are accepted, I would like to play two songs in the same order as John Schumann has placed them on his “Behind the lines album”. The first of a young nurse named “Rachel” broken by the reality of war and life, followed by his singing of “Wings of an eagle” because I was wrong, the pain can hurt and I beg and pray to Christ that he “will mount that school boy and others like him up with wings like eagles. That they too will run and not get tired and that they will walk and not become weary” and that though through many dangers, toils and snares they still travel, that the grace that has kept them safe so far will become known to them, that they too may follow it home.

Amen, let it be so.

 

Peace and grace to you. Amen.

Text: Luke 15:4-6

Jesus said, “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them—what do you do? You leave the other ninety-nine sheep in the pasture and go looking for the one that got lost until you find it. When you find it, you are so happy that you put it on your shoulders and carry it back home. Then you call your friends and neighbours together and say to them, “I am so happy I found my lost sheep. Let us celebrate!”

As you may or not know, Cathy and Josh took me to Sydney over the last 3 days.

A few things stick out, the beauty of the harbour, how the architecture is so mixed up-bran new next to old, how friendly all bar 2 or three people were and how the car drivers see a gap a few feet wide when changing lanes and go for it-those drivers would be great NRL/Aussies rules players.

It was a wonderful 74 hours from departure to return home with memories that will never leave me. All of them, and not the least when on my why back to the motel in middle Sydney, a young man of about 25 years old, well dressed in a suite bought a muffin from the deli or a

Billy Baxter’s type of place knelt down and gave it to a homeless man on a bench with his bottle of cheap wine and after, as he walked away, looked back with an obvious heartfelt compassion.

Who knows the homeless mans story, and who knows the story of the well dressed professional. Maybe underneath they are the same-and maybe this is, or was their story.

As the sun slowly peeked over the horizon, the sheep one by one opened their eyes to greet the new day. Their shepherd had herded them into the sheep pen last night and they felt safe and secure because they knew that the shepherd was watching over them and protecting them.

Suddenly there was a panicky bleating that started with one voice and then the whole flock joined in. The shepherd was not sleeping in the gateway to the pen as he did every night. Where was he and why would he leave us?

They thought “He’s abandoned us. The shepherd has abandoned us!” The flock was in blind panic and they all joined in the cry condemning him as an irresponsible and reckless shepherd. They would all die. A bear or a wolf would soon see that the shepherd was not there and what would follow was too horrible to think about.

The frenzy carried on until after sunup, when one of them saw the shepherd coming over a distant hill. The sheep rejoiced. They jumped and frolicked and bleated with joy but their celebration didn’t last long. There, on the shepherd’s shoulders – was a sheep! One of their own who was always getting into trouble, always the last to do as told, losing the way and sending everyone into a panic. Just different and didn’t really fit in with the other sheep. Truth was No-one had even missed one of their own that morning.

The sheep were dumbstruck. What was the big idea? The shepherd had left all the good, cooperative, and well-meaning sheep to go rescue an uncooperative and silly one.

The sheep held a meeting and appointed the ram to take the flock’s complaint to the shepherd. They had it all written out and their complaint read like this:

Whereas, some days ago, we, the sheep were left alone to fend for ourselves, and

whereas, we were given no indication that the shepherd intended to return and

whereas, the uncertainty over the shepherd’s return caused serious distress amongst us, and

whereas all this distress was caused over a sheep that nobody really likes very much in the first place,

therefore be it resolved:

that we, the sheep, do strongly protest our abandonment on the night in question,

that we demanding a full explanation of the reasons for said abandonment, and

that we demand an apology for such thoughtless and irresponsible action on the part of the shepherd.

We demand better care and consideration.

Signed … The Flock

When the shepherd received the message, he called a meeting of all the sheep, and responded to each of the items in turn.

“Yes, it’s true I left the flock a few nights ago, and you were left to fend for yourselves for a while, but one of your own was in danger and goodness knows where she might have ended up. Nobody objected those other times I went out to look for one of your lost lambs.”

“Yeah but it’s different – that was a lamb,” answered one of the sheep,

“As to the part about not knowing whether I’d come back,

Haven’t I always come back and never abandoned you before? Haven’t I always protected you from wolves and taken you to fresh pastures and streams of clear water? I have never abandoned you before, why would I start now?”

“And as to this part about it being unfair, what was unfair about it? Wouldn’t I have done the same for any of you?”

“Well,” said the ram, “going out and saving all the rest of us, that’s one thing. But, you put all the rest of us in jeopardy for her.” He pointed to the once lost sheep who, true to form, was already starting to nibble her way some distance from the rest of the flock and would most likely need the shepherd to get her back again.

“That’s what really bothers us”, said the ram, “Why didn’t you just let her take her chances? She didn’t deserve to get saved. She doesn’t deserve so many chances. When will you go off again to look for that ditsy sheep and leave us alone?”

And for once, though he probably didn’t know it, the ram had told the truth. The lost sheep didn’t deserve to get saved but neither did any of the others deserve the care and protection the shepherd gave them.

This story would have had a movie type happy ending if it concluded with “the lost sheep never wandered off again, the flock never complained again and they all lived happily ever after”. But In real life at some time the shepherd had to carry every one of the sheep on his shoulders even when they were uncooperative, unwilling and complaining.

The ram and the rest of the sheep were right when they said that the lost and wandering sheep didn’t deserve to be loved by the shepherd the way she was. Jesus had the same problem because people were saying that the people he mixed with and shared dinner with didn’t deserve to be sitting at the same table as this distinguished teacher. They complained, “This man welcomes outcasts and even eats with them!”

They didn’t understand the kind of love that Jesus has. It’s a love that looks past the ugliness of disease and sin.

He reaches out to social outcasts, and touches the oh so shabby and contaminated lepers.

He didn’t shy away from the demon possessed.

He had no problem with the Samaritans even though they were despised by everyone else,

and when he spoke about the Good Samaritan, and talked with the Samaritan woman at the well and the Samaritan leper, the love of God was shown in even brighter colours. Jesus had no problem with the tax collectors or with those who openly showed their hatred toward him.

Even the Pharisees were not beyond the reach of his love. We call it “grace”. Jesus loves sinners and even dies for them even though his love is completely undeserved.

We know it makes more sense logically for the shepherd to forget about the wilful disobedient sheep and look after only those who were willing to trust him and really appreciate everything he does for them. That’s how we operate mostly.

If someone does something nice for us we respond with a similar nicety and when someone hurts us we respond with equal and even greater hurt.

Rarely would we respond to unkindness with extra generous kindness or reply to rude words with gentle and tender words. It just goes against the grain to respond in this way.

And this is the point that Jesus is making to those who criticised him for mixing with social outcasts, open sinners, the helpless, the marginalised, the dispossessed and the oppressed. He doesn’t treat them with the scorn and disgust expected from a holy man. He does the opposite. He welcomes them and even eats dinner with them – a sign of acceptance as people whom God loves and wants them to be a part of the Kingdom of God as much as anyone else. Jesus is making a statement through his eating with these people that they are valuable and treasured by God as much as, and perhaps even more so, than those who think they are righteous and well-connected when it comes to sitting at table with Jesus.

In Jesus’ parable it made more sense to look after the ninety-nine sheep who had stayed near the shepherd Jesus and not been tempted by greener grass elsewhere, rather than go tramping all over the wilderness looking for one silly sheep who will repeatedly wander away from its caring shepherd because it thinks it can take care of itself in a hostile world.

To the shepherd every sheep is a treasure; every sheep is valuable; no sheep will be lost if he can help it even if that sheep is obstinate and rebellious. That’s the kind of love that Jesus has for us.

It’s the kind of love that led God’s Son to leave the safety of heaven and became one of us, he suffered and died for us, he risked everything for us, because of his love for the lost. He is passionate about the lost and did everything possible to make sure that the lost don’t stay that way and are safe by his side. He wants none of his sheep to face God’s judgement for rejecting the love that is shown to them in such a generous and unrelenting way.

Jesus concludes his parable with the shepherd saying, “I am so happy I found my lost sheep. Let us celebrate!” Each of Jesus’ stories about seeking the lost ends with a party.

In the kingdom of God, when the lost are found there is great rejoicing. When one sinner repents and responds to the love and care of the shepherd there is great rejoicing in heaven. You can imagine the angels happy and celebrating every time someone who is lost is found and welcomed home by our heavenly Father. Each time Jesus talks about the lost being found you can sense something of the passion he has for making sure that no-one stays lost. His passion for the lost even extended to the cross where he gave his life for those who had lost the way and nailed the Son of God to a wooden beam.

A question that needs to be asked in view of this parable is this – how passionate are we about seeking out the lost and returning them to the safety and grace of their shepherd? It’s easy to deflect that kind of question to others or to the congregation as a whole and in that way let ourselves off the hook. It’s easy to hear this Word of God and say, “When will the congregation take God’s passion for the lost seriously” or “When will this person or that committee or council take seriously the seeking and saving of the lost?”

Rather than looking around at others first of all we need to ask ourselves that question, “Do I have the passion of the shepherd to leave all else behind and seek out the lost?” “What have I done to seek out and carry on our shoulders those who are lost – lost not only in the sense of missing from the side of the shepherd but also those lost in trouble, or sickness, or sin, or whatever else causes them to be separated from the One who truly values and loves them? Have I had reason to join the angels in heaven and rejoice over one person who is lost but has now been found?

God’s grace is to be shared. It comforts, soothes, forgives, reassures, values each of us as individuals and it also drives us to ensure that everyone gets to know and appreciate how much God loves them and wants every single person who is in some way lost to return to their heavenly Father.

God’s grace seeks us out and through the blood of his Son restores us to his flock again and it challenges us to be like Jesus to seek and to save the lost. Amen. Adaptation of message from Pastor Vince Gerhardy.

 

“The day before the day after”

Luke 14:25-33

I was writing this the day before our national election and as I write, considering the battle of wits that we’ve seen over the past months I’m not sure if I’ll be happy or sad that this real life political version of master chef, the apprentice or big brothers is finally over with. Cloak and dagger, miss-placed loyalties, school yard bullying and half-truths-if it were the newly released T.V mini-series it may attract quite an audience. Problem is this is not a fictional sit com in the 7.30 time slot to be applauded for its drama; it has real outcomes that effect real people and that being the case, wouldn’t it be nice-that whether we like it or not that we could just be told how it is in clear non jargon and non-drip feeding brutal truth and honesty so that we really know just where we stand. The hindrance of such truth though is the truth itself because if a politician did tell us, they may lose the election because of it. Winston Churchill once said that “Democracy is the worst form of government (except from the other that have been tried) apart from the alternatives” and he’s right and that’s why millions over time have given their lives for freedom and democracy. Yet as he said it has it’s shortfalls like in our political system here where today on day one, that the new Prime Minister has only been given three years till the next makes it hard for him to tell and bring in hard core change. I honestly feel for politicians because I believe most are true believers, or at least went in as true believers, but it must be hard to keep on track and not get lost in the whims of the day and govern to a long term goal without the surety of making it there in the first place. But that’s life and the same could be said of our own personal plans of employment, health and worldly well-being. Plans that are good and plans to work towards. Yet plans that may have to be adapted or even given up on as the world and our lives and priorities change over the shifting sands of time as seen in incidents such as what’s going on in the Middle East at the moment.

We live in an ever changing and sometimes confusing world. Yet as Christians we live knowing of the sure outcome of eternal life. Two polar opposites yet joined together in the faith of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in which Martin Luther described “as a living daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a person could stake their life on it a thousand times”. Faith in Jesus Christ is knowing you are forgiven and saved, and forgiven and saved in faith is knowing that when you are called from this earth it is not the end but the start of the eternal where “never again will you suffer from grief, death, crying or pain.”

At the Synod in Adelaide in regards to the sometimes intense discussions over women’s ordination our previous bishop stated “that scripture is not unclear on the subject as some have suggested, rather it is our ears that are unclear to scripture” and indeed in our mortal human lives on this earth there is much of God’s ways that seem to make no sense or confuse us and that’s O.K. But let not the powers of darkness lead you away from the one truth that all their forms of deception are directed to. ” That in faith in Jesus Christ alone you are truly saved, forgiven and given eternal life.

If that is the only thing you will ever know for sure it is enough, because that is the only truth that sustains in times such as spoken of, or even warned of in Jesus’ seemingly hard words heard today in the Gospel.

When about twenty five years old I was coaching a country football team and having made the Grand final I asked that for that week if they could look after themselves with their diet of what they ate and drank and if only for that week alone to put preparing for the weekend as the number one thing on their list. They agreed, except for the vice caption who took me aside and said “sorry but Jesus is always at the top of my list regardless of the situation”. I was stopped in my tracks-a little like in hearing Jesus words today in the gospel where he forewarns those listening of what just may come from following him.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”

Heavy words not designed to create a rift in families, but designed to prepare us for what may come from following Christ, up and against when the powers of darkness entice us to give excuses to put ourselves and other worldly things, including earthly life itself ahead of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

This message from Christ as seen through the context of those in reasonable health and living in the comfort of a free country like ours stop us in your tracks similar to how much of the book of revelations does. Yet in the context of imminent death, be it on a hospital bed, on a battlefield or through religious persecution as was the case for Christians when Jesus said this, and as indeed is the case in many parts of the world still to this day, these words like the last words in the bible prior to the benediction of “come Lord Jesus!” bring life out of death in that we will know for ourselves like that of our Lord Saviour himself who on the cross and after having accomplished His work of salvation gave up his spirit not in despair, but in the sure knowledge of what awaited him with his final Words “It is finished”.

Jesus Christ our Saviour does not lie and just as eternal death was finished in him, so too has eternal life arisen in him and though parts of scripture may be unclear through our ears, let it be clear that in faith in Jesus Christ, regardless of how far you may fall or to the heights you may climb that in faith in Jesus Christ alone you are saved and given eternal life.

The truth of our Lord and Saviour for both the end of our journeys and in our journeys of today. His Words that we heed and take with us as we carry our crosses in this world and as we work and live amongst the people and situations he has placed us, and that our crosses of sadness and hurt may be heavy, they are made light in the knowledge of what our Saviour has brought us. And though we may befriend and help those who repay us with scorn, abuse or by taking advantage of us, it is of no consequence because you know his truth, and his truth has set you free from the failings of yourself and from the failings of this world and given a new perspective where win lose or draw, you have already won. That in abuse from others or in thanks, we give ourselves to them because he has given himself to us and should the cross we bear be heavy, we carry it with us knowing of the cross that he carried for us. His cross that he bore for us, heavy with the weight of the sin of the world has freed us to rejoice in all things and all times.

There’s a great poetic lyric from a song on the airwaves at the moment (from passenger)

“I know a woman with kids around her ankles and a baby on her lap

She said one day her husband went to get a paper and …….. never came back

Mortgage to pay and four kids to raise, keeping the wolf from the door

She said the wolf’s just a puppy and the door’s double locked so why you gotta worry me for

Now he left a in hole in my heart a hole in a promise a hole on the side of my bed

Oh now that he’s gone well life carries on and I miss him like a hole in the head

Well sometimes you can’t change and you can’t choose

And sometimes it seems you gain less than you lose

Now we’ve got holes in our hearts, yeah we’ve got holes in our lives

Where we’ve got holes, we’ve got holes but we carry on”

And carry on we do. Not hiding our light but letting it shine and though your own song may have a tough chorus, it is your song that has brought you to where you are in the knowledge of his love.

It is true that we may be but beggars, but in Christ we are his and that is all that matters

So sing your song, for your song is his song. Sing it loud and live it proud knowing that in you he has painted a masterpiece that opens others eyes that they may too see the master painter. The master painter of life: The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who said “it is done” and who now waits to welcome home “his good and trusted servants”. Your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who waits to welcome you home and our Lord and Savior who wills to welcome all home. We rejoice in that truth, and rejoice as we serve him and those he places before us, no matter to us the earthly consequence. Amen.

 

Sermon: John 2:13-22

“Fair Crack of the whip”

 

Have you ever been part of breaking the protocols or rules of the day? That’s a bit of a silly question because we are Australians and that’s part of our DNA.
But what if breaking these protocols, or these ways of doing things need changing? When you are the few against the majority it can be very difficult, if not downright dangerous.
In the American civil war, a complex war but essentially characterized about North Vs. South. The North that did not have slavery against the South that did. The General of the south Robert E. Lee was attending church. Upon getting up from his pew to take Holy Communion, he noticed that a slave who had started to get up, noticed him and sat back down. On his way past him, he put his hand on his shoulder and said “come up with me, before God we are all equal”.
That may not sound that daunting until we reflect that segregation based on the color of a person’s skin was still a problem for President John F Kennedy in the 60’s.
These two men took enormous risks, both politically and physically-because they challenged and broke the rules of the day.In our Gospel today, we see Jesus breaking a cultural, religious and social way of doing things in his times.
Last week I mentioned a quote from the movie Jerry Maguire. This week another one from it comes to mind (I have actually watched more than one movie in my life). Jerry is working for this organization and in a moment of “inspiration”, writes a memo to the bosses and every employee stating everything that’s wrong in their workplace.
The next day, everyone’s slapping his back saying ÿer Jerry, great stuff”, then as he walks off they say to each other “gone by Friday”.
Jesus in his words and actions in today’s Gospel puts it all on the line. Seen later when the authorities use these actions and words against him in his trial to be sentenced to crucifixion.
Starting at verse 13: “Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables”.
Jesus is brandishing a whip. Remember in the Garden of Gethsemane when the guards come to arrest Jesus, Peter cuts off one of their ears with a sword to protect Jesus, in which Jesus tells him “to put his sword away”.But here, Jesus has the whip out-he is not a happy man, (and) to our ears, animals, doves and money changers-it seems a bit of a rabble-so it seems fair enough that Jesus has taken exception to all this-apart for one small matter-celebrating the Passover is, as recorded in Leviticus, as per God’s command.
Leviticus 23:4 “These are the feasts of the Lord, holy celebrations which you shall proclaim..On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover…and you shall bring offerings..”
To understand why the Passover is such a big deal to the Jews, Jesus and indeed God himself we need to know the background. To do so we go back to the book of Exodus. God has enlisted Moses to be the middle man- to bring about the release of the Israelites who are captives-slaves in Egypt.
In short, Moses’ request for their release is declined by the Pharaoh. Then, in an effort to have the Pharaoh change his mind-God brings plaques upon the Egyptians. Our modern equivalent would be like our trade sanctions against rebel countries that won’t toe the line. Firstly the rivers are turned to blood, so that it cannot be drank and the fish die. Then the place is overrun with frogs, then lice, flies, the livestock die, everyone gets painful boils, huge hail stones that kill everything not under cover, locusts and then pitch darkness for three days.
But after these nine plaques, the Pharaoh remains resolute. So God unleashes His piece of résistance. God instructs Moses to tell the Israelites that on the first month of the year on the tenth day, each household shall take an unblemished lamb and keep it until the fourteenth day, then they will kill and eat all of it with unleavened bread and put its blood on the doorposts of their houses. Because that night: and let’s hear it from God himself: Exodus chapter 12, verse 12 “For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both person and beast; and against all the God’s of Egypt I will execute judgment. Now the blood on your door frames shall be a sign. And when I see the blood, I will Passover you; and the plague shall not be on you”. God continues, “This day shall be to you a memorial: and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance”. As God had predicted, after a tragedy of these proportions for the Egyptians-every family losing their firstborn-including the Pharaoh-the Israelites were not just released-the Pharaoh drove them out-enough was enough-no more.The Israelites were released-free, and as commanded by God-every year in the temple the Passover was commemorated. That’s why it was such a big deal. So important that from all over Israel the people would journey to the temple in Jerusalem to make sacrifice’s like in the initial Passover.Again, we have to understand the times; Israel in comparison to Australia is a small country, but not small when your Landcruiser is a donkey or just your two feet. Just getting to Jerusalem was a huge feat, or at least their feet probably were time they got there. So, they didn’t bring their animal sacrifices with them, they bought them when they got there.
What of the money changers? Again we must consider the times. These people from different locations traded in different currencies. So they would go to the money changers and exchange their currencies for the local currency, so they could purchase their sacrifices.  Just like if we went to England, we trade our Aussie Dollars for pounds.
So there’s a 101 of the Passover history, and the goings on all seem to make sense. Yet Jesus brings out the whip.
In Australian, when we get told off for what we think is not wrong-we may use the term “fair crack of the whip”. But we see, indeed literally-it was a fair crack of the whip. Because upon Jesus entering the house of God, not outside it, but in it he sees a market place. People not just undertaking commercial enterprises-which is bad enough, but also profiteering-ripping off people who come to worship. He sees people and their actions getting in the way of true devotional worship-getting in the way between God and His people.
Fast forward two thousand years-to today’s times. As yet, thankfully I have never attended a church full of sheep, goats or doves about to be sacrificed.
Thankfully because they are no longer needed. Our unblemished lamb of sacrifice is Jesus himself. Jesus is our Passover. In Jesus-our sins are passed over and we are free of them-released from their captivity.We don’t come to church to bring-we come to church to receive. We don’t take to worship, we take from worship.There’s a lovely article in this month’s Lutheran, and I quote:
“One morning I was all hot and bothered because the old people at the church had trampled all over my brilliant idea. Why are they so boring? Why aren’t they passionate about their faith? I railed at Miss Perry. Why don’t they ever do anything? Why do they think that being a Christian is just warming a pew on Sunday mornings? Ever so quietly, Miss Perry said, Linda, are you sure you will still be warming a pew when you’re their age? By then you’ll have experienced much heartache and disappointment, with people and with God. Are you sure you’ll be as strong in your faith then as you are now”. Miss Perry has nailed it. Not because she told this young girl that enthusiasm is not good, because she didn’t. Of course we should always look at ways to connect with each other and the people around us. Always look at ways that might help bring and strengthen people’s, and our relationship with God. It’s an absolute yes to that.But she has nailed two things-One: How our lives can be tough-it’s not just all smooth sailing, and our faith will be tested, and Two: to get through these times with our faith and trust in God intact can be quite a miracle. The miracle’s we receive in worship. Hearing the Word of God, absolution and forgiveness, Baptism and Holy Communion. Word and Sacrament is where God gives his life strengthening miracles to us.
Word and Sacrament-To the world, what these bring seem ridiculous. Even parts of the Christian church ridicule the truth by questioning and denying scripture and its teachings and promises. These assaults on the Word of God and divine worship are from the same brush that Jesus encountered at the Passover. As I said, the church must always look at ways of connecting, of connecting so people will come to know God. But the Church must also stand up for the truth. Stand for something or stand for nothing at all.
In the book of Revelations we are given an account of seven churches-their positives and their negatives, except for the one titled the lukewarm church. Chapter 3, verse 15: Ï know of your works, that are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth”. Harsh words. Lukewarm, could this be like receiving the grace of God, his gifts we receive in worship in a “maybe they’ll help” manner.
In worship we hear and receive the Gospel. In Word and Sacrament we are given strength to believe, to be given faith and for our faith to be strengthened. Faith like that of General Robert E Lee, essentially fighting for slavery and a slave-that both approached our Lord and Savior as equals. Equals that deserve crumbs yet receive a banquet.
Today, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has forgiven your sins and strengthened your faith. It’s a gift and a miracle beyond our understanding. In Christ alone, we are saved.
Martin Luther was prepared to die for that belief, Jesus Christ died for it to be truth. And we live because it is the truth. Amen.

 

Luke 13:10-17

I’d like to begin to day by asking you to take a moment to look around you, I want you to look carefully at the people who are sitting around you. Do any of them look hungry; do any look thirsty, tired, lonely, unwell, incapacitated, or burdened in some way? OK now let’s focus our attention back here again. It can be difficult to see some of those things with a simple glance. If you noticed something and had the ability would you do something to fix them up right here and right now? Would you wait until after the service, or one day during the week or maybe the following week? It’s hard to say what we would do in any given situation unless we are actually presented with it.

Jesus was presented with a situation in our text; the woman appeared and had a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. He knew what to do, he called her over, he had the power to set her free from her ailment and he did. The time was right, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” and he acted.

The people who were watching weren’t so sure about what he had done though. The law states that we are to “Observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work—you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns, so that your male and female slave may rest as well as you.”

Here was Jesus, teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath and then disobeying the direct command of God by healing a woman – their interpretation of doing work on the Sabbath! The leader of the synagogue was indignant and was telling the crowd what Jesus had done wrong. But Jesus answered straight back calling him and those who were supporting him hypocrites and explaining that they would all allow their donkeys to be lead off to have a drink of water on Sabbath. So it stands to reason that it should be OK to do the right thing by this woman regardless of what day it is, and even more so that it is appropriate that she be set free from her bondage on the Sabbath day.

Jesus didn’t want the woman to suffer for another day longer, after all she had been suffering for eighteen years already, and he wanted her to be healed, set free, right then and there. He set aside tradition and law and did what needed to be done for her.

Everyone there rejoiced at what Jesus had done, it was wonderful, his opponents had been put to shame and the woman had been set free. Shouldn’t that be what happens on our Sabbath?

Let’s take a moment to think about our own Sabbath day. We celebrate it on a Sunday because that is the day of the week when Jesus rose from the dead, when he won the victory over death for our sake. How do your Sundays look? Do you do any work? Are you carrying any burdens, are you hungry, thirsty, tired, lonely or unwell? What would it take to fix them? Do you come to worship to be healed? Is this time on Sunday set aside for building you up and healing you or do you do it out of obligation or a sense of duty? Is it about setting aside time to worship God and give him thanks for all that he has done for you? Is Sunday a time of rejoicing for you or a day of burdens?

Sunday (your Sabbath) should be a time when Jesus sets you free. He wants you to come to him, just like the woman in today’s reading did and receive healing. He wants to take away your burdens and set you free from their bondage. He wants you to be joyful in all of the wonderful things he is doing for you.

You may be asking yourself “How are we set free through worship?” We begin our service with a confession and absolution, here we come before God, just like the woman did and tell God what ails us? The pastor asks the questions to prompt you to think about the things that are going on in your life that are dragging you down, that are crippling you. It may be that the situation you are in is making you angry at God, that is something to confess to him, seek his forgiveness and be set free from its bondage. There are people in our congregation who are unable to move around freely because of physical conditions, there are those who are unwell. Some of you are having financial difficulties or are tied to mortgages and loans that make you feel like there is a big weight hanging on your shoulders. There are work situations that are making life unbearable, some are contemplating their transition into retirement. There are loads of ways that Satan gets his grip on us to drag us down and lay blame on God. Our time of confession is perfect to name those things in your heart and give them over to God for his forgiveness.

The next step in our service is to hear the forgiveness spoken to you, As a called and ordained servant of the Word, I announce the grace of God to all of you. On behalf of my Lord Jesus Christ and by his command, I forgive the sins of all of you who repent and believe. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Go in peace. This peace comes from having your sins forgiven, from being set free from your burdens.

Then we are fed by God’s Word and after that we are fed with the body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. This is a physical and spiritual gift from God to us, to build us up and to heal us. He feeds us because we need it. Without it we will shrivel up and die. This is spiritual food that gives us new life, each and every time we receive it. It is for our good that we come and receive it. Each time that we do we are healed on the Sabbath by Jesus.

Jesus was a bit of a rebel, he ate with tax collectors and sinners, he conversed with prostitutes and did work on the Sabbath. Each time he did it was for a purpose, to set people free from the bondage of sin and the devil. He has given us the Sabbath for our healing, to serve us and for us to give him thanks and worship him. He wants us to come and be fed and healed, he rejoices when we do and wants us to rejoice with him!

Don’t let Satan stop you being fed by Jesus and his Word and Sacraments, don’t let him stop others being fed. Jesus has power over all things, he has the power to save us from the grip of Satan, he has the power to heal us and forgive us. He wants to be in a relationship with us, where we come to him to be healed and fed because we are in need. He calls us to come and worship him. All we have to do is come, enjoy our time of Sabbath rest, and be prepared to go out into the world and shine his light in it.

Amen

 

“Though we may Bolt, His Aim is endurance”

Jeremiah 23:23-29, Hebrews 11:29-12:2,
Luke 12: 49-56

Grace, Peace and Hope to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, and may the words of my lips and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable to you Lord-Amen.

Some years ago a football club known for its party culture yet yearning for success enticed a legendary coach out of retirement. He accepted but by the third game was sacked and I still remember the president of the club saying (from how I remember it) “We had too, because while we knew that he would bring some hard truths to the club, to see some players in tears because of it was too much”, and I remember thinking no wonder they are unsuccessful, and still to this day they are looking for that elusive championship.

The truth can hurt, but so too can be not listening to it.

Early in my banking career I was invited to dinner with senior staff and valued customers and when one of them arrived late he was greeted by all at the table rising to greet him, except for me. Later in the evening he publicly and embarrassingly tore strips off me for not greeting him with the same respect that the others had shown him. Fair enough and it was a very good lesson for me that I’ve never forgotten. The problem was though, that what he didn’t realise was that the reason I didn’t stand and greet him like the others was because I considered myself inferior to him and to the other guests, and so thought it was not my place not to bother him by extending out my hand because why would he want to acknowledge anyone as lowly as me.

When I think of him and his public degrading of me a certain word comes to mind that is best not said here, but the point is that even though his manner of teaching was appalling and really about himself more than me, he did teach me a valuable lesson.

In our lives sometimes the saying “it’s not what you say but how you say it” is appropriate, as too is sometimes the reverse in that “it’s what you say, and not how you say it”. As Christians adhering to the belief that God has revealed His eternal truths to us in His inspired, inerrant word, the Bible, and that it alone is the basis of Christian faith (2 Timothy 3:15-17, John 17:17) and the source of all inspiration and teaching, I would suggest ours is “that it’s both what we say and how we say it” and after hearing todays scripture readings I find myself today and daily needing to pray with fervour our opening prayer and request that “the words of my lips and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable to you Lord”.

The Lords words today I would suggest are a bit of a wakeup call to me and maybe all of us. Firstly in Jeremiah God condemns the spiritual leaders for misleading people, that by not warning them of the impending judgement it has allowed people to slide into idolatry and immorality. Then, todays Gospel text smells of fire and warfare as Jesus in knowing of the opposition he would encounter offers no sugar coating to the apostles in preparing them for their own struggles and the crosses they will bear in following him. Finally, in the epistle which is always designed to bring light to how the gospel looks in our lives we hear of what’s been called “the roll call of the saints” that went before us and what they endured. Some tortured, mocked and flogged. Stoned to death, sawn in two and killed by the sword. Destitute, afflicted, mistreated and living in dens and caves. A chilling reminder of the past and with reports of an average of 150,000 + Christians martyrs each and every year still to this day, it is a chilling reminder to us today that gives light to Pauls words of encouragement for our lives “to run with endurance the race that is set before us”.

Paul speaking of the saints and how they endured said that in God “they were made strong out of (their) weaknesses. As Christians we are not to live our lives searching to be martyrs or mistreated, but in living and adhering to the Lord’s revealed eternal truths in His inspired and inerrant words of both Law and Gospel, should those situations arise we face them in Christ.

“Ultra-marathon runner Tony Rafferty said that during his run across Australia:

“He learned the significance of sub-goals. After struggling to complete 1500 miles, I realised I still had 2000 miles ahead of me. At this stage I was tired, sore, dejected and feeling sorry for myself. The task looked impossible. During this stage of depression I changed my thinking. I decided to run about 60 to 80 miles every day and try and repeat it as often as possible to see how far I could go. As soon as I made this decision my attitude changed. I started to feel confident and enthusiastic. I was confident that I could cover this distance each day. My mind was directed away from the huge distances ahead of me and it was focussed on my daily assignments. Because of this I was able to complete the run”.

So too could it be said of our endurance race. Most certainly in Christ the outcome is assured and the result decided. That of forgiveness and eternal life in faith in Christ alone. Yes in Christ that is assured, yet though we know what lies at the end we still have many hills yet to cross and only in keeping our eyes on Christ can we make that “60 or so miles per day”.

That 60 or so miles a day where “it is both what we say and how we say it”. That 60 or so miles a day that though not looking to suffer and be mistreated, are prepared to face such retaliation should our caring and loving words of the Lord to the world and our neighbours be turned back on us with hostility.

Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ said that “he came to fulfil the law”, and we thank God for Him because most certainly we cannot fulfil its requirements ourselves. Yet he also said “he did not come to abolish the law”, “because the law is good” and without us knowing the law and our outright inability to uphold it, we don’t truly know and understand the Gospel of saved in faith in Christ alone. The Word of God is both Law and Gospel. The law that kills and condemns and the Gospel that saves. Harsh opponents yet working in unison to bring people to their knees that they be raised in joy and hope both today and on the last day, and that we may not understand why some of His words should be so, seen through Christ we do understand the one who wrote them and trust in Him on our personal journey that he has put before us and endure and delight in and with Christ as he brings before us those in whom we must serve with His Words that He has told us. His word of truth that:

“does not return empty but accomplishes that of His purpose (Isaiah 55:11) and in knowing that the “Lord stands at their door and knocks and that if they hear his voice and open the door, he will enter (Rev. 3:20)” –our wish is that they may hear as we have heard and receive as we have received and know through Jesus Christ the peace of God which most surely passes all human understanding.

So in the sure knowledge of being raised on our last day: Grace, peace and hope to you from God our Father and our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ as you travel on your earthly journey hearing His saving words for yourself and bringing them before those he places before us that they too may open their doors to a waiting saviour. Amen.