Category: After Pentecost

“Sooner or later, we’ve all got a Job to do”

Based on Job 1:1, 2:1-10 & Hebrews 1:1-4

& Mark 10: 15.

Proverbs 9:10 tells us that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Fear of the Lord the beginning of Wisdom, and knowledge of Him is understanding.

I thought to myself earlier in the week that I think I need to lighten the load, to concentrate my message not on the trials we face, but only on what’s good in our world. A sought of “oh to be a Christian, everything’s so lovely”.

Them I read the first scripture message for the week, Job. Who would have thought my predetermined thoughts would clash so much with the Word that God had placed before me to work with.

A quick 101 summary of the book of Job.

Job is an exceptionally good man. God himself stated in chapter 1, verse 8:

“..my servant Job, there is none like him on earth, a blameless an upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil”.

And he had been blessed with a wife, seven sons and three daughters together with great wealth. A pastor who once said to me “to be a Christian doesn’t mean to go looking to get persecuted, but to face it when it comes” could have well been describing what was about to unfold for Job as for no apparent reason, Job is plunged into terrible suffering. In a series of disasters, his children are taken from him, his property and assets are either taken or destroyed, he loses his health and is inflicted with painful sores from head to foot.

The only thing he would seem to have left was his long suffering wife who also had lost all she had and buried all ten of her children. Who through this was led to tell Job to “curse God and die”.

Yet through all this, it is recorded that Job did not blame God for any of his misfortunes but answered with “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord”.

What a guy.

But as he sits there on an ash heap, lost all his children and covered in sores, Job is visited by four friends. Each of whom try and help him understand why this has happened-which in summary was basically that he must have brought this ruin upon himself.

Eventually, despite Job’s insights and legendary patience he cracks and states his case to God as he recalls his life in detail. A life led so blamelessly that no wonder he cries out “Oh, that I had someone to hear me. I now sign my defence-let the almighty answer me.” (31:35)

And he gets his wish, God replies. God shows Job the splendour of his creation and that all he has done. Things that no human can really understand and then basically to Job finishes with: Maybe you have some advice to offer, perhaps you would like to take over and run the world better.

Ouch. Poor old Job gets the picture and repents in replying:

“I am unworthy-how can I reply to you. I put my hand over my mouth (40:4) I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can ever be thwarted. Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

At the end of the day, Job, us, must let God be God.

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

That the book of Job is the first in the series of the wisdom books in the bible seems not to have happened by chance and through all his misfortune Job has been brought to wisdom.

And that wisdom, as we hear it todays Gospel, from verse 15:

“Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it”.

Job has learnt this wisdom.

And what of the second part of that proverb: “knowledge of the Holy One is understanding?”

Is given to us in the reading from Hebrews, chapter one: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophet, but in these last days he has spoken by His Son., through whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom he created the world. He is the radiance of the Glory of God, and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power”.

Is anyone still awake? I know that was a bit long winded but what we see that’s gone on here is still happening.

I’m not putting this in the same boat as Job, not even the same ocean but what does the world say of God. It blames God for everything that doesn’t suite their plan-that they know better, that they are their own God. Unfortunately this not only applies to the world, it applies to us.

Yet ironically, non-Christian’s, atheists and other religions, even though they will not attest to Jesus as the Saviour, agree that he was a good guy. Stood up to the crooked authorities, cared for the unfortunate, led from the front and was an inspiration of a person.

Blame God but cheer Jesus. But from Hebrews: “Jesus is the exact imprint of God’s nature”.

You see how ironic that is.

The gaining of wisdom and that child-like faith to put two and two together, that Jesus and God-the same, the same who see our suffering and, it must hurt, and both that are not about payback, but the simple truth that they want you to be saved.

There is so much we don’t understand, but like Job, it’s not really our business. Let God be God and ourselves, ourselves.

Many years ago my darling wife, the daughter of a pastor once said to me that her dad said everyone will have one great challenge in their lives, and it looks like mine is in your suffering. And there we see God, seeing how hard it is, but suffering with us to bring some peace. Peace in the truth-that forget all the theology it comes down to one thing, no matter what your disposition, when we are brought to our knees and realise it is true, that the gospel is true, and that like Job we can say and truly believe that no matter what may seem, our God wants for us to be with him, and if he must suffer with us, for no matter how long, so be it-he will do it.

A God of love that doesn’t enjoy our struggles, but lives with it just like us, that through this, maybe, just maybe we will see the truth, and when we do, nothing will ever be the same when we bow down, like Job and simply say the hardest words that can come out of our mouths-your will be done. Amen.

 

Who will save me?

James 5: 13-20

Life trusting God and accepting total forgiveness in His Son, our friend and Saviour Jesus, it is so freeing. To think and know that God the Father, a God of total love would give His Son to such cruelty, and for His Son Jesus to say yes-I am prepared to be tortured terribly that those that you love so much, that those that I love so much will be given life.

That truth that we know is so true for all our brothers and sisters in Christ. That truth that we know will see them on their last day standing before the loving Father. The Words of Jesus from the book of John: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand”.

To know that truth brings freedom from anxiousness and worry in this life here. Problems, difficulties, loss and hurt that where once like mountains become small hills. The truth of our Lord and His love and the peace it brings, it needs to be shouted from the mountain tops that all may hear it.

A great evangelist, a true servant of God journeyed to tribes around the world to do just that. A perilous journey in a boat on rough seas to announce the Word of God not knowing if they would accept that Word or respond to it in anger. To present himself to them, not knowing if they would accept him, or respond to him in life threatening anger. Upon returning to his home country he was asked if he had any success to which he responded “Yes, many have been saved, but who will save me?”

Words from songwriter Marty Robbins and sung by Elvis Presley:

“You know Lord I’ve been in a prison for something that I never done. It’s been one hill after another and I’ve climbed them all one by one. But this time Lord you gave me a mountain. A mountain you know I may never climb. It isn’t just a hill any longer; you gave me a mountain this time”.

You cannot write those lyrics without having lived them. The self-doubt, the struggle and the hurt.

“Yes, many have been saved, but who will save me?”

I look at you here today, and know with absolute assuredness, that the Lord has kept his promise to you. Your place with him is sealed-you are free to follow your dreams, to live, to really live just as you are. You can succeed or fail it doesn’t matter. You can be yourself and if others think you’re different or judge you on what you do in your journey, it doesn’t matter-you are free.

You are saved-there is not one doubt that no matter what each of you are, knowing Jesus you are covered in his righteousness and saved. But who will save me? And there’s the problem. We see those around us, yes and if we think hard enough we could dig up some dirt, maybe a lot of dirt. But nevertheless we know that they are accepted by Jesus. But we see our own piles and piles of dirt, that each of us only truly know, and that God the Father truly knows and are led to wonder that if Christs saving Words can be true for such a person as me.

In my second week at the sem., after having essentially been a novice to my brother for the past three months I received a call from my Father before I hung up were “It’s over” and for the next three years I had nightmares where I had buried my brother in a shallow grave, and that his body may be found and bring me to justice. Confused of where I was and was I meant to be there, one night I went to bed and prayed all night until eventually falling asleep. Over and over, tell me Lord is this what I’m meant to be doing, please tell me Lord. When I woke up my thoughts were as clear as if I had literally heard it, an absolutely non-judgemental but “It didn’t have to end this way, know my word.”

This time I’ve been given a mountain that I may never climb, my mountain of sin. I still do things I wish I didn’t, I still want to do things that I know I shouldn’t, that I carry like a curse. In my younger years our group of friends used to stay with one of the blokes Aunty in North Adelaide on our trips to the city. His aunty that would you believe was married to a pastor. His aunty that I met again 20 years later at the introductory tour of the sem. for new Pastoral students who after being a little stunned said “you’ll make a good pastor because you know what sin is”.

Fair go, give me a break. I felt like saying “O.K. O.K. but can you keep it down a little”.

But she was right, not about the good pastor bit but about the sin part anyway and for the next three and a half years of my five years studies I asked myself and God did you really call me or did I call myself. Am I meant to be here, am I just kidding myself, and dare I say it I could see plenty there wondering the same thing, like you here may be.

I look back and given the judgement that I sometimes felt from others, but more so of myself it was a genuine miracle that I lasted those first three or so years.

Martin Luther once received a letter from one of his pastors weighed down by his own sin to which he basically answered “welcome to the real world”. And somewhere in those years I saw the real world. That sins, doubts, hurts and so forth weren’t just carried by me. Pastors, devoted Christians and children of God were in the same boat and somehow through this I came to see that I was not unique in my flaws, to know longer have to ask “but who will save me”. Somehow I came to truly know that it is true, even for a sinner like me and to cling to that truth.

When spiritually attacked, when reminded of our sin, failings, our crap, to cling not to our own judgements of ourselves, but to those of Christ.

At the end of apartheid in South Africa Nelson Mandela gave Archbishop Desmond Tutu the job of reconciling the country. Not to punish, but to reconcile. To bring out the sins of the past so that they can go forward.

On such man was on trial for locking up a father and his son with savage hungry dogs. He confessed and after this terrible act was brought into the open the judge asked a lady present what should the penalty be? And she responded “This man has taken from me my husband and my only child, I have no one left, so he will visit me once a week and I will care for him”.

From today’s reading in James:

“Is anyone among you suffering? Let them pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let them sing praise. Is anyone sick? Let them call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over them. If anyone among you wanders from the truth, bring them back.”

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we all hurt and we all laugh. We all know joy and pain and we have all fallen short. We are all in this together. We all have mountains to climb, and the biggest is not in Jesus accepting us, but in ourselves-because we know who we are, and so does God. Who we stand before with all our sins on display. And God looks to His Son Jesus who responds “they are my sheep, I know them-every little detail. And I have walked there path and know there pain and hardships. I know what they do and what they should do. I know their sorrows and their joys and felt their sin on the cross. But Father you sent me to save them and I have. I have fulfilled your divine plan-all their sins, no matter how big or small I have taken from your sight, I have covered them over. It is finished that no matter when they fall again I will be there, that no matter what they think of themselves-they will not be snatched from my hands.

Don’t listen to yourself, listen to Christ. In Christ alone, it is over-you are saved and you can choose to laugh or cry because you are free. Saved and free if Christ. May you climb your mountains. May you walk through the valley of the shadow of death but fear no evil, because our Lord of goodness and mercy follows us all the days of our lives, that we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. That we fear not ourselves but see Christ who gives us green pastures and still waters on our journey home.

We are free of ourselves and free to lie in those pastures and bask in those waters. Free to live. Praise be to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Mark 9:30-37

“Don’t judge a book by its cover, but by its maker”

One Friday night my friend and I went to the hotel for a couple of drinks. While there, the TV was playing the football game and an elderly lady, noticing that we were watching it came over and started talking about the game. We talked about how well her side were playing and the players and so forth. We were very generous in our comments because they were actually playing very good football. After about twenty minutes she asked “why we didn’t go to the game?” After we replied that we barracked for other teams (one being the other local team which was basically the arch enemy), and although neither of these teams was playing that night against her team, without a word she got up and left.

We found it quite humorous that one minute we seemed like old friends and the next, well I’m not sure but we certainly weren’t worth associating with. While this was not hurtful, it did show how easily we can fall into the them and us attitude. Upper class and lower class, state against state such as NSW and say Victoria, school against school and so forth, we could go on forever. Most of these discussions are either friendly banter or loose talk and at most times not meant to physically or mentally to scar. But the thing is that making an assessment on people can become so part of our everyday living that we don’t even know we are doing it. If we saw a business person in a suit standing next to a scruffy type person, without speaking a word to either of them we would still probably make judgments regarding them without even realising it.+

Firstly, to judge a book by its cover can be very misleading. Two true stories. A very wealthy business man every two years updated his $200K sports car at the same car dealer. One year though, he went in to do so with his daggy cloths that he had been doing some painting in and just couldn’t get the salesperson to basically give him the time of day. In the end he gave up and sent them a letter explaining the situation and that from now on, his continued business will be supported elsewhere. A costly mistake for that dealership and probably more so, the salesperson.

Alternatively, a person I knew who would help out in a van giving food to the needy said quite often people in suits driving expensive cars stop to get food for their families dinner. Basically all show and just keeping up appearances because they feel they have to or because of pride.

But secondly and more importantly, even if the expected stereo type was true, should that dictate how we treat that person? Well, in one way I would say yes. If approached by someone down and out should we try and help them with food, clothing or money-absolutely. As a Christian or non-Christian that is the right thing to do and there are many, many wonderful people and organisations that do just that and we so should all of us when the situation arises. We know from Matthew 25 Jesus thoughts on charity and kindness:

‘’For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me.

These are the Christian things to do, and simply the right things to do.

In today’s Gospel the irony abounds as we hear that after Jesus has told the disciples of His forthcoming death and resurrection, they are arguing about who among them is the greatest. They have well and truly missed the point-so Jesus helps them understand by talking a child in His hands and saying “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me”.

To us today, that doesn’t seem so challenging-until we get the context.

In those times, unless a person was wealthy they had little chance of a life other than what they were born into. Even then, if they improved their economic status they still could not break into the elitist circle as a person’s standing or rank was governed by the person’s family tree or birth linage. Further, a child was considered especially powerless. We’ve heard the term seen and not heard, then it was more like not seen and not heard. Alternatively, the Rabbis were seen as like the heroes of the day, and while they did teach humility, they expected their followers to serve them.

Given this we see the situation as the disciples did. Being that with this class type society, for them the chosen ones of Christ to be arguing who is the greatest-or of their rank is normal. They were conditioned to think that way by society, like we are conditioned to make assessments of people by their dress, job or the like.

So when Jesus says “to be first you must be last and a servant of all he” it would have been basically like talking in a foreign language and then continuing with “whoever receives one such child (the bottom of the rung) in my name receives me” is stating that in receiving or accepting the lowly, they are in fact accepting him because the custom of the day was that a person’s agent accurately represented the one who sent him and was supported by the sender’s full authority.

Jesus is not just talking of good works of feeding the lowly; he is talking about total acceptance as you would of your own loved ones.

So what of us, let’s return to Mathew 25:

‘’For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me. I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

Most of these are do-able under a tick sheet type of good works, but that one line “I was a stranger and you invited me in” takes it to a whole new level. “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to me”.

Jesus it not just talking of tasks, he is talking about total acceptance-as if it were Jesus himself. Is this not somewhat challenging? Are we to go down the river at midnight and invite the homeless into our houses? Or to give up our jobs so we can systematically visit every person in hospital or prison so that we can stand before Jesus and say yes, when I saw you sick or in prison I came to you, that yes I fed you, clothed you and took you in. Indeed some people are given these gifts, but what do the people Jesus is talking of in Matthew say? not yes, but a quiz-ickle “did I”?

This is more like meeting Jesus on our last day moment and when he says “well done my good and trusted servant” you respond with “I was? as if to say that’s news to me, when?”

Let’s hear it from St. Paul near his end: “I have run the good race, I have kept the faith”. Through our lives, there are times where we have been or will hungry, outcasts, down trodden and judged, suffered pain, loss and hardship, yet in still remaining in faith-Jesus says welcome home my good and trusted servant. Oh and yes, I have some people here to meet you.

You look at these people and say sorry, but I cannot remember any of you. Then the first replies, I was sleeping on the grass one morning, and you said hello before I saw you enter church. Another says I was serving you in a shop and was having a terrible time, you seemed to see that I was upset and when you left you said God Bless You. And others told of small seemingly incidental moments that lead to other moments that eventually allowed them to see and accept Jesus.

How did we first come to faith, without even knowing it. How do we serve Jesus, yes there will be times where we will have to make a stand, have courage and put it all on the line, but often we serve him without even knowing it, by being a mother or father, an employee or employer and by trusting in our acceptance by God the Father because of our Saviour Jesus, by accepting in trust those he brings before us, by not judging them by their cover, their appearance, rank or lack of rank, but by their maker, our maker, God The Father. Amen.

 

Living in the real world.

Mark 8: 27-38

 
On being asked how it went, the oldest man to swim the English Channel replied: “It only hurt once-from beginning to end”. Sounds like the irony of life because here we see a man that’s been given the gifts of swimming ability, stamina and a healthy pain threshold. Gifts that enabled him to purposely put himself through pain-which he could only do, because of his gifts.

Similar, Elvis Presley could never understand why he, a person such as himself was given by God the gift of his extraordinary voice. His gift that brought great admiration and riches, yet assured that he would never live a “normal life in the real world” so to speak.

Living in the real world. I have such admiration for Christians like your selves because living in the real world as a Christian takes a lot of courage. To try and witness to Christ by speaking of him causes much, much less stress if you say you’re a pastor instead of a bricklayer. As a Pastor, even if not accepted with open arms, people at least at some point know you’ll probably bring up the God topic sooner or later. But in the real world, in this day and age the rebuttal of mentioning your beliefs and faith as one in it as say a bricklayer, can bring a very sharp and cutting reply.

Some of you here today, like me may be way’d down by thoughts of not being adequate when measured against Jesus words in the Gospel today.

“You are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man”

“Deny yourself, and take up your Cross and follow me”

And “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this world, of them will I be ashamed on the last day”.

Words from Jesus that come back to us after those moments when down at the pub, in the supermarket or club, we had a moment to openly declare our faith or to intervene when someone was sledging God, but let it go past, and know in our fear to stand up, we have fallen short. And guess whose the one to remind us, Satan is. An old man once said: “that devil he’s tricky, in this ear he tells me to steal that loaf of bread, and then after in this other ear he tells me how bad I am for stealing it”.

He is the tempter and accuser, and the manipulator of the truth and that’s why poor old Peter after trying to talk Jesus out of walking to His death gets it hard when told “get behind me Satan”. Would we not have said the same, we would have if we were there and if we loved Jesus. It’s not heard in this account of this interaction, but in the book of Matthew Jesus continued with: “You are a hindrance to me”, which from the Greek also means “stumbling block”.

Jesus is saying to Peter; stop it your thoughts of what we should do are a stumbling block. Almost like this is tough enough as it is. In Jesus “get behind me Satan” Jesus sees who the real foe is-Satan, and right here we see him in full attack on Jesus and the truth is what we have been living though our whole lives. He says to Peter, Stop Jesus, he doesn’t have to die, but then when Jesus did bring salvation for us by dying on the cross, he says “yes of course he died on the cross, that’s a historical fact, but it wasn’t really to bring you forgiveness”.

Jesus died on the cross that those in faith in Him alone, nothing to do with your efforts is the greatest truth in the world, and the greatest truths that the foes of Christ wish for us to not fully believe, but to believe that we must have at least some part to play in our salvation. Absolute lies.

A Pastor once gave me the simplest and easiest way to understand  living as a Christian. Some may think he said, that our lives are like the graph of the share market. It starts at one point, and the graph goes up and down, but if the shares are good, the line will be trending upwards. In our lives in regard to our worthiness, we start at this level, and likewise we have ups and downs, but at the end-the general line is flat, no better than we started. Our only hope is in Christ and Christ alone.

We again look at Jesus words today, his lesson. If we deny ourselves and “take up our cross and follow him” we will surely, like Jesus suffer and be scorned, and like Jesus will surely be raised on the last day.

Jesus had placed before him though many stumbling blocks, offered many alternate paths to lead him away from defeating death on the cross and bringing life and salvation. Likewise, placed before the world are many, many stumbling blocks designed to hide Christ, and to Christians, many stumbling blocks to attack Christs message of the forgiveness he has brought us.

Both of these statements Jesus said to Peter are said to us. And as Peter failed in both at times, so do we. But what has Jesus not said, he did NOT say because of this I will turn my back on you. These were not words of damning judgement but words knowing of how it is.

The damning words are the last, that if you are a shamed of me, so too will I be of you. Did Peter deny Christ, yes? Have we denied Christ at some point, in a pub or club with our silence? Most would say yes. Do we stumble like Peter, absolutely? Was Peter ashamed of Jesus, absolutely not, quite the opposite, he was ashamed of himself as to are we when we fall to our sinfulness in whatever form that is.

The enemies of the Truth would have us believe that Jesus turns his back on us. How did Jesus after His resurrection react on meeting Peter, the same as how he reacts to us: in love, forgiveness and acceptance.

The man that swam the English Channel and Elvis, did their gifts bring good things-of course. Did their gifts bring hardship-absolutely.

Those in Christ have been given a much greater gift. The swimmer asked when it hurt said: From start to finish”. In Christ, we have struggles and hurt, but he was the one who finished it for us. Even though it may hurt at the start and during, even though we continually fail from the start and during our lives-the finish is Christ, and that will not hurt for he will not turn his back on us.

Far from being ashamed: He knows the path we tread. He sees our weaknesses, He sees the impossibility of us not falling to sin, He sees us in fear of being ridiculed because of Him. He sees us fail again and again.

And he sees the lies placed before to lead us away from the truth.

But against all these odds and stumbling blocks we encounter: he sees and will meet on that last day those people who have clung to the truth, that I died for you-and will welcome you home. Amen.

 

Mark 7:24-37, James 9:1-10, 14-17

“God Only Live Forgiven”

As you would know, the show Big Brother is back on T.V. It can be an interesting show at times but it also reminds me of my golf ability and why I only play once or twice a year. Being that after 6 to 12 months I’ve actually started to forget just how bad a golfer I am, and so for the first 6 holes I’m full of enthusiasm, but from the 7th to the 12th I’ve realised just why I don’t play and during the remaining holes I just want it to end. For me, due to my inability to master it in any way, shape or form, golf truly is a good way to ruin a nice walk. By the way, I don’t know if it’s true but I was once told that the word GOLF was derived from Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden.

Not that I get all my insights from Big Brother but I remember in the first series in 2001 one of the contestants stated that “people have to win my respect(before I respect them)” and then as now, I still don’t get that sentiment. Maybe it was just a loose comment but it just reeks of self-indulgence. To respect someone is in regards to your thoughts towards that persons sense of worth, and given that, and I’m not trying to be pious, but for me I cannot think of anyone I know that I don’t respect, but on the flip side I cannot think of why anyone would be concerned if I respected them or not. Why would they?

If somewhere has to earn our respect, that means they must respect us first, then and only then would we respect them in return. Thankfully in today’s Gospel we see that Jesus never fell into this one upmanship garbage. Last week we heard Jesus dismissing the manmade cleanliness laws of the day as a way of bringing holiness. But in today’s Gospel Mark shows us how Jesus didn’t just blur the lines between who are and who are not God’s people he smashed it too pieces.

First-century Jews referred to the pagans as dogs because of their failure to observe ritual purity laws and here, outside of Jewish territory-or put better, in enemy territory A Greek women, a pagan approaches Jesus to initiate the discussion, and this in itself was not the done thing because in those times it was considered improper for a woman to directly address a man, but none the less, Jesus healed her daughter as she requested.

In the second miracle we are not told whether the man was a gentile or a Jew-but with his condition he would have been considered unclean, so even if a Jew he would have been excluded from their society and worship.

In both these interactions and Jesus actions he has thrown the manmade exclusions of the day that he spoke of in Matthew 23:13 out the window: “Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter go in”.

Because through His actions we see that Jesus’ outreach is not excluding but inclusive, and his presence is not condemning but transformative.

Author Anne Lamott once said: “I do not at all understand the mystery of grace – only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us.”

To be taken from death to life, not through our actions, but in spite of our actions, how could we not be transformed? Lost but found, how could we possibly judge another person’s sense of worth, that they may possibly win our respect?

In ourselves, we see that God has shown no partiality but grants the same gift of salvation to all those in Christ. Lost but found, ripped from the curse of death and given life-how could we not serve and build up each other and all those that come before us, irrespective of appearance, wealth or status.

But then I think of my golf abilities, right now I know I’m hopeless because I only had a game a few weeks ago-no doubt in 6 to 12 months I’ll load up the buggy thinking I’m the next Greg Norman.

A good friend of mine told me that there are plenty of people believing in God on the battlefield, but not so many of them holding that belief later, when in the safety of peaceful times.

A golf pro told me that he must train at least four hours a day, even when he thinks his game is exactly how he wants it, but then added-because when I approach the ball, if I start second guessing myself or wondering if I can make the shot-it’s over. That’s why its practice, practice and more practice-to just know it-that I don’t even have to think about it, that I know I will make the shot-confidence.

Sport, generally, you get from the work you put in-as is life generally. It’s hard to buy the new Ferrari if a person doesn’t want to work. Yet, in Christ, we put in nothing but got everything.

It’s not only easy to forget that “There bar the grace of God we go”, but spiritually there we did go. Joining the ministry I could see myself as pastoring to the lost on the street-the outcasts, but over the five years I came to see that even those in Christ, the pain and self- doubt is often hidden under a very thin veneer. I came to see that like Jesus knew-We, I all need to be reminded his Words of comfort-His words that bring to us the confidence and trust in the truth. That underneath the bedraggled look of the person on the street, he see a little child that he wants to hold and love. That beneath the white gown of a pastor who knows all too well his shortcomings and sin, Jesus see a little boy that he wants to hold and love. That you here today, rich or poor in wealth or spirit. At the beginning of your lives or nearing the end, Jesus see’s little children and say’s let them come to me, because I love them and they are mine.

“As Copernicus, the great astronomer, was dying, a copy of his great book, The Revolution of the Heavenly Bodies, was placed in his hands. But it was not his brilliant work that was on his mind. Instead he directed that the following epitaph be placed on his grave: “O Lord, the faith thou didst give to St. Paul, I cannot ask; the mercy thou didst show to St. Peter, I dare not ask; but, Lord, the grace thou didst show unto the dying robber, that, Lord, show to me.”

Jesus shows no partiality. He did not come to exclude but to include. God Only Live Forgiven. Pray we never forget that for ourselves, or of any of those that he places before us. Amen.

 

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 &

James 1:17-27

“The elephant in the room”

 
If today is Father’s day, what does that say of the other 364 days of the year? Not that I’m complaining, one day is good considering I’m still trying to work out this “being a Father thing”. In this confusion I went to the good old dictionary. A father is, or can be amongst other things:

– a male parent

– a respectful term of address for an old man

– a male who originates something e.g. the father of modern psychology

– the head of an organized crime family

And my old favourite: the father of a specified kind e.g. the father of a whipping

If you fall into any of those categories it’s your day and as Steve Irwin said to his young girl when she asked him “if she could have ice-cream for breakfast”, “yer, why not, treat yourself”.

Another definition is “fathers of the church” and in today’s Gospel we see some of the equivalent in Jesus day asking him why his disciples were not following in their tradition of washing their hands before eating. To which in reply Jesus starts with “you hypocrites..

With this in mind, each morning this week I’ve been going down to the public toilets, stepping over the people sleeping there and lambasting all the hypocritical “hand washers”. I think I’ve stumbled onto something that can initiate our “church growth”-the church for all the unclean-literally.

Like the Pharisees and scribes in today’s Gospel, I think I’ve missed the point because in my teaching as Pastor Steve the Father of filth, I would become as one with those to who Jesus is talking too and calling hypocrites for teaching “the doctrines and commandments of men” because of all the myriad of laws given to the Jews, this was not one of them, these were human made conditions and rules that excluded rather than included.

The saying the elephant in the room: where everyone is discussing what the problem may be by talking of insignificant or minimal diversions, when the problem-the elephant in the room is right before their eyes but they either are not game, or it’s too big a problem to address.

So Jesus addresses the elephant in the room-the problem is not what enters from outside defiles, but rather what lurks inside. This is not what they wanted to hear but it is hard for us as humans to judge them considering their upbringing within the traditions of the day up and against Jesus’ radical teachings.

Jesus teachings that are just as radical in our world today. Love your neighbour-what the one who is so rude to me, or those at work who lie to win the deal or to get in good with the boss. Be humble-see how far that will get you in the job interview. Be servants to others and look for the good in them-to not play the blame game but have a cold hard look at yourself first-do I have too?

It’s a bit like going to a party-you think all the others are strange, and all the others think you are strange-you might just be the strange one.

A legendary Richmond footballer said it well when as walking off the field after a bad loss and hearing two young players blaming the coach said “the coach is not the problem, you’re the problem, so you do something about it”.

Jesus says forget about washing your hands, the elephant in the room, “the problem is you, us, you’re the problem-so I’ve done something about it”.
I’ve done the work for you, and because of that you are now free of the curse of constructing human ways of self-redemption. (and) by the way, it’s best if you wash your hands so that you don’t catch the flu that’s going around.

And that’s the deal, given that gift of life, Jesus gift of not needing to weigh up our ledger of good and bad things, of not having the pressure of having to do works and deeds, we are then free to go for it. Where it’s not like good works, because it’s not work so to speak-in the freedom of being forgiven as we are, those good “works” don’t seem like work but just an extension of ourselves.

In the epistle today James says we are to be doers of the Word and he is right, but if we read that on its own It’s a bit daunting, but read after the Gospel of John-where John just cuts to the core of the Gospel-justified in faith in Christ alone-James words of do this change from hearing it in the response “if I don’t do this I’m stuffed” to “oh yer, thanks for the reminder”.

I reminder that those in need are loved by God-and that we should go to them, but also a reminder of God’s love to us-and how he comes to us.

Father’s Day, like life can be a day of happiness or a day of sadness. When my dad died, a friend of mine framed the words from Archie Roach’s song “There is a garden”.

“When all the trees have gone, and all the rivers dry.

Don’t despair when all the flowers have died.

For I have heard that there’s a garden somewhere.

When you hear the children cry, when you see them die.

And mother can’t sing a lullaby.

When everything is gone, and when you’ve lost all hope.

And you have come to the end of your rope.

I believe that the flowers will bloom again.

We are young, and we are old.

But what we have can’t be bought or sold.

What we have is Jesus, and he cannot be bought by our good works, and nor will he be sold by our sin, and in that garden where the flowers bloom we will all one day unite.

God tells us there is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, and in Jesus, we have times to love and times to beloved, times to serve others and times to be served by others, because in Him, we are free to do so. Amen.

 

John 6:56-69

“I fought the law and the law won”

A policeman I know and his partner, by chance ran into a gang of particularly ruthless criminals they had been investigating. They knew who the criminals were and the criminals knew who they were. Surrounded and outnumbered in a suburban car park their fate seemed sealed. This was not a good situation to be in and in an act spontaneity one of the officers asked to speak to the leader of the gang in private. He said, “We have already called for backup, but they will not be here before you do to us what you’re going to do. You will win the fight against us two, but more will come,

and in need more. You may win a few battles, but they will keep coming, the law will eventually win-it has too.”

That song “I fought the law and the law won” in society, if you are guilty will generally be the case-it has too. So too when we fight spiritually against the law of God. It has too because judged against His law we are all guilty. Should we line up before the father without Christ, with our good vs.bad deeds, the scales of justice will ring soundly-guilty on all charges.

We see this in the Pharisees. Make no mistake these guys were committed to keeping the law. In general, the Pharisees strived to uphold the law and should be recognized for this.They taught the law but did not practice the most important parts of the law — justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

They obeyed the intricacies of the law such as tithing but not the real meat of the law. They exhibited themselves as righteous on account of being scrupulous keepers of the law, but were in fact not righteous: their mask of righteousness hid a secret inner world of ungodly thoughts and feelings. Jesus gave these guys a hard time, yet met with the most open and obvious sinners and didn’t condemn them. In fact he didn’t even lecture them, he seemed to just acknowledge and bring out into the open what they already knew, that they had sinned.

Like the Pharisees knew, the law is good. It keeps the world in order in striving to keep chaos from the door and promotes a healthy manner in which way to live. But they missed the essence of the law, to bring salvation.

To see the truth of their own guilt and sinfulness, and then to see God’s mercy in Christ.

These two types of people, Christ approached with the truth about themselves and about himself with Salvation open to both,but only one accepted it-the ones knowing they were sinners and who came to know who Jesus was. Likewise in today’s Gospel we see two sinners take to the stage, Judas and Peter. Judas, who in today’s Gospel is still one the twelve but would later betray Jesus for a bribe of thirty pieces of silver by identifying him to the arresting soldiers of the High Priest, who then turned Jesus over to Pontius Pilate’s soldiers.

And Peter, who in today’s Gospel after being asked along with the other disciples would they like to leave him answers (but) “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life”, yet who would later deny Jesus three times prior to his death on the cross. Two sinners, whom I might add that the bible tells us were both repentant sinners.

From Matthew 27 verses 3 to 4: “When Judas, the traitor, learnt that Jesus had been condemned, he repented and took back the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders and said I have sinned by betraying an innocent man to death”.

And Peter, from Matthew 26:75 after his third denial, “Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly”.

Two regretful and remorseful repentant sinners, yet one-Judas would destroy himself in shame while the other, Peter, also in shame but would go onto to be one of Jesus greatest servants, how can this be? The Pharisees against open and obvious law breakers: sinners.

Two thieves on the cross, both sinners yet one is given the gift of eternal life and one is not, and here Judas and Peter.

This is the third week in a row that the Gospel has been that “Jesus is the bread of life, that those who believe have eternal life”. The Gospel that the Pharisees, one of the criminals on the cross and Judas did not get.

Most certainly Judas was repentant but like the Pharisees and one of the criminals, their responses were only in self-absorbed human ways. In the original Greek language the repentance of Judas is used as a change of mind such to produce regret and even remorse of sin, but not a change of heart. Peter too had such repentance. Peter too was conscious of his guilt and of his helplessness but he came to know the Gospel-Christ’s mercy. That although guilty, helpless and polluted and well aware of his sin, in that knowledge he came to know Christ and what he stood for-mercy, and most importantly-He accepted it.

Just like these groups of two’s I’ve mentioned, we also are tempted and coaxed by ungodly powers to take a side. The tactic of making us believe in our own holiness, of how we can become part of our salvation through our own goodness. Or Vice versa, the tactic of showing us our sin clearly and then the suggestion that we are beyond salvation, even in Christ. These thoughts are not from Christ-when they come dispel them-for they are lies. Lies designed to separate us from the truth-from the truth of our saviour.

So-Let us hear the saving truth of our lord and Saviour:

“What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one.” (Romans 3:9-10)

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

“I am the living bread. Anyone who comes to me will never be hungry. And anyone who believes in me will never need anything important. Everyone that the Father gives to me will come to me. If anyone does come to me, I will never send that person away. I have not come from the sky to please myself. I have come to obey the one who sent me. He does not want to lose even one of the people that he has given to me. He wants me to raise them up on the last day. My Father has decided that anyone who listens to the Son and believes in him will have eternal life. And I will raise them up on the last day.” (John 6:35-40)

“I am speaking the truth. Anyone may hear my word and believe in the one who sent me. If they do believe, they have the real life that goes on for ever. I will not judge them for the wrong things that they have done. They have moved from death into life.”

Like Peter, we too most certainly know that there is no other that we can turn to, because we know that Jesus is the Holy One who has come from God, the one who has the Word’s of eternal life.

His Words of truth, that he simply ask we accept and receive eternal salvation. Amen.

 

John 6:51-58

“Wisdom in the Kingdom”

Trust, belief and wisdom.

The highlight of the Olympic Games for me was the conversation Usain Bolt had with a reporter after he had won the 100 metres. The reporter noted that prior to the games he seemed out of form, and indeed Usain himself had agreed that he was not at his best and with concern on his mind; he went and asked his coach if he too was worried. To which his coach responded “not at all”. He then explained to the reporter that “I trust my coach, so if he wasn’t worried, then nor was I so I just went out and ran”.

Trust and belief. But also the wisdom to act on that trust. The wisdom to override his own inner doubts and thoughts, because of his trust of another-from a trusted voice not from within himself, but a trusted voice from another.

(and) That’s the impact good coaches have on their players, they bring trust and belief and then wisdom. The wisdom that when at three quarter time, beaten and lagging-that when the coach says we’re in this, we can win it, we will win it, they truly do believe it.

Fos Williams, raised in a small country town over the hills from Port Augusta as a young man went to Adelaide in his job and to play football. Not long after he ended up as the playing coach of the Port Adelaide Magpies-the club of which has now born Port Power in the AFL. When he arrived they were a going nowhere. Magarey medallist Peter Woite gave the following insight to what then took place. He said “Fos would start an hour and a half before the game. Telling them that they were invincible. That they will win over and over again. Eventually the players came to believe it and went from accepting defeat to not accepting anything other than winning. They came to believe him, when they went out they believed they were invincible and that they would win. Belief that became so strong that when they were defeated, they were inconsolable. From outside of themselves, Fos had changed the way they played and their beliefs-and it became part of them, part of their substance and being.

Trust, belief and wisdom. Jesus says we are to have childlike faith, and I know where he’s coming from. When we were children, Jesus was so uncomplicated. He said I love you, bring you forgiveness and you’ll go to heaven. Jesus said it, so it was so; it was just in there inside us and onto doing kid’s stuff we would go.

Then for want of a better word we grow up. Learn to think logically and question things, question perceived truths. Get beaten around the head with life’s responsibilities, struggles and hardships. Given the gift of greater intelligence, to be able to think deeply of how things work, or how they should work and yet with all this knowledge, power and experiences-Jesus says we are to have child-like faith.

When young, if told that’s a chair, well it’s a chair-now I might first consider that it actually may be a stool.

Two weeks ago we heard the Jews ask Jesus: What is it that we must do, to do the work of God? And Jesus replies to believe in the one He has sent. Is that it, or did he mean something else-maybe it’s now a bean bag.

And in today’s Gospel Jesus tells us “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, they will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world”.

You can see where this is heading. No wonder the Jews had trouble understanding and believing what Jesus said. The stuff Jesus said, the gospel is foreign to how we are cast. Logically, these statements of Jesus are illogical. A pastor/lecturer at the sem. told us, when in your Parish; don’t get down on yourself with all the empty seats-because it’s a miracle that any one believes at all.

And through logic, or how we think it should work, he’s right, and right there we see that what Jesus said has to be case, everyone that does believe, has childlike faith, because otherwise you could not believe.

Trust, belief and wisdom. To trust and believe in what Jesus says, and the wisdom to do so, even though from within us it would seem the opposite. When as a child, Jesus says-so no questions needed. As an adult-Jesus says-and we question how that possibly could be-but believe anyway. That’s childlike faith-to override what we would think with what we are told by Jesus.

When Mother Teresa died, some of the press gleefully reported that during her last years she once said that after all the time working in the slums and in the hardships-she could not see God there. And as you could imagine, her quote gave many the ammunition to say see, there you go even the great Mother Teresa didn’t believe. But they missed the point; she did not say that-what she said was, that what was before her eyes gave no logic of God being present. Is that a heresy? Absolutely not, in fact quite the opposite because even though it may have seemed so, she knew it was not the case.

I was baptised as an adult-did I feel any different afterwards-I don’t think so. Baptising our infants, do we literally see a hallo form-I haven’t yet. Studying at the sem. and being ordained, do I feel like some kind of saint-not likely-I think I did more so before I went in. And that is the Gospel.

It would be nice to self-reference our spirituality, of what’s going on in our hearts-of feeling our growth within ourselves. Indeed it would be very nice, but not so comforting the next day when we see our heart just as black again as the day before. And that is the Gospel. It is not how we feel-it’s what Christ promises and what he does.

In Holy Communion-Jesus says I give you my body and blood-for eternal life, yes, but also to work inside you-We believe that, even though in our inner selves we find it hard to see much progress, if any.

That is the Gospel. It is not from us, it’s from outside. The Word of God, Baptism and Holy Communion-Our Lord and Saviour brings them to us, just like God sent His Son to us. He didn’t just flick a magic switch to fix up our mess-he sent His Son down to us-to grow in us from outside in-transforming us.

In Christ, we are transformed into the holy and righteous. Do you feel very holy and righteous? Maybe not, and if not, welcome to being normal. But in faith, though our hearts and minds may be at times like black coal-that when all the logic and facts of our sinful selves are stacked against, when we know that we are beyond help within ourselves, that in ourselves we are lost-yet cling to Christ, not just as our only hope of acceptance by the Father, but take it as a fact that we are accepted by the Father-that’s faith, faith in the truth. Thank God for the trust and belief he has worked in us, and the wisdom he has brought to us of childlike saving faith. Amen.

 

John 6:35, 41-51

“Whether in the sprint or the marathon-it’s still a walk to the podium.”

I’ve mentioned before of the time I worked in a one roomed building with 2,000 people. That’s a lot of people and it was like its own community where people’s worth and standing was essentially understood and judged by what went on in that building. Which was interesting because from my previous experiences I knew people working there who had been business leaders, but now were considered well down the ladder, and to see the lack of respect for their abilities by others not knowing of their past was for want of another word “interesting”. (and) in all truth, due to the constant deadlines, looking below the surface of the person in front of you was somewhat a “luxury” and the same can so easily sneak into our daily lives from being too busy or just falling into the same old same old.

In my team within that organisation were too middle age ladies working on the base salary and answering to colleagues with much less life experience. But they never seemed for a moment indifferent to where they found themselves. They were always just there doing their work quietly, friendly and efficiently. Eventually, I got to talk with them. One I found was a qualified doctor in her home country, but being in Australia had to, and was undergoing further study to be recognised in that field-I wonder if her colleagues would have treated her differently if they had known just who they were working with.

The other lady, who upon receiving her resignation I came to find out was leaving because she had successfully completed her studies to become a psychiatrist. Surprised and a little embarrassed I mentioned that if I knew that, I would have led and acted a “little” more conventionally. To which she “graciously” thanked me for our time together as I had given her a great deal of material for her thesis.

Author’s say, based on our own life experiences everyone has one book in them and some of the most enlightening books I read are autobiography’s where quite often by the end I am stunned, saddened and inspired why what has taken place in that person’s life.

My father once can to know a younger man who was a loner, indifferent, always scruffy and without work. A person on the outer fringes of society with seemingly not a lot to offer. The type that can be seen lying on park benches and passed by without giving much consideration. The type of man that society judges harshly. This man, judged daily on all bar one. The day he walks with his fellow Vietnam veterans on Anzac day.

What we see is not always what we get but being misunderstood by others is only all too well known by God the Father and our Saviour Jesus. In today’s Gospel, the Saviour, Jesus reveals himself as the long awaited messiah, only to be disregarded because of their preconceived understandings:

“Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say I have come down from heaven?”

The Jews reject Jesus because they can only see him; judge him through human values and standards. Their reaction in the face of Jesus claim was to produce the fact that He was a carpenter’s son and they had seen him grow up in Nazareth. They were unable to understand he could possibly be a messenger from God and rejected Him by human assessments and by social values and worldly standards. Jesus came to bring them what they yearned for-a saviour-yet they rejected both him and his offer of God’s grace because he did not fit the “box” of what they had expected.

That Vietnam Vet who was prepared to die for the people of his country, but now discarded by society and sleeping on a park bench-what must he think? Disillusioned maybe an understatement.

Jesus, who did die for his people-but discarded by large parts of our society as of no use anymore-how in his love he must grieve the rejection of the peace he offers. Somewhere along the line society seems more interested with spirituality that is seen as more exciting and tangible. Where everything must be felt and if that “wow” factor is not there something must be wrong.

The Church too is not immune against falling into this mindset. Where worship has to be “awesome” all the time. Where our worship has to feel like a Usain Bolt moment in the Olympic 100 metres final with all the razzmatazz. Don’t get me wrong, any worship of our Lord is good worship and we should always look for ways to bring his message to his people and if you have a bolt of lightning moment here or during the week cherish it and thank the Lord. But we don’t always have to feel like we are flying in the clouds to know we have been lifted up on high. Often, and on most occasions we receive the Lord in more normal, seemingly unspectacular moments here and in life in general. Far from a Hussein Bolt moment but more like that an Ethiopian Gold medallist mentioned many years ago when talking their national tri-outs. Where he said often the most brilliant of your opponents are the ones that just turn up from out in the lands in their bare feet-they don’t look anything special, but then run like gazelles.

Our lives with Christ, whether we run in the sprint or the marathon-we all only walk to the podium.

The same can be in worship. Sometimes we miss the point of it all, when maybe disillusioned or still feeling a little empty because we feel like all we did was just turn up and leave.

Yes it is most certainly only fitting and right and is truly good, and proper in worship and our lives to give thanks to our loving Father, who through Jesus Christ our Lord, who laid down His life for us. But in our lives and in our worship today-the primary reason the Lord has drawn us here is to give to us. To hear His Word-His Word that works in us regardless of if we feel it working or not. To confess our sins and know in faith that we are forgiven-because he says they are. To place our prayers at our fathers’ feet and know that he hears them and will act on them in a manner that is beneficial to us and others-even if it does not seem so. And to receive the Body and Blood of our Saviour and be strengthened in faith and life.

These amazing things are taking place here in our quiet little church-today. Today, whether you may be having a “Hussein Bolt” moment or not-the heavenlies are. Saints past and present are joined with the angels in glorious song and praise of our Father for what is happening here today. Praising our Lord and saviour because they can see what we cannot.

To see what we know in faith. Our Lord standing before us-glowing in radiance and love and giving everything of himself too us, that we may live in him. In the strength of the bread of life during our trek through this worldly wilderness until we reach our eternal home. When we will stand before our loving God and our Saviour as they welcome us home in the realisation of the promise and gifts that they give to us here today. What a great day that will be, and what a great day is this. Praise be to Christ. Amen.

 

Sermon John 6:24-35

“Why the long face”

In this month’s Lutheran magazine there’s an article about a group that visited Martin Luther’s old stomping ground in Germany, Wittenberg and one of them noticed a quote supposedly from Luther: “He who drinks much beer sleeps well. And he who sleeps does not sin. And he who does not sin goes to heaven”.

What’s that got to do with this sermon? Not a lot, I just like the quote, and why isn’t Cathy here to hear it. But today our topic is the bread of life, and both bread and beer can be made with either barley or wheat. And beer, like bread-and here meaning food in general is had in times of celebration and joy, but also as a source to try and fill the void. When that hole in our stomach, in our being is not through physical hunger or thirst, but through a spiritual void, a spiritual hunger.

Like retail therapy, excessive materialism and so forth. They are short term stop gap solutions to a greater problem. Rene Rivkin, now deceased but a once very wealthy man when asked does wealth bring happiness replied “No, but it does bring a better class of misery”.

Is having a few drinks with friends over a lovely meal wrong, is working hard to afford such luxuries wrong-absolutely not. In fact hospitality is something we should both provide and receive with joy.

Where the line is crossed is when things encroach on the first commandment: “You shall have no other Gods”. That word commandment brings up connotations of law, as it should. But the law is good, just like getting a speeding ticket is-well that may be stretching things a little, but the commandments do keep society on a leash-without them, imagine the anarchy that would exist.

The first commandment, how do we know if we’re stepping over the line? The answer straight from the confirmation class work book (so all the participants will know this off by heart).

A God, your God is whatever a person looks to for all the good things, and runs to comfort and help in times of trouble”. And in that explanation, of the law we see the Gospel. The Gospel we have heard today from Jesus when he says: “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty”.

Law and Gospel. The law: don’t have other Gods. The Gospel, because they don’t work. In fact these other Gods in all probability will bring a worse outcome than what you went to them for in the first place. God and Jesus are not party poopers, quite the opposite, they want joy and life for us here and joy and life with us when we meet them on that glorious day in paradise.

In Jesus saying “I am the bread of life” he is putting the horse back in front of the Kart, getting things back in order. What he is not saying is that we won’t face the same trials and tribulations. They will happen to Christian and non-Christian alike. He asks that we hand them over to him. Just like he took our condemning sin on himself, he wants to take our worries on himself-to bring us some peace amongst our storms.

(and) what does he ask in return? Verses 28 and 29: “Then they asked him, what must we do to do the works God requires? Jesus answered; the work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

If only I had known this earlier.

When leaving my previous job, as you could imagine some of my colleagues responses ranged from intrigue to openly suggesting my limited mental capacities had finally been extinguished. One such colleague who was a good friend, which in itself often had people shaking their heads because he was very driven to succeed in both promotion and prestige. In fact he would often joke about it-but we got on well because what each other saw was what they got. He did not have a hidden agenda-he was open and honest about his agenda.

(And) he asked me, why am I doing this. So I tried to explain the “call”, of God’s love to me, how I’ve come to see life through Christ and so on. I realised I wasn’t going so well when at the end he said “so what’s in it for you?” So, running out of solutions and knowing of his mindset I responded “I get to study for five years essentially without pay, and then work for half the money I’m on now”.

After that he said “Well good for you” and we went back to talking about the football”.

Now please don’t think I’m saying this for any other reason than for what I said it to him-just as a funny antidote. But ironically as Christians this does encompass us all.

Verses 28 and 29: “What must we do? The work of God is this, to believe in the one he has sent”.

Here we hear Jesus putting the horse clearly back in front of the kart. What is the purpose of life, of this world? That we believe that Jesus, the Son of God is the Messiah. The one who brings forgiveness and life.

So what of the other tangible works, of us individually and collectively? The works of the Church. Shall we befriend those against us, feed the poor, and give our time to helping in society. Absolutely, just like Jesus did when healing lepers and giving time to prostitutes and Pharisees alike. When someone’s down we don’t push them down further, we lift them up. Jesus did that and so should we.

Will it bring them to faith, maybe, maybe not-but it is to be done anyway-Because of what we know of Christ and his love for us, and for them-even if they won’t acknowledge him.

These works are good and they can bring comfort to those hurting, are these true works of a Christian Church-absolutely- but these acts in themselves are not the cure.

These acts are good, but they are the Kart that follows behind the one pulling it.

What must we do to do the works God requires? Jesus answered; the work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

What is the work of the Church? Ephesians 4 “He gave some to be prophets, evangelists and so on. So that God’s people will give works of service: so that the body of Christ may be built up”

So the body of Christ be built up, why? Because Jesus loves those lost and he knows that only in him is there the bread of life, that cures the emptiness of life without him.

Each of us here has been given gifts that we can use and do use to build the kingdom. Is our salvation reliant on it? Again, what works does God require? Jesus answered; the work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

And knowing that, that freedom-that there is not one ounce of pressure-knowing that Jesus actually does love us enough to not ask anything more, work in the field becomes a joy. A joy because even if we mess up or say the wrong thing, why worry because if it’s done for the right reasons-being of what Christ has already done for us, we know he’ll sought it out, just like he has for us.

What a joy that with all our imperfections-we can just be ourselves, have a laugh at our stuff ups and not take everything so seriously. That to serve God and his people we don’t have to be anything other than what we are, but just have a go and be yourself-and try and have some fun-even its at our own expense.

Maybe Luther’s comment at the start of this sermon was right. Not so much the beer-I think I’ve got that covered. But the essence of his words. Luther, the great Theologian. Did he take the Word of God, the Gospel seriously? Absolutely. So seriously he risked his life for it. Did he feel and weep for the hurting-absolutely. Was he himself, a larrikin and not take himself too seriously and could enjoy doing God’s work as himself-absolutely.

What a joy to serve such a loving and accepting God and Saviour-The only true bread of life. Amen.