The essential ingredient for mission....the Holy Spirit God calls us to be in mission @ locally, to our neighbours, to people in other towns and states, to people overseas....to the ends of the earth...EVERYWHERE and EVERYONE
When we are involved in mission we will be mixing with and interacting with people who are:
different from us,
who see life differently,
who we might not understand!!!
To be able to do God's mission, we need His Spirit....(Acts 1:8) The Spirit changes us from our natural way of living which is self focussed to seeing life differently....that it is about loving God and loving others (despite their differences)...
Accessing God's Spirit.... Spirit is given to us at our baptism God's Spirit continues to come to us through His word....so being involved in prayer, bible reading and study, small groups, worship and Christian relationships will help us be renewed by God's Spirit.
Also God's Spirit brings together as a community to be active in mission... Mission is primarily a community thing (involving not just one but numerous people)...
This week:
Spend time in prayer, worship and with other Christans talking about scripture
Take notice of the many people you are interacting with...(God has placed you amongst them so you can bear witness to him).
Make an effort to interact with people who are different from you...
Over the next month build a bridge to someone for the sake of the Gospel....think about how your friendship can link them to Jesus not just through you but also other Christians (the church).
Many things shape us...some shape is in healthy good ways, some shape us in negative ways.
What are some of the things and people who have shaped you?
In today's reading the rich man has been shaped in a particular way and he has four main problems:
RICH MAN'S PROBLEM NUMBER 1:
Fails to listen to God's Word and allow it to influence his life
Luke 19: 31 “Jesus said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” Question for you: Are you taking seriously what God's word says? Is it influencing your life, how you relate to others? Are we falling into the same trap as the rich man?
RICH MAN'S PROBLEM NUMBER 2:
Fails to care for others with the resources he has
Luke 19: 19-21 19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Thought: At times we hear this story and think that this is only relating to wealthy people. Jesus wasn't having a dig at the rich because they were rich, he was having a go at them because of their attitude to their riches. They saw it as theirs and for them to enjoy. However as Christians Jesus reminds us in other parts of scripture(see Matthew 22:37-39), we are given resources (money, time, knowledge, property and skills) to love God and to love others.
Question for you to think about: How are you using the resources God gives you? Are there people in your life who need your help?
RICH MAN'S PROBLEM NUMBER 3:
SHORT SIGHTED LIVING....Living with only today, this earth in view....not focussed on eternal living
Luke 19: 25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.
Question for you to think about: Are you living with only the present in mind....or are you living with eternity in mind?
RICH MAN'S PROBLEM NUMBER 4:
He's now dead.....and can't do anything about His Spiritual defecit
Luke 19: 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ Thought: Once someone is dead nothing can be done about their eternal future.
Question for you to think about: What are you doing now to grow spiritually? Do you know someone who is like the rich man, how might God be using you to help them be in heaven?
HOW DID THE RICH MAN GET INTO THIS SITUATION?
He was shaped by worldly thinking of comfort and luxuries.....what the world saw as important
Luke 19:19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.”
Time to think about how you have been shaped by the World in positive ways and negative ways:
Shaped by your family....family relationships, family attitudes, family teachings, family's relationship to God
Shaped by the people you mix .....with at work, school and socially. How does their talk and behaviour affect you? Think about what they see and say is important? What about their attitudes? What do they encourage you to believe is true?
Shaped by experiences.....especially disappointments and 'feel good' times.
Shaped by how others tell you life should be.....people, media, news
Thought: God can use anything in this world to shape us in a positive way. Satan can also use worldly things like family, people we mix with, our experiences and what others say to also shape us in a negative way.
God shapes us through:
Weekly Worship
Regular Bible reading and study
Relationships with other Christians....where we toss around God's word and talk about what it means for our lives.
When God is shaping our lives we will get a heavenly focus that affects how we live today. God shaping us affects our future: Salvation God shaping us affects how we live now: Sanctification
We see money, resources, time and skills for loving God and loving others
During the year we have been working towards putting our sermons online....as mp3s and with study notes. This has taken a little longer than expected. We anticipate that in the next month you will be able to download our sermons as mp3s and gain a sermon outline from this site.
Bible Readings Nehmehiah 8:1-10 1 Corinthians 12:12-21 Luke 4:14-21
Sermon: Jesus sets the stage for God's mission for us
Up to now We have been seeing how Jesus is slowly revealing himself to the world as the Messiah, The saviour not just for one group but the entire world
John the Baptist pointed us to Jesus as the One And as Jesus was baptised…. God said to Him you are my Son with whom I am well pleased And God’s Spirit descended on him
And last week we saw how Jesus turned water into wine For the purpose of revealing God’s glory And that God is about bringing long lasting joy to our lives Joy that extends into eternity
And today’s Gospel reading continues revealing more about Jesus And importantly more about how God goes about His mission
Our reading from Luke 4 in verse 14 begins with 3 significant factors 14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.
Three significant factors Galilee: This is Gentile territory…. Very early on His ministry Jesus highlights that He is hear for all people For both Jews and non Jews We know from verse 15 he also came to preach to his own people The Jewish people… It is important to remember that true Christian mission is neither one group or another …but all Being in mission means being in mission for those who are part of the church and for those who are not part of the church. Christian mission involves reaching out to people outside the group and reaching out to people in the group…
Secondly The power of the Spirit…. .It is God’s Spirit that makes mission possible. God’s Spirit is the essential ingredient for all Christians. Without God’s Spirit there is no chance of Good News.. No chance of it being spread. God’s Spirit means being influenced and directed by God…
And thirdly News of Jesus spread throughout the countryside People told others about Him….about what he was up to… and what good he was doing…. And that continues to be the same God’s plan to helping others experience God is for each one of us to share and reveal the good things about God to others.
What about you? When was the last time you told people how good Jesus was? What good you have experienced or heard about Jesus?
There is however something more significant from today’s reading As Jesus went back to His home town Nazareth He read the following at synagogue from Isaiah 61 and 58
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour."
This reading reveals a lot about God It reveals how Jesus would go about His mission And also how the mission God has given us should look. God’s mission is about freeing people from the burden of sin. And from worshipping gods that promise a lot but deliver nothing.
Unfortunately Western minds distort this passage Western minds think that if we follow God we have freedom and we can do whatever we want. Well that’s not how the scriptures or how God sees freedom. Freedom from the scriptures is about being free from the negative things that sin brings into our life.
This is not a new problem When the reformation started to take off in the 1500s, The reformers faced the same issue As a result there is available a short publication written by Martin Luther called The Freedom of a Christian Which goes into details of what free truly means from a biblical perspective.. Some passages that reveals God’s freedom for us include: 1 Corinthians 9:19 19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
Ephesians 3:7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power
Phillipians 1:27-30 27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have. In Romans 8 verse 1 and 2 we hear Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, a 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
Being free from sin, means we are free from having to go through the burden of paying for our sins or having to worry whether our sins will prevent us from a life with God It means we can be assured that we are loved by God. It means really knowing that Jesus death on the cross is enough to pay the penalty for any sins you have committed. And therefore you are free to use your life to help others experience and grow in this freedom
Sin can have terrible effects on people Over January I got the opportunity to read the biography of Hansie Cronje After he admitted to accepting money from bookies For over 4 years His life was a misery He was ashamed He didn't know whether God could possibly love him As a result he closed himself off to the world
Fortunately there were some people in his life that helped him deal with the sin Helped him focus on what God had done for his sin And when he understood this he started to return to wanting to relate to others To wanting to help others Understand the reality that God forgives sins changed his life.
And this is our mission When Jesus says in Matthew 28 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in a the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
We are being called to do what Jesus was involved in God is saying to us go and proclaim good news to the poor. Go proclaim freedom for the prisoners Go and help the blind see Go and set the oppressed free, Go and proclaim the year of the Lord's favour." The only difference between us and Jesus Is that we do this in Jesus name Using the authority that He has given us In other words we are to introduce and help others to grow in a life of God’s freedom That is what making disciples is about Now this is not always easy week It is very rewarding…. but it means us being willing to get involved in difficulties, to listen to problems to put in effort when things are not going well It means giving when disasters like the Haiti earthquake occur It means volunteering for ministry areas, because there is a need not just because you feel comfortable or it suits you.
So what does this being freed mean for you and me
First of all I would like you to consider yourself. What sins are burdening you? What sins are preventing you from getting on with God’s mission? Maybe its a love of something that leads you away from God!!! Maybe its some sins you have committed that your scared others may reveal. Maybe it sins that have been committed against you?
Lets stop and spend some time in prayer. (Prayer time asking for the burden of sins to be lifted from us and that we clearly see we are forgiven.)
For some people they may need further help in dealing with their sins. There maybe consequences, or other worries. Please talk this other with another Christian or make an appointment to see myself.
Secondly Who do you know who is burdened? Who needs God’s Good News. Maybe it is someone who feels let down by life. Who thinks there is no future. Perhaps they haven’t been financially blessed. Or have made some stupid decisions. Maybe they struggle with life. Maybe they struggle with relationships…they don’t want people too close. Maybe they push people away.
Remember if you know anyone who needs to hear and experiences God’s Good News they are in your life for a reason
They are there so you can proclaim good news to the poor. You can proclaim freedom for the prisoners You can help the blind to see, You can set the oppressed free, And proclaim the year of the Lord's favour."
Now it wont necessarily be easy But aren’t you going to enjoy being with them in heaven. As a result of them experiencing and receiving God’s Good News of freedom from sin.
And when we get involved in doing God’s mission Bringing Good News to others God and His kingdom becomes not some distant reality Not something that people have to wait to experience
But it begins as verse 21 says….TODAY Right now!! Amen
Bible Readings 1 Samuel 18:1 1 John 4:7-8 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Sermon
One day two children were playing on the beach.
They built a magnificent sand castle.
It wasn’t just a sand castle it was a fortified city.
With gates, towers, moats and underground tunnels.
But just as they were about to finish a huge wave came along and knocked down the castle.
It was now nothing more than a pile of wet sand.
Together the children stood up, ran further up the beach, laughing and holding hands.
Then they sat down and built another castle.
These two children had lived out a valuable lesson.
All things in our lives
All the complicated structures we spend so much time and energy creating are built on sand.
They should be nothing but tools that are used to encourage and develop relationships with others.
It is our relationships with others that have the chance to survive through disasters and celebrations.
And it is relationships with others that will help us endure through disasters.
The truth is Christianity is about relationships.
Relationships with other Christians so that both of you benefit by being spiritually supporting each other.
And having relationships with others so that you are able to introduce them to Christ.
Many people have a picture of heaven that talks about it being a quite idyllic place.
A garden.
But scripture reveals to us that heaven is a city.
A splendid city, a perfect city
And for a place to be called a city it must have a significant number of people.
People living together.
That is what God is preparing us for.
Life with each other and others.
So our lives together,
as part of a congregation is about being prepared for life in heaven God’s city
In Luther’s Small Catechism we hear
In the same way the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth….
Which is simply a reflection on 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5
4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.
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How do you view your relationships here in the congregation?
Do you see them as Holy Relationships?
Something God has initiated.
Our church relationships are something that God wants us to have.
This week.....
I encourage you to look through our members and friends directory.
If you don't have one contact our office for one.
As you read each name….
remember you are in a relationship with them initiated by God
and it is a relationship that God wants you to have
He wants each of us to have a Godly relationship with each other.
It is also a relationship that God wants you to develop.
To develop in ways that are centred on Him
and Him influencing our relationships with each other.
Our relationships at church are not just about being friends.
Although friendship is important.
Do you realise that if a person has at least 7 good close friendships at church they are likely to be actively involved in church life throughout their life?
Friendships at church actually benefit us by strengthening our relationship with God.
Our relationships as Christians are for encouraging each other in a relationship with God
and keeping each other accountable in our spiritual journies.
1 Corinthians 12:24-25 says
God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
Recently I read a story about Bill
Bill has always been part of the church
He remembers attending a congregation at a young age where people of all ages talked to him and encouraged him
When he couldn't reach the counter at morning tea, adults would hand him the tin of biscuits to choose from
He remembers feeling encouraged.
As he became a teenager he was encouraged to participate in the various activities of the church
And not just in the things he like, but remembers being asked what he would like to be doing at church
At a young age he was invited into leadership roles.
He remembers people praying for him.
His parents encouraged him to care and pray for others, especially those he did not regularly mix with.
When he had some troubles he remembers people who were older than him offering help.
Now he has an active role in the church and feels part of the life of the congregation
He comments that the church is a great place to be and one of the few places in his life that is for all ages
Bill’s experience reflects what the local church is called to be,
a gathering of people that welcomes people of all ages,
regardless of their background, experience, age or standing in the community.
This reflects what Jesus was on about
Jesus encourages us to welcome everyone….
Not just those we regularly associate with and can relate to …
In Matthew, Mark and Luke….we hear the following encounter
13 People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
Are you encouraging younger people in our church?
Greet them with a smile.
Say hello to them
Showing interest in who they are and what they are doing.
Offering them a biscuit.
Carefully guiding and redirecting them.
Helping them feel welcome and that this is their place too.
That is the relationship God encourages us to have with others.
And younger people
Remember we are also called to encourage older people,
in 1 Timothy 5:1-2 we hear
Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
Our relationship with each other is to be similar to equals not older or younger.
As Christians we have a unique opportunity.
To mix with people of other generations.
To grow together.
To learn from each other.
To care for each other.
To develop relationships that go across generations, races and boundaries.
Relationships that are centred on and influenced by Christ
This leads to the other part in having relationships with others.
Good Christian relationships not only bring comfort to our lives
But they also keep us on track.
They help us be accountable to filling our lives with activities that help us be in constant contact with God’s grace.
God’s perspective on life.
Two ways that this accountability occurs in our congregation which everyone can access.
One is through Small Groups
Small Groups play an important role in our lives.
It helps us see
that my way is not the only way
that my life is not all about me
that I don’t have to bear all my worries…
That when people come in our life needing help we are not alone in helping them
We get to see life and the bible from various perspectives
The other type of Christian Relationship that is important to us is one on one relationships, some people call these mentors.
It is important for each of us to develop close relationships with individuals where we discuss spiritual things,
Where we discuss life and the bible
And where we are accountable
In my life I have a number of people who I have a close relationship with
They understand me better than most others
They don’t expect me to become a replica of them
But they can challenge me
They ask me questions like…
how is my prayer life going…
what about bible reading
Am I avoiding things in my life?
Do I need to be so critical of myself?
Am I really worshipping when I am leading worship?
They challenge me when I am avoiding forgiveness from God’s perspective.
Such relationships are helpful as the Holy Spirit uses them to help me and help the other person gain encouragement and to give guidance.
So how are your relationships with others?
Are you experiencing the blessing from the Holy relationships God has placed you in?
Are you blessing others with the love of God?
Each one of us are called to continue developing our relationships with each other….
And as we do the love of God continues growing in each of us….
Bible Readings Micah 6:8 Philippians 4:1-9 Matthew 25:31-46
Sermon
Mother Theresa frequently said; “God loves the world……
through me and you!”
Serving is a natural and essential aspect of being a Christian.
Unfortunately though many people don’t understand the difference between Christian service
and service that takes place by non Christians or non Christian organisations.
Three markshelp us identify what true Christian Service is about..
First….The reason why we serve is for God’s glory.
As 1 Corinthians 10:31 says
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
As Christians it is so important that as we serve that we focus on what God wants to happen,
And that is…...people connect our service to God.
In other words your service becomes a way God connects with others (in and outside our church) and they connect with God.
Martin Luther once commented,
what does it mean to serve God and do His will.
For it is others who need our service; God in heaven does not.
Serving in ways that glorify God has some major implications,
It means we recognise that the opportunity to serve
and the ability we have to serve originates from God.
It means we don’t get so hung up with getting credit for what happens
or what we have done in the past.
Instead we look for ways to connect people to God and other Christians through our service
And we get excited when people who are served connect with other Christians
and begin developing a relationship with God and them.
And it also means that we serve people even when we don’t feel like it,
but rather because God has placed them in our life
and under our nose.
Part of our service is that we connect people with others.
Our focus on serving others is for God’s glory.
The second mark….is that we serve people not because they deserve to be served,
but because they need to be served.
Did you notice in our reading from Matthew 25 that Jesus praises people for serving others who come into their lives when they fed the hungry, gave water to the thirsty, clothes to those who were in need of clothes and visited people in prison.
They served because people were in need.
That is the Christian basis for serving,
that we serve people who are in need.
A question for you.
Who is in need in your life?
Who do you know who needs help?
Who needs to see and experience God’s mercy and love through your service?
Now our service as Christians is not limited to simply giving water, food, clothes and visiting,
rather these things highlight that our service is about helping people be worthy and feel valued,
giving them what they need to have life.
Therefore the way we serve people is also important.
In other words it is not just what we give in our service
but how we give in our service.
That we give in ways that say to people I value you as Jesus values you.
One of the interesting twists on the Matthew 25 reading is that when we serve people in need we interact with and serve Jesus.
This may seem puzzling.
However look at it this way.
God has placed people in our lives so that they can be served.
Think about all the people in your life.
Your family.
Your work colleagues.
Your neighbours.
Your friends.
Everyone here at church and school.
And anyone else you interact with.
God has placed them in your life for you to serve them on His behalf.
Also consider that we serve people
because they need it
not because they deserve to be served,
this is exactly how Jesus serves us.
Jesus serves us because he sees us as valuable and worthwhile not because we deserve to be served.
And he serves us by paying the price for our sins, which cost him his life.
He serves us by making heaven possible for us
not because we have met His expectations,
but because we need Him to do so.
And so everytime you serve someone,
in a way that improves their quality of life
that is a significant reminder that Jesus is behind what is happening
and it is exactly what Jesus is doing for each one of us.
So at work, amongst your family and friends, amongst the people at church, your neighbours and other people who God places in your life
when you see someone in need,
don’t judge why they are in need
or how they have treated you
or whether they deserve to be served
instead look at serving them in ways that help them see they are valued and loved.
Serve them in ways that reflect the love, God has for you.
And the third mark of Christian service is that we are not individuals in our service,
but we serve as a body, a team.
As a congregation God has placed us together to serve each other in ways that help each other
And together we are called to serve the wider community, other Christians and non Christians together.
Working together is essential for every community.
Our congregation here has decided on some basic things in what it means to work together.
That we focus on knowing, growing in and sharing the love of Jesus.
Our service is orientated around this mission statement.
Is your service encouraging people to be involved in activities that help them know, grow in and share the love of Jesus.
Or is your service discouraging people to be involved in activities that help them know, grow in and share the love of Jesus.
I encourage you to reflect on this.
Also as someone who is part of our congregation it is expected that you be intentionally involved in activities that help you
Know Jesus love
Grow in the love of Jesus
And share the love of Jesus
This week I encourage you to undertake an assessment of your life.
Ask yourself are you being a team player?
Are you being part of Christ’s body
by being involved in activities that help you know, grow in and share the love of Jesus.
List them, write them down.
If you can’t identify them you have a responsibility as part of Christ’s body to change, to approach our leaders and Pastor Richard
and say you need help to identify activities
that will help you know Jesus love, Grow in Jesus love and share Jesus love.
There are two other important things in being part of a team, Christ’s body.
One is we speak well of each other.
That in being a good witness to Christ and His church that we don’t publicly put down or condemn anyone in our congregation.
But rather we speak well of people and use every opportunity to praise them publicly.
I know at times that some of us get under the skin of other people.
We should expect this because we are different and at times we areinfluenced by sin.
But as part of God’s team, God’s body where there are problems we should be focussed on forgiveness.
The scriptures relating to church life, emphasis that forgiveness between each other is important.
This is one of the ways we serve each other,
by taking the initiative to be involved in forgiveness.
Which means looking at ways to live and work with each other.
A question for you?
Is there someone or some people in this congregation you have a problem with?
Does someone offend you?
Do you avoid interacting with some people?
Do you realise that this not only affects you and them
but it affects each of us.
And it even affects those people outside the church you are interacting with.
We actually serve the church and others when we talk in public in a positive way about church and the people at church
When they hear this people are encouraged to connect with our community
and more importantly to connect to God through us.
Likewise when we talk negatively about the church and individuals at our church we are actually discouraging people to connect with God through us.
We are not only not serving them, we are also working against God.
The other aspect of serving as a Christian in a team
is that God places us under leaders.
God has placed us under leaders to direct us, make decisions on behalf of us, encourage us, teach us and guide us.
Whilst there are many different ways to serve,
God gives us leaders to help us live in ways that are more consistent with God
and consider a bigger picture
and not just what we personally believe is right.
As a Christian community, we need to follow leaders and the direction they are taking.
When we do our own thing,
or ignore the leaders God has placed among us
we are not just ignoring them,
we are potentially ignoring God.
When some of the Israelites stopped listening to Moses
and did their own thing
because they thought they knew what was better
they ended up building a golden calf
and so not only sinned against Moses they sinned against God.
Being part of a Christian community means placing yourself under the leadership of that community.
At the head of every Christian community and team is Jesus
then there are leaders,
which in our congregation includes Pastors, BCL, team leaders and leaders of our various groups.
Some of us will be both leaders and followers depending on the situations we are facing.
In a few weeks time we are electing leaders not to represent us,
but to lead us to develop our relationship with God
and to lead us in being an evangelising community.
Every leader in our congregation has the responsibility to lead people in ways that encourage us to develop as Christ’s disciples
to help us be part of the bigger picture
and to help others to connect to God through our congregation.
So as part of this congregation
I encourage you to support and encourage our leaders,
to listen to our leaders and follow their guidance
especially when they are encouraging you to be part of a team
and to work with others
and are helping you to connect with God
and are helping you to help others connect with God.
Being a servant is not an optional extra for a Christian
it is part of our life
When we serve others we are serving God.
We serve so people know what God is like and who He is
We serve so people experience God’s tremendous love even though they don’t deserve it
We serve not as individuals but as part of a team,
as God’s body of Christ connecting people to each other.
Bible Readings
Psalm 119:105
2 Timothy 3:14-17
Matthew 4:1-4
Sermon
Many years ago I was staying at the parents of a friends house.
I arrived at the house late at night.
Was invited in and shown my room.
And went promptly to bed.
But then it happened...i needed to go to the toilet
And I had no idea where it was…
Was it upstairs or downstairs?
So I carefully made my way out the door.
And fortunately there was a night light in the passage
So headed towards this light
And even more fortunate was the fact that this light was positioned just outside the toilet door.
I am very thankful for that light.
In our Christian lives
The bible acts as God’s light for us
It is the foundational tool for each one of us
It is the tool that the Christian faith is based on
It is how we get to know and experience Christ.
Martin Luther commented that the entire bible is the cradle that holds Christ for us.
Last week I said with Jesus Christianity can not exist so Christ must be central to all our worship
And the Bible is what reveals Christ to us’
Why we need Christ
What Christ has done and is doing for us
And Christ’s affect on the church
Throughout life we all make assumptions about God,
And it is important that these assumptions be tested by scripture
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
One example of this is that many people know God is a God of love.
And to understand what it means for God to be a God of love we need to open the pages of scripture
And discover how God sees love
In 1 John 3:16 we hear
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
One aspect of God’s love is that Him and us give up something so others can benefit.
In His case it was His life
And in our case it maybe our agendas, our material things, our goals so others can experience God’s love through us
The Reformation was sparked by the fact that Martin Luther identified that the church at the time had neglected significant parts of the bible and interpreted some parts incorrectly or not in relation to other parts.
In basic his concern was that the church and people were using the bible only to impose more and more unnecessary obligations and guilt on people
Rather than pointing out the truth that God was about freeing us from needing to earn our way into relationship with God because of the blood of Jesus,
And with this freedom we are free to help others develop and grow in their relationship with Christ.
Unfortunately, some people miss this last point.
Many people love having freedom.
But I keep having to remember that freedom is a gift from God for us to use for His purposes.
And the reality is when we get involved in reading and studying the bible it not only changes us,
It changes how we see and view others
And it has the potential to also change the lives of others.
When Luther read the bible it changed his life
But it also changed the life of others including me and you.
I saw this greatly a few years ago, when a former atheist presented his testimony at a Gideons conference
He mentioned that one night alone, away from home on work
He opened up the only book in the motel room, a bible.
As he flicked through the pages he was hit with the fact that despite being not right Christ died for us.
Over the next few months he gradually began changing, he wanted to discover more about this God and who God saw he was.
The truth is the more we read the bible
The more God will have an influence and affect on us.
Unfortunately though not every worshipping Christian reads the bible
In Australia in 2006
35% of all Church attenders said they read the bible privately more than once a week,
An additional 6% read it weekly
24% read the Bible occasionally, when it suited them
18% hardly ever
17% not at all.
And only around 41% of worshipping Lutherans read their bible at least monthly.
The same research also highlights that
People who say they sense a growth in faith
Are involved in small groups and other congregational activities that study the bible and life
And they read the bible privately
Something interesting for us as we head into the year of evangelism
73% of people who are actively involved in intentional evangelistic activities such as
sharing the Gospel verbally
and encouraging others to develop relationships with God
and other Christians read their bible at least weekly
Private bible reading when accompanied with regular involvement with other Christians in worship and small groups
is a powerful tool God has given us
As Romans 1:16 says
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile
Through regular bible study God continues speaking to us about how he saves us and how he gives us the opportunity to be involved in saving others.
Are you reading the bible regularly?
There is the story of a young man who applied at a forestry firm for a job.
The foreman asked him if he could fell a tree with an axe.
The young man walked over to a tree and felled it like an old pro.
The foreman hired him.
On Monday, the young man outdid everyone else on the crew.
But, each day after that, he got slower and slower until Friday, he could barely cut one tree down.
He went through all the motions; swinging his axe, hitting the tree and repeating it, but it just didn’t work very well.
Finally, the young man laid down his axe, sat on the ground in exhaustion and wondered what was causing this.
The foreman came over and told the young man he knew what caused it.
He said he had been so busy all week doing the things that a forester does, that he had forgotten to get back to basics and sharpen his axe. It has become dull and is all but worthless today because it had not been kept in good condition.
Have you been so busy in your life, that you have forgotten to go back to the basics and listen to God through scripture?
Do you know what God is really saying….or are you just guessing?
Do you need to sharpen up your faith….with some regular bible study?
Ever week in our bulletin we have short daily bible readings and devotions related to the worship service
that I encourage everyone to read.
Using them is a way of reinforcing God’s message in our life.
Some people say they have tried reading the bible….but it is too difficult or too hard and they don’t get much out of it
I once heard a story with a neat lesson.
There was an old man on some property near the mountains and a creek.
Every year a grandchild would visit.
One day one of the old man’s grandsons approached him with a problem.
The Grandson said, "Grandpa, I read the Bible and I don’t understand it, and what I understand I forget as soon as I close the Bible covers. What’s the use of reading the Bible!"
The Grandfather ordered the grandson to get the basket they used to carry the wood to the fireplace and the ashes to the garden.
He said run down to the creek and bring back a basket of water to the house.
To please his grandfather, the grandson grabbed the basket,
ran to the river and got a basket of water.
The lad ran back to the house with the water.
By the time the lad reached the house the basket was empty.
The grandfather said try it again but this time faster.
The lad ran quickly from the river, the basket was full when he left the river, but by the time he arrived at the house the basket of water was dry.
After his third trip, the boy told his granddad, it is no use, I can not retain the water in the basket until I get here. It is useless.
The grandfather looked at the disgusted young boy, and said, "So you think it is useless?"
"Yes! Grandpa it is useless to try!" the boy replied.
The Grandfather said to the boy,
"BUT LOOK AT THE BASKET, CAN’T YOU SEE SOMETHING?"
THE SMALL BOY WAS AMAZED, AFTER THREE TRIPS TO THE RIVER, THE DIRTY Wood and ash BASKET WAS CLEAN.
Grandpa said, " See, that is what the Word of God does to you.
As you read, you say you don’t retain and understand it, but your basket is cleaned.
THE WORD OF GOD DOES THE WORK OF GOD!
Frequent reading of the bible will continually reveal God’s light,
the way He works and the path we are to take
It will help us make better decisions in our lives
But importantly it will reveal and remind us that we are God’s children loved by Him and forgiven by Him.
There are many ways people have found in studying the bible.
Here are some basic questions I ask whenever I read scripture
How is this revealing that I need God?
What has God done, is doing or will do?
As a disciple of Jesus how is God asking me to live (for my own benefit and the benefit of others, especially those who are different)?
These are not sideline questions, but questions that direct and focus my life…..
Over time regular bible study and reading will change you….
Because God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path…
And through His word God is at work moulding us an comforting us.
As Matthew 4:4 says4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Keep using this wonderful tool God has given us
because Jesus and His love is the focus of all scripture and through it the Holy Spirit is guiding us.
Currently I am the Bishop of the Lutheran Church of Australia - NSW and ACT District and NZ District.
I have been the pastor of Sydney Lutheran Parish - City and Northern Beaches, Portland-Heywood Lutheran Church and North Tasmania Lutheran Parish.
