PoWeR SuRGeS: Being boosted by Serving in and outside the Church

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 marks help 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 are influenced 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.

Look around you…

Who needs God’s love….go and serve them

And through you God is at work

Amen

PoWeR SuRGeS: Being boosted by Regular Bible Reading and Study

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 says 4 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.

Let us pray

PoWeR SuRGeS: Being boosted by Weekly Worship

Bible Texts
Psalm 100:1-5
Hebrews 10:18-25
John 4:23-25

Sermon

For many people when you ask them about what they think church is about,

Even those who hardly engage with the church,

They say church is about worship

And the truth is worship is central to the life of the church

So no wonder people get so passionate about worship.

True worship is an activity of the church,

God working through His people.

God bringing people together and God sending them out

We could preach on this topic for hours

Today though I will not be so much focussing on how to worship, but the importance of worshipping weekly.

Worship is about worshipping God.

We are commanded to worship only God...this is one of the commandments.

Why?

Now in an age when commands are not popular.

Like all good commands

The command to worship is not for God’s benefit but for our benefit.

An elderly lady reminded me of this.

As she talked about her life to me one day, it became apparent that she had had many difficulties.

Her life and family had not been an easy one.

So I asked her, “How did you continue having faith in God?”

Her response was instant, every week I went to church

I sang songs, prayed, listened to the sermon and the readings and spent time with other Christians,

And during this time God and not my life was the focus

And every time I met with God,

How God saw things seemed to be different to how I saw things.

Brothers and sisters the truth is when we worship, we benefit.

We benefit substantially from God.

Jesus has something to say about this.

Matthew 2:27 says

The Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

One of the areas worship has a significant impact on us,

Is it deals with the problems that isolation and the attitude of total independence causes.

The Western Societies of USA, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Europe have been encouraging isolation, privatising and total independence for many years.

Non of which are godly.

All of which lead to problems including depression, substance abuse and the lack of love

At their extreme a life of isolation, privatisation and total independence severely affect people’s socialising skills and behaviours.

Juilan Knight, Martin Bryant and those involved in the Columbine killings some years ago lived very closed lives.

The Columbine shooters actually had so many walls up that they put locks on their own bedroom doors, so they didn't have to interact with family.

This is the extreme result of isolation.

Have you ever felt the effects of isolation or the failure of total independence?

When I lived in Melbourne I discovered that you could be around many people, but still feel isolated?

And what happens when we are isolated?

We worry about every little thing.

We worry what people might be saying.

We develop extreme levels of guilt.

One of the ladies I visited regularly in Launceston never left home.

She was so frail she only interacted with her doctor, and those who visited her.

On occasions when other people had visited her, she was happy and had a good outlook on life.

She would still feel guilty

However when no one had visited her she always had tremendous guilt.

She was guilty because she couldn't do what she had previously had been able to do

She said she was a terrible sinner.

However as I we spent time in worship,

Proclaiming God’s word and receiving His forgiveness her outlook changed.

When we are isolated we become self focussed.

We worry what people think of us.

We put up walls

We don't care how our action and words affect others.

We become more determined to get what we want.

When we are isolated, when we offend someine it is their fault,

And we fail to see that our words, actions and timing could have contributed to their hurt.

We become ruthless, others matter less

However worshipping God with a true heart helps us deal with the issues of isolation and independence.

Worship refocusses our lives to God’s reality.

One aspect of worship that we are often involved in is stating our faith using a creed.

Whenever I say the Apostles Creed I am reminded that everything in my life has been created by God

Think about the things you enjoy most.

That you are most thankful for.

What are they?

God has been behind them all.

But the God we worship is more than just a creator.

He is also our saviour.

A saviour that recognises we need his help.

A saviour that is prepared to suffer and die for us

Even though we don't always follow him.

And the creed also reveals that God is my guide, encourager and strength.

God is at work constantly redirecting me back to Him,

And reminding me He is constantly prepared to forgive my sins and give me a new life.

And is constantly encouraging and guiding me in how I am to live with others.

And this God is putting me in relationships with others

When we worship we can not ignore how important God is in our lives

And how important it is to have relationships with other people.

Scripture is clear true Christian relationships is centred around Loving God and Loving others.

True Christian worship is never a private thing

Many people mix up personal and private.

Private is keeping things to myself.

It doesn't involve others.

It often is seen in people doing what they want.

And others not having to know about it?

God does not want us to keep our faith or worship private.

He wants our worship and faith though to be personal

Personal is owning and accepting the faith

It means you be authentic

It means you contribute to the faith and you do so not alone,

But with others, in community

Our worship with God is also a two way deal.

In our worship God, what he has been doing, is up to and will do should be highlighted and emphasised.

That’s why we have bible readings, the sermon and the sacrament.

That’s why when people give testimonies, a good testimony always highlights God and what He has done.

The truth is without God, Christian worship would not be possible.

God initiates and inspires true Christian worship.

Throughout our worship service God is constantly working.

He is calling us into his presence and putting us in situations where we are with other Christians

He is forgiving us

He is speaking to us

He is listening

He is giving gifts to us

He is preparing and inviting us to a banquet

He is giving us His body and blood

And He is equipping us to partner Him in taking His Good News to all those people we are mixing with.

And as a result of God’s actions

We respond

We gather in His presence

We confess our sins and seek His help to live holy lives

We listen to Him

We pray to Him

We offer gifts for His mission through His church

We dine with Him

We give ourselves totally to Him

We thank and praise Him

We go from this place praising Him and taking what He has to offer to others.

Did you notice how much our responses rely on God’s grace.

As we respond we are reminded of God and How great He is and that without God there would be nothing.

So be committed to weekly worship

Don’t see it as a task where you have to, but as an opportunity to be encouraged and touched by God and His love

View weekly worship as the flood light that shows the reality of how good God is.

Amen

PoWeR SuRGeS Worship Series: Being boosted by Daily Prayer

Bible Reading
Luke 18:1-8
1 Thess 5:16-18
Daniel 9:2-3

Sermon
Prayer is one of the basic but fundamental tools of everyone of us.
Prayer is a gift from God to us;
Deutronomey 4:7 says
What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?
More people pray than attend church or even believe in God, an unusual concept.
At Amazon search for books on prayer and you will get close to 500000 options.

However many people are confused and even unsure how to pray?
Visit to an older lady….don’t assume I know how to pray..

Then it struck me
My prayer life became more significant and changed when realised that prayer was about my relationship with God and how I see this relationship

Invite you to close your eyes for a moment….

Now think of God…what do you see!!!
How do you see God??
How do you see God talking to you and you talking to God?

Old man…judge….strict…creator….awesome….etc

Now do the same thing again….but this time think of Jesus…
How do you see Jesus?
How do you see Jesus talking to you….and you talking to Jesus?

Share
God wants us to know him through Jesus
Without Jesus there is no Christianity!!!
John 14:6 we hear
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
It is only through Jesus that God has chosen to display who He is…..
What He is on about…
And how He relates to us
And how we can talk to Him

Think of the disciples….how they talked to him

And prayer is about developing your relationship with God!!!
Not because you have to but because you want to
Think about some of your close loving relationships
Ever been in a situation where you talked to your wife/husband because you had to and you needed them to do something for you?
Compare this to talking to your wife/husband because you want to?
Our relationship with God is not just about getting something…
In fact very few relationships that are orienated around us getting something and us being pleased all the time last too long….shops/church/friends
Often we limit our prayers to asking for stuff and things from God.
We treat God as the ultimate vending machine up in the sky….
But God desires something better for us…
A growing and loving relationship

Think of the difference in conversation
One where you just ask for things?
One where you are in constant conversation for the relationship to grow
How many can remember the time you felt truly in love with someone…being the person I am Veronica and I went out for tea one night and didn’t stop talking until…the sun came up…..I wanted to know and grow with this person

Relationship with God is one where we trust God
God’s view of life is bigger and better than ours
The most effective prayers are when we realise that we are not in control and we put our lives in the hands of God

And so with prayer being about our relationship with God
God is interested in more than just dumping things in our lap
He is interested in who we are and the more we are to become.
As a result we will get to know God more and see Him in action
How God answers our prayers highlights who He is!

And so an effective prayer life will lead to us changing
We will move from just asking for things to asking to be changed.
Scene about one part of CS Lewis’ life the writer of the chronicles of Narnia
He had fallen in love with Joy Gresham who developed bone cancer.
In the movie Shadowlands there is this magnificent scene where,
CS Lewis moves from being drained…not knowing what to do….
To being fully energetic
Reverend Harry: Christopher can scoff, Jack, but I know how hard you’ve been praying; and now God is answering your prayers.
C. S. Lewis: That’s not why I pray, Harry. I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God, it changes me.

How we deal with and respond to situations change
We place our lives in the hands of God




Stop and pray…..God….. situations bothering us…pray

The one you have just prayed to is a loving God
Who hears your prayers as one who cares for you….

Our prayer life is an open door to the presence of love,
and an incentive to be part of God’s love and welcome to others.

If you are uncomfortable praying…then a challenge.
Remember our life as disciples is not about being comfortable, or doing stuff that only suits us,
Infact being a disciple of Jesus means doing lots of stuff to benefit others.
To putting up with things so others feel welcome
To be prepared to listen to someone drop their worries and concerns into your life
And it is about welcoming others not in ways that suit you
But suits them

No matter what you experience get into the habit to ask people would they like prayer
What would they like to pray about…

Because prayer is a people orientated thing there are a variety of ways to pray
From standard prayers from the deep history of Christianity…but don’t just read them…pray them…reflect on them

Using formulas…like ACTS
Free prayer

When we limit ourselves to one style of prayer….like one style of worship we are shutting off God in speaking to us in the many different ways he can speak….
Explore different ways to pray….
What works well today….may not in a years time

Finally
Time aside…what is best for you
Keep a journal so u can see how God answers your prayers

And keep remembering that God is always wanting to be in conversation with you so that you and others know His love

And so the call to pray continuously is not a demand from God but an invitation to keep on being and growing in relationship with God
So that you will experience some of heaven now and heaven completely in the next life,
Amen

PoWeR SuRGeS Worship Series: Being boosted by God to be His disciples

Bible Readings
Matt 4:18-22
Eph 4:7-16
Matt 18:21-35

Sermon
Today we begin a new worship series focussed on developing as God’s disciples.
Every Christian is called by Jesus to be a disciple.
From the moment you were baptised God was acknowledging that you were now one of His disciples.
A person called to follow him.
To learn from Him.
To grow with Him and other disciples.
Our baptism is the beginning of a new life with God.

In Matthew chapter 4 verse 19 we heard…
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
Come follow me when you are able to be fishers of men
Or come follow me if you can be fishers of men
But come follow me an I will make you fishers of men.
Jesus’ call to His early disciples highlights that being a disciple is not based on what or who you know,
what you have achieved
or that you have everything in place.
It is based on God calling you and you responding by being loyal to him.
And as a result of this loyalty God continues to mould, change and have an affect on our lives.

As disciples God calls us into a unique and special relationship with Him and others, who are following Him.
He continues to offer us help, to bless us and to develop us.
Unfortunately, not everyone sees being a disciple this way.
At times being a disciple of Jesus is not easy.
There will be troubles.
The scriptures and life’s experiences reveal that from time to time there will be difficulties
However being loyal to Jesus helps us be prepared for these difficulties.
It enables us to be nurtured and cared for throughout our lives.
It helps us experience how God changes something bad into something good for us.
As Jesus says in Matthew 11:28
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
And being a disciple means experiencing Jesus
and being influenced and changed by Jesus.

Our worship series Power Surges is about helping each of us grab hold of 7 tools in our life called marks of discipleship.
God uses these to influence, form, nurture and guide us.

And Underpinning our lives as disciples is the whole area of forgiveness.
Forgiveness is an essential component of any church and every Christian.
I heard a slogan once that is very true of the church.
Our business is forgiveness.
The truth is we are God’s forgiven people and we are God’s forgiving people.
And why is forgiveness so essential?
Because the truth is we live in a world where sin is present.
Matthew 18:21 makes this clear
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Did you notice Peter didn’t ask,
will my brother or sister sin against me, but how many times will I have to forgive.
In other words, how many times do I have to put up with His sinning, and offer forgiveness.
Have you ever asked that question?
How many times do I have to forgive that imbecile, my brother, my sister, the person I thought was a friend?
That’s not only Peter’s question, that is often our question.
Like Peter, we live in a world where sin is a part of life.
And in asking the question we recognise that our lives are not only impacted by people sinning against us,
but also our own sin of not wanting to forgive others.

God’s response to this question is
that He expects us to forgive an infinite number of times,
that is what is meant by Jesus’ response to forgive seventy times seven.
As forgiven people, we are expected to be forgiving people.

But before we go much further it is important to recognise
that forgiveness from a biblical perspective is not about pretending that everything is ok, it recognises sin exists.
Think about it forgiveness is only needed because sin exists.
The forgiveness which Jesus taught asks that we set aside our need for “pay back” or revenge.
But at the same time we can learn from the hurt sin brings.
Biblical forgiveness doesn’t mean that we immediately put ourselves back into a situation to be sinned against over and over again.
In fact, we may make changes to the way things are done to stop sins being repeated and people being hurt.
However, God’s standard is that as His disciples forgiveness is essential.
As forgiven people, we are expected to be forgiving people.
The truth is we are all forgiven sinners.
None of us are perfect.
We all sin.
We are in fact a community of forgiving sinners.

One thing that still surprises me is that paradox of what it means to live in a Christian Church.
On one hand many people expect there to be no conflict in the church.
Yet the truth is we are a community of sinners, so sin will exist.
Yet we allow behaviours that no business or government organisation would tolerate,
as if being nice will make up for everything.
As the Christian Church we have responsibility to deal with sin by forgiving those who sin, but also protecting those who could be sinned against.
Perhaps though this is not a paradox.
Maybe it is because we do not take the bible and our theology seriously.
We are unprepared to be honest about the future
and the conflicts we face.
We get ourselves into major problems when we deny the reality that sin exists in the world, even in the church and even in ourselves.
And we get ourselves into even more trouble when we do not deal with sin with appropriate forgiveness and boundaries.

So lets be a real church.
A church full of forgiven sinners, who recognise that sin exists
And we deal with sin through appropriate forgiveness and appropriate care.
That is Christ’s church in action.
As God’s forgiven people…we are to be God’s forgiving people.

In other words as you have been welcomed by God into His discipleship team,
you are to go about welcoming others.
Welcoming others is an important part of being disciples.
So who are you going to welcome?
Who do you know needs to know they are welcome here?
That God is wanting to forgive them and welcome them?
Is it time to start being proactive?
Be one of the 20% of Christians who invite someone to church.
This whole business of being proactive only makes sense when you realise that
“you have been bought by Jesus”
None of us belong to ourselves.
We are God’s investments.
God has bought us.
1st Corinthians chapter 6 verse 20 says
You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
And that price is the body and blood of Jesus

But God has not bought us to sit and wait for Him to return.
He calls each of us to be His active disciples
And Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11, along with 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 remind us that each of us have been equipped by God for ministry in the church
and in our daily lives.
Each of us are given gifts, talents, skills, authority and opportunities from God.
as part of His Spiritual investment in the world.

And this investment is for a purpose.
Ephesians chapter 4 verse 12 to 13 tells us we are called to grow one another.
This wisdom from God says
We are gifted to prepare God’s people for works of service,
so that the body of Christ may be built up
until we all reach unity in the faith
and in the knowledge of the Son of God
and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

In other words Jesus death of the cross and God’s gifts to us
is God giving us an important role to play in His investment.
As people who belong to God,
God is calling each one of us not to bless ourselves
but to bless others with our skills and talents, and the gift of forgiveness.
God gives us the privilege of being a gift for others.
Ephesians 4:14 speaks to us about what it means to be a gifted disciple.
Many people with gifts often use them for their own means,
to build their own empire
or they take them for granted
or they aren’t interested in sharing them
or they develop big heads and think they are better than others.
Yet God is calling each of us to use our gifts maturely,
which the scriptures reveal as using them for the benefit of others.
And as Ephesians 4:14 suggests this means being aware of what God is on about.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Being mature means living a life that understands we rely on Christ for the future,
and allow ourselves and others be influenced by Him.

Our Power Surges worship series
in focusing on the seven marks of discipleship
help us realise and take hold of the tools that encourage us to develop a real faith that works in a real life.
These Marks of Discipleship are the tools to help us grow further in faith.
They are not demands any more than a screw demands a screwdriver.
Ever had a loose screw?
Every now and again one of the screws in my glasses becomes loose.
Often I will use my fingernail to tighten it.
Occasionally a nail file.
But what works best is a screwdriver of the right size
when I have a screwdriver I don’t even think about using a finger nail or nail file.
Because the screwdriver is the best tool to use.

Like wise in our personal and congregational lives the seven Marks of Discipleship are the best tools to help us engage and remain in relationship with God,
the one who has bought us away from sin controlling us.
God’s active and forgiving love is the basis for every Mark of discipleship.
These Marks of Discipleship help us explore and put into practice
what it means to be forgiven people who live lives forgiving others.

People who have a close and ongoing relationship with God are able to survive the storms of life.
Someone once commented if you live, you will experience the storms of life.
You will be affected by rejection, failure, loss, abuse, natural disasters, bad decisions, lies and the list goes on.
Each of these storms have the potential to destroy us and lead us away from the great future God has prepared for us.
Yet God through Jesus is offering us what is needed to live through the storms of life.
And the Marks of Discipleship help us remain connected to Jesus
so that we have His strength.
They help us become Spiritually mature.
And in doing so we are able to distinguish the truth that comes from God’s wisdom that is focused on the long term
to the wisdom developed by humans that is often focused on pleasing ones self and short term rewards.

And if we truly live out our lives as one of God’s disciples,
not only will we see storms
we will walk right into them.
This is because God is always sending us out into the world,
to our family, our friends, our workplaces and the wider community
to bring change from Christ into the world.
Change that comes from God forgiving you and you forgiving others.

And when we do so we will encounter storms,
because we are moving into a world of people wanting to primarily please themselves
look good
and not wanting to recognize they are involved in sin.
As disciples we will inevitably need to walk against these winds
Living our lives focused on God and serving others.
Living our lives as God’s forgiven people, who are active in forgiving others.

But remember God is with us,
God is wanting to help us move through these winds and bring strength to others.
Remaining connected to Jesus through the Marks of Discipleship will help you do this.
Be the witness, the disciple God is calling you to be.
Be His forgiven sinner, actively seeking to forgive others.
And over the next seven weeks join us in exploring and discovering the Marks of Discipleship
Of Praying daily
Worshipping Weekly
Reading and studying the Bible frequently
Serving in and outside our congregation
Being in Christian Relationships for your own and others benefit
Giving proportionally, regularly and cheerfully
And Sharing the Great News from God
If you can not be here for one week of the series, please contact the office and we will forward you a copy of the sermon and other information
Let’s pray
Amen

October 4: Beng God's Caretakers

Bible Reading Psalm 8

Today’s sermon is based on the psalm for today Psalm 8
This is a psalm of praise of our God, who is always present with us
The psalmist declares that God is present with us throughout and in the grand universe He has created.
The psalmist writes: You have set your glory above the heavens…
Listen again to verses 1 to 4
LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what are mere mortals that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?

Have you ever been out in the bush and looked up and seen the canopy of stars in the sky
This is the handiwork of God
Or perhaps you have ventured through a region some months after it has been affected by bush fires
and seen the new growth of plants thriving amongst the blackness
or maybe you have walked through the mountains and bush with the amazing sights, scents and noises surrounding you
If you are like me,
you can feel insignificant and yet immortal as a consequence because God is present
and we are those who know this Creator.

That’s the wonder of this magnificent psalm.

But the very presence of our God is also seen in the seemingly small mutterings of a little child.
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
Have you ever held an infant in your arms and felt its tiny hand curl around your finger?
If so, you might have felt the touch of God.
If you have listened to the laughter of joy or the cries of need that a baby gives out,
you have heard the whispers of God’s eternal gift of life.
Little children witness to the presence of our God of this universe
and we have the privilege of knowing God.

Whether in the wonders of the night sky or the gentle heartwarming mutterings of an infant,
we know that God alone is God.
As human beings we cannot create the stars and planets,
but we, of all the creatures on the earth,
can wonder at them, not worship them but worship their Creator.
As human beings we cannot create life,
but through love and the union of a man and a woman,
God can create another human being through us.
We have the creative power within us
to throw away what has been given to us or to renew and restore it,
celebrate and encourage a stewardship of creation.

The most remarkable part of Psalm 8 is its assertion that
God has chosen us to partner with Him as stewards for Christ’s creation.
In Genesis 1 God creates the world.
Listen to what happened on the sixth day:
“then God said, Let us make humankind in our image,
according to our likeness;
and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the birds of the air,
and over the cattle,
and over all the wild animals of the earth,
and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
God created humankind in His image,
in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
God blessed them, and God said to them,
“Be fruitful and multiply,
and fill the earth and subdue it;
and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:26-28)

Formed in the image of God means that we are stewards of creation.
To the Hebrew mind,
the image of God is a reflection of both who God is and what God does.
The “dominion” and “subduing” referred to in this text is to reflect God’s dominion and subduing of all.

How have we come to understand that authority and power from God?
Through Jesus Christ we have come to see how God works in love and care.
Jesus Christ does not hoard the goodness of God, He freely gives it out.
Even God’s judgment is a measure of justice with compassion.
We are the image of God when we appropriately exercise the authority and power of being human in ways that encourage life, that are life-giving.
The definition of the word “dominion” in Genesis 1 is “care-taking.”
Stewards are caretakers of what ultimately belongs to God.
Our role as humans is to care for God’s earth.

We see the best and worst of ourselves when we understand Genesis 1 and its reflection in Psalm 8.
Many of us marvel at the many natures of the earth.
In Tasmania there is wonder from young people at why efforts were not made to stop the Tasamanian tiger from becoming extinct
And there are also examples where people have been active in caring for the environment
Where people have taken seriously the need to change and intervene in caring for the planet
Queenstown in Tasmania had a reputation of being like a moonscape with no trees and very few trees as a result chemical poisoning in the land through mining
but after some years of active caring, life has started to be active again in the area.

What our world desperately needs is for us to reclaim our sacred role as stewards.
Human beings appear to be the only creatures on earth that can both reflect upon the past and make decisions for the future.
That is what stewards do.
It is our sacred calling to care for our world.
We have been created with the unique gifts required to love life
and make the decisions that support and sustain life.

Both Genesis and Psalm 8 make a remarkable point:
Those who worship the true God are best equipped to be stewards.
It is not surprising that where people do not take worship seriously
or do not intentionally make it a priority that there is uncertainity of what it means to be a steward and our efforts of caring for God’s creation is flagging
In the atheistic nations of the former Soviet Union,
creation was dealt a death blow by those who saw all of life as intended to serve them and their own agendas.
Sooner or later, when we bow before our Creator
God in the name of Jesus Christ,
we must accept the reverence for all creation that is our gift from the One who walked on the water and changed water into wine.
In reverence to the Word, Jesus, through whom we believe all life came into being,
we are being called to be a “green” church.

We should recycle and reuse as much as we can.
We should thank those who transform the dirt into gardens and care for the gardens.
We will look beyond our own needs to see that those who are older or younger than us are cared for and protected.
Being stewards of creation not only reveals our concern for nature,
it shows our concern for future generations.

Beloved people of God, as stewards of Christ’s creation,
let us return to God what God has first given us: our great green planet.

Some years ago a lady was noticed by her local newspaper for spending two hours every Saturday walking the main road that entered and left her town picking up rubbish, broken glass and other litter. When interviewed by her local paper, to the journalist’s surprise there was no anger towards those who had carelessly disposed of the mess, nor anger towards the council for not doing its job, she simply commented that she is picking up the stuff for the people who are coming after her, so they can enjoy the town’s beauty.
The reality is her one single act of picking up some litter is making a difference
Many people benefited from her act of picking up litter, including those visiting the town to those who owned businesses which tourists stopped for
Not only this but her efforts touched the lives of others, she helped make life for others easier and more pleasant
and at the same time inspired others to care for the town they lived in.
As God’s caretakers God has given us much to enjoy and care for
This week as we live our lives enjoying God’s creation let us live as Christians
Caring for what God has given us,
And carrying out simple acts of kindness to make more pleasant and easier for others. AMEN

September 20th 2009, Receiving and sharing God's healing Mark 1:29-34

Bible Reading: Mark 1:29-34

Sermon available at http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=139382&Sermon How God heals by Richard Schwedes