SermonsMy final sermon as Minister to the people of Kaikorai Church, delivered Sunday 22 January 2012. Read John 1:43-51; Mark 1:14-20 I wonder if you see what I C? Reading these 2 passages I saw lot’s of C’s: Call Community Commission Commitment These are 4 words that I want you to remember – along with another C-word ‘CHRIST’. So let’s begin: CALL These passages are all about call. The ministry of Jesus is just beginning and he is clearly on a mission – his first task, to gather others around him. Right now I’m also going through the ‘call process’ – being called to a new church, and this is how we often think about ‘call’ – to be called to a particular task, missionary, minister, maybe teacher – nurse. But I want you to notice something: before any of these other things happen we are all first called to simply ‘FOLLOW’ Jesus comes to these early disciples and does nothing more than invite them to ‘follow’ To follow Jesus – this is exactly the same calling that I have received and so have you. In the context of 1st century Israel recognise that what Jesus was doing was not unique – there were others around, teachers/rabbis who did exactly the same thing. It was expected that a rabbi would have a number of students following him – their task was simply to learn to walk in the footsteps of their teacher; to take on board his teaching, to absorb his character – to become one like their teacher. And so it is with Jesus – come follow me is all about seeking to become like Jesus. To learn from him, to be shaped and moulded by his influence to become like him in attitude and aspirations. You are called – are you following? COMMUNITY We’ve touched on this many times – it’s really important. Jesus was not calling people in isolation but into community. In these two short passages we see Jesus taking the initiative in calling people – and as we know the full team he finally gathered was not exactly what you would describe as a dream team. True some knew each other before – brothers, relations, work colleagues while others were from quite different backgrounds, with seemingly little in common – you might even wonder at the wisdom of putting some together: the tax collector Matthew for example seems to be a poor fit alongside of Judas the Zealot; one a collaborator with the Romans and one their sworn enemy. But Jesus did put them together and he expected them to grow together, to work together. Today church is in many ways similar – in general we did not choose each other; in many ways we’re an unlikely lot to be in the same team. But God has put us together; we are community – and I believe we are good for each other. Sure sometimes we get offside with each other, I’ve pushed a few of your buttons over the years, and you’ve pushed some of mine – but all up we’ve learnt from each other, and are better for each other. Often I know we take each other for granted – but in times of crisis and celebration in particular I’ve seen the strength of this particular community. In my foolish moments you have corrected me, in my vulnerable ones you’ve held me, in my life and ministry you have encouraged and loved. That is community – it is precious – I pray that you value and protect this community. COMMISSION When Jesus invited Simon (later called Peter) and his brother Andrew to follow him he added ‘and I will make you fishers of people.” The individual is called, the community is formed with a specific purpose in mind – simply put, it is to carry on doing the same thing Jesus has been doing: that is: to call people to follow Jesus. Faith is NOT private – it is designed to be shared. Jesus sends us out to fish for people. Too many of us keep our faith to ourselves; we make it a Sunday thing, something that we can be quite open about within the setting of the church but beyond that and we clam up. But those who follow are ‘commissioned’ to go to others. This is how Jesus began his ministry and you’ll know how he finished it?
Disciples = followers. Go and invite others to follow me. This is I suggest the primary purpose of the Christian life and the primary purpose of the Church. I’ve heard it said: ‘Build it and the people will come’, as in build a flash building, and the people will be attracted to it. And I’ve heard it said ‘pray and God will bring the people’. Yes please do pray – but don’t spend all your time praying: Jesus said I will send you out to fish for people. Friends we’ve got to do something, we’ve got to go out, to reach out and invite others to know the man you know: Jesus. Back to our John reading, verse 43 and following.
Philip was a quick learner – no sooner had he been called than he began to call others. And note his simplicity – he has got all the answers, he doesn’t debate with Nathanael, he simply invites him to ‘come and see Jesus for himself. You see we don’t have to have all the answers; with Philip all we are asked to do is to share what we know and invite people to ‘come and see’ for themselves. This is the Christian life – based upon a call to Jesus, we join his community: the Church – to convey his invitation to everyone who will listen: ‘come and see’. And all this takes commitment. COMMITMENT to Jesus, and I believe commitment to one another – this is why I believe church membership is a good thing; because in that public act of membership we declare our commitment to Jesus and to each other. Of course words do not guarantee commitment but when we take those words seriously they do help and they are an encouragement to one another. What does commitment entail: hanging in there even when the going is tough; recognising that it’s not just about you but about others; knowing that you’ll not always get your way but that somehow when people are truly committed to one another then God’s way will be evident in their fellowship. It does mean being regular in meeting together. Remember this from Hebrews 10:24-25
It means encouraging and supporting each other. Finally – remember it’s all about Jesus the Christ. It is Jesus who initiates the call to us – a call that is focused on him – ‘follow me’ he says. Make me your priority in all things. The Robin Mark song we sing says it well: Jesus, all for Jesus, All of my ambitions, hopes and plans This is really what Jesus is inviting us to – to surrender ourselves to him; trusting him with everything, even your ambitions, hopes and plans. Finally why is Jesus so important? Yes he is God. And Yes he is the perfect person. He is the only one who can bring us into God’s fellowship. and as we see from John’s gospel: He is the stairway to heaven. Generations earlier Jacob had a dream (Gen 28:12), a dream in which he saw a stairway reaching to heaven, and on the stairway angels travelled to and from God. Now Jesus says: I am that stairway – I am the path to heaven – I am the way – the one, the only one you must follow. I hope you are seeing what I am seeing: I see the Christ, the source of our calling; the centre of our community; the sum of the message we are commissioned to share; the object of our commitment. Jesus the Christ. Will you follow him? Arohanui Ian
A sermon preached for Advent 4 – Sunday 18th December. Read Colossians 1:21-23 21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. What is it that humanity seeks above all else?
Status wealth health love
We might begin by answering yes to all these – yet behind them is a yearning for peace.
Peace with God. Deep within men and women through the ages have lived with a discontent; an unease; restlessness; no peace.
Knowing there is more to life we have sought satisfaction in power, in prestige, in wealth, and when that didn’t work we cover the pain by eating to excess, drinking to oblivion and sexual relationships that only increase our sense of worthlessness and alienation.
Such is the feeling of lostness and alienation that many give up seeking an answer – they shut down; they stop their ears to the voices of truth, hope, they block out any thought of God.
Thankfully not all do this – the same discontent has sent many others on a journey seeking the peace their heart longs for – philosophy, education, various religions – and as people search God is often revealed.
This is why I delight in people that are clearly seeking understanding; why questions that challenge and probe are to be encouraged, why we must not be afraid of mixing with people of different viewpoints.
By contrast the absolute tragedy is to see women and men created in the image of God who have totally closed their minds to God.
As Paul says “once you were alienated from God”
The implications of alienation is a total separation: a deliberate turning of the back, an attitude that had no use for God, no thought of God, merely seeing God as irrelevant or non-existent.
Yet all the while the lack of peace grows – deep inside – things are not right.
The peace that we need is inner peace with God; a hard thing to do when we even deny God existence.
And our trouble is that we somehow thing we can fix ourselves; that if only we try hard enough, seek hard enough, or spend enough then we will find peace.
But some journeys are a step too far; some mountains do prove too high for even the most determined to conquer alone, some valleys too deep and the chasm we find between ourselves and God is something that we cannot bridge by ourselves.
We can go so far but sooner or later we all realise that we cannot do it alone and here’s where God has acted.
Paul did say ‘once you were alienated’ these few words from Paul are like the condensed version of the gospel – for the hope is extended that while your were alienated; and maybe you still are – you do not have to stay in that place.
We were alienated – even enemies of God – until God acts and intervenes on our behalf. And we discover that it is only by what God in Christ has done for us that we can be reconciled to God.
Verse 22: Paul begins the sentence ‘BUT NOW he (God) has reconciled you.
And whenever you hear BUT you know that what goes before it is overturned by what is now said.
You were like this BUT now you are like this.
Think about this.
None of us came up with the idea that we needed to be saved on our own. None of us sought after God without him first working in our hearts. None of us called out to God for mercy without Him first calling out to us.
I Corinthians 1:26-31 carries much the same idea.
In my time here at Kaikorai this has been one of my greatest joys – hearing you boast in the Lord; telling your stories of how God has acted in your life. Time and time again I have heard of your struggle, the lack of peace, the desire to find that for which you were seeking – invariably it has been God who you’ve recognised has made the decisive move in drawing you to him.
Precisely it is God in Jesus who has made the difference.
The opposite of alienation is reconciliation: you once were opposed but now reconciled; once hostile to God, now at peace with God
And this achieved not by your efforts but by Christ’s physical body through his death; the means of reconciliation is in the blood of Jesus – it is by the sacrifice of Jesus that you are washed clean; your sin attached to him on the cross.
The sin that separated you from God’s embrace dealt to. The consequence is peace: that deep inner peace that all is well.
Troubles may still come – indeed they probably will; we live in a divided world; walking around in fragile bodies; prone to making mistakes – troubles will come – there may be times of discontent let even then as we look to Jesus we realise there is a deeper reality, a true peace that gives the strength to ride the trials and tribulations of life.
Time and again I am struck by the peace people can have in the midst of serious trouble – a peace that persists despite current circumstances.
I’m reminded of many I’ve sat with close to death – who while fearful of the process have no fear of the future – they have peace with God; or others whose world falls apart and they discover that there is a deeper peace that sustains them.
In my own life I sometimes forget this – and I, and I suspect you at times, needs to be reminded of your security through Jesus.
I’m often reminded of the tragic story of Horatio Spafford who in 1873 wrote the hymn ‘It is well with my soul’
In 1871 his business interests took a massive loss in the Great Chicago Fire – however greater tragedy was to hit two years later. His wife, Anna, and their 4 daughters were sailing to England when their steamship was struck by another vessel and two hundred and twenty-six people lost their lives, including all four daughters. Anna Spafford survived the tragedy.
Sailing over the same spot in the Atlantic shortly after Horatio wrote his hymn…
This in no way lessens the tragedy – the pain of loss is real, yet there is a deeper reality, a great truth that no matter what life may throw at us it is well with our soul when Jesus is our Lord.
It is this truth that brings us peace with God and enables us to live and live well.
Paul makes the point that we do need to continue in the faith to experience this.
In an age when it is easy to profess faith but as one author puts it ‘actual Christian living is sparse’ we need to remember this word.
Continue in Christ.
Too many shrink back into the world, other priorities, laziness, hurt feelings – a failure to recognise how great is the salvation Jesus the Christ has won – these and more can see people once fired up for God shrinking away.
Paul is saying we must build on what Jesus has done – that we must remain in Christ and allow the work of transformation and sanctification continue.
That once at peace with God, once reconciled we must now continue in faith in Jesus; friends as we do so the effect of reconciliation shows in increasing measure: deeper peace, greater confidence in the gospel, life, attitudes, speech, priorities reordered to reflect the character of Jesus being formed in you.
Do you know the reality of being reconciled to God? Then rejoice and continue in the faith, do not move from the hope held out in the gospel, and peace like a river will attend your soul.
arohanui Ian a sermon for Advent 3, Sunday 11th December. Start by reading Colossians 1:15-20 Who is Jesus? Did you grasp Paul’s description from Colossians?
Paul does not hold back: Jesus is 100% pure God. Today I trust that you are open to this truth, and that you allow it to penetrate to your inner being. This is at the heart of Christian faith – our understanding of Jesus draws a line in the sand that distinguishes Christianity from every other belief system: for the Christian faith is not about following a set of lofty ideals – no matter how good; not about working hard to prove our worthiness – faith is about knowing, trusting, worshiping a person who is 100% pure God. And it’s from here – this relationship – that the following of ideals; good works, and the transformation of our minds – which flows to transformation of society – flows. This word from Paul paints an amazing picture of Jesus: making claims that cannot, must not, be easily dismissed, or brushed aside. Challenging us to stand for Jesus in the midst of a world determined to dismiss and trivialise. The world seeks to present Jesus as just one option of many; an item on the menu of religion that we can choose or not; it’s like those pizza’s we buy sometimes: you know, meat-lovers one half, vegetarian the other. A bit of Jesus balanced with the teaching of Buddha. But Paul tells us that Jesus does not need balancing; he tells us that Jesus is not merely a good person, or even the best person to have lived. Not a prophet like so many others, not merely an inspiring teacher; dramatic healer, or life guide. No Jesus is sooo much more – he is the God who created us, for his pleasure; he is the one who gives us life and who maintains all life; he is 100% pure – God. Frequently we hear or read that there really is not much difference between Christianity and Islam. Muslims honour Jesus like we do but they don’t worship Jesus; and that is a HUGE difference; and it’s the same for many other expressions of faith: Morman, Jehovah’s Witness, Bahá’í, Judaism and others – in many ways look similar but the first question to ask is who is Jesus? All these groups think highly of Jesus, some even revere him, but none of them worship Jesus as 100%, pure God, and that makes all the difference. Many of us effectively fall at the same point – every person who fails to worship Jesus as God; every liberal teaching that reduces Jesus to one amongst many; every group that teaches that Jesus is less than God has fallen short of understanding who Jesus is. It is so important that we understand this, because everything else hinges on who Jesus is. If he was anything less than the Creator God then his death on the cross would not be sufficient to save us and we would remain in our sins. If he is not God then he has nothing to offer us. As we approach Christmas let us dwell upon this point – as you gaze upon the manger; baby Jesus – meek and mild – turn your mind to this passage – remind yourself who is this… It is Jesus – Immanuel – God with us. Who is he…
So, who is Jesus to you? I hope he is not just a good example to follow; an inspiring teacher; or even a prophet. Accept it or not – he is God, your God. He deserves our worship. I pray that today if you realise that this has not been true for you then today you will put that right. Accept the word that Paul has written; accept Jesus and tell him he is your saviour, your King; your God. Arohanui Ian.
a sermon for Advent 2, Sunday 4th December. Scripture Colossians 1:9-17 As we journey towards Christmas we are pausing on the way to fill out our picture of Jesus as revealed by Paul in his letter to the Colossians. We began last week by exploring in what ways Jesus is our Good News; today we get specific and look at Jesus our King. Colossians 1 verse 12 tells us that… God the Father has qualified us to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. God has brought us into a kingdom of light! Whose kingdom is it? Who is the King? According to Paul it is the kingdom of the Son of God; Jesus is our King. Read the rest of this entry » |
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