Sermons
22 June 6.30 pm Deb Humphries
Luke 14 v 12-24
The Gates of Heaven are open wide
The title of my sermon comes from the words of a chorus which has been going around my head since I started writing and rewriting this sermon, so I want just to put the words in context:
“The trumpets sound the angels sing,
The feast is ready to begin.
The gates of heaven are open wide and Jesus welcomes you inside.”
At the beginning of this chapter of Luke’s Gospel, we read that Jesus is at the house of a “prominent Pharisee” and that it is the Sabbath. We are also told that Jesus is “being carefully watched” by those who are sharing the meal with Him, experts in the law and other Pharisees. Luke brings together two stories in the context of the meal before relating the two that we are looking at in this particular passage. It was common practice in Greek civilisation for teachers and philosophers to offer their wisdom at banquets. Luke portrays Jesus at table as one who accepts and receives all kinds of people - but more of that later.
In verses 12 to 14 we are challenged not just to invite our friends and families for meals, but to invite “the poor, the crippled, the lame, (and) the blind”. In verses 15 to 24 we are told the well known parable of “the Great Banquet” and it is this that I would like us to look at in some detail this evening.
The Parable of the Great Banquet is not merely a story about a host whose guests stand him up. This parable, like all those that Jesus told has a deeper meaning. Here we are invited to join the Messiah at the banquet in the Kingdom of God.
Let’s look first at the idea of invitation.
It was the custom in village feasts to send out 2 invitations. All three of the guests described in this passage had accepted the first invitation of the host as he began to plan the banquet. When all the preparations had been made, it was normal practice to send a second invitation to say that all was ready. And this is the point at which we join the story. The first 2 excuses given for not attending the feast seem pretty weak to me although the third excuse is perhaps more reasonable.
This story of guests who accept the first invitation but refuse the second is “a great illustration for the Jews present at the table with Jesus. They had had their invitations (to join the Messiah in the Kingdom of God) throughout the whole of the Old Testament – of course they wanted to become part of the Kingdom so long promised” (Explore Bible notes May 26 2008), but when Jesus came and issued the second invitation, many were not ready to receive Him.
In my reading of this section, I am left with three questions:-
Have we accepted Christ’s invitation to join Him in the kingdom of God?
And whether we have or not, what kind of excuses do we give to avoid spending time with Him now?
I guess most, if not all of us here have given our lives to Christ and look forward to joining him in the Kingdom. But what does the Kingdom mean?
At Spring Harvest this year we learnt all about eschatology – not a word previously in my vocabulary. Put simply, it means, “the end times” when Christ returns and God’s Kingdom is restored. Russell Rook writes, “True Christian living is an experiment in eschatology and an exercise in hopefulness.” (SH Study Guide 2008, p.7)
We were told in our Bible study that, since Christ’s death and resurrection we are now living in a time of “inaugurated eschatology”. That is to say, when Christ sacrificed his life for us, the Kingdom was opened up for us in the here and now. God’s Kingdom isn’t coming, it has come. We can enjoy it now. It will be better, completed when Jesus comes again and the whole of creation is restored, but we can enjoy it now. To use Paul’s well-known image from 1 Corinthians 13, what we see of God’s Kingdom now is as “a poor reflection … (and when Christ returns) then we shall see face to face … Now (we) know in part: then (we) shall know fully”. It’s exciting and that should make us want to extend God’s invitation to everyone we meet, whoever they are.
But let us pause for a moment and reflect again on those guests that decided not to attend the banquet. It is all too easy to be critical of them. We too are fallible human beings and we, like the invited guests in the story, offer our own excuses to God – too tired to pray or read our Bibles, too busy for church activities this week… And yet we need to heed the warning of verse 24, “I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet”. But all is not lost. From my understanding of God from the Bible as a whole, I believe that when we ask, God forgives us when we fail to join him in the tasks to which he has called us. There is hope for the truly repentant believer.
So, if we have responded to Christ’s invitation, who else then is the invitation for?
When the servant returns to the host the first time, he is commanded to “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame”. As Jesus advises in verse 13, when talking of banquets we might host, we should invite the marginal people of our towns and cities, those perceived as the good and the bad. When the servant returns for the second time to say that there is still room for more, he is sent “to the roads and country lanes … so that (the) house will be full”. It has been suggested that this is a reference to the Gentiles, those on the outskirts who would not normally be allowed into Jewish society.
So what does this mean for us in the 21st century? If we are already part of God’s kingdom, who should we be inviting to join us at the Banquet? Who are the outcasts today, not just the disadvantaged, but the outsiders, those beyond the borders?
As I listened in horror to the news two weeks ago of a family involved in a crash on the M6 where boys of 8 and 10 were both killed and the father lay seriously ill in hospital, my heart went out to that family. As I heard of the understandable distress of the mother at a news conference, I thought of my own family and gave thanks. I then thought in anger of the driver over the limit for alcohol, driving without insurance.
As I spoke with the children’s swimming teacher the next day she echoed my empathy for the family. But she went on to speak with compassion of the driver who at 24 had a long life ahead of him to live with the consequences of his actions. Now I’m not sure whether she’s a Christian or not, but for me that was the voice of Christ, seeing beyond the external to the person inside.
I believe that just as Jesus welcomes all and sundry and doesn’t judge people by their looks or according to their health, wealth or status, he is calling us to go out and invite those shunned by society, the asylum seeker, the refugee, those with Aids or learning difficulties, or anyone with whom we might feel awkward because of their race, creed, political views or sexual orientation.
But it isn’t really about how we see other people. It is about us and our perceptions of them. We all have “issues” things that we find difficult to see or live with. But thankfully it isn’t up to us. None of us is “good enough” for God. God’s love is immeasurable. His arms are open wide to receive into His Kingdom all who truly believe. He sees the person on the inside. All too often we only see the outside. Jesus ate with tax collectors and prostitutes. He took children in his arms. He is glad to have anyone who seeks Him in His kingdom and we should follow His example.
But how do we extend the invitation to others? What does this mean in real terms in our daily life?
Part of what attracted us as a family to this church was the way in which it engages in the local community. Lyndon is not just a church that looks after its own, but a church that goes out into the community and brings the good news to those in need. The Noise gardening project and the community fun day are the two examples that came to mind as I studied this passage in preparation for tonight’s service. But there are many more things that we do as a church week in week out that bring God’s love to our neighbours and share some of His kingdom here and now – work with the young people through the Brigades and Jesus Crew, Women’s fellowship and Friday lunches, going out into the schools, Lyndon House and Lyndon Croft, to name but a few.
And yet we are called to do even more. As we go about our daily lives, how can we share Christ with those that we meet? Who is Christ challenging us to invite into His Kingdom?
Evangelism is a scary word, but mission is, I believe, first and foremost about relationship, about sharing our experience of Christ. When I was asked to lead a session of Alpha, I was prompted to invite a non - Christian friend, Mum of Joshua’s best friend and a good friend of mine to attend Alpha with me. I was amazed that I had the courage to ask her, even more amazed that she accepted, and astounded that she attended virtually every session with me. She has not become a Christian - yet - but it opened up an opportunity in the car to discuss the evening’s topic and who knows where those conversations will lead. I have become much braver in sharing my faith and a door has been opened. God’s grace will work through it.
It is only since becoming a mother that I have really had non - Christian friends, people with whom I share all my worries, insecurities, and joys about parenting, as well as other parts of my life. It is in these very real, raw relationships where we share our highs and our lows that Christ comes in and it is impossible not to talk about how faith impacts my daily life.
I’m sure we all have friends who we see regularly at work or with whom we meet to pursue hobbies or share our interests in groups. How do we go about sharing the Good News and inviting those people we know and love into God’s Kingdom? We need to pray for God’s strength and guidance for the Holy Spirit to open up opportunities and give us the words to speak for Him.
As we draw to a close, let’s just take a moment of silence as we reflect on Christ’s challenge to us tonight.
Have we accepted Christ’s invitation to join Him as part of His Kingdom in the here and now?
Are there any excuses of which we need to repent?
God’s invitation is for all – who should we be inviting in and how?
Silence
8 June 10.30 Rev Julia Monaghan
Matthew Ch18: vv10-14
A letter to Zoë aged 18 years
London
June 2026
Dear Zoë
Now that you are 18, I was pleased to hear about your decision to enter into officer training in the Girls’ Brigade. Having progressed through the ranks I am sure that you will have much to contribute. I hear good reports of Andrew Wassall as BB Captain. I am sure that the training he received as a steward has stood him in good stead and helped to make him a good judge of character.
I can’t begin to imagine the joy that your father and Ben are experiencing now that “The Blues” are top of the Premiership for the 2nd year running. It just shows what sound investment and good management can do.
I know that Lyndon continues to flourish and is known for its continued outreach into the community and of course its ‘flashy toilets’, refurbished in August 2008 and standing the test of time. What a positive investment that was and we still continue to thank God for the people that contributed so generously to the funding.
Of course much has changed since that piece of building work including the refurbishment of the interior of the church. I am pleased that they maintained the pews but what a clever decision to have them turned round so that they symbolically face the door, highlighting that the Gospel message of Jesus’ unconditional love and forgiveness is for the world outside, not a holy huddle inside.
Still, back on 8th June 2008 you weren’t bothered about building work or football championships, you were just surrounded by all the people that love you most as you came to be baptised. There were so many in the building I wondered how we would seat them all and if we would meet our fire regulations. I shall always remember your baptism as you were the first baby that I baptised. I recall that you wore a pretty white dress, that you had just begun to crawl and most of all you responded with a ready smile to your brother Ben’s friendship and interaction. You were highly sociable and loved to babble away embracing with enthusiasm the initial process of learning to talk.
I hope that you have grown up enjoying stories, that people have read them to you and that you have learnt to love to read them for yourself. Jesus loved telling stories and we heard a simple but profound story at your baptism that seeks to explore the very heart of our relationship with God, a relationship where we are given the freedom to choose, but one where God is seeking all the time to be in relationship with us. Let me be clear about what I mean.
Within the context of Jesus’ talking about how much God values children he tells the story of the caring shepherd, who notices that one of his sheep has gone missing from the flock of one hundred. He responds by leaving them behind to go searching for the lost one, bringing it safely home. Such is God’s care and commitment to the individual.
At your baptism you could be likened to a lamb enjoying your parents’ ever-vigilant care and we the church initiated you into being a member of the flock through water, prayer and the mark of the cross.
As you have grown older and at 18 will want to seek your own path, you have been given, quite rightly, a greater degree of freedom, your parents having given you roots and wings. But as you grow to independence remember, Zoë, the promises from the story told at your baptism.
Firstly, your parents will always want to run after you and want to help sort things out for you however much to you in later years this may seem interfering.
Secondly, we, the church, the flock, are always here providing a place to belong where faith can be sustained and the rumour of God’s unconditional love in Christ is kept alive. A place where you have been prayed into being.
And finally and most importantly, Jesus, likened in the story to the “Good Shepherd” will always be seeking after you, journeying with you into the deep places of our humanity where life’s wisdom is to be learned and our prayer is that you turn and embrace that companion for the journey and let God walk with you.
So Zoë I must finish this letter now. Sam and I are well, Sam, having worked a further 18 years for Barnardo’s followed by Save the Children, is now about to retire. Even though he will soon be a pensioner he says that he will continue to wear his shorts, which all goes to show that some things, like the unconditional love of God, never change!
Amen
His/her whole person taught!
“Jesus finished saying these things and the crowds were amazed at the way that he taught. He wasn’t like their teachers of the law; instead he taught with authority.” Matt 7: 28-29
I thought that the scariest thing was to have children. I was wrong, The scariest thing is to let them go! Take Thursday afternoon for example, Andrew who is 17 and I got in the car. Nothing unusual in that we often get in the car together, only this time he was in the driving seat and I was in the passenger seat for the first time.
He took the keys and said “This is good isn’t it.” To which I replied with a winning smile “Yes great!” He reversed out of the drive with skill and we proceeded round the block. As we went, he told me that he hadn’t learnt parking yet but that he was good at emergency stops. I felt reassured by this and aside from an altercation with a bollard in Clay Lane, which we found sprang back into shape after he reversed, he drove proficiently and safely.
We returned home having decided not to tackle the A45 on this occasion and he returned to his revision and I went to write this sermon. As we went into the house he noted that he had driven as I had asked not how I necessarily drive and he critiqued my 1 hand on the wheel approach and my suspect signalling work.
As I contemplated the text for Sunday, in the light of the driving lesson, I realised that Andrew had provided me with a valuable insight into how Jesus taught.
The text comes at the end of the “Sermon on the Mount,” the block of teaching from Jesus, where he provides the guidelines for Christian living.
- Love your enemies
- Do not judge or you too will be judged
- Do unto others as you would have them do to you
- Do not worry but trust in God who you can address as “Our Father, who is in heaven…”
The crowd were amazed as Jesus taught which unlike my driving instruction, was totally supported by how he lived his life. Everything he said I realised rang true because it was constantly being reaffirmed and proclaimed in his demeanour and manner with people. His actions never cancelled out but added authenticity to his words. It was like his whole person taught.
At the heart of who he was came his relationship with God, one of intimacy, love and trust. From this relationship came the motivation to live a life of service. He taught it seemed to me, from an authority of love and we can do the same.
We love God because he first loved us. We are caught up by God’s love. We are convinced of his love for us because we have seen the work of his son, Jesus Christ. Paul in our reading from Romans makes it clear that the cross of Christ is the radical, far reaching expression of the Father’s love for us all. We are so taken up by this divine love that our whole life is turned around for service. We can as a response live in gratitude - not judging others; trusting and not worrying so much.
All of which leads me to my final sermon illustration of the morning…..
Today we come to say our thank yous and formal goodbye to Chris Parker our pastoral worker. She has over the past 3 years supported members of this church and built up the life of this community particularly through her contact with Women’s Fellowship; Friday Luncheon Club; Midweek Communion Service; Lyndon Croft; Lyndon House; Supporting the Stewarding Team; Orchestrating Alpha and assisting me in laying good foundations in pastoral care.
That she has “done a lot” on the hours that she has been given, is not disputed – no wonder she is in a position to take 2 months “Time off in Lieu,” but the way she has carried out her tasks has demonstrated that authority that commands great respect.
Her work has been motivated by her love of God in Christ, and her love of people. All of which has made her care authentic and her timing sensitive and perceptive.
When she is speaking to you, she is not distracted but gives you her complete attention. Her capacity to retain details of your life puts you immediately at ease and the conversation flows.
Sometimes church can fail to live up to what it preaches but not in Chris and as we say good bye and thank you to her we will endeavour to seek to maintain our love in Christ, to carry on the “good works” that she has begun – conscious not only of what we do but the generous way in which we do it. Amen.
Julia Monaghan
01.06.08
Janice Hart Lyndon church Anniversary 6.30.p.m. Sun. 27th April 2008
This sermon is entitled The function of the church and is based on
1 Peter 2, 9-12.
A friend shared a wonderful story about how his church prayer group had been praying for God to do a new work in their fellowship .
One Sunday evening a young man ,who had been given shelter by a group of church people working with the homeless , found his way into their evening service. It transpired that he had lost his faith, his job ,home and family to alcoholism ,but he and the five friends he has brought to church with him on Sunday evenings have begun to help with church activities.
Two go regularly to the prayer meeting and pray for other homeless people they know, two have joined the music group and one pregnant girl ,who was beaten by her previous partner ,has been found a home. Praise the Lord that people have already found hope for the future and a new work prayed for by God's faithful servants has begun.
A friend from University sent me this very uplifting email in reply to this good news story I had shared with him.
"That sounds like an exciting story. I got to hear lots of really exciting stories about God opening doors in the student world , because we had the ex general secretary of the international fellowship of evangelical students in to speak. He had so many stories to tell of God's working all over the world. Lots of people want his job. The costs are really quite scary, and it's true to say that full time Christian vocation can be a very hard place to work, at times."
I am sure you will all pray for him and the work he is going to do in the summer when he goes to Thailand to help with evangelistic work with his university Christian Union friends.... What a thrilling message to receive from a young man brought up in our church, when I was thinking about what to say on this anniversary evening service about looking back in thankfulness to God for all he has done in the past and forward
in hope to the way he may answer our prayers for the future.
In one of my Bible commentaries, I found these words concerning 1 Peter 2, vv9-12 where the apostle uses a series of phrases which are a summary of the functions of the church. He calls Christians a chosen race,..a royal priesthood,...a people dedicated to God....a nation for him specially to possess.... all great Old Testament descriptions of the people of Israel.
Exodus 19 v.5-6 says, The voice of God is heard...Now, therefore, if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples.
Do you have a treasured possession, something that has sentimental value becauseit belonged to someone precious to you? I have a gold bracelet that belonged to my mother. Christians are a treasured people for God specially to possess. The value of something may lie in the fact that someone has owned it. A very ordinary thing acquires a new value if it was owned by a famous person. In any museum we find quite ordinary things....clothes, a walking stick, a piece of furniture, having value
because they were once the property of someone great . Many of John Wesley's possessions can be seen in the house next door to Wesley's chapel in London . Winston Churchill's bedroom and many of his paintings and other artifacts are on display at Blenheim palace. It is the same with Christians, who may be very ordinary people, but they acquire a new value because they belong to God. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. Christians are a royal priesthood. This means that all Christians have the right of access to God, and we call it the priesthood of all believers. This means that , at the death of Jesus, when the curtain separating the holy of holies was torn
from top to bottom, it was no longer a place where only the priest could enter once a year to make a sacrifice for the sins of the people.
The death , resurrection and ascension of Jesus has made him our great high priest who ever lives and intercedes for us before the throne of God.
Christians are a holy nation..holy means different, set apart for God. That is why God has chosen us... the difference between Christians and other people lies in the fact that those who belong to God are dedicated to His will. Other people may follow the standards of the world, but for Christians the only standards are God's. People needn't even start on the Christian way unless they realise that it will compel them tobe different from others. Every one of these phrases is full of meaning for the Church of Christ, which is the New Israel.Exodus 19, 5-6 describes how God entered into his covenant with Israel. A special relationship with himself was offered by God to her ,but it depended on the people accepting the conditions of that covenant and keeping God's law. That relationship would hold only if they would obey God's covenant and keep His
law. From this we learn that we as Christians are chosen for three things.
1.Chosen for privilege 2. chosen for obedience. 3. chosen for service....
three great facts which go hand in hand......
firstly privilege.In Jesus Christ a new and intimate fellowship with God is offered to us. God has become our friend, and we ordinary humble mortals have become the friends of our great creator! I want to exclaim, "WOW!"
Secondly, we are chosen for obedience. Privilege brings with it responsibility. As Christians, we are chosen to become the obedient children of God...not to do as we like, but as God likes.....What a huge challenge!
Thirdly, we are chosen for service. Our honour is that we are servants of God, our privilege that we will be used for the purposes of God. But , we can be so used only when we bring to God the obedience He desires.
Let us consider verse 11 of our reading about how we as Christians should, therefore, try to live, according to Peter. He says we must abstain from the sins to which we are all easy prey.
Human nature apart from God is unredeemed. A life that is lived without the standards, grace, help and influence of Christ cannot be a witness to the hope that his Holy spirit holds out to all who will submit in obedience to God's will for their lives. Peter says that Christians are strangers and pilgrims. The two Greek words he uses are those used for the children of Israel when they were slaves in Egypt before entering the promised land. And there is a real sense in which we as Christians are strangers and
pilgrims in the world in which we have to live .We are in this world but not of it when it comes to obeying the standards of God ,rather than those of this world. Christians are citizens of the kingdom of God, travelling on to heaven. Therefore we must do nothing to prevent us from reaching our ultimate goal; never become so entangled in the world that we cannot escape from its grip; never soil ourselves so much that we become unfit
to enter the presence of the Holy God to whom we journey.
We should not forget that Peter was writing to Christians who constantly had to defend themselves from numerous accusations of slander that were continually circulated against the early church; even charges of cannibalism when they partook of bread and wine. We understand that these symbols are not the actual body of Christ. They were also accused of immorality at their love feasts, arising from distortion of the Greek
word agape, for love. Other false charges such as turning slaves against their masters and breaking up family relationships were laid gainst them, not to mention the accusations of hatred of the world and disloyalty to Caesar, for no Christian would bow to Caesar or anyone else but Christ as LORD. Peter's solution was the same as that of Plato, who, when slanderously charged by a certain man, replied, "I will live in such a way that no one will believe what he says." Peter goes on to say that we must live our whole lives so that this timeless truth may be seen...Christians are an advertisement for Christianity...good or bad. The challenge this passage it offers for us today is to live out our lives so that the world may know that we belong to Jesus, and the love and hope that he offers will then be held out by the church of today to many unbelievers who will be drawn into the fold to be the church of tomorrow. "It always amazes me" says my university friend" to think that God has chosen the church, despite all our many weaknesses, to hold out the gospel truth in jars of clay.
It's an amazing privilege, though, and one which is very exciting, but we're not perfect. I know that's evident in my life, and it plays out at the level of the church as well. I pray that God will use Lyndon to build his kingdom, and to draw many close to his throne in worship and adoration." I would add to that, Let us all pray for a new work to begin here in our church. Like our brothers and sisters in my friend's prayer group, who knows
how God may answer.........and I am sure you will all respond with a heartfelt "AMEN"
Sermon by Robin Searles 27 April 2008
Lyndon Church anniversary – Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?
(Acts 19: 1 – 7)
Have you ever been into a church and thought that there might be more life in a graveyard at midnight?
I can remember as a young, arrogant Christian in this circuit, going to church and deliberately singing off-key to try and wake everyone up!
I seem to remember we even had a circuit Minister at the time who said that he used to be involved in healing services in the Baptist church, but had moved across to the Methodists to ‘wake the dead’!
Many of our churches are like the one little Jimmy went to.
He was so bored he tried to guess the length of the cobwebs hanging from the ceiling. On one occasion he asked his Dad what the brass plaque on the wall of the church meant – the one with lots of names on.
His Dad said it was a list of those who had died in the services – Jimmy asked if it was the 11am or 6.30pm service!
One day St. Paul walked into the church at Ephesus and the atmosphere must have suggested the congregation had taken sleeping tablets. They were as excited as Birmingham City fans at Villa Park!
Paul couldn’t handle it. If he had wanted a boring evening he could have watched ‘Britain’s got talent’ on the TV.
So he asked the obvious question: “Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?”
“The what?” They murmured as they re-entered the land of the living. “We haven’t even heard of the Holy Spirit!”
“So you haven’t been baptised?”
“O Yeh! John did it some time back in the Jordan.”
“But what about Jesus? What about the POWER of the Holy Spirit?”
By now the small group were sitting up. Perhaps someone slipped off to make coffee!
“We heard that something went off in Jerusalem over Pentecost, but we couldn’t make it. It was the day the camel owners got the hump and went on strike.”
Paul pulls them close and locks eye balls. “So you heard about it down here – let me fill you in!”
One of my Church Stewards in Colchester has a small Grandson, who had recently started at a club called ‘Gloombusters’ in the Colchester Community church.
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He was only five but was fascinated with the stories of Jesus. Just after he started he was taken by his mum and Grandma to see his aunt who lived on the south coast. His Grandma suggested he tell his uncle about ‘Gloombusters’, which he did with great enthusiasm. When he finished talking his Uncle said: “So they are telling you stories about Jesus are they?”
The little lad was stunned. He stepped back, put his hands on his hips and said: “Well blow me down! Have you heard about Jesus down here? And it’s such a long was from Colchester.”
So Paul tells these folks in Ephesus about Jesus and how the Holy Spirit can change and empower a person.
And you know… they listened! (I bet their coffee went cold). With Paul’s encouragement they invited Jesus into their hearts and asked the Holy Spirit to take them over.
I can’t begin to imagine what happened then! Dr. Luke says that they spoke in tongues – a special heavenly language.
They started talking about the change they felt in their lives (Both to those who would listen and those who wouldn’t!) – so much so in fact that they started a riot in the town!
That is what happens to individuals and congregations that allow God to energise them.
Now on your Church anniversary I want to try and answer the question- ‘Why did Paul think there was something wrong with the little church?’
I wonder first of all whether it was because he didn’t sense any real worship and praise in the service
Remember how I said I used to sing faster to try and encourage a bit of life into the service? Today I am a not so subtle!
One of my churches I served during my Ministry was a little village chapel at Eight Ash Green. My organist was in her seventies, but was prepared to try anything I asked her from contempory hymn books. She would whisper in my ear as I climbed into the pulpit – “You lead, I’ll follow!” and generally she could keep up with me. If she went a little slow I would lean over the pulpit and stop her and say (with a smile on my face because that always worked!): “Come on Emily get those fingers moving!”
It’s the same with singing isn’t it? Sometimes we ought to think about what’s coming from our mouth…. (distort face and look glum)
I… will… sing… your… praises. I… will… sing… your… praises!
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Come on… and … celebrate… celebrate… celebrate… and sing!
I will enter his gates… with… thanksgiving… in… my… heart!
Maybe Paul was the GUEST PREACHER ( ! ) – He had stepped into the pulpit looked at his congregation and mistakenly thought it was a funeral service!
He could think the same when he comes into some of our churches! Same old liturgy… same bottoms on the same pews… same old minister drolling away.
Yes I know the fault isn’t always the congregations – its people like me as well. We lack the umph!, the razzle, the street speak!
I am sure you will have heard many times the story of the Bishop who was preaching in a large country church when the microphone packed up. The congregation knew the service backwards, so when he mouthed to the warden ‘This thing has something wrong with it”…the congregation, who couldn’t hear him replied ‘And also with you.”
Maybe the church in Ephesus wasn’t into meg-praise!
But secondly, maybe Paul noticed their lack of enthusiasm!
There were only twelve of them in this big city of Ephesus – It wasn’t exactly the place to be seen was it?
Some years ago I was walking around the city centre with my sixteen year old daughter Rachel. Her mum and I were looking for a new skirt for her. Rachel was bored and walked several steps behind with her arms folded in defiance - that was until we came to ‘Richards’ in the precinct, where she disappeared. She turned up as we walked back out of the store. I asked her why she hadn’t gone in with us. She said: “Dad, no respectable person would be seen dead in that place!”
Well maybe that was the Ephesus church. Those twelve folks had formed a ‘mutual appreciation society’. But hadn’t exactly gone out of their way to fill the building with wall to wall people!
When was the last time you talked to someone about your faith in Jesus?
If you have the Holy Spirit actively working in your life, HE, will want to talk through you to people about Jesus.
If you are not talking and sharing I have to ask you. “Have you received the Holy Spirit, since you believed?”
Churches are not dead on their feet when people are praising God and bringing others in.
4
A few years ago I took the junior section of my Boys’ Brigade Company to a scout camp site for the weekend. On the first evening I was wandering round the site and came across a little lake with an island in the middle of it. Around one edge of the water it was green and stagnant. Off-putting to say the least, as I wondered what lurked beneath the surface!
The next day we took the lads down to the lake to build rafts in order to get to the island. All the activity stirred the water, and the stagnant area broke up.
I wonder whether our lack of zeal and enthusiasm has made us stagnant and unattractive. Eric Westwood was president of the Baptist Union several years ago. I knew him because he was raised at a little chapel I had pastoral charge of. At his induction in the Westminster Central Hall, I sat on the front row with one very proud mum! Part of his address included these words: “Every time I get into the pulpit and look at my congregation I think of porridge! I pray – Lord you supply the heat and I’ll stir them up!” – Does that sound like stagnant and unattractive to you?
Our Bible passage this morning spoke of Jesus inviting his disciples to receive the Holy Spirit. Many people, who are privileged to take to the pulpit, look out and wonder why some folks seem so dull and spiritless.
The reason the Christians in Ephesus were not full of the Spirit was because of ‘Ignorance’ – “We’ve never even heard of him”
Sometimes when people become Christians they think that Jesus is the limit of God’s blessing for them – but they are wrong!.
Now and again, when I am desperately thirsty, I’ll open a bottle of ‘Irn Bru’ fizzy drink. I pour the contents into a glass. You know what happens! There is a head of bubble and fizz.
Thirst demands that I let it settle for a few seconds and then when the fizz has subsided, I add some more!
There are more than a few folks in the churches of our land who have received Jesus as their Lord and Saviour with great enthusiasm, but after a time when their bubbles have burst they have never had a top up.
They are working at half power. The Ephesians were ignorant!
Most of us, of course, are not ignorant about the Holy Spirit but some, secondly, don’t see the need for him in their life. They have no vision!
They don’t mind what others do, but God for them is only a part of life, as is their time on their computer or at the golf club or being with their grandchildren. They don’t want God to take over all their life.
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I have a specific word for those folks. Although you, may not see a need for the Holy Spirit to be part of your life it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t see a need.
God gives us the Holy Spirit for a number of reasons. It is He that actually encourages and enables us to praise God in the first place.
If we saw God as a compact disc player and we as the discs it is the Holy Spirit who causes a reaction between the two!
The Holy Spirit teaches us the truth about God… He gives us the courage to witness for God… And He fills us with God’s love.
Thirdly some people are not filled with the Holy Spirit because they are frightened.
I was frightened the first time I got on a bike, but after a very short time I learned there was nothing to be frightened of. And a whole new world, away from home, was opened up for me!
The Holy Spirit fills us with love and joy and peace and power and strength… what in that is there to be frightened of?
We had an old black Ford Popular at home when we were children, and I’m sure Dad held it together with double-sided sellotape and string! When ever we came to a hill we all used to have to sing: ‘The Grand old Duke of York he had ten thousand men. He marched them up to the top of the hill and he marched them down again’. We were encouraging the poor old thing to get up the hill as well as drowning out all the creaks and splutters!
The other half of the rhyme says – ‘And when they were up they were only half way up, they were neither up nor down’
Some Christians are not quite ‘up’! They have given their life to Jesus and He is important to them. But it is as though they have reached the top step of a staircase and not moved on to the safety of the landing.
Are you like that?
Why not take the next step now! Ask the Holy Spirit to move in on those dark corners of your life, so that you can be fully his and he can fully, use you!
There are just three things you need to do! First you must say you are sorry for thinking, saying and doing those things unworthy of a follower of Jesus. Peter says in Acts 2:38 ‘Each one must turn away from his sins and you will receive God’s gift – the Holy Spirit’ (are you holding on to any secrets?)
Secondly, you must be prepared to obey God in whatever he tells you. In Acts 5:32 Peter standing before the High Priest says: “We are witnesses to
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these things – we and the Holy Spirit who is God’s gift to those who obey him.’ (Has he been challenging you recently to do something?)
And finally you must exercise faith. You must believe God keeps his word!
Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount: ‘Bad as you are, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more then will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’
On your church anniversary don’t let it have to be asked of you: “Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?”
Matthew 21:1-11 – “Who is this Jesus?”
Talk by Simon Lister Sunday 16 March 2008
This talk is on Matthew 21:1-11 (p21-22), as read to us earlier, and the title of the talk is “Who is this Jesus?”
Scheduled to address the nation one day, Winston Churchill, running unusually late, hailed a cabbie in London's West End and ordered him to drive to the BBC as quickly as possible.
"Sorry, sir," the driver replied. "You'll have to find yourself another cab." "And why is that?" Churchill asked. "Ordinarily it wouldn't be a problem, sir," the driver apologetically explained, "but Mr. Churchill is broadcasting at six o'clock and I want to get home in time to hear him."
Churchill, greatly flattered, took a pound note from his wallet and handed it to the cabbie. The man gladly took the tip: "Hop in, sir!" he exclaimed. "The devil with Mr. Churchill!"
Now, in this case, the taxi driver mistook the identity of Winston Churchill. That may have been somewhat embarrassing, it makes for an amusing anecdote, but at the end of the day it had no serious implications. I want to talk today about a crowd who mistook the identity of Jesus, and encourage us all to look at our own lives to see if we do the same thing. The question the crowd were asking of Jesus is given in verse 10: ‘Who is this?’ and that is the question we will be considering as we go through.
The passage we had read to us earlier is a very familiar one at this time of year, the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey. It is recorded in all four gospels, and we know from John’s account that Jesus has been staying in Bethany with Mary, Martha and Lazarus, the man he raised from the dead. Mary has just poured onto Jesus the most costly and expensive of gifts, the perfume said to be worth a year’s wages with which she anointed his head and feet.
Jesus uses this to point to his own immediate destiny, saying in John 12:7, “She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial.”
Now, we come to our passage in Matthew, one in which Jesus self consciously fulfils an Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah, in a way which is as public as anything we’ve seen from him before. Jesus is intending to make a statement about himself which is missed in the nationalistic enthusiasm of the crowd.
THE FIRST ANSWER TO THE QUESTION “WHO IS THIS JESUS?” IS FOUND IN (V1-5): THE JESUS WHO IS IN CONTROL.
At the very start it is worth pointing out that it is Jesus who makes the conscious decision to enter Jerusalem at the time of the Passover. Despite all the threats against his life, Jesus goes ahead with his mission. In fact, more accurately, Jesus goes to Jerusalem with the knowledge that he will be betrayed to death.
Matthew 20:17-19 says,
While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took his twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.’
This is an important point; Jesus is not taken by surprise by the events of the Passion week, he isn’t shocked that Judas would betray him, but he knows in advance that he will be mocked, flogged and crucified. And yet he does not hide his face from insult and spitting, he enters Jerusalem.
This isn’t the only event that shows Jesus’ control over the situation. In v2, Jesus sends his disciples to a village where he knows they will find a donkey and a colt tied there. Verse 3 shows Jesus is in control, even over the people around him. He is aware that the disciples are likely to be challenged for taking the colt, and yet he knows that the reason “the Lord needs them” will be accepted by the challenger. This is a great encouragement to us; that Jesus goes before us, that he knows the hearts of those around us, and that as a result he is able to understand our situation, however difficult we might think it is.
Finally in this section we see that Jesus was in control to fulfil Old Testament prophecy. Verse 4 says that the events took place exactly to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet Zechariah. Therefore, Jesus here is making the point that he is the king promised to Zion, and that he is coming to the people, rather than them searching for or seeking out him. We also see the surprising nature of Jesus’ entrance, not riding on a glorious war horse, but rather a donkey. This is Jesus deciding to come in gentleness and humility, even though he has authority.
THE SECOND ANSWER TO OUR OVERALL QUESTION IS FOUND IN (V6-7): THE JESUS WHO DESERVES OUR OBEDIENCE.
Now, we’re going to look at how the disciples respond to these instructions from Jesus. Verse 6 says ‘The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them’. Simple really, they knew that Jesus was in control, and they obeyed his word.
Sometimes, we can be very tempted to think that actually we know what is best for our own lives. We think “yeah, God did say that, but the Bible was written a very long time ago” or “but that was written for a different audience”. And yes, it is right that we read a passage in its initial context before applying it to ourselves, but we have to very careful not to abandon obedience of Jesus in doing this.
In order to emphasise this point a little, I just want to turn to John 6 (p94-95). Throughout the chapter Jesus has made a number of big claims about himself including, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” The Jewish audience found this kind of teaching hard, describing it as a “difficult teaching”. But Peter’s response is what shows his obedience.
Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’
It was hard for people to accept this difficult teaching. Some people were leaving Jesus because of it. But Peter knew that Jesus had the words of eternal life. The fact that some of the things Jesus said were hard did not alter his trust that Jesus was in control, and that he knew Jesus was the Holy One of God. Do we have the same approach to difficult teaching from Jesus?
THE THIRD ANSWER TO THE QUESTION ‘WHO IS THIS JESUS?’ IS FOUND IN (V8-11): THE JESUS WHO REQUIRES OUR TRUST.
We see in verses 8-9 the jubilation of the crowd as Jesus enters Jerusalem. The man who has been performing miraculous signs, who people are beginning to believe could be the promised Messiah, enters God’s city. There is an outpouring of nationalistic enthusiasm, with the excited crowd chanting ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’. Hosanna means “Save” in the Hebrew, and the Son of David is a clear reference to the kingship of Jesus.
The crowd are using all the right words, all the right terms, but they’re giving them their own meaning, not the Biblical meaning. They saw his miraculous signs as hallmarks of political power alone. They thought that Jesus intended to set up an earthly kingdom, when in fact he was about to inaugurate a heavenly one. The crowd welcome Jesus as the embodiment of their own hopes and dreams, not as the king here to do the will of the Father in heaven.
The clear challenge to us here is do we do the same thing? Do we pat Jesus on the back when we read something that makes sense to us and say, “well done, you’ve got that one right”? People do this to Jesus all the time; in our society we’ve had Jesus the philanthropist, Jesus the guru, and perhaps most shockingly, the multifaith Jesus. The Jesus who forgives anyone regardless of who they trust and believe. Is this a Biblical understanding of Jesus? Of course it isn’t, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, no one can come to the Father except through him. We are given a clear gospel to believe in and unite around, and that’s an amazing privilege.
I have just taken over the role of Evangelism Secretary in my CU in Nottingham. One of things I’ve been doing this year is something called ‘First Contact’ which basically consists of going up to people and chatting to them about Jesus. The responses you get are so varied. People believe Jesus was a good teacher, they believe all he did was talk about morals. Some say, in spite of all the evidence, he didn’t exist at all. Still others say he was elevated to the status of God well after his death because people remembered him fondly. But, when asked whether they’ve read the claims Jesus makes about himself in the gospel texts, more than often the answer is “no”. These other positions just aren’t viable because of what Jesus says about himself. He cannot just be a philanthropist, or a good teacher, because he claims to be God. And, thanks to God working in people’s hearts, that’s often the point in the conversation when people begin to question their own world view, or accept a gospel to take away and read. This message is important, it’s crucial, and the world around us is prepared to just dismiss it.
In summary, we learn three answers to the question the crowd were asking in verse 10. We learn that this is the Jesus who is in control, the Jesus who deserves our obedience, and the Jesus who demands our trust.
Finally, I just want to bring this to a more personal level. We’ve looked at how the crowd and even the disciples didn’t fully understand what Jesus was doing. But do we do the same thing? Do we love Jesus to fuel our own visions? Do we invite him to take part in what we have planned for life, or do we let him shape our plans? Are we reading God’s word regularly and testing our motives to see if Jesus really does approve of our lifestyle?
Christianity is serious. It’s a takeover of our entire lives to live and serve the Lord. It’s a death to our old selves. No longer are we in control but we trust Jesus to be in control of us. Jesus does not want our approval, but our obedience, and he does not want just our applause, but our trust.
We’re just going to take a minute in silence now to respond to the challenge Jesus is making to us all through his word today, some questions to consider will be on the screen.
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Homily preached by Julia Monaghan 13.01.08.
He calls us beloved in whom he is well pleased……
Matthew: 3: 13-17
So how are we to understand this baptism of Jesus? Here was John calling the Pharisees and Sadducees to repentance and they were reluctant to engage. Where as the 1 person who didn’t need to repent, was presenting himself to John. No wonder John expressed his embarrassment and reluctant and was keen for Jesus to baptize him instead.
Well, it’s Liz Lyons birthday today and she has given up her precious lie in to be a reader for us this morning so it only right, that we set this gospel account within the context of football, in an attempt to make some sort of sense of it all!
I can only apologise at the start that this is not a “Blues” story but rather a “Sky Blue” one but after Liz has heard it, I am sure that either she or Bob will come forward with a Blue’s equivalent.
So it goes like this, at this time last year I was trying to explain to a group of young people from my sending church the significance of Jesus offering himself for baptism. I was explaining that although Jesus did not need to repent because he was understood to be sinless, he never the less came forward as an act of standing in solidarity with us. This was not a remote God that we worshipped rather a God intimately involved with us, who embraced our life and our death and was prepared to walk where we walk.
Now the group of young people I was talking to were mainly boys and living in Coventry so they were “Sky Blue” supporters. When I had finished my talk one of them said, “So what you’re trying to say is that is baptism Jesus takes on the form of Gary McAllister?”
“Oh!” said another, “I understand now,” and turning to me said, “Why didn’t you say so?”
There then followed general agreement within the group that the theological analysis would have been much clearer had I spoken in more obvious terms!
I looked at them blankly and then had to confess that I hadn’t a clue who Gary McAllister was but that the name did seem some what familiar. It should be the group reassured me as Gary McAllister was a football player who had left Leeds United to be the Player/Manager at Coventry.
“You see,” said 1 of them, “he was a Manager, so he had direct contact with those in the board room, and for the board room Julia you can read God. So he knew the strategy of the game first hand. But, what’s important is that because McAllister was a player /manager he didn’t stand on the side lines shouting instructions to his team, but rather chose to be right in the thick of it, playing the game alongside the rest of the team. He experienced first hand their pain and disappointments and their victories and successes!”
I was seriously impressed with their analysis and viewed the game of football in a whole new creative theological way and told them so!
So Jesus was the Gary McAllister of football but the analysis didn’t end there. This identification with us wasn’t only a matter of identification and washing away a little dirt after a game of football. It went deeper than that. It was about sin, which leads to our death. And so as Jesus stepped into the water of baptism, he accepted the cross too, because you see the two go together.
And after Jesus’ death and resurrection we accept that too. I think that Christian baptism is an acceptance of death, the death of all things that create a world that is separate from God (1).
Jesus receives our baptism and death so that we can receive his resurrection and life. He shares our reality so that we can share his. And the joy is that as we step into the waters of baptism, we too may hear the voice of truth, the voice of the Father, calling us beloved and pleasing too… because of what Jesus has done. Amen.
1. Jane Williams, Lectionary Reflections (London: SPCK 2004)
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