Advent. Micah 5:1-5a

The season of Advent.

Advent means coming and this season exhorts us to think deeply about the coming of God to us.. 

Did you know that God is not distant; nor is he indifferent to our troubles..

He has come to us in the past - Christmas, the child in the manger.

He does come to us in the present - he meets with us by his Spirit

And he will come to us again in the future - the promised second coming of Christ to judge the world and restore all things.

The advent of God. 

In our passage today, 700 years before the first Christmas -  the prophet Micah predicts that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. That this child would be a King who’s greatness and peace will one day fill the earth. And so Micah’s great Advent theme is HOPE. I wonder how is your hope? Your hope for the world, for your family, for yourself. Sometimes in our frailty we can feel hopeless. But Micah says to us God is coming - in your weakness be people of hope. 

Micah tells us 2 things. He tells us about: 

1. the strength of weakness 

2. the world’s true king 

1. the strength of weakness 

the prophet Micah - contemporary of Isaiah. 7th C BC. Ministering to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Time of great darkness. God’s people had failed. Nation under judgement. Wolf is literally at the door v1 Jerusalem is under siege to foreign armies. Sennacherib of Assyria. Striking the cheek - image of total defencelessness .. you’re so weak you can’t even defend your face. Micah’s days were Dark, fearful days. Human powers have failed. Great weakness.. 

And yet ….there is still hope .. 

Here is where to place your hope 

V2 God speaks through his prophet “But you Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel whose origins are from of old, from ancient times…” 

God is going to send a ruler, a king. But look at this… He bypasses Jerusalem, the then capital city; he turns his back on the seat of government and human power and God turns his attention instead to little Bethlehem, in the region of Fruitful/Ephratha in the tribe of Judah. A small town so insignificant it’s not even big enough to be registered as a clan. God says to this hamlet .. From you shall come for me one who is to be ruler in Israel. 

Here’s the thing: Hope will not come from the seat of human power: from parliament or palace.  No, hope will spring forth from weakness, from a child of poverty born in a feeding trough, in a cattle shed, in a crappy market town. He - this child - will rule. He will shepherd - the world!!

I don’t know if you know much about The Kings of Israel. Theirs was really a story of unfulfilled hopes. Israel’s first King - David - was their greatest. A shepherd boy, youngest son, runt of the litter who became a King. He was the archetype for all the rest. An astonishing warrior - the saviour of Israel, and a godly King - a man after God’s own heart. 

God promised David (you can read about it 1 Sam 7) that a special King would come from his royal line. A king who would rule with righteousness  and grace over not just Israel, but the whole world and not just for a time but forever. The Messiah, a Divine King - God come to us - great David’s greater Son. 

The Messiah is promised but all the Kings in David’s line over hundreds of years who rule from Jerusalem are just an increasing line of failures. Human power and strength corrupts them. They are not like David. 

But now - here in Micah 5 - what does God promise to do? He will bypass the capital and the palaces and the royal hospitals and he will return to the source. Bethlehem .. King David’s home town when he was brought from obscurity as a shepherd boy to be anointed as King over Israel. God goes back to the roots to raise up the Messiah - the humble, godly Son of David. 

The prophet Isaiah predicts the same thing and he pictures it like this. Isaiah 11. he says Imagine a great tree. The trunk is David growing up from his father Jesse. All the impressive branches are David’s descendents the Kings of Israel. And God comes with axe and chain saw and he fells that great tree. He cuts it back to its stump. Where is the Messiah now? Isaiah chapter 11v1 - ‘a shoot shall come forth from the stump of Jesse and a branch from jesse’s roots shall bear fruit.. (it’s a New David!) and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might..” 

God brings forth his salvation through human weakness..  A shoot growing from a stump. A child of Bethlehem born in a feeding trough.. who becomes a refugee, a homeless preacher, who is crucified on a wooden cross. God saves through human weakness.. 

God always uses human weakness. He is not interested in capital cities or armies  or presidents. Why? Why does God always save through human weakness?

He does it this way so that it is crystal clear that salvation and hope for this world are only found in God. We need God. We cannot save ourselves. 

We love to think we can save ourselves so for there to be the slightest hint that human power and strength contributes to our salvation would be utterly fatal so proficient are we at avoiding God and trying to do it on our own. So, God bypasses human power when he comes to save..  It is nothing of us. It is all of him. 

Let me try and explain more as we come to Micah’s second point 

1. the world’s true King 

Some of our greatest and most enduring stories concern the return of a King. Think of Tolkeins’ great legend the Lord of the Rings and of course the legend of King Arthur. In each case: The world has fallen into darkness under the grip of an evil power. There is hopelessness, powerlessness the need of salvation. The longing for the return of a King who is from of old, who is the true heir of the King from ancient times when the world was a good place. That King must come back to restore.  Why do those stories grip us? They are myth, legend, not real and yet they grip our hearts as real and true. Why? Well Because they point to the great reality, the true story  to which all great stories point. Jesus Christ v2 His coming forth from Bethlehem, from the stump of Jesse as the True Davidic King is …. from of old, from ancient days. He is the True King. 

His first coming, we have said, is in the strength of weakness. It’s there in v3. God becomes a baby. Think about this: the God who spoke the universe into existence, the one upon whom all life depends… he makes himself utterly dependent, vulnerable. He can’t look after himself. 

He lives a humble life. A carpenter.  A homeless preacher.  With astonishing grace and truth and power and yet he lays down his life on a cross. They smited his cheek. And yet incredibly at his most weakest God’s power is most fully seen. Because in his laying down of his life God defeats the power of evil with love. 

If Jesus’ first coming was in the strength of weakness when he comes again it will be to put the world to rights under his perfect rule. V4- 

He will stand and shepherd his flock

    in the strength of the Lord,

    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
    will reach to the ends of the earth.

    And he will be their peace.

He will shepherd his flock. Shepherds .. we normally think of one man and his dog/babe ..flat caps and whistles leaning on your crook chewing a piece of grass.. 

ANE shepherds were incredibly tough - led the sheep to remote places in search of pasture, slept rough, courageous, killed wild animals in protecting the flock.  A good shepherd laid down his life for the sheep. Shepherds were warriors.  Ancient Kings - eg. King of Assyria would call themselves Shepherds. 

Jesus is therefore pictured here as this warrior King who protects his flock from all enemies bringing about security and peace. No enemy can stand against this King because he shepherds in the strength of the Lord. Brings a new understanding to Psalm 23 !!!! The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want for anything… Your rod and staff they comfort me… 

Jesus is the humble King. He is also the shepherd King. The Lion as well as the lamb. who is well able and will one day establish a perfect world under his rule. when he comes.. when he comes..

And they will live securely, for then his greatness
    will reach to the ends of the earth.

And he will be their peace.

There’s a wonderful.. slow.. drawn out denoument to CS lewis’  Voyage of the dawn treader. 

Where they are sailing eastward towards Aslan’s country. Which in Lewis’s allegory is God’s future, the future for our world. And they sail through the white gold of lilies, where to drink the water so feeds and satisfies and strengthens them that they don’t need to eat or sleep and as the sun grows larger and more and more intense so increasingly they are able to look into the sun and even beyond it where they see mountains of green grass that rise on and on and on. Aslan’s country. God’s land. It is coming. When he comes, it will come. 

This is the future …eternal hope. The rule of Jesus Christ in an eternal renewed world. 

This life is not all there is. In fact this life is but a moment in eternity. The title page of a great story that will go on and on forever. The title page has just a Q. Will you join the King. Kneel at his feet. Live for him? He only delays his coming because now is the time of amnesty for rebels to lay down their arms and rally to him, to receive pardon and salvation. Make your allegiance clear. He is coming..

Here is advent hope. That transcends all of our fears.. 

How should we prepare our lives? How do we live in the light of it? 

Micah says - In your weakness be people of hope.. 

We despair of human powers but God has promised that he will come and restore all things ultimately. 

We despair at our own weakness but ought we not rather to be encouraged as we put our trust in a great God? Think about it: If you feel weak, faltering and  inadequate, if you are weak through brokenness or illness …then you are in exactly the right position for God to use you, to work through you, to bring his hope. Because God delights to use weak people, in fact God will only use weak people because they will not give the impression that humanity contributes to salvation. With them it can only be God.

So in your weakness be people of hope. Love your neighbours. Trust in God. Point to that glorious future. Let’s pray. 

Advent. Zephaniah 3 Jodi Hinds

Zephaniah 3

Jodi Hinds

Advent. Malachi 2:17-3:5 Nigel Beynon

Last week Greta, my daughter, said La La Land had arrived on Netflix so Saturday evening we watched it. Her for about the 6th time. If you haven’t seen it – I’ll try not to spoil it. 

I was struck by how a song in the middle of the film summed up a lot of what was going on. It’s when Mia is auditioning and they say – tell us a story. She talks/sings about her aunt in Paris and how she got her into acting. The chorus is:

Here's to the ones who dream
Foolish as they may seem
Here's to the hearts that ache
Here's to the mess we make

I thought that summed up a lot of the film because it’s all about two people’s dreams. Their hopes and ambitions – to be a film star, run a jazz club. And you see how those dreams – drive them in life. Lead them to do rubbish jobs, make certain decisions about relationships. 

I think – those dreams drive them too much and other things get sacrificed. But you get a clear picture of dreams driving life. 

I mention that because this passage talks about the future – thinking of advent and God coming – and that raises questions of what we are looking forward to – hoping for – dreaming of. 

Or more – if we’re Christians or were to become Christian – what does God say about the future - what should we dream of?

That brings us to the people Malachi is talking to – God speaks to them about the future because they didn’t really have any hopes or dreams. 

2:17 READ. 

Malachi’s hearers looked around them at people who ignored God and lived as they liked – and they were doing well on it – they were happy and successful. And they thought – what’s going on – God’s not doing anything about them – where’s his justice? In fact - they’re doing well – it’s like God’s pleased with them.

And so they thought – if you can do what you want – and God doesn’t do anything about it – why bother doing what God says – why bother putting yourself out for God – I should live for today and look after myself. The rest of the book talks about what they did. 

When they offered a sacrifice they looked at their animals – they were meant to offer the best animal to God –but they thought – that will make a nice lunch for the family – God can have this lame manky one. 

They were meant to give a 10% tithe of their money to God – but they thought – black Friday is coming up I’ve seen some stuff I want – God can have the spare change I’ve got on me. 

When it came to relationships – they were meant to be faithful and caring – but they thought – you’ve got to put yourself first sometimes – I’ll get divorced if it suits me – I’ll marry from another religion – and can’t give too much time looking others.

In other words – they just lived for now – and so they did what seemed best for them. They had lost any sense of the future. 

Let me paint a picture of what this might look like today – I’m a bit cautious of this because it sounds like I’m making specific issues – the issue – but they are just examples – I’m just giving an impression. The specifics will vary for each of us. 

Today this would be the Christian who looks at people around them having a good time and thinks – why bother putting yourself out as Christian. I know it’s good to go to splinter group – but everyone else is having a glass of wine on the sofa with their spouse. I know I should be honest but everyone else exaggerates at work so they look good. I know we should give to church – but we all deserve a treat holiday sometimes so let’s do that. 

As I say – they are examples – specifics vary with our situation – but you get the idea. And what is underneath this is – there no sense of the future – there’s no dream driving life – so you live for today. Do what seems best now. 

Well what does God say to this? What should our dream be?

Well very simply – he says, I’m coming. 

1) God will come

When the kids were younger I sometimes played hide and seek with them round the house. I was always a bit reluctant – alright – go and hide – I’ll count to 40 – 1, 2…. 39, 40. I’m coming, ready or not. 

I’ve had that echoing in my head this week – because God says – very simply - I’m coming. 

3v1 READ. And he goes on to describe what will happen when he comes. 

Now Matthew, Mark and Luke all quote this verse – and say it’s happening in their day - the messenger is John the Baptist – getting people ready for the Lord to arrive – Jesus, God himself.

And yet there is also some confusion about Jesus coming. You might remember John the Baptist himself – sending people to Jesus to ask – are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else? 

And they were confused because Jesus wasn’t doing everything that was expected – when God came. 

You know when you go for a walk in the countryside – say you’re walking up a hill – and it’s hard work – but you can see the top – nearly there – only – as you get there you realise – it’s not the top – it goes up again. 

It’s a bit like that with the coming of Jesus. In the OT God promised he is coming – and it sounded like one coming – one peak if you like – but when you get there – we realise – Jesus explains – there is another peak – another coming. He has come – but he promises – I’m coming again. 

And so in many ways we are in the same position as Malachi’s hearers. There are some differences - yes, God has come in Jesus, some of what is said here has happened – we’ll think about that – but he has promised to come back – so God says the same thing to us as them – ‘I’m coming – ready or not’. 

Well that makes us ask – what will happen when he comes? Here we’re told – when he comes,

2) God will purify

This is v2-5. I’ve wondered how to teach this – what tone to have. Is it something positive – to look forward to? Or is this something negative and scary? A wonderful dream or an awful nightmare?

I think the answer is – it’s both. So I’ve made the point quite blank – God will purify. But he does that in two ways - let’s think about the negative side first – that is God will purify – by removing evil people. 

• removing evil people

V2 READ.

You say – where is God’s justice? But you don’t know what you’re asking for? 

It’s like a child complaining to their parents about their sibling – they hit me – it’s not fair – do something. But the truth is – they threw the first punch. 

Do they really want their parents to act – do they really want justice? Because it won’t go well for them.

It won’t go well for many of Malachi’s hearers – they say where’s your justice – but they do plenty wrong too – they won’t be able to stand the day he comes. 

This gets explicit in v5 READ. That list comes from God’s law to his people – they were meant to be faithful in marriage, tell the truth, treat workers fairly and look after the vulnerable.  

But they haven’t. The rest of Malachi talks about their unfaithfulness and failures. And if you live like that - not as one off failings but as a consistent pattern of life – then you are showing – end of v5 – you do not fear God. 

It’s worth pausing on this – because this is the key issue – do you fear God? This is what decides whether this coming will be a dream or nightmare. It comes through the rest of Malachi – look at 3:16-18 READ. 

There are two groups – and at the end there they’re called the righteous and the wicked. But that isn’t simply – the good people and the bad people. The righteous v16 are those who fear God – or honour his name – or serve him.

Fearing God isn’t simply being scared of God – it means you know he is God – he’s in charge – you care about what he says and wants. You trust him – and you seek to serve him and obey him. It’s not perfect – far from it. But God is big and real and significant to you – he makes a difference. That’s the righteous. 

On the other hand the wicked – are those who don’t fear him. They might talk about him, they might go to the temple or church, they might look the part - but functionally they ignore him. Day to day God isn’t God to them. He isn’t big and significant enough to make a real impact on them. They don’t trust him – or really listen to him – they don’t fear him. 

And if that is us – this is a warning to us. Flashing red, big letters, neon light warning. God is saying – I’m coming – ready or not. If you’re not ready – if you don’t fear him – trust him – you won’t stand on that day. 

God will purify - by removing evil people. 

But this coming is also going to be a wonderful day – God will purify by

• removing evil from his people

V2b-3 READ

You get a lump of metal – gold or silver – but it’s got other stuff in it – dirt, some iron. It’s a mixture. So you melt it – and then you can scrape off the dross – the impurities – until it’s pure. Perfect.

That is what he promises to do with his people – because we are a mixture. There are plenty of impurities in us. Our sin – our distrust of God – our disobedience. God promises to remove that from us. 

He does that when he comes. 

First of all when he came in Jesus. Jesus dies for us so we can be forgiven – or purified – made perfect in God’s sight. 

He does it as he comes to us now – by his Spirit - he changes us – purifies us so we live more like Jesus. 

But particularly in mind here is the day he’ll finish that work. When Jesus comes back – he promises to raise us with new bodies – bodies like his – where all the dross – all the impurities are taken away – we’ll be pure and perfect. 

And being made pure – it isn’t an end in itself – it leads to something else – v3-4 READ.

At the moment their worship is insulting to God – they offer rubbish animals as sacrifices, they don’t give the tithe they are meant to – they don’t live as they should. 

But on the day God comes – purifies - then his people – those who fear him remember - they will worship him as they should. 

Back in chapter 1 God says – 1v11 READ. God will be great – glorified – he will be praised as he should. 

But for him to be glorified like that – we need to be purified – have our sin removed – so we see all he is and praise him, so we live lives that are acceptable sacrifices to him. So that we worship him as we should. 

One day God will be great among the nations – because one day God will come. 

And one day God will purify - by removing evil people and by removing evil from his people. 

This is described later in Malachi – 4:1-2. I hope these verses make sense.

V1 READ – he will remove evil people.

V2 READ - Jesus will heal - every disease. Every wrong thought. Every wrong action. Every wrong motive. He’ll make everything right. He’ll remove evil from us – and make us pure and we will worship God. 

And then we’ll leap like calves. It’s not an image I’m familiar with – didn’t grow up on a farm. But you get the idea the calf is stuck in the stall, doesn’t have much room, cramped – and then it’s released – free – and it delights in just jumping around and enjoying it’s freedom. It is happy – to be free to be what it’s made to be. 

That is what being made pure and worshipping God will be like. It will be a delight – the delight and joy of being what you were made to be – pure – and the delight and joy of doing what you were made to do – enjoying God and worshipping him. 

Mia sang – here’s the ones who dream, foolish as they seem. 

Dreams can seem foolish –because they aren’t real, won’t happen. Or they can seem foolish because they are so good they feel too good to be true. 

Well this dream in Malachi – God will come, God will purify – it’s not a dream in the sense that it’s not real – or won’t happen. God has promised. And he kept his promise and came in Jesus and died. And he will keep his promise to come again – and this wonderful dream will become reality.

But you could say it is a dream in the sense that it’s so good – it’s what we were made for - it’s all we could ever have wanted or hoped for – heaven will be everything we dreamed of. 

When I was at theological college a student came from Sudan to study for a year. When he arrived he needed lots of jumpers bought for him as he was so cold. After a few months of being with this us theology students – he spoke to a friend of mine and was clearly a bit troubled. He asked – do you all believe in heaven?

Friend said – oh yes. Don’t worry – we definitely believe in heaven. Why do you ask that?

Because you never talk about it. 

He was right. Right about me anyway – I say I believe in heaven but I don’t really talk about it – it’s not very real to me. If I’m honest very often it’s not the dream that drives my life. Too often I forget the future and live for now. Then I think – it’s not really worth putting yourself out for God is it? Let’s do what seems best for me now. 

Malachi says – God says – I will come. I will purify. Make that your dream. 

And let that drive your life – let that future be so real to you – it stops the cynicism - it’s not worth putting yourself out for God. Let that future make you see – it’s worth giving up time for others –being honest at work – giving generously – whatever it is – because you know the future. God will come – God will purify.

Here’s to the one’s who dream, foolish as they may seem. 

I’m coming, ready or not. 

Do you believe in heaven? You never talk about it. 

I will send my messenger – then suddenly the Lord will come.

Advent Carol Service - Isaiah 9:1-7 Giles Fouhy

Welcome to SBD. A joy to see you here. 

I’d like us to look for a few minutes at the the prophecy of Isaiah 9 written 700 years before the birth of Christ.  which was our second reading (you may want to have a look at it again). The great theme of Isaiah’s prophecy is PEACE. 

Isaiah looks and he sees… PEACE breaking upon his nation. Breaking out over what we now call the middle east. Darkness and oppression and the shadow of death give way to dawning light, freedom and rejoicing. Isaiah sees the end of war. Enduring peace. 

And why? how? 

v6…For to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders… of the increase of his government and PEACE there will be no end.. 

When the angel visits the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus Christ this is precisely the accompanying anthem: Glory to God in the highest and on earth PEACE…

Now you might say .. Ok Jesus Christ was born and lived, history at least backs that up. But Peace? One of the great barriers to belief in God is the sufferings of this world. We’re sick of the sorrow, sick of the pain, sick of hearing again and again that there’s gonna be … peace on earth… 

But please stay with me… God is not indifferent to our sorrows and our pain. In fact he has taken them upon his shoulders for the sake of our peace. 

—

Peace is of course a much broader category than just the absence of war. In Hebrew thinking Shalom described total wellbeing: harmony between the nations, within society and family and even harmony with your own self.

For all our great advances in wealth and technology we find it more difficult than ever to find peace. 

Peace eludes us.  This Christmas the conflicts in the very nations where Isaiah sees peace: Israel, Iraq, Syria… they continue to degenerate into an inhuman brutality. 

Brexit and the US elections have exposed deep divides and growing intolerance in western societies.  Families and relationships wilt under the pressure. 

And our own hearts are mostly restless. 

I read somewhere that the average spend on Christmas presents for children this year will be £400. And the average time those toys will actually be played with before interest is lost? 2 weeks. And we adults are no different are we? We all pursue things to answer the restless yearning of our hearts briefly satisfying our desires..the restlessness comes back. There’s an absence of peace. A great gulf.. 

Why? Why are we like this? Why the conflict, why the division? why the emptiness? 

Surely we ask ourselves why? 

—

Here’s the Bible’s explanation. We are like this because there is a God who made us and yet we have wandered from him. We’ve forgotten God. Losing God’s wisdom and counsel we are each left to govern ourselves - a yoke that burdens us. Wandering far we find ourselves lost.. lost in the valley of the shadow of death. Cut off from God’s life we cannot live fully, spiritually. 

So, we’re a bit like Christmas trees.. We smell good for a while, We can dress ourselves up to look great on the outside. But uprooted.. we are dying. Spiritually..we are dying.

We have turned our backs on God.. each taken government on our own shoulders - that’s why we clash, that’s why we divide, that’s why we have no peace… 

But here is good news of hope and great joy…

God has not turned his back on us. 

To us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders.

Nothing changes life like a baby. If you’re a parent you’ll know exacltly what I mean. How is it that one so small can turn your world upside down? Well this child turns the entire world upside down. 

Choosing names for a child is a big responsibility isn’t it? For many of us in our grandparents generation the names of choice were Mabel and Albert and Winifred. When i grew up in Essex in the 1970s everyone was either called Gary or Sharon. And now things have come full circle and we’re back to Ada and Alfred again. I heard of a tribe in New Guinea who also loved to use English for their babies names but without having a clue what the words meant so one man was called second gear while his good friend went by the name of tinned-fish.

Names are important. You carry your name through life. Names can place expectations on a child. 

Well, what about the names this Christmas child, Jesus, is given! 

He shall be called… Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.. 

You can imagine the scene down the local shopping center- people crowding round Mary and Joseph cooing at the new baby ‘aww isn’t he lovely ..what’s his name?’ … Well actually we’ve called him ‘Mighty.. Mighty God..” 

What do these extraordinary names mean? 

Well, the names tell us how the child brings Peace.. 

He is Wonderful Counselor. Here is the idea of wisdom.  Light for those in darkness. Read a gospel again this Christmas - we have some you can take at the back for free - and just listen to the words of Jesus. And it’s not just his words. Jesus is the wisdom of God which confounds the wisdom of the world. The world says that we solve our problems through power, force, wealth. We idolize the strong and the impressive. But God comes to us as a child, he sets aside his glory and power and wealth and takes upon himself our flesh, he shares our sorrows, he takes the government upon his shoulders - our darkness our problems.. He is wonderful counselor.  

He is Mighty God. That word mighty is the Hebrew word for ‘hero’. He is the hero God. Why is it that acts of courage and heroism - the Olympic games; our greatest stories of life laying down love - why do they move us so? Because they all point to the greatest act of heroic love. God   came   to die   for us. On the cross Jesus Christ takes the consequences for all our ignoring of God onto his shoulders that we might be free.. 

Everlasting Father. Look in the manger, the newborn baby, his tiny fingers and toes - this is who God is.  We have all kinds of thoughts about God don’t we? We think of God as distant or angry and disapproving. A God of judgement. Here’s the thing - our darkness and rebellion does deserve God’s judgement. But this is our God - lying in a manger, hanging on a cross.  He comes.. he takes the judgement that is ours upon his shoulders. 

You know what this is? It is the action of a perfect Father towards his child. A good Father, in love, will do anything for his child.. even, or perhaps especially, for a wayward child. 

Incredibly the baby in the manger is your everlasting Father…

And he is Prince of Peace. Vladimir Putin? Xi Jinping? Donald Trump? Jesus Christ is on the throne of the world.  He is establishing his peace on earth - i’ll say a bit about that in a moment. And one day, the Scriptures promise, he will come again in glory to fully establish justice and Peace How we long for that day. We need it now but he holds back for the present - why? because he waits for people like you and me to be reconciled to him. 

See, it’s To you that a child is born. To you a son is given.  

He came for you. Discover what it means to know him. This New Year - maybe come along to our Open to Question group in the Prince Arthur.  It’s designed for skeptics and seekers. no one will know (details on the beer mats). 

As I end let me tell you about Maryam Benham. She is an eleven year old Iraqui Christian girl who fled the slaughter of ISIS in her home city of Mosul. When asked "What are your feelings towards those who drove you out of your home and caused you hardships?” Maryam responded, "I won't do anything to them, I will only ask God to forgive them. .. You have to forgive them. Jesus is my father, and He is my creator. I have no one else better than him.”

Here is how Jesus Christ even now establishes his kingdom of peace. 

When the light breaks upon you that you have been forgiven at great cost then you find resources to forgive -  yourself and others whatever the cost. The cycle of violence is broken.  

When the light breaks upon you that you are loved by God beyond your deepest imaginings - then the yoke of trying to govern your own life is shattered.. You’re free. 

And If to you this child has been given then truly you want for nothing, forever... your heart can finally rest… 

Advent - 2 Peter 3:11-18 Nigel Beynon

I want to start by thinking about the difference between waiting and wanting. But I’m not happy with those words. Waiting sounds passive and boring and wanting sounds active and more exciting – and I want it to be the emotions to be the other way round. Let me explain. 

Imagine a child on Christmas Eve – looking at presents under the tree – and feeling this desperate excitement – they can barely sleep – it’s in their mind all the time - they just can’t wait – to open their presents. 

What they are doing is waiting – but it’s not passive and dull – it’s not waiting for a bus type of waiting – it’s an excited, eager, can’t wait – sort of waiting. 

Compare that with a child who passes the window of a toy shop in July. They look in – and see things they like. Great toys. They want them but there’s little chance of getting them – it’s a ‘can’t have’ sort wanting – or probably won’t get – sort of wanting. 

In those terms – I think today it’s probably true to say that as a culture we do quite a lot of wanting – and not much waiting. There are some things we wait for - there’s the holiday we’ve booked that we’re looking forward to – maybe we buy a flat and can’t wait to move in – there’s sometimes of ‘I can’t wait’ waiting. 

Yet there’s quite a lot of I want – a better job, fulfilling relationship, more money – but there’s little chance it’s going to happen. It’s not wrong – we might want very good things. But it’s a can’t have/probably won’t get sort of wanting.

Well Peter here says that Christians – those who trust in Jesus if that’s us tonight – are people or should be people – who are dominated by waiting - filled with a can’t wait – sort of waiting. And actually being filled with that sort of waiting will change our wanting. 

In particular - we are waiting for what Peter calls righteousness. That’s first thing we’re going to focus on – we’re people who: 

Waiting – in a can’t wait way - for righteousness

V11-12, READ. 

That phrase, look forward, is literally, wait, as you wait for the day of God. But ‘look forward’ is a good translation because there is anticipation to the waiting – you’re expectant and longing – it’s waiting in a - can’t wait - sense. 

We’re waiting for the ‘day of God’ or the day Jesus returns to this world - Peter has been describing that day throughout this chapter. So far he’s said it will be a day of judgement for the enemies of God. In this second part of the chapter he focuses on it being a day of recreation. Lets go on in v12-13 READ. 

It’s the most extraordinary day. A day of judgement, destruction - the end of this world as we know it, and the start a perfect new world. What we sometimes call heaven – but is better called a new creation. 

And Peter says three times - Christians are waiting for it. V12 we’ve seen – we look forward to the day of God. V13 we are looking forward or waiting to his new world. And v14 – since you are looking forward – waiting.

That’s why I say that for Peter, Christians are waiting people – this is his assumption – that we’re waiting for this day – in an expectant – eager – can’t wait sort of way.

So the question that makes me ask – is that true of us? True of me? Am I waiting –longing - for God’s new creation.

I remember someone asking me – do you think about heaven? Can’t remember what the context was now – but it was a good question. It led to realise – and say – it’s in my thinking, but not in my thoughts. 

It’s in my thinking – that is, it’s in my theology, I believe it, I would say it’s true. But it’s not in my thoughts, my day to day musings – my longings. 

Peter isn’t just thinking of right theology – he’s talking about looking forward to this – so it’s in our minds – we’re looking forward to this - longing for this.

As I say that’s often not true of me – and you may feel similarly. Now why is that? Why aren’t we looking forward to this day?

Well I think there are two reasons you might not look forward to something. One is because you don’t think it will happen. Very unlikely – so why get excited? Or because you don’t think it’s going to be that good. It doesn’t grab you, it’s not worth being excited about. 

If we’re going to long - God’s new creation – we’ve got to see it’s both certain and very, very good. 

First of all it’s certain. V13 READ. God has promised this new world. And he’s made that promise throughout the Bible. The OT prophets constantly look forward to this new world – picture it and promise it. Jesus talks about this perfect world – and promises it. The apostles in the epistles – John in Revelation – describe it and repeat God’s promise. 

Now after making all those promises - can we imagine God saying – I know I promised but I don’t think I’ll bother. I know I’ve promised again and again – over hundreds of years – I know I’ve given foretastes and pictures of this future in Jesus – I know I’ve shown I always keep my promises throughout Bible history – I know my son died to make this new promise possible – but I’ve changed my mind, let’s not.

It’s ridiculous isn’t it? We should feel how ridiculous that is. If we don't feel certain of this new creation – if it doesn’t feel like a reality coming towards us - we must ask what am I saying about God's promise? Am I saying he won't keep it? 

God has gone on record – I promise I will perfect this world. And he’s acted in Jesus to bring it about. So after all he’s said, and all he’s done – it’s certain. We just have to wait. 

But secondly - and perhaps more importantly - this new creation will be very good – perfect. V13 READ. I love that phrase – the home of righteousness. It’s the home of everything right. 

We often think of righteousness in a moral sense. And that’s right - this new creation will be morally perfect - everything will be as God wants it to be – perfectly right.

But righteousness is also a relational word. Being righteous means in right relationship. So in this new creation - every relationship will be right. 

Our relationship with God will be right. We’ll love him, obey him, serve him, adore him, be captivated by him. 

And our relationships with each other will be right – we’ll know and love and serve, and enjoy and appreciate each other.  

So what this means is - this new creation - is everything we could ever want. 

If you’re anything like me you could sum up a lot of your life as a search – a search to make things right. There’s getting the right job, and living in the right place, and achieving the right goals – but actually more than that – I want to be right - do the right thing – day dream that if only I could stop doing that, and be more like this, and always do that. 

And not only do the right thing – but to do the right thing – in right relationships. To treat others well – receive from them – give to them – and to be right with God – to be filled with love for him and adore him and want to praise him – and know his love for me – and be overwhelmed by that. Be filled with a sense of his amazing grace to me and care. That would be good wouldn’t it!? To get all those things right. 

One day that search will be over – in the home of righteousness. We get a taste of those things now – but something always spoils it, we’re often left wanting – searching. But one day – everything will be right – and it will be all we ever wanted – and much more – everything bad in this world gone – everything good in this world perfected - the home of righteousness. It’s wonderfully good.

As we get that – as we fix our eyes on that – as we remember it’s certain and it’s good - we’ll grow in waiting – a can’t wait waiting for righteousness.

I’ve got a suggestion about all of this which might be useful, I’m not sure. My suggestion is - this week every time we notice we want something – we think if only I could have that. Or every time we notice we’re waiting – looking forward to something. We try and use that as a stepping stone – to waiting for God’s new creation.

So say we think – I wish I had a job that suited me better – groan inwardly. We can then we can say to ourselves – one day it’s going to much better than I could ever believe - I’m going to be perfectly fulfilled in my work. One day – when Jesus returns – my work and role and gifts – will be perfectly used and fulfilled.

Or maybe we think I can’t wait to go on holiday next month – we can say to ourselves – that’s a good thing to wait for – but one day it’s going to better than I could ever believe - this holiday is little a taste of what is to come and how good it is going to be in the home of righteousness.

The here and now feels so real to us – this future feels thin – so we need to keep reminding ourselves it’s certain and its good – my little suggestions is - as we want or wait for things here – we use that as a stepping stone – we keep saying to ourselves it’s going to be so much better – and we pray that it will become more real to us – and we’ll grow in waiting for righteousness – we grow in our - can’t wait - sort of waiting. 

Now having said that – let’s go on to the effect this waiting has now? Peter says this waiting should lead us to keep working at righteousness. 

Keep working at righteousness

Lets read v11 READ.  Holy and godly lives - lives that are like God’s character - righteous lives.

Or v14 READ. Spotless and blameless – that’s how Peter describes Jesus – the lamb with blemish or spot. So he’s saying – be like Jesus – in his perfect character.

Be like God, be like Jesus – be righteous in how you live. 

Now why do we do that? Peter gives two reasons – one more negative v11 READ.

Your home, your job, your car, your bank account – none of it is going to last. So why live for those things. Why make them the centre of life? Rather doing the right thing – being the right thing – that is what really matters. 

Second reason is more positive – I want to focus on this – v13, 14 READ

Peter’s saying – you’re looking forward to the home of righteousness – one day being made righteous – so you are right in all you are and do - that hope – that certainty – should lead you to live right lives today.

Now how does that work? How does becoming righteous in the future - mean we work at it now?

If you said to someone – you’re going to become a billionaire – going to be given huge amounts of money – guaranteed – so what you ought to do now is earn as much money as you can. They’d probably think – why bother – I’m going to be a billionaire.

If you said to someone – you’re going to move to live in a mansion – a palace - so work at that extension to your flat. Why bother? 

Why does the guarantee of something – the certain fulfilment of something – mean you work for it now? 

Well money or houses aren’t the right way to think. We need something more relational.

Imagine a couple who are engaged. They are looking forward to their wedding day – to being married. Maybe it’s a can’t wait sort waiting. Marriage to them is about being united with each other – belonging to each other – exclusive – beautiful enjoyment of each other. 

The bloke goes on his stag night – friend says – see that girl over there – she’s single - it’s your last chance before you get hitched – fancy a final fling? 

Well – to talk like that – shows you don’t get what marriage is. What it’s about. If you understand where you’re going – if you’re looking forward to this wonderful exclusive union. Then a last fling – just doesn’t fit – to say the least. 

Christians are looking forward to the home of righteousness. Being made right – in behaviour – in relationships – in every part of life. And it’s going to be wonderful – it’s going to be life itself. 

As we wait – what about a quick fling – a sin or two?

Well to talk like that - shows we don’t get it. We don’t understand where we’re going –what we’re caught up in. If we see where we’re going – the home of righteousness – where like a marriage – we will belong to God – be right in ourselves and right in relationships and right with God - seeing that – being gripped by that – shows us how we live now. 

As we wait for righteousness – we work at righteousness. Because we see that’s where we’re going – that’s what God is doing in us – that’s what life is about. 

We fail of course – we do sin – we’re weak and we fall. The language Peter uses shows that he expects it to be hard – make every effort – this isn’t going to be easy. Going to be a struggle and you’ll fail. But God is gracious – forgives the past – and says look to the future – look where you’re going. 

And as we say - one day I will be perfectly righteous in the home of righteousness - that is where I'm going, that is what I’m part of, and my life is about. As we get that - we work at righteousness. 

This changes what we want now. Or what we work at. 

We might want our job to be better suited to us – but Peter is saying make every effort to be righteous in the job you’ve got. We want the satisfying relationship – Peter says make every effort to be righteous in the relationships you’ve got. We might want to change our home, or situations – Peter says what really matters is being blameless and spotless in the situation we are in. 

Not that changing all those things is wrong - we can do that - but what really matters is being righteous in those things. 

We wait for righteousness – with a can’t wait waiting – as we do that – as we see where we’re going and what life is about - we keep working – making every effort to be righteous now.

Advent - Matthew 3:1-12 Alexandra Lilley

My earliest, perhaps most vivid childhood memory involves the excitement of receiving an advent calendar aged around three – and not being able to bear the anticipation, opening each and every door on 1st December - counting down to Christmas – and then deep disappointment that I hadn’t brought the big day any closer.

A new appreciation of the advent season as an adult – not least because I’m now responsible for the practical preparations – card-writing, present-wrapping, tree-decorating, food shopping, bed-making… sermon-writing…

But more so, that this is a season of interior preparation for the coming Saviour – so that when Christmas actually arrives, we can sing that wonderful line from ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ with heartfelt gusto: Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today. 

Particularly if you have children, it may be that the herald of Advent, prompting us to prepare - to get ready – with all the edible and material preparations, is that ubiquitous, chubby, red-suited guy, cheerfully dishing out gifts. If Father Christmas or Santa is in one corner, then we are this evening going to consider his absolute antithesis in the opposite - this obscure, wild, skinny prophet, dressed in camel skins, handing out warnings and insults and threats. 

John the Baptist, the figure in today’s gospel reading, is the one who helped prepare a people for the arrival of Jesus those two millennia ago and he is one who can help us prepare as the Christmas season rolls around again. John arrives on the scene, aged probably around 30, and began preaching and baptizing in the River Jordan. There was huge significance in that location; crossing the River Jordan in the history of the people of Israel signified entering into the Promised Land. Now, that promised land – long-lost through years of exile and occupation – that promised land where God’s perfect rule had its way was coming into being. 

As we prepare this season to encounter Christ afresh at Christmas; as we prepare for the coming kingdom of God in all its fullness, there are three paradoxes that John the Baptist draws to our attention.

Six spokes of a wheel 

Three ways to prepare this advent:

Prepare our hearts (water and fire)

Prepare our minds (justice and mercy)

Prepare our posture (stillness and action)

Firstly, prepare our hearts with 

WATER & FIRE

“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

As I mentioned, Advent is a time of inner preparation as we look to welcome Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, God-as-a-human-person coming amongst us. Being aware, just like the throngs of people on the banks of the River Jordan, of our own fallen, broken, sinful ways, we confess our sin again, and seek the wonderful cleansing and forgiveness that God gives freely to us all, without limit, whatever we have done. 

John offers the baptism of water – of repentance – turning from what is past and being washed gloriously clean. 

But John tells us that Jesus offers something more - the baptism of fire, of the Spirit. 

The writer Dallas Willard lamented what he termed: “the gospel of sin management”, which purely seeks to deal with our mistakes, with the past but does not offer a transformed life with God, lived out day-to-day. John offered a one-off turning point in the water of baptism, but Jesus offered the in-filling of the Holy Spirit. In Luke’s gospel, when the angel Gabriel tells John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah, about the son he will have, who will make a people prepared for the Lord – we have this wonderful throwaway line: that even before he is born he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. That the Holy Spirit – the very presence of God – the same Spirit who hovered over the waters of creation – can fill an unformed, unthinking, unborn foetus is remarkable – and should encourage us, if we feel too small or too weak to be filled ourselves with the Holy Spirit.

The water of baptism will wash us…..

but the fire of the Spirit will fill us and transform us. 

What needs to be washed out of our lives? What caked-on habits, behaviours or attitudes need to be soaked in the Jordan? 

And what emptiness, lack, hopelessness or uncertainty within us could be filled with the fire of the Spirit, bringing hope and direction to our lives. 

The first paradox – an invitation for water and fire in our hearts. 

Secondly, this passage encourages us to prepare our minds with

JUSTICE & MERCY – the second spoke on the wheel. 

We see justice and mercy in John’s response to the different people who come to him. Some people arrive on the banks of the River Jordan aware of their separation from God, aware of their weakness, their brokenness, seeking forgiveness. They came confessing their sin and receiving baptism into new life. There is mercy shown freely to them. 

Just finished running Alpha at church last week – those for whom this has been most transforming, are those who are perhaps at the bottom of the heap…  Mercy is shown to those who are humble. 

The Pharisees and Sadducees – the religious leaders – turn up too, maybe with a different motivation, since John does not mince his words with them. They are told quite plainly that their religious credentials – their status holds them in no stead, when faced with the coming judgment. As Jesus’ words will later reveal – justice needs to be meted out here, as the religious leaders are actually putting obstacles in the way of ‘the wrong kind of people’ meeting with God. Justice is coming for the proud. 

The quoted words in our gospel reading come from Isaiah chapter 40: 

A voice of one calling:

“In the wilderness prepare

    the way for the Lord;

make straight in the desert

    a highway for our God.

4 Every valley shall be raised up,

    every mountain and hill made low;

the rough ground shall become level,

    the rugged places a plain.

5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,

    and all people will see it together.

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Preparing means a leveling of the land – a reversal of the current order. What does that look like? I think Mary gives us some of the answer in her celebratory Advent song, as she anticipates the birth of Jesus: 

“He has brought down rulers from their thrones

    but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things

    but has sent the rich away empty.”

Terrifically satisfying in the light of some less-than-humble leaders in our current times. But before I get too smug, I need to recall that in the global scale, I am far and away in the richest sector of the world’s population. These are words of comfort and challenge in equal measure.   

Continuing Isaiah 40 – once the highway is prepared for God, this is the kind of God who arrives on the scene (from verse 10)…

10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,

    and he rules with a mighty arm.

See, his reward is with him,

    and his recompense accompanies him.

11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:

    He gathers the lambs in his arms

and carries them close to his heart;

    he gently leads those that have young.

Here is this beautiful contrast between the military might of a powerful warrior God, establishing justice, and the pastoral image of the vulnerable little lambs being drawn to the heart of the shepherd God.

As we prepare our minds for the arrival of Christ, can we hold together an understanding of the God who is both mercy and justice? 

Which side do you tend to emphasise? 

If we lean in our imaginations towards considering God as our cosmic comfort blanket, then this might be the time to meditate on God’s almighty power, that will override our current political turmoil. 

If you primarily consider God’s immense might, then may you be encouraged to meditate on God’s gentleness and intimacy. Could you let your (British) defences down, imagine yourself being gathered up and carried close; being drawn into the very heart of our merciful God?  

In the news last week, Leonardo Da Vinci’s portrait of John the Baptist was unveiled, having undergone restoration – 15 layers of varnish removed. John, as he is often depicted, is pointing, but the dark varnish had concealed the object to which he pointed. The restoration revealed a cross in the darkness. This paradox of characteristics is revealed ultimately in the cross of Christ where justice and mercy meet. 

Prepare our hearts with water and fire

Prepare our minds meditating on God’s mercy and justice and finally, 

Prepare our posture in

STILLNESS & ACTION

The Greek philosopher and mathematician Archimedes is credited with these famous words: Give me a lever and a place to stand and I will move the earth… describing the disproportionate strength that comes from balancing a lever on a fulcrum or pivot and applying a force – however heavy the object, theoretically anything can be moved with a long enough lever balanced over a fixed pivot. 

The Franciscan theologian Richard Rohr uses this image to describe the necessary relationship between stillness and action in the Christian life – or contemplation and activism – or engagement and retreat. 

Advent is a time to recalibrate that scale of stillness and action. And depending on our temperaments, one of those ends of the spoke will feel like a more comfortable place to be. Being busily engaged in the world or being quietly on retreat with God. I hazard a guess, that the latter is harder for most of us in our full London lives. 

We are told in the passage that people left the busy city of Jerusalem and the surrounding regions – they would have walked for a couple of days to find this wild prophet in the wilderness – to encounter one who was immersed in the presence of God. John’s wild appearance and unusual lifestyle indicates that he has been outside of civilisation for a while – retreating – and there is a holiness that emanates from him as a result. 

And yet John is fulfilling the active call on his life – to be a herald for Christ. Even in the womb, before language has formed, he leaps for joy at the presence of his cousin Jesus, performing his job as herald before he was born. Again, in Isaiah 40, the prophet states:

You who bring good news to Zion,

    go up on a high mountain.

You who bring good news to Jerusalem,

    lift up your voice with a shout,

lift it up, do not be afraid;

    say to the towns of Judah,

    “Here is your God!”

That disembodied voice in Isaiah calling out in the wilderness has flesh put on it in John the Baptist. This herald for God who is both a still, fixed point, fixed on God – and a lever, fulfilling the active call on his life. 

In a way, the church today is like a reincarnation – in the truest sense – of John the Baptist - proclaiming to the world to prepare, prepare, prepare for the coming king. Ignatius: “He who goes about to reform the world must begin with himself, or he loses his labour”. 

There is much good news for us to share and Christmas services to invite people to; yet only by making room for even moments of stillness – that place to stand – will we be able to be truly active and engage and able to move the world. 

I’ve asked us to imagine these three paradoxes like spokes of a wheel – fire and water, justice and mercy, stillness and action – and at the centre is, of course, Jesus Christ, offering us to be washed clean with the water of baptism and an in-filling of the fire of the Spirit. Holding together – even embodying – the characteristics of justice and mercy; inviting us to meet him in the stillness of the wilderness and to go out into the world with him to proclaim his kingdom. 

Before I close, let’s take a moment of quietness to consider, what one way am I to prepare this coming week? 

To be washed clean? To be filled up?

To marvel at the power and justice of God? 

To be gathered into his arms and held close to his merciful heart? 

To find a moment to be still and just be?

To raise up my voice and herald the coming king? 

Prepare (A Blessing for Advent) —Jan Richardson

Strange how one word

will so hollow you out.

But this word

has been in the wilderness

for months.

Years.

This word is what remained

after everything else

was worn away

by sand and stone.

It is what withstood

the glaring of sun by day,

the weeping loneliness of

the moon at night.

Now it comes to you

racing out of the wild,

eyes blazing

and waving its arms,

its voice ragged with desert

but piercing and loud

as it speaks itself

again and again:

Prepare, prepare.

It may feel like

the word is leveling you,

emptying you

as it asks you

to give up

what you have known.

It is impolite

and hardly tame,

but when it falls

upon your lips

you will wonder

at the sweetness,

like honey

that finds its way

into the hunger

you had not known

was there.