Luke 7v18-35

Sometimes we are tempted to question whether the coming of Jesus has really made a huge difference. The world goes on just as it always has.. perhaps some things are better, perhaps some things are worse. 

For many people this is reason enough to keep God at arms length, to reject him. If really came at all he certainly hasn’t done anything. He hasn’t solved our problems. He hasn’t done the thing we most need. The things we’d want him to do. 

For others of us. We don’t reject God perhaps but the lack of seeming change in the world and in our own lives creates doubts. Has anything really changed? It’s not what we expected. Is Jesus really who he said he was. The long awaited Messiah. God’s King. God’s Son in human flesh, The Son of Man come to save??

These were the exact kinds of questions that John the Baptist had and that we’ve read about in our reading today. 

Read more

Luke 7v1-17

We in our culture are increasingly uncomfortable with the idea of authority aren’t we? 
We don’t trust those in authority over us. Politicians, the police, church leaders. In too many places they have been shown up to be flawed or corrupt. Using power not for public service but for personal gain And so we have lost trust. So perhaps we are uncomfortable with the authority of Jesus.. 

And yet… 

Recognise the way that Jesus exercises his authority. It is always actually as a servant. It is always to set the captive free. To heal the suffering.

Read more

Luke 6v43-49

At the heart of what it means to be a Christian is active obedience to Jesus Christ. Willing submission to his rule. Jesus is not just Saviour, He is Lord. 
I wonder how we instinctively feel about that? because obedience and submission, even authority are dirty words in our culture. 
[David Cameron’s dressing down this week by astudent. “I’m an English literature student. I know waffling when i see it’’ she said.]
The supreme values of our culture now are self-determination and personal freedom. Why would you ever do what somebody else says? No-one else has the right to tell you how to live your life. Why would you obey or willingly be mastered by someone else? You’re not a dog! At best it’s demeaning at worst it’s sinister! 

Read more

Luke 6:37-42

We love to judge.

The comedian George Carlin observes a universal rule of the road: Everyone who drives slower than you is an idiot.  And everyone who drives faster than you is a maniac.
To the speeding driver, everyone’s an idiot.  To the slow driver, everyone’s a maniac. But one rule applies to all:  My speed is always just right.

We love to judge. 

Read more

Luke 6v 27-36

Our culture is Big on love. Romantic love, sexual love; Family love - everyone likes the guy who loves his mum;  Friendship love;  Calvin Harris: Tell me how deep is your love? is it like the ocean?

christian love - is to be extraordinary in comparison to the way people usually love 

  1. love those who hate you 
  2. love those who can’t pay you back 
  3. love as God has loved you 
Read more

Luke 6v12-26

Jesus’ kingdom is entered by grace alone. Crying out to Jesus. But it is also - Luke wants to tell us -  a physical kingdom overturning this present reality. A kingdom of justice and peace where the first now will be last and the last now will be first. It’s a revolution. A great reversal. 

Read more

Luke 6v1-11

Perhaps you’re like many in our city and you’re in desperate need of a rest - a holiday, a decent day off, a good night’s sleep!

But of course to Rest, to really Rest is not as simple as that because there is within us a Restlessness that often means that we cannot rest. The holiday becomes an added stress, we get to bed early but lie awake… A hunger for rest that causes us to work more not less. Because we’re trying to get something, prove something, achieve something.. Something that will give rest to our souls.. 

Jesus Christ is the Lord of Rest but we cannot rest because we’re so busy looking for rest for ourselves..

Read more

Easter Day 2016 Luke 24v1-12

The disciples had believed in Jesus, they had followed him, they had listened to him. But the words about his resurrection had not really …enteredthem; had not captured them, had not affected their hearts and their hopes. The words.. they had heard them but they hadn’t actually heard them. The words didn’t change their lives. 

 

And It’s only when the shining angels graciously visit the perplexed women and say, “What are you doing here looking for Jesus? He told you he’s not gonna be here.” It’s only then that they begin to re-member - put together - his words. 

 

I wonder if it’s the same for us when it comes to Easter? 

[Some of us struggle to believe this stuff at all and i’ll come to that in a moment]

Many of us believe in Jesus, we have followed him, we have listened to him. And we’re told by God in his word again and again that Jesus suffered and died and then after 3 days he was raised from death to life. Christ has died, CHRIST is RISEN, Christ will come again. We remind ourselves sunday after sunday. BUT these words about his resurrection .. they haven’t really enteredus; haven’t captured us, haven’t affected our hearts and our hopes. We’ve heard the words but we haven’t actually heard them. The words haven’t changed our lives. And we end up looking for the living among the dead and he is not there. HE IS RISEN 

 

we need a shining angel, the Holy Spirit of God - to redirect us and open our eyes to the significance of what we are being told!

Read more

Luke 5v27-32

"Follow me." 

Nothing else had made Levi give up the tax collecting game. (nothing else will make us give up anything)  Not his parents’ pleas, not his friends’ urgings, not the public taunts.  But two words from Jesus change the man.  Levi gives up everything.  Why?  To be with Jesus.  That’s enough to change a life. 

Read more

Luke 5v17-26

If the opportunity arose to solve your deepest need right now, this afternoon. You would take it wouldn’t you. You’d excuse yourself from this meeting and you’d embrace it - It’s the thing that matters most to you…

Well listen, this afternoon, and I am being absolutely serious here, this afternoon right here - I am going to give you the solution to your deepest problem and your friend’s deepest problem; your deepest needs. 

The thing that matters most in the world for you - we can deal with it this afternoon. 

That is, if you want to deal with it. And surely you will. Surely when an opportunity like that arises you have to take it.. 

Read more

Luke 4v14-30

It is our native disposition. To care about the physical before the spiritual. To care about what we can see and touch and feel. To care about the present rather than an eternal future. We want it here and now. To care about that which is temporary instead of that which is eternal. 

So we don’t rejoice in forgiveness and the hope of eternal security which we have in Christ instead we’re depressed and angry because we don’t have what we want now. 

The only salvation that we want is a salvation that will die when we die!

But Jesus is not that kind of saviour. Primarliy he cares about our souls and our holiness. Secondarily he cares about our financial position or career happiness....

Read more

Luke 4v1-13

The history of the world is marked by people giving in to temptation. 

Enticed, ensnared, accused, condemned. 

But Jesus comes and he takes our place, he represents us and he does not give in. 

We can be summed up in Him rather than Adam’s hopeless fate. We can re-start with him. His successes are given to us. 

Read more

Luke 3v1-22

Who are we as human beings? Capable of such great good and yet so dependent, so lost and so deeply deeply flawed. What is our future? What is our hope?

Christianity says there is a hope for humanity. 

Because God our creator, in the person of Jesus of Nazareth entered our humanity.  And this wasn’t just putting on skin. He became fully human. Everything that is under the skin. God entered our weakness, to share our joy and our pain and to bear our darkness for us. 

This is what the baptism is about. Jesus was baptised into our name so that we could be baptised into his name. Jesus unites himself to our humanity inorder to redeem it. He enters our hopeless situation inorder to lift us out. 

Read more