In these weeks leading up to the feast of Christmas we’re thinking about the wonder of the Incarnation of God. Our creator entered our world ..as a child. The eternal God became a human being and came among us.

But Why? Why did he come?

Well It’s no mystery, Jesus often tells us in the gospels why he has come

And right at the end of the passage we just had read he tells us, I have come NOT to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Now the words Sinner and repent are a bit of a trigger for lots of people these days and probably rightly so. “Who’d want to go to church? They just tell you how bad and shameful you are and how you need to stop it and do better! Nah I’m alright, thanks. There’s nothing wrong with me. Nothing needs changing. I’m not a sinner”

It’s gutting that we’ve let people think that we’re about heaping shame and blame because Jesus is the opposite. Bursting with grace and love and new life. Jesus has come but not for the alright, he’s come for sinners. To bring new life. Jesus is the friend of sinners.

Jesus calls us … You see this in the whole of chapter 5 of Luke’s gospel. Where Jesus, like a commander, (the first thing we see about him) starts recruiting people for his mission.

[Famous Posters WW1 Lord Kitchener - - secretary of state for war. huge walrus moustache, pointing finger out of the poster. Your country needs you!]

Jesus walks around with total authority, the Commander in Chief, saying to people “I want YOU.” But Jesus doesn’t do his recruitment in the city, at the top university among the urban elites.. No.. Have a look

First, it’s fishermen from v1

there’s Simon, unschooled, rough, insecure. An establishment outsider He’ll be ‘the rock’ says Jesus. The leader on which everything is built! He follows Jesus, along with both his business partners James and John. The fisher folk.

Next verse 12 – a leper. In the day, a total spiritual outsider. ringing a bell and crying out “unclean”, they’d expel him from the cities. Total spiritual outsider.

Jesus says “I want you.”

Next it’s a a paralytic Verse 18: A physical outsider. Remember, we’re in first century Middle East. No social services, no disability allowance. Life goes on without this guy and he has to look on from his mat. And Jesus says: ‘I see you. I’ll have you.’

3 unemployed fishermen, a leper and a paralytic.

Who’s next? we arrive at todays passage:

Verse 27:

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him.

Oh No.. No, no, no, Jesus. The fishermen thing was surprising, the leper addition was a nice touch. ‘Like what you did with the paralytic. this whole rag-tag outfit, rough around the edges, that’s refreshing, let’s go with that. But a tax collector? No!

Because in the first century a tax collector was a total scumbag. Forget your experience with the inland revenue – this was a completely different league. 1st century tax-collectors worked for the enemy – the Romans. They were Rome’s go-betweens. The Jewish face of the Roman oppression. Tax collectors brought their own people under Roman domination, and stole shed loads of money off them in the process. Think of World War Two and how the French felt about collaborators with the Nazis. That’s Levi. In bed with the enemy, getting rich off the misery of his own people. And many people would have walked up to Levi and said “I’ve got two words for you mate.” But Jesus’ two words were very different. ‘Follow me.’

Jesus, what are you doing? It’s all very well helping out the establishment outsider and the spiritual outsider and the physical outsider, that’s nice. But this social outsider, this man we all HATE and who IS HATEFUL. This scumbag. This abuser? This sinner? Jesus, are you really FOR sinners like that??

I mean when i said earlier ‘Jesus is the friend of sinners’ .. don’t we think of sinners as you know rough diamonds, a bit of a rogue not child abusers and wife beaters, not scumbags like Levi - to whom Jesus says, I want you.

Jesus really is the friend of sinners. And I mean sinners. And if we’re not ok with that, we’re not ok with Jesus. As we’ll see…

Well how will Levi respond to this summons?

What would Levi do? (what does anyone do when jesus begins to call you for the first time to follow him?) On the one hand Levi had the life he knew, a life where he called the shots, a life that was financially secure. On the other hand there was Jesus – a life with Him. A life where Jesus called the shots.

Now there’s no guarantee here for Levi about the kind of future Jesus will bring him. If you want Jesus, there’s no guarantee in this life of career, health, wealth, success, fame, prosperity.

In fact following Jesus might mean losing your job. That’s what happened to Levi. It’s what happened to Peter, James and John. Jesus might pull the plug on all sorts of plans you’ve had – He’s the Commander!

There’s only one guarantee for the followers of Jesus. If you follow Jesus, the one thing you’ll definitely get is Jesus.

But if we’ve got our heads screwed on right, He’s the one thing we want.

He’s what Levi wanted: Verse 28: ‘Levi got up, left everything and followed Him.’

This is remarkable. 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.

It changes Levi’s life. Instantly. Think of the change. It’s stunning.

You know where the name Levi comes from? Levi was the name of the tribe of priests in the Old Testament. So Levi’s parents would have named him Levi with high hopes that he’d be a Levite – that he’d be a priest. The priests were God’s go-betweens. Levi was meant to be the human face of a loving LORD. He’s meant to bring people under the LORD’s influence.

But through his sin and greed, it’s all got so twisted. As a tax-collector, he became Rome’s go-between. He was the Jewish face of a tyrannical empire, bringing people under Rome’s influence. His sin had made him the opposite of who he’s meant to be.

But now, following Jesus, he’s freed to become his true self. Because what does Levi do when he follows Jesus? Verse 29:

Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.

Here’s what Levi does. He throws a massive dinner party, invites his co-workers and friends and he brings them in to meet Jesus. You know what’s happened to Levi? He’s become a true Levite. Now he’s doing what he was born to do – he’s a go-between, drawing people under the influence of the LORD Jesus. This is what is meant by the call to repentance - not stop it! do better! but come and turn around to become the person you were always meant to be.

Levi becomes who he’s meant to be, when he follows Jesus. That’s the experience of millions down through history. Jesus doesn’t come into our lives to stifle and repress us. He comes to release us from the junk that holds us back and to free us into who we’re meant to be!

And Jesus calls out again, today, in this room, “Follow me. I’ve come to liberate you from that junk and to free you into who you’re meant to be.”

Don’t think that the Commander is a kill-joy. Whatever He asks you to give up, it’s only to release you. Look at Him at this banquet. Does He look like a kill-joy? He is the life and soul of the party. He is the life and soul of every party He’s at, and He is at a LOT of parties.

You see He’s not just the Commander. Second thing. He’s also the Host.

When Jesus came He was accused of being a party-animal. (Luke 7:34) All the religious types grumbled that He was always eating and drinking with friends. [Who’s the greatest party host you know? Who organises just the best nights? You want to be there because they are just a joy to hang out with.] Jesus refused to cut down on the dinner parties, because He’s the ultimate Host.

Lord Hailsham – the former Lord Chancellor – became a Christian when He saw this joyful side to Jesus. He wrote:

“The first thing we [should] learn about [Jesus] is that we should have been absolutely entranced by His company. Jesus was irresistibly attractive as a man… What they crucified was a young man, vital, full of life and the joy of it, the Lord of life itself, and even more the Lord of laughter. Someone so utterly attractive that people followed Him for the sheer fun of it…”

Why did Levi leave everything? One answer is – for the sheer fun of it. If Jesus came into this room physically and said “Come follow me” would you follow? We’d follow in a flash, and with great joy. Just TO BE WITH JESUS! That’s why we follow Him, because we love to be near Him.

Hailsham continues “…[We need] to recapture the vision of this glorious and happy man whose mere presence filled His companions with delight…”

Jesus the life and soul of the party. Do you see Jesus like that? Unless you see the attractiveness of Jesus you won’t follow Him, no matter how commanding He happens to be. But He’s not just the Commander, He’s also the Host.

And as the Host, Jesus invites us all to a Feast to end all feasts.

Jesus promises that when He returns at his second advent He will host a cosmic party. On that day we will celebrate creation renewed, death swallowed up, disease abolished, evil destroyed, sin cleansed, tears wiped away and an eternity of joy with Jesus, the Host of the Banquet. We will eat, we will laugh, we will dance. And you’re all. You’re all invited. It costs you NOTHING. It cost HIM EVERYTHING.

For there was another meal Jesus hosted. We re-enact it every week in church. The night before Jesus died He broke bread and said “My body will be broken like bread to bring you the ultimate feast.” He poured out wine and said “My blood will be poured out like wine to bring you the ultimate banquet.” And on that cross Jesus was torn apart and poured out because it was the only way to bring sinners like us to the feast. The Host really wants us at the party. It cost Him EVERYTHING to invite us. But He offers us a place for free.

But there’s one kind of person Jesus does NOT call to His Banquet. Only one. This feast is for establishment outsiders, it’s for spiritual outsiders, it’s for physical outsiders, it’s for social outsiders. It’s for sinners. Anyone can come if they own up to being a SINNER. But there’s one kind of person who cannot come (because they will not come): the righteous. The I’m alright, thank you very much

Look with me at v30: But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and`sinners’?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

You see the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were the opposite of the outsiders. They were the ‘holier than thou’ religious types. They were the insiders; the cream of the crop. And they’ve been looking on as the Commander has been recruiting for His Kingdom and picking ALL THE WRONG PEOPLE.

They are so mad about it that in v30 they gate-grash a party uninvited and then start complaining about the guest list. They’re incensed. “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?!”

Jesus replies, Because I’m a Doctor.

Commander, Host and now finally - Jesus is a doctor.

Now, I’m a bloke, so I never go to the doctor. I complain about every little cough and cold like its bubonic plague, but I don’t go to the doctor. If I ever do, I like to save up all my little niggles and sicknesses so when I go I have a decent list of ailments. Why? Because you don’t want to go to a doctor when you’re healthy.

No-one sits down with their doctor and says, ‘I’m a picture of perfect health, I thought you’d be impressed.’ They won’t be impressed, you’re wasting their time. Doctors are for sick people. And Jesus is for sinners. Only for sinners.

Look at verse 31 again: Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

So are you a sinner? Or do you claim to be righteous like these Pharisees? Is it possible that you might be spiritually unwell or do you have just a perfect bill of health?

A doctor can’t help you if you claim to be well. And Jesus can’t help you if you claim to be righteous.

And the bible is clear that no-one is actually righteous. But tragically, there are millions who fake it. And the Doctor passes them by.

Because Jesus is for sinners. Only for sinners.

Where are you today? Not the person next to you. What do you make of Jesus?

perhaps you think, “I couldn’t follow Jesus, I’m too bad for Jesus.” But that’s like saying “I’m too sick for the doctor.” No-one is too bad to follow Jesus. Badness is your qualification.

The real problem is people thinking they’re too good. Is that you? You will not put yourself in the same boat as a Levi. You will not admit to REAL spiritual sickness. But Jesus has only come for those who know their NEED and who come clean. Drop the act. Be a sinner. Come to Christ. The commander, the host, the doctor.

And what does this say to us about our church?

Does being a christian mean that you’re good and godly and morally pure? Is church a club for the righteous where we show the world how good we are and invite them to join if they can make the grade too? And then we look down on each other when we mess up and spoil the picture of a perfect family..

Listen to Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s words about righteous people in a pious church from his remarkable little book Life Together: “The pious fellowship permits no-one to be a sinner. So everyone must conceal his sin from himself and from the fellowship. We dare not be sinners. Many Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner is discovered among the righteous. So we remain alone with our sin living in lies and hypocrisy. When the fact is we are sinners.”

Church is not a hotel for the righteous, church is a hospital for sinners.

And hospitals are places where all kinds of mess comes into the open and it’s a place where people are getting healed. I’m not saying that we air all of our dirty laundry in public but i am saying that we expect and allow each other to be struggling and we each have some people who we’re brutally open with and by so doing we do not remain alone in our sin, living in lies and hypocrisy..

I have come not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance..

Jesus commands us to follow him. To leave all behind in order to have him. And he is all you need.

Jesus welcomes us as the host of the great banquet. To join him at the table. To enjoy his wonderful company

Jesus calls you to your bed on shacklewell ward, St Barnabas Hospital and he says ‘do you want to be well?’ come to him and let him bear your sin and heal your life and set you free to be the person you were made to be.

Advent - He's come to bring life to the full.

November 27, 2018 Saint Barnabas Dalston

John 10:10

I have come that they might have life and have it to the full

For the next few weeks leading up to and during the feast of Christmas. We will be thinking about the wonder of the Incarnation of God.

Our faint suspicions that human life is precious and significant are answered with emphatic affirmatives as the God whom the universe cannot contain chose to be contained by human flesh. The Maker became a man. Jesus Christ.

Of course the great question is why? why did God come? what was the reason for this divine visitation? And in these sermons we’ll get the answers direct from the lips of Jesus himself – stating the reasons why he has come. And today’s explanation is there in v10: ‘The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, I have come that they might have life and have it to the full.’

Life to the full – that’s what we all want don’t we? Who wouldn’t want that? But the idea that we would find that life in Jesus Christ, in Christianity, in Church! Our culture tends to think the very opposite to this verse.

Gary Ross’s 1998 film Pleasantville set in the 1950s begins in black and white. Life in Pleasantville is almost perfect but rather dull. It is only with the liberation of sexuality and art that black and white turns to living colour. It’s a film about revolution about change. But implicitly it’s saying that the old Christian values are by their very nature limiting, they will impoverish you, enfeeble you. They will rob you of life to the full.

Those of us who are Christians can be troubled by this. Jesus says he’s come to bring fullness of life but we say I don’t know if I experience this fullness of life. The Christian life can feel dull. We’re tempted to look elsewhere.

However Pleasantville is honest about the fact that the new freedoms to pursue happiness purely for myself bring very negative consequences. The search for life is still on.

Perhaps our biggest problem is that we don’t really know what fullness of life is. We assume it is to do with excitement, pleasure, fulfillment. Jesus will tell us in this passage that it is to do with Care, forgiveness and relationship..

John chapter 10 is Jesus’ last public address in John’s gospel. He’s making huge claims for himself. He likens himself to a Good Shepherd. He also likens himself to the gate of a sheep-fold. It maybe he’s mixing two metaphors or it may have been the custom for Shepherds then to lie in front of the opening to the sheepfold. So being both Shepherd and Gate. Whatever the case – Jesus is making tremendous claims for himself.

By calling himself a Shepherd. His listeners would have understood him as claiming to be a leader, or even a King. Following on from King David who was taken from tending sheep as a young boy to become Israel’s greatest King. So the leaders and Kings in Israel’s history were called Shepherds. Jesus says he is a Good Shepherd. More than thet he is The Good Shepherd

Jesus is the True King

That’s his claim. It’s a claim to uniqueness. Jesus contrasts himself with others – False shepherds: thieves and robbers v1,v7 – who destroy the sheep; strangers v5 and hired hands v12 – who don’t care for and fail to protect the sheep. Jesus, on the other hand, is, vv2-4: the recognized owner of the sheep fold; the sheep know him and trust him; he leads them v9 to pasture and…. he will lay down his life v11, v15 for the sheep!

The context here is important. Jesus is speaking v1 to the Pharisees, the religious leaders of his day. According to the previous chapter Jesus has just restored the sight of a man who was blind from birth: he is the good shepherd. And the Pharisees, who are supposed to be shepherds of the people, are spitting mad with jealousy– insulting the man, throwing him out of the synagogue and calling Jesus a sinner!

Now many generations before Jesus came, through the prophet Ezekiel God had rebuked unfaithful leaders: Ezekiel 34:2 Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? ...you clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals.. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured ...You have ruled them harshly and brutally.

The leaders of Israel in Ezekiel’s day, perhaps like the Pharisees Jesus speaks to, were less like Shepherds more like butchers! Thieves that steal and kill. But listen to this: then and there through Ezekiel God promised that there would be a day when corrupt leadership would be taken away and a true Shepherd would come. Here’s what God said, Ezekiel 34:

I myself will tend my sheep and make them lie down declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays, I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak.

I will come says God. Jesus is more than a great leader, a great King. He is God who has come. The True Shepherd. The True King. ‘I have come that they might have life and have it to the full.’

The life thatour God Jesus has come to bring is his Shepherd care.

Today in our City there is a great hunger for the care of our souls. The great promises of affluence and pleasure have let us down and left us empty and vulnerable. Our leaders – political and religious – are under more scrutiny than ever before.

If we are outside of Jesus Christ. If we do not hear his voice and follow him then we remain dependent on mere human leaders. Who at best are weak, at worst are corrupt.

The experience of Christians is not that the Good Shepherd necessarily removes all our difficulties or heals all our ills. But that his presence and care in the midst of the brokenness gives assurance and hope and even joy. Just as he promised - He finds us in our lostness and gives us a home, he brings us back when we stray, he binds our injuries and strengthens our weaknesses.

The life Jesus has come to bring begins with his Shepherd Care. He is the True King.

Jesus is the dying King

Several times in the passage Jesus says that he will lay down his life for the sheep. v11, v15 vv17-18

Normally the death of a Palestinian Shepherd meant disaster for the sheep. Much more so the death of a King meant disaster for the people! - You never knew what was going to happen. You would do everything to preserve the life of a King. God save the King. Long to reign over us!

But Jesus says the chief reason that he has come is in order to die. Look at v18 No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. The death of JC is absolutely central: ¼ of the gospel of Luke, 1/3 of Matthew and Mark and ½ of the gospel of John is taken up with the last week of the life of Jesus, culminating in his death. Why is it so important?

This very specific phrase that Jesus uses ‘to lay down his life’ carries the idea of a sacrifice. Jesus’s death is a sacrifice. In the words of John the Baptist back in chapter 1 – Jesus is ‘the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.’

In the OT sacrificial system on the holiest day in the calendar – the day of atonement. The High Priest, the representative of the whole people would lay his hand upon the head of a spotless lamb bound on the altar and then the lamb would be slain.

It was a graphic illustration that because of their impure hearts and thoughts and lives, before a holy God the people deserved to die. And yet God would make provision for their sins to be transferred onto the head of the lamb - slain in their stead..

Now of course – as the NT book of Hebrews says, the death of lambs wasn’t what paid for the sins of the people. These were all pictures pointing forward to the once for all saving sacrifice that was to come. The true lamb of God, the perfect man Jesus Christ – who lays down his life to take away the sins of the world. Who lays down his life – that we might never lose ours but have life and have it to the full.

So you see that the life Jesus has come to bring is not only his Shepherd care but the provision of his death. Forgiveness. Salvation, life. He removes the judgement of God that hung over us. He takes it upon himself and deals with it for us. This is the life that we all need. Outside of faith in Jesus Christ, God’s judgement still hangs over us.

See, sometimes life is found in the place you least expect to find it.

HMS Titanic was the ultimate ship. Sailing with her was the ultimate experience life had to offer. She was vast, fast and unsinkable. She carried the richest passengers dining in her sumptuous restaurants; dancing in her ornate ballroom; reclinig in the lavish cabin suites. Yet when the end of that great ship so prematurely came, none of those things – the chandeliers and the sherry – could offer life. When the end came life could only be found in one unexpected place – in the life boats. The unsightly boats that had been reduced in number because they cluttered the polished decks and were largely ignored and considered unnecessary! Sometimes life is found in the place you least expect to find it.

Jesus says, ‘I have come that they might have life and have it to the full.

3. Jesus is the Personal King

Christianity is the only religion in the world that is based on a friendship with its founder; rooted not in practices or rules but in relationship.

I became a Christian aged 12 – I had been invited to a number of meetings where i heard the Bible preached. It was like nothing i had ever heard before, because i knew in my heart that God was speaking to me, that he somehow knew me, that he was calling me through what i was hearing about Jesus. Extraordinary thing. I recognized his voice. I was being drawn into relationship.

We know don’t we that Relationship, knowing another and being known is rooted in communication. We speak to and listen to one another. Jesus says v3 The sheep listen to [the good Shepherd’s] voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

Jesus has come inorder to draw people like you and me into relationship. And what a relationship!!! Look at v14 – it’s one of the most amazing verses in the Bible: I am the good shepherd; i know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.

Sometimes Fiona and I will have a hug. (Often when we need to make up for something) We’ll have a hug in the kitchen. And then we’ll feel a little person. It might be Hannah or Becca or Zac or all 3 - squeezing in. There’s always room for then to get into the middle of our hug.

Jesus says an extraordinary thing in verse 14: That he draws us into a personal relationship a knowing of him and a being known that is just as deep and real as that shared between the Father and the Son. Isn’t that extraordinary?? In fact – to be in relationship with Jesus is to be drawn into the loving eternal embrace of the Father and the Son; into the very life of God;

Listen to what Jesus says in his prayer to God the Father in John chapter 17 This is eternal life (abundant life, life to the full) that they might know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

Jesus says I have come that they might have life and have it to the full

And this is what he meant – personal relationship with the only true God through Jesus, the Son. Wow!

So – this is the abundant life that we are invited into. If you are a Christian this is what you have received. Not – excitement, fulfillment and fun. Something profoundly deeper – the life of the Good Shepherd himself: his care; his salvation, his welcome into the divine life of God! Let us ponder on these things to enjoy the life that we have received.

1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13

November 18, 2018 Saint Barnabas Dalston

1 Thessalonians 2:17 – 3:13

Following Jesus Christ is about a life long journey that we pray Franklin is beginning today. It is a journey of growing faithfulness and likeness to Jesus right up to the end of our lives.

We likened it last week to running a marathon. It’s hard, you hit mental and emotional brick walls, temptations to give up. But if you give up you cannot say that you’ve run the marathon. You might have trained, you might have got a place, you might have started, you might have got your face on TV but unless you finish the race…

Following Christ, DISCIPLESHIP, is what life is all about. It’s about the pain and the beauty of becoming more like him, more free, more able to be loved and love for him. And it’s a fight to the end of our lives.

For that to happen we need support and strengthening and for that God brings Christian friends together during our lives, - until reunited together we will meet Jesus face to face.

Discipleship - beginning, running, and helping others run this race of the Christian life to the very end is the greatest adventure of our lives. The highest calling, the deepest necessity and the greatest privilege.

We’re going to see

1. The Goal of Discipleship

2. The Concerns of Discipleship

3. The Rewards of Discipleship –

1. The Goal of Discipleship vv17-20 The glory of jesus

What was going on here?

The history book of Acts chapter 17 tells us that Paul and his friend Silas had been in this Greek city Thessalonica and had preached about Jesus in the synagogue to the Jews and God fearing Greeks. This was a costly thing to do. 2:2 We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition.

Do you dare, ever, to tell the gospel?

In Philippi according to Acts 16. Paul and Silas had been stripped, beaten severely and thrown into prison. The cost of preaching Jesus was written in whip marks on their backs and in their bruised and swollen faces. Paul and Silas must have looked like boxers after a fight.

And sure enough in Thessalonica also (Acts 17 tells us) as some began to become Christians, others responded with anger and hostility, dragging the new converts before the courts, forming a mob hunting Paul and Silas, who had to be smuggled out of the city.

We were torn away from you. Paul says 2:17, he’d never have gone unless his very life was at risk. we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition.

About 15 years ago i had the privilege of working in a bible college in New Delhi. Delhi bible institute taught 6 month residential boot camps for grass roots rural non english speaking non educated church planters. These were the guys who were being sent back to their hindu villages as the only christian. In their training they were not just taught to explain the gospel of Jesus, They were also taught how to jump from a 2nd storey window and other survival techniques by a dude who had been a freedom fighter before he became a christian. A third of the world church today live with the intimidating threat of imprisonment, torture, even death if they will dare to preach Christ.

For us in the West it is less costly to preach Christ. But there are insults, derision, sidelining and as the law closes in we are entering darker days. How will we fare? Remain faithful or go silent?

A couple of questions beg for an answer:

First: Why is the Christian church above all other groups and institutions persecuted? Because it is more than any other.

I mean if Christians are so weak and deluded, the church of such marginal importance – why persecute them? – why seek to silence them? – why bother?

Maybe the christian church is not marginal after all??

The bible’s answer is of course - Human sinfulness rejecting God’s truth, rejecting God’s rule. Paul reminds the new Thessalonian Christians 3:4 when we were with you we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. Christians should not be surprised to be persecuted we follow the LORD of ALL who himself was crucified. Sometimes i think, in our englishness, we misinterpret peoples’ offence as us doing something wrong by preaching the gospel. Whereas that’s an indication that we’re probably doing something right. You’re going to lose friends if you’re a disciple of Jesus. You’re going to be persecuted. Which brings you to our second question:

why in the face of such strong opposition would you risk all to tell people about Jesus? Well this gets us to the goal of discipleship and right to the heart of the meaning of life.

Paul wasn’t put off by suffering he wanted to get back to the Thessalonians v17 out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you – certainly I Paul did again and again – but Satan stopped us. For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed you are our glory and our joy?

Paul risks his life to go on telling people about Jesus because there is a goal we are headed towards. This life is not all there is. We’re about to enter the season of advent where we remenber that One day the Lord Jesus Christ – the creator of the world will come, not in the manner that he came before, hiding his glory, a baby born to die for us on a cross. No look over the page 4v16 The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the Archangel and the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

It’s very difficult to conceive of this. But Jesus will be come and the dead reconsitiuted raised to meet him and welcome him to his new creation.

This life as we know it is not all there is. This life is just the title page for an eternal story that only begins when Jesus comes to be with us FOREVER. a title page with one exhortation live this life now for Jesus Christ - forgiven and loved and empowered to change and love others.

The promotion of the saving gospel is violently opposed. So if we seek to share the gospel we will suffer. But if we understand that this world is not all there is, if we have seen that Jesus is coming, and that that is going to be wonderful that we will glory together with indescribable joy in his loving presence. If that fills our vision for each other as it filled Paul’s, then we will be in an adventure, we will labour and dare to tell this message whatever is thrown at us. The goal of discipleship - the glory of Jesus..

The second thing we see in the great adventure of discipleship.

The concern of discipleship – Faith is fragile

Many people had become Christians in Thessalonica in a short space of time. A church had been established of keen new believers so You might have thought that Paul and Silas had joyfully skipped away from Thessalonica, chuffed to bits. Job well done..

Not at all…

Far from content, Paul was deeply concerned. – he hadn’t wanted to leave - we were torn away from you. He’d wanted to get back to them as soon as danger passed, out of our intense longing, we made every effort to see you. we wanted to come to you…

A rousing success? More like an unfinished task.

Paul, like a parent who has had to leave the baby in the house all on its own. Needs to get back…

When my sister got married she and her husband went away on honeymoon and they didn’t come back for 3 years! Travelling… 90s One time when they were somewhere in SE Asia ..correspondence just stopped - hadn’t heard anything for days and weeks - my parents became worried, then very worried, then frantic – phoning embassies and airlines. Holding out for some news. At times like that the rest of life goes on hold. Until finally when they could stand it no longer, to great relief, news came.

Far from content Paul is like the frantic parent waiting for news. He couldn’t go to Thessalonica - it would put too many lives in danger. But When we could stand it no longer, (he says 3:1 ) We sent Timothy to strengthen and encourage you. We sent v5 to find out about your faith. And Timothy’s return with good news of the Thessalonians, has Paul almost weeping with relief… v8 Now we really live meaning - now we can breathe again - return to living since you are standing firm in the Lord.

Why all the drama, and trauma?

Imagine a parent going away on holiday and leaving her toddler with freedom of the house and a few microwave meals to fend for itself. He would last a matter of days. Without support babies die.

Without support Christians die, and will die forever.

Paul had warned the Thessalonians about the trials and persecutions that are destined for those who take up the adventure of faith – but how would they fare? Paul feared he had had to leave the Thessalonians far too prematurely.

I was afraid v5 that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.

Here is Satan again, God’s enemy – bending all of his efforts to stop people from finishing the Christian life. Remember the Christian life is all about finishing the journey. Completing the race. Faithful to Jesus when he comes! No wonder Paul is so glad to hear they are standing firm. He’d feared they were lost forever.

This is why Paul was so anxious to get back to the Thessalonians. Why when he could stand it no longer he risks sending his right hand man Timothy to strengthen and encourage you in your faith. The concern of Discipleship – we all need support and encouragement Because Faith is fragile.

And his concern continues.. standing firm doesn’t mean standing still. The only way to avoid sliding back is to keep moving on - there’s always more to learn, more to know, more to experience of God – look at v10 night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith and Paul prays in v13 for their strengthening.

Here’s the concern of discipleship. This is why we have church, why we have splinter groups. Because without support, strengthening and encouraging - without maturing - Christians leave the journey. They wander off into sin. Lost forever. Gritty stuff. The stakes are so high.

How do we support, strengthen and encourage each other?

How does Paul support, strengthen and encourage the Thessalonians?

He told us in 2 v8 that his love laboured to share the gospel – God’s message and to share his life as well. Those two things

God’s word, the gospel is what strengthens us.

When Paul is frantic for the Thessalonians he sends them Bible teacher, in fact his best trained Bible teacher, and beloved friend Timothy our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel.

One of the best things we can do is find training so that we can better teach the gospel – God’s word to ourselves and each other. And as we seek our new leader - oh that God would send us one of his best.

But it’s also relationships that strengthen us. Shared lives. We need to know each other and love each other and pray for each other.

To open up our lives homestly to one another so that the gospel can take root.

This is the concern of discipleship – that we all make it there to forever glory with Jesus together..

To end

The Rewards of Discipleship.

You could say there are two rivals in life. That look quite similar but are very different. There’s glamour and there’s glory.

Glamour looks like happiness, feeling good, achieving things, having things that give you pleasure. A lot of people live for glamour.

Glory is different. Ever Experienced Glory! Pure.. Glory is a great victory usually born out of great struggle, sometimes darkness. It’s the great comeback. It sometimes looks like weakness but the result is joy. Glory!!

The life of Christian discipleship is a life of Glory!!

God is a god of love and community and if you get involved him you’re going to be pushed into relationships, you can changed for deeper relationship and that hurts and It hurts to get involved in people and their problems. It is a labour of love, And yet here’s Paul exhausted after sleepless nights of worry, knees sore after endless prayers. When Timothy tears in with the good news - Christians growing in Thessalonica - gritty faith and earnest love.

And Paul is like punching the air v8 Now we really live since you are standing firm in the Lord, How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you.

Here’s just some of the payback you see. the rewards of discipleship. Life and Joy. It’s one of the constants of the Christian life that as you give you receive.

Now we really live. See Paul was like one of those extreme sports dudes. Looking for life to the max. Paul had that glint in his eyes. But he didn’t go looking for a mountain to board down or a bridge to bungee jump off. Paul went looking for people to invest God’s grace in them. Paul made and matured disciples people who would live forever. When the city of London, stock exchange, our careers, dream homes and cars and possessions are long gone. We will stand in the presence of Jesus - and Paul says his great joy, the fulfilment of hope, his ultimate crown of glory will be that in the grace and mercy of God those people in whom Paul invested himself will be there with him - and Paul can say these are my trophies - these are who I invested my life in.

what is my hope, my joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed you are our glory and our joy.

What are our priorities? What are we investing in? Paul would say forget your small ambitions. Give up the glamorous and go for the glorious. Really live. Make and Mature disciples.

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

November 11, 2018 Saint Barnabas Dalston

My last weeks at SBD

my 2 favourite chapters in the bible 1 Thess 2 and 3

On this armisitice day we’re reminded that life is war. The christian life. Life in Christ. The life we are all made to live. Is a war. It’s a fight to overcome. To mature, to grow to remain

It’s a war and it’s a race

Like a marathon. They say that somewhere after the 12th mile into the 26 and a bit miles of the Marathon. Most runners hit ‘the wall’

Pain starts - Brain starts to tell you to stop running. ‘This is no fun, give up, this isn’t what you were led to expect. You begin to get angry with the people who encouraged you to run the race – they conned you, they just wanted your charity money. They’re using you. Give up – you’ve run far enough, you’ve done really well. Have a rest now..

Of course the thing is, if you drop out you cannot say ‘I have run the London Marathon…’ You haven’t – you may have been selected to run the Marathon, you may have stood around at the start and crossed the start line with thousands of others, you may have got your face on TV running the Marathon, but it’s all irrelevant, it doesn’t matter whether you ran 5 miles or 25 miles – if you didn’t finish the race…. It means nothing unless you finish.

And Marathon runners who know that, train their brains to fight the attacks so that they will endure to the finish line.

The Christian Life is a race. Christian faith is not like taking out a life insurance policy – you know, put it in a drawer, forget about it until you need it. No, it is life long, day by day, hour by hour faithfulness to Jesus and his words. It’s a marathon to be run right up to the finishing tape of our lives, never giving up, never denying Jesus..

If you drop out you cannot say, I have run the race of the Christian life. You haven’t - you may have started, you may have been baptised, you may have led a homegroup, you might have led a church – but if you don’t finish the race – it means nothing. It’s Life long.

Of course people do drop out of the Christian race – because any race of endurance is painful. The Christian way is a narrow path of Suffering. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.

Trouble and Persecution says Jesus. Christianity mocked ridiculed, discriminated against, physical suffering – prison. You will be distracted, Jesus says, the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth – and when the pain starts the brain starts to tell you to stop running – this is no fun, this isn’t what you were led to expect. You begin to get angry with the people who encouraged you to run the race – they conned you. They’re using you. Give up – you’ve run far enough, you’ve done really well. Have a rest now..

These temptations to give up on the Christians life are orchestrated says Paul in chapter 3v5 by the devil himself. He is behind all the opposition, all the lies and deceptions. Hating Christians – he wants us to disown Christ. Give up…Go on. You’ve done enough.

But No. The race is only run when it is finished.

Christian Marathon runners must train their brains to withstand pain to fight the attacks so they will endure to the finish line.

This is what Paul, i believe, is doing with the young Thessalonian Christians here in chapter 2 of his letter to them. Keep On he says to this fledgling church plant who are in the furnace of a culture hostile to the Christian gospel – just as ours is increasingly. He gives to the Thessalonians 3 points of reference to look back to that will help them to fight the lies that are assaulting them and look forward and endure:

1. Remember God’s Gospel

2. Remember Deep relationships

3. Remember changed lives

These are crucial pointers for endurance for the Thessalonians may they be so to us.

1. Remember. God’s Gospel. v1-6a

The first wave of attack, and this is always the case is an attack against the gospel the message of Christianity that the apostle Paul preached. Paul’s answer is: Remember it’s God’s gospel. What you’ve heard, it’s from God – don’t give up on it.

Have a look at v1 You know brothers that our visit to you was not a failure. We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.

Remember – it’s God’s gospel.

Acts 17 tells us that in Thessalonica Paul had preached Jesus, in the Jewish synagogue – appealing from the scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah – Saviour and Lord. Some Jews became Christians, some prominent women and loads of God fearing Greeks. All left the synagogue to start a church. And Luke tells us the Jews were jealous – they started a riot and Paul and Silas had to be smuggled away out of the city. Leaving this church of baby Christians behind!

And now it’s obvious that these Jealous Jews – fuelled remember by God’s enemy the devil – are attacking the young church. Firstly by attacking the message of Christianity that Paul had taught.

Look at V3 the appeal we make, writes Paul does not spring from error or impure motives nor are we trying to trick you.

3 attacks it seems were being made on Paul’s teaching. Error, impure motives, deception

It’s error! Who is this Paul and his teaching - he’s just made this stuff up out of his head. He’s just an ordinary bloke!

It’s an attack still being made today. Theologians rubbishing Paul seeps into our churches and Christians say ‘I’ll listen to Jesus but why should I listen to Paul?’

The other 2 accusation are attacks on Paul himself – impure motives, and deception – ‘He’s tricked you, and now he’s disappeared – you’ve been conned. Brainwashed. Face it and give up.’

And again, The devil still uses this trick today, when the Christian life is hurting we start thinking, ‘what am I doing in this? How did I just become a Christian so fast? Did they just tell me what I needed to hear? Have I been conned?’

Well what answer does Paul give to these confusing attacks?

He says to the Thessalonians, he says to us.

Remember. It’s God’s Gospel.

It’s God’s Gospel. I didn’t make it up.

It’s God’s Gospel. I didn’t flatter you or wear a mask or try to please you. The reason you became a Christian so fast is because this is God’s gospel. God speaking - it’s powerful.

Have a look at Paul saying these things. V3-6a

The Apostles who wrote the NT are so important - men approved by God to be entrusted with the teaching of God’s gospel. The NT affirms their credentials again and again – particularly those of Paul. Paul speaks here of the weightiness of his task before God, who tests our hearts.

Notice that preaching God’s gospel and pleasing or flattering people are completely opposed. Sometimes preachers avoid the true Christian message because it is not that pleasant and flattering rather it challenges human pride. They think if I preach that no-one will want to become a Christian. But the evidence that Paul’s message is God’s gospel is that with no frills, no special offers it brings people to radical life changing relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ.

Remember the Christian message you’ve heard. It’s God’s Gospel. Next time NT Christianity is getting bad mouthed. And you’re under attack thinking perhaps they’re right why do I believe this outdated stuff and maybe I would be better off without the burden of…

STOP – are you about to drop out of the race? Never drop out of the race. Remember. It’s God’s gospel.

2. Remember Deep Relationships

The second wave of attack. And it’s a familiar ploy of the evil one. Is an attack on Christian relationships. Our relationships, particularly those between a church leader and their church are crucial and are often attacked to make churches give up. So Paul says Remember. Deep relationships. Remember.

The Jews had attacked Paul’s teaching as human lies. Now it seems they were saying he didn’t care for the Thessalonian Christians.

Paul begins the chapter with the words you know brothers that our visit to you was not a failure.

Look at v6b As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.

Paul and Silas had been in Thessalonica only a matter of weeks before opposition meant they had to leave in a hurry and they hadn’t been back. It seems that the Jealous Jews are using Paul’s sharp exit and continued absence as evidence that Paul just doesn’t care about his so called Christian brothers and sisters. He was just here for what he could get out of you. Now he’s abandoned you. It’s all Bible bash and bye bye. Give up this Christian rubbish!

Again I wonder if you recognise this attack? Why you getting involved in that Church? They’re just after your money. They’re weird. Normally easy to ignore but when the Christian life starts hurting, you find yourself asking – yeah, what am I doing here?? They’re making all these demands on me, I just want to be my own person.

If Satan can sow distrust, can prise Christians away from each other, and from church leaders, then he can get Christians to give up – drop out of the race.

Well what’s Paul’s answer to this attack?

He says to Thessalonians Remember Deep relationships.

You get the impression that Paul is kind of beside himself here with this accusation that he doesn’t care. Nothing hurts a church leader more than that accusation. Later in v17 he says don’t ever think we just walked away. We were torn away from you he says and ever since we have wanted to get back to you.

Surely you remember brothers our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses and so is God of how holy righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with you as a Father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God who calls you into his Kingdom.

How does a new mother care for her new born child? With gentleness – with real care. How is a Father with his children? – brimming with pride – encouraging and urging. How is a friend with her closest companions - it’s just a delight to share her life with them.

This is the depth of relationship. These are the bonds of love that God puts in his church. Aren’t they? Don’t you know this?

No matter how imperfectly I have managed to express it. I have felt this maternal and paternal care for you Saint Barnabas Dalston. I care for you.

When you do things, sometimes just being who you are – my heart bursts. I’m so proud of you. I want to see you grow. This has never been a job to me. It’s been hard but it’s been a delight to share my life with you – because you are such a wonderful church – so dear to me.

Many of you will understand this. Because you receive this love and you give it within the church family. This is what church is. Deep relationships. Of course those relationships make us vulnerable to pain, when we are torn away from one another, but God will have it no other way.

And here’s the point Remember - Deep relationships assure us of the truth of the gospel.

You know says Paul..

Next time Christianity is being discredited because the church is full of hypocrites and Bible bashers and weirdos, and you’re under attack thinking yeah I’d be better off without the burden of…

STOP – are you about to drop out of the race? Never drop out of the race. Remember. Deep relationships..

Finally

Remember Changed lives..verses 13-16

The final attack is an attack on the Thessalonians themselves. Call yourselves Christians – you’re no different. Nothings changed!

Recognise this one – ever have this lie buzzing round your head?

You’re not a Christian anyway, nothings happened. Give up. Give up.

Paul says – rubbish Remember changed lives.

V13 we also thank God continually because when you received the word of God, which you heard from us you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is the word of God which is at work in you who believe. For you brothers became imitators of the churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews.

Paul says You are different people. You may not always feel it. But you are. You definitely received the gospel and that word of God is at work in you. And do you know what the evidence is that you are going on as Christians? The evidence is that you are enduring in the face of suffering. You’re still here in church – even though you’re suffering. That’s evidence enough that you’re running the race. Enduring. Your life has changed. You are running the race Well keep going.

My sister Helen running the Marathon> her husband Dave ran the last 15 miles with her.

5v23-24

Philippians 4:10-23

November 4, 2018 Saint Barnabas Dalston

When the issue of money and giving is raised in the context of the Christian Faith a particular picture often comes to mind. Perhaps of the money grabbing TV evangelists. I heard of one such who had wires connected to the seats in his church. ‘Stand up if you’re willing to give $100 to God, he shouted’ as he said this, he pressed a button and electricity surged through the seats. There was a tremendous response, but later the sidesman found three dead Scotsmen clinging to their pews!

The picture Saint Paul paints here is quite different from this. He writes to thank this group of Christians at Philippi that who have generously sent him money via Epaphroditus. In A purple passage which includes two of the most wonderful promises in the Bible he outlines the threefold blessing of generous giving. He doesn’t have to bully us or guilt trip us to give generously. Giving, he says is a blessing! It’s such a great thing ..get involved. The first part of the threefold blessing:

1. Generous giving brings blessing to others.

Paul thanks the Philiipians for making him so happy. He writes 10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.’

Then, In the next verses he, Paul, reveals his attitude to money.

On the one hand, he writes, that in some ways he does not need the money. ’11 I am not saying this because I am in need’

why has he no need? Because, he tells us, he has learned something very important. Before he was a Christian Paul tells us in Ro 7:8 that he used to be envious of others and to covet others wealth and possesions. Now he has v11 ‘learned to be content whatever the circumstances.’

Look at what he says: v12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.’

Martin luther, the craft beer drinking german monk and architect of the protestant reformation once said, ‘contentment is a rare bird, but it sings sweetly in the breast.’ Who doesn’t want to be deeply content?

What is the secret of contentment? Many think that the secret is to have everything they want. They say to themselves if only I had a better house, a bigger car, more money then I would be content.’ Others think the secret lies in human relationships or in looking beautiful.

But experience tells us that these thing do not bring contentment, in fact on the contrary they can make us more unsettled and thirsty, we tend to need more amd more of the same. John D rockerfeller, founder of the standard oil company, who made 100s of millions of dollar's was once asked, ‘how much money does it take to make a man happy? To which He answered ‘just a little bit more.’

Paul has learned to be content in any and every situation. He’s not saying there is anything wrong with having food and posessions, but these cannot be the primary source of our contentment. that is to make these things idols, gods - to look to them, uncertain, fragile created things for our life. That’s very foolish. We’re destined to be disappointed to remain discontented.

For Paul the secret of real contentment is the transforming friendship of Jesus Christ. He writes, ‘13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.’ See, He’s learned to live not on his outer resources, but on his inner resources. Knowing Jesus. Trusting Jesus. The person who has learned this secret is truly rich. Jeremiah Burrows. The rare jewel of Christian contentment. Benjamin Franklin, the American statesman, once said, ‘content makes poor men rich; discontent makes Rich men poor.’ Paul was always rich because, in Christ, he had found the secret of contentment. For this reason he was able to write to the Philippians that in some ways he just did not need their money.

However, in some ways he did need the money. He writes: 14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me(NB) in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need.

Paul had ‘troubles’ v14 and had been ‘in need’ v16. The Philippians had shared in his troubles and had generously sent him money again and again. The word used for ‘share’ is a word derived from the Greek word koinonia which means fellowship, communion close relationship,. Its a favourite expression for the marital relationship as the most intimate between human beings. Sharing is a vital part of life with those with whom we have a close relationship.

In the NT the church is likened to a family. a close family. Christians are brothers and sisters. Amd In the church, sharing should take place spontaneously or in planned ways in order to meet all its needs. Everyone’s involved so that the entire burden does not fall on a few, and so that the needs of the less well off can be met. This is the way of bringing blessing to individuals who, like Paul, are in need, and blessing to the church which has its needs met also.

Very expensive city. Pressure of housing pushes some of our members out from being to live here. How do we act as a sharing fellowship? Are there ways in which we as a church can bear each other’s burdens? bless and provide for one another?

Generous giving brings blessing to others.

2. Generous giving brings blessing to the lives of those who give

Paul does not want the Philippians to think that he's only asking them for money. In fact, he's more concerned that they should be blessed.

All through the passage, Paul uses technical banking and accounting terms. In verse 15 where he speaks about this matter of giving and receiving literally he’s speaking about credit and debit, income and outgoings, the two sides of an accountants ledger. In v17 he writes about profit and interest. The word ‘credited’ was a word used in banking for financial growth. Finally, in v18 when he says, ‘I have received full payment’ he uses another commercial term, apparently meaning to ‘receive a sum in full and give a receipt for it’

Put in commercial terms, Paul is saying that giving is an investment of Capital. Elsewhere (2 cor 9) to speak about generous giving Paul uses the picture of a farmer sowing seed: ‘remember this who ever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and who ever sows generously will also reap generously.’. Giving is planting seed. The farmer knows he is investing for the future, for he knows that he will reap far more than he has sown.

Generous giving brings blessing to the lives of those who give

Hudson Taylor founded the china inland mission in the 19th C. Thousands became christians through him and it’s said that the he laid the foundations for the current revival of christian faith in china where millions are turning to Jesus. At the age of 27 he was preparing for one of his earliest trips to china he was working v hard and living a very frugal life. He ate a bowl of porridge in the morning and a bowl of gruel on alternate nights. He was asked to go and pray for a very poor family where the mother was dying. He was appalled by their poverty. the only money he had was his weeks wages of half a crown. as he prayed for them he agonised about how much he could spare to give them. Every proprtion he settled on felt too little. In the end he gave all he had. and returned home penniless but joyful. that night he reminded God of proverbs 19v17 ‘he that gives to the poor lends to the lord’ he asked the lord to not let the loan be a long one and he slept soundly. The following day an unexpected letter arrived - a pair of gloves and half a sovereign! a 400% return on his loan in the space of 12 hours! The incident was a turning point in his life. he came back to it again and again. Learning to trust God in small things prepares us for the serious trials of life.

Now God doesn’t promise to make us financially rich when we give. He absolutely doesn’t. But this spiritual principle applies to everything in life. Whatever we give to God, he multiplies, Whether it is our time, home, gifts, ambitions, or money. The return on our investment is not usually financial, (though we can trust God to provide for our needs as we will see). Rather, as we invest in people we receive the blessing of seeing lives changed, people coming into the kingdom of God, the hungry being fed, and naked clothed, drug addicts set free, marriages restored and the sick healed. Everytime we hear a report back from a work in which we have invested, we are reaping the reward for our investment. For the most part we will have to wait til heaven to see the harvest, but we get occasional glimpses of It here and now, as a foretaste.

The NT principle is that if we want treasure in heaven, we have to send it on in advance. What will the reward in heaven be for using our wealth generously? I don't know, but I suspect we will see the faces of those we have unknowingly helped. we will hear them, say I became a xian as a result of your gift, or my marriage was restored, or, I was healed. Not only will we see their faces, but we will see the face of Jesus. We get a foretaste of this now,which is why in giving generously it is not only the recipients who are blessed: we also are blessed. In fact it’s more blessed to give than to receive.

3. Generous giving brings blessing to God

Paul now turns from the commercial world of banking to the language of the Temple. He writes that such a mundane matter as a material gift is first of all v18 a fragrant offering. This language is borrowed from the old Testament offerings of incense in worship in the temple. It means literally the odour of a sweet smell. It's also the expression used for Christ's offering of himself for us on the cross (eph 5:2) speaks of something very beautiful, an act of great love. That’s what our giving is before God. (the perfume on his feet, the widows mite)

Secondly, generous giving is v18 ‘an acceptable sacrifice.’ Now we don’t bring sacrifices to God in order to appease him or earn his favour. No, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was ‘a full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice.’ We cannot add to something which is already full perfect and sufficient. no, our sacrifice is a repsone, it’s about Thanksgiving and praise, and part of that should be a generosity in our giving. Sacrifices are not easy to give. There is a cost: it is hard to give; It goes against the grain, we go without something else when we give away and Yet again there is blessing here because it is an act which, more than anything else, liberates us from the hold money might otherwise have on our lives.

Thirdly, Paul says that generous giving is ‘pleasing to God.’ It is an extraordinary and wonderful assertion of the new Testament generally - and in particular of Paul in this passage - that what we do here can please God. If we give Generously, God is pleased.

We were praying this last wednesday for the plight of christians and other religious minorities in iraq and syria. sometimes we feel powerless in such complex situations but we can pray, we can put pressure on our government to respond with compassion and generosrity and we do can give. (CofE website)

Throughout the new Testament we're encouraged to give generously

1 co 16v2 giving should be planned and regular and proportionate to our income

‘on the first day of the week each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income’.

Many Christians believe it is right to give a tenth of their income away to their church to those in need on the basis of matthew 23:23). I don;t know …These are guidelines, generosity is the only rule in the new testament. As we give generously, Paul says v19 ‘My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.’

My God - see how personal God is. He’s our God. You can trust him. He will meet your needs. Many Christians who give, say, 10% of their income, have found the 90 % left more than covers what the hundred percent did before they started giving. God promises to meet all your needs. Which must include our material needs (though not necessarily all our material wants). Our needs will be met ‘according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.’ Not merely from his wealth, but in a manner that befits his wealth. We cannot out give God.

which brings me to the last thing to say..

our generosity stems from god’s generosity to us. it is no coincidence that the book of philippians ends as it began with grace. That’s the theme of this letter. Grace is one of the most important words in the NT. It summarises the essence of Christianity. It describes all the riches of God’s freely given, undeserved love for us made possible through the sacrificial gift of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, God makes us his own, gifts us everything that is Jesus’ - eternal life, adoption, the security of his love. In Christ you are given more than you could ever have wanted and therfore out of that abundance of riches we are to generously give.

Philippians 3:1-12

October 28, 2018 Saint Barnabas Dalston

aged 13 art exam. the party. roast chicken and a lot of carpet. Help!

didn’t need just help, didn’t need good advice .. i needed salvation. i needed her to sit down and do the exam in my place. I needed a saviour!]

What is life really all about: is it about a stairway or is it about a saviour?

Is life a stairway TO heaven and you’ve got to climb?

Or is it about a Saviour FROM heaven and how He has come down?

Every human religion is about a stairway and you have to climb it. Karma in Hinduism, the Eightfold Path in Buddhism, the 5 Pillars of Islam – it’s all about US making a journey towards spiritual improvement.

And even if you’re not at all religious, life is still about getting ahead, getting on top, climbing the greasy pole. being all you can be, proving yourself.

Whether religious or completely non-religious, the whole world is looking for a stamp of approval that says “YOU’RE ALRIGHT. YOU CAN HOLD YOUR HEAD UP HIGH.” To put it in Bible terms, we all want to be declared “RIGHTEOUS” – to be declared “IN THE RIGHT” with those that matter.

And the whole world thinks it knows HOW you get that verdict: You climb the staircase. YOU pull yourself up by your bootstraps and do it yourself.

But there’s one significant exception to the rule. Christians are different – or at least we should be. Christians are the one group of people on the face of the planet who believe in a Saviour. No-one else believes in a Saviour the way Christians do. We believe that Jesus Christ – the Perfect Son of God – He ALONE deserves to be called Righteous. He has always thrilled the heart of His Father God even before the world began and when He came to live a life in our world, He lived the Righteous Life so exceptionally. Compared to Jesus none of us measure up. We fall far short of Jesus and His matchless glory. BUT, this is the thing: Jesus is not a STANDARD who we have to now LIVE UP to. NO – He is our Saviour who has COME DOWN to SHARE His righteousness WITH US!

The whole direction of travel is different for the Christian. We don’t work up to righteousness. Righteousness has come down to us because Jesus: the Righteous One, is heaven’s Gift.

Look at the last 10 words of verse 9. Paul writes that in Jesus, there is:

a righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

Here is everything the world tries to live up to. And Paul says, it’s come DOWN, as a Gift.

Baptism pictures the giving of this gift to us. By faith, simple trust, in Christ Jesus My Lord we are joined to Jesus who died for our sin and went down into the watery grave - our sins are crucified with Christ. And then just as Jesus the righteous was raised - we have been raised to life and are clothed in his righteousness. He comes down to give every drop of his blood to lift us UP.

See how Paul puts it in verse 9. Now that you have gained Christ, you are...

found in him, not having a righteousness of [your] own that comes from [obeying] the law, but [a righteousness] which is through faith in Christ

It’s not about a staircase it’s ALL about our Saviour, Jesus. It’s not about climbing, it’s about receiving.

BUT

all of us, even Christians, even though we’re meant to believe in a Saviour, we slip into Staircase Religion. It’s our pride you see. We desperately want to do it ourselves. But that’s death. We were made to depend on God, that’s what makes us truly human. Truly strong. full of life. THIS passage will call us out of the death of Staircase Religion and back to Security in our Saviour. And when we refocus on HIM, EVERYTHING changes. Let’s see in our passage the 3 things it changes according to Paul.

Firstly, it changes our mood. Verse 1:

Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord!

In this short letter, Paul talks about joy or rejoicing 14 times. This is often called the letter of joy. And repeatedly Paul commands us to rejoice.

How do you feel about being commanded to change your mood?

We actually do it all the time when you think about it.

“Have a nice day.” And what if I don’t?

“Enjoy your meal.” Well, I’ll eat it, but whether I ENJOY it is largely up to your chef.

Actually we know what we mean by those ones the one that really grates is: “Cheer up. It might never happen” Dont’ you hate that becuase maybe whatever mihght never happen is happening..

But you know, when Paul commands - rejoice! He’s not being like the idiot who says Cheer up. It might never happen. Because it’s happening for him. He writes from a hell hole prison in Rome knowing that at any moment he might be executed. Paul doesn’t say cheer up. Praise the Lord anyway. Rejoice in your circumstances. He says rejoice in the lord.

There’s nothing joyful about his circumstances. There may well be nothing joyful about yours. But Paul rejoices IN THE LORD. Paul knows Jesus and he knows the Jesus who COMES DOWN INTO OUR PIT to be with us, to be for us, and one day soon to bring us out. He rejoices because, first and foremost, he doesn’t think of himself as in prison. First and foremost he thinks of himself as IN the LORD – In Jesus. And in JESUS he can rejoice.

Ca you? Can you rejoice? Can i? Even in terrible circumstances? We will never be able to rejoice if we’re climbing the staircase. If you think life is about getting ahead, then suffering comes and knocks you off course, it takes you down a peg or two, it’s a dead loss. If you’re on the staircase you can only rejoice when you’re on top, never when you’re suffering. But if you have a Saviour – who meets you IN the pit – then it doesn’t matter how low suffering brings you, Jesus is there. His love goes deeper still.

If we know nothing of rejoicing in suffering, maybe it’s because we’ve started to buy into the staircase vision of life. Look again to Jesus: With our Saviour, even a dungeon can be a place of praise.

So with Jesus as Saviour, it changes our MOOD. Secondly, it changes our MESSAGE.

From verse 2, Paul starts talking about false teaching that was threatening the Philippian church. Essentially the message of these false teachers was Staircase Religion. They held the Bible in their hands but their message is basically self-help, self-improvement, self-realisation – “You’ve got Jesus but there’s stuff that you need to DO TOO.

And Paul can’t STAND this message because it is the opposite of the message of the SAVIOUR. It downgrades Jesus’ total glory. So from verse 2 he uses the strongest language against these false teachers:

“Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.

It seems these preachers called themselves “The Circumcision” strange name… But they called themselves the Circumcision dudes because they preached that the gateway to ‘TRUE CHRISTIANITY’ was to come to Jesus and then obey the Old Testament Law. which included being circumcised.

You know if you heard these guys preach you would probably be impressed by their religious seriousness, by their commitment to holiness. But it’s Staircase Religion – it’s ANTI our Saviour Christ. So Paul is so harsh with them in verse 2. He calls them dogs. It’s a brutal accusation, because these Jewish/Christian preachers would have thought of non-Jewish people as unclean dogs. Paul says, No the circumcision sect – they are the unclean ones, they are outside of the true people of God. What’s more, they lift up “goodness” in their preaching but really – by distracting people from their Saviour – they are ‘evildoers’ says Paul v2. And while they preach circumcision, all they end up doing is mutilating the flesh.!! Eww

No, says Paul v3 to these ordinary Christians, it is WE who are the circumcision.

Simply by trusting in Jesus ALONE, we are the true children of Abraham, the true people of God…

we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.

That’s the heart of it you see? The big question is always, Where are you putting your confidence in life? Are we trusting our own powers and performances: that’s what “flesh” means here. Are we putting our hope in ourselves?

When you listen to any ‘Christian’ message, hear a sermon online, or read a christian book, that’s the question to ask. Is this message telling you to put confidence in yourself? Or to put confidence in Jesus? Is this message pointing you to your own righteousness or to Christ’s righteousness GIVEN to you? Christ the saviour changes your mood, your message and finally your …

MOTIVATIONS

From verse 4, Paul tells us about his past experiences of Staircase Religion and boy oh boy - he was the stair master.

4 … I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: [let me list off 7 steps I ascended in my day, says Paul] 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

You could not get more spiritually successful than Paul. He had everything: right nation, culture, religion, pedigree, upbringing. And he doesn’t just rely on his circumstances, he lives right too. He had joined the “Pharisees” – an ultra-conservative religious grouping. Their name means “Those who keep themselves separate.” That was Paul, a cut above. But he wasn’t just morally pure, he was also zealous (v6). He was consumed by religious devotion. And if you tried to dig for dirt on Paul you would not find any. According to outward legal requirements, Paul had been 100% faultless.

And back in the day Paul would have taken immense pride in his many spiritual credentials.

And we can be tempted to do the same.

My baptism, my church, as for zeal, i never missed a prayer gathering as for righteousness, i’m reading the bible in a year don’t you know.

Look praying is good, reading the bible is good, caring for your churches theology is good but you don’t want to be doing things for you and to be seen by others as a means of self justification, of stair climbing! That can’t be your motivation!

What does Paul think of all that stair climbing that once motivated him so?

7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

Here Paul weighs up everything he’s ever been proud of in his life on one side of the scales. And then on the other side of the scales he puts Christ. And when he puts Christ into the equation, everything else he had ever trusted is seen as a dead loss. He had tried to climb higher and higher. But now he looks back and he says to himself: I wasn’t standing on anything solid. I was standing on a dung heap (that’s what the word ‘rubbish’ means in verse 8). i was standing on Crap. All those things might have been fine in themselves but I trusted in them as steps to climb – and that makes them dung.

But CHRIST. He is so different. You see CHRIST is not one more step up towards heaven. He’s not a helper who gets you up the staircase. Christ is the abolition of the staircase. Because Christ comes down and joins us in the pit. And He embraces ANYONE who is honest enough to say “I’m helpless, I need rescue.” Anyone who gives up on the stair-climbing and says “Jesus, I know I can’t do it, I want YOU” – instantly that person GAINS CHRIST. And HE is what really matters.

Do you see how obsessed Paul is with CHRIST in these verses?

Verse 7 – Paul loses everything for the sake of Christ

Verse 8 – he describes the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ.

End of verse 8 – he wants to gain Christ

Verse 9 – we wants to be found IN Christ.

Also verse 9 – he has faith in Christ.

And verse 10 – he wants to know Christ.

He is Christ obsessed. When you’re climbing the staircase, you don’t really love Jesus. Even if you’re a Christian, if you’re on the staircase, Jesus isn’t EVERYTHING to you. He’s a Helper on your way to heaven. If you’re on the Staircase, the Christian life is about abstract duties to perform and doctrines to believe. Is that how our Christianity feels sometimes? Is that our MOTVIATION? Things to do, things to believe but it’s not personal?

Do we KNOW Jesus? Is our motivation, verse 10: I want to KNOW CHRIST?

Cos Christianity is not a lifestyle, a regime, a hobby, a philosophy, it’s not a staircase to climb – it’s JESUS, the Saviour who has come DOWN. And He’s come down in Person.

And you are meant to know Him? Maybe you’re not a Christian, but you realise your whole life you’ve wanted to know whether you’re ok. Right in the eyes of those that matter. you’ve wanted to know whether ‘God’ might ever accept you. Let me assure you – if you’re trying to lift yourself up towards Him it will never work. JESUS has come DOWN. But He’s come down as a pure Gift. If you want to leave off, climbing the stairs your way. If you want to admit, “Jesus, I’m in the pit and I can’t get out. Jesus I want you.” You know what? He’s yours. On the cross He gave Himself for you with every drop of His blood. And right now I’m extending that offer – God gives you Jesus, will you have Him? To know Him, to Know His surpassing greatness, His worth, His love. Call out now and say Jesus “I want to know you.”

And maybe you’re a Christian and you realise that – like all of us, your mood is less than joyful, the messages you like to hear are all about confidence in the flesh, your motivation is all about raising yourself up. Maybe you’ve gotten sucked into the Stairclimbing Religion. Maybe the person of Jesus HIMSELF has been stripped out of your Christianity, and it’s all become very abstract. Do you want to forget that rubbish and know Jesus?

Again, let me declare you you to myself: He’s yours. With every drop of His blood, He is yours. And the whole of your life, and the whole of eternity is not about lifting yourself up towards Him, but knowing the depths of His love towards YOU.

John 9:13-44

October 21, 2018 Saint Barnabas Dalston