Notes on a Scandal

New Blog

2011-05-10T16:53:00.002+01:00

I'm consolidating this site and Every Day's An Adventure into a brand new one over at Stevangelical. Whether I'm more prolific in posting or not is another matter entirely...

Beacon Touchpaper #26: "God's Welfare System, part 4: Prayer and Purpose"

2010-09-04T15:35:00.000+01:00

"But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." (Jer 29.7, ESV)

One final look at God's instructions to His people through the prophet Jeremiah! We have thus far studied the welfare, seeking and sending aspects of this verse and this month we will concentrate on the lifeblood of our mission here on earth: prayer.

As God's people placed here and now, we are called to be the best members of this community as possible. Seeking the welfare (the wholeness, prosperity and well-being) of our town bears a responsibility to work for peace, encourage good practice, prosper safety, challenge injustice and promote reconciliation. Sounds utopian? Not when it's uttered in the light of our very own Prince of Peace, Jesus. Sounds like hard work? Absolutely.

Jesus Himself said that "The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few", which means plenty of overtime! Exhausting just to think about it, I know. But Jesus knew that, which is why He continued to say, "...therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest." (Matt 9.37-38). He was not saying that it means we pray for someone else to do the work! Read the following passage and you see He sends the apostles themselves out straight away! What He was saying was how much prayer is important for mission. We must pray for each other. An academic gospel (merely debating and philosophising) is not the Gospel. A social gospel (deeds but no Truth preached alongside) is not the Gospel. Both fail and both dishonour God. Words without works are dead. Works without the Word are dead. Which is why we must pray. Prayer brings us into communion with the Father. Prayer changes us. Prayer moulds our hearts to be more like His. Prayer lifts loved ones and lost souls to the great God of Grace, to our Saviour Jesus.

If we have no prayer, we lose purpose. If we lose purpose, we lose a heart for prayer. Which is why we must never let go of prayer in our Beacon family. Be it early mornings on Wednesday and Saturday, be it in our new Family Connections meetings, be it on Sundays, be it in our own rooms behind closed doors, be it in our cars and as we walk: never let go of prayer. It pumps the lifeblood of the Father through our hearts, inspiring us, reviving us and more importantly seeing breakthrough in the spiritual realm and in the community around us.

Martin Luther understood this completely, so I leave you with a profound quote from the man: "I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer". May it fuel our preaching by word AND deed.

Real Faith: Blessing the Sons - sermon notes for 29/08/10

2010-08-30T23:32:00.002+01:00

(You can hear the sermon audio here)

READ Heb 11.20-21:

What does this have to do with Real Faith? Why not “By faith, Isaac trusted his father up the mountain”, or “By faith, Isaac prayed to God about his and his wife’s inability to conceive, and they had twins (Gen 25.21)”, or “By faith, Jacob served diligently for 14 years in order to marry the woman he loved, despite knowing father-in-law’s deceptive heart”? Why say this instead?

FIRST: let's understand what is meant by the cultural formalities of the time in which fathers BLESSED their sons:

Blessing = n. the act of invoking divine protection or aid; the bestowal of a divine gift or favour ("Blessed" = to be favoured by your father/God)
Biblical def = "the prophetic announcement by which the head of the family passed on favours to his children"
The idea behind bless is to speak a good word over someone (eg Ps 29.11)
Here today, we tend to avoid talking about death - almost taboo - and don't have the formality of "Blessings". Back then, they understood reality of how binding they could be.

READ Gen 27

v41: "Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him"

[Esau Sold His Birthright for some stew!] (Gen 25:29-34 ESV) "Birthright" = Inheritance/ privileges of firstborn son (The Nuzi texts from the 15th century BC. in Mesopotamia give evidence for transferable birthrights, mentioning one particular case in which a man sells his birthright for a sheep.)

So Esau has been "usurped" twice. His reaction/response? No humility or grace. Bitterness, hatred, revenge. NOTE: these aren't children/teenagers we're talking about! They were in their 70's at this time(*)! How would you have reacted? Your colleague gets promotion, or someone gets chosen for worship leader etc while you're still to be asked into the band? Others invited to dinner over you? "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride"? For Esau, years were wasted in unforgiveness!!!

Jacob and Rebekah are motivated by selfishness, greed, jealousy - she didn't need to have done any of this: it had already been decreed/announced by God: And the LORD said to (Rebekah), “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.” (Gen 25:23 ESV)

MAIN POINT HERE: Why is it that Isaac blessed “By Faith” here? Because he did not revoke the blessing over Jacob once he realised he’d been conned, but stuck to his original pronouncement IN FAITH , and REINFORCED IT TOO WHEN SENDING HIM AWAY!! (Gen 28.3-4!) - He trusted that God was sovereign and would work through this (here is the prophecy over Jacob coming true)

Now READ Gen 48

MAIN POINT HERE: Just as Jacob’s father Isaac had blessed IN FAITH, Jacob here too blesses by faith because he was prompted by God to swap hands and make a prophetic blessing over his grandsons as further demonstration BY GOD of HIS plans for election.

Jacob knew how he had personally received his own blessing - undeserved and thoroughly sinful - and acted this time in a righteous manner. He became a changed man just prior to the moment he's reconciled with Esau for the first time in 20 years - he wrestled with God and finally stood in faith, trusting in the promise over him and being called Israel for first time = from MUMMY's BOY to PROPHETIC FATHER.

THUS: implications for us today = IRREVOCABLE BLESSINGS OVER US = IF saved, always saved; perseverance of the saints... SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED

God chose Jacob, regardless of his selfishness, greed, jealousy, and willingness to be manipulated by his mum. He chooses US despite our sin, our weaknesses. What is our response? Do we step into these promises? Really?

By faith, we need to understand God’s sovereignty, His will, our standing in Him, our future hope, etc....

JESUS is our blessing - in Him is the key to receiving co-heirship, our inheritance of eternal life with God - He became a curse for us - Gal 3.10 - "For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.", then v13 - "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us - for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree""

THUS, BY FAITH, [Steve] can pronounce blessing over those with whom he has influence - because he is chosen despite his sin, he is blessed beyond comprehension, because God has a purpose for him - Eph 1.3 and 1 Pet 3.9.

Jacob:

Sinful, weak, devious
bestowed with grace upon grace (God's favour/election, not just that of his earthly father's)
used by God to bestow further blessing

= you and me!!!

[PAY IT FORWARD film] = Trevor = paying a favour not back, but forward -- instead of them paying him back he asks them to “pay it forward” by themselves doing a good deed for 3 more people. Trevor's efforts to make good on his idea bring a revolution. The original author has set up the Pay It Forward Foundation which educates and inspires students and teachers to do exactly that...

We, as God's people, should not bless others in order to be blessed (approval, obligation, or moral duty) but simply BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED. We give because we've been given; we pour grace upon others (UNDESERVED) because grace has been poured over us; we love because we're loved (1 Jn 4.19 - we love because He 1st loved us); forgive because we're forgiven. PAYING IT FORWARD...

LUKE 6.27-36

By Faith, we know we have been blessed beyond our imagination, so by faith we can go on to bless Him and bless anyone and everyone around us - despite their manipulation or undeserving nature or behaviour, simply because God has bestowed immeasurable blessing upon us as his sons and daughters...

Cell Q's:

How easy do you find it to forgive? What is your natural response and how do you deal with it?
Discuss the consequences/implications of "paying forward" blessings. What is actually happening?

* The age of Isaac is thus ascertained: When Joseph stood before Pharaoh (Genesis 41:46), he was thirty years old, and hence thirty-nine when Jacob came into Egypt. But at that time Jacob was one hundred and thirty years of age (Genesis 47:9). Hence, Jacob must have been ninety-one years old when Joseph was born; and as this happened in the fourteenth year of Jacob's stay with Laban, Jacob's flight from his home must have taken place in the seventy-seventh year of his own, and the one hundred and thirty-seventh of his father Isaac's life. - http://gospelhall.org/bible-teaching/old-testament-history/old-testament-history--1-16--isaac-jacob-esau.html

Beacon Touchpaper #25: "God's Welfare System, part 3: Sent for a Purpose"

2010-07-31T21:41:00.000+01:00

"But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." (Jer 29.7, ESV)

So far, we've looked at the welfare (= "Shalom": peace, wholeness) and seek (= discerning the needs around us) aspects of God's command to His people through Jeremiah. This month, we will understand what He meant by "sent".

Who is the greatest missionary that ever lived? Take a moment from reading this and come up with your own answer.

Was it William Carey, with his great work in India and his translation of the Bible into Bengali, Sanskrit and many other languages and dialects? Or perhaps Hudson Taylor? He spent 51 years in China, and his labours resulted in 800 Christians arriving in that country, starting 125 schools, directly resulting in 18,000 turning to Jesus! Or could it be Jackie Pullinger? Or David Livingstone? Gladys Aylward? Not forgetting the Apostle Paul of course!

Might I suggest... Jesus? He reminds us no less than 39 times(*) that He was a missionary sent from heaven to minister among us here on earth. His calling here on earth was to fulfil the mission God had placed before Him - to live a life that worships the Father above all things, to engage with the culture(s) around Him, demonstrating God's love for humanity despite our sin, and proved that by laying down His life in our place so that we don't have to. And in His resurrection and ascension to the Father's side, He secured our hope for eternity through victory over sin and death, sealing that within those of us who accept His Lordship by His Holy Spirit. He came with a mission. He fulfilled it. And He's passed that same legacy on to you and me. We've a job to do.

Remember that verse from our first Touchpaper on this subject? About how when we read in John's gospel (20:21) that Jesus saying "Peace be with you" meant "Shalom" and all its intended meaning? Read on. Jesus took it to the next step: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” (John 20:21, ESV) Jesus, the Sent One, is now the Sender. God the Father had reminded His people in exile in Babylon that they were not somewhere alien by accident, nor by evil man's doing, but by HIS design. And then, 600 years later, Jesus the Son reminded His people exactly the same thing. And here, 2000 years on yet again, our great God still says this same thing to you and me: "You are not where you are by chance nor by man's choice, but by design. I have a job for you. Seek the welfare of the people around you, that they might be saved and I might be glorified." Let's get to work!

(*if you want proof, I can email you the list of verses! Also found in Mark Driscoll's Vintage Church, p20)

"Real Faith: Pleases God (Enoch)" - sermon notes for 11/07/10

2010-07-12T11:37:00.002+01:00

(You can hear the sermon audio here)

Enoch is well known for one of the greatest disappearing acts in history. One moment he was, the next he was not.

Read Gen 5.21-24 - Enoch is well-known for one curious fact, but if we focus on that to the detriment of another facet to his story, we miss out in a big way...

In the centuries prior to Christ's arrival, the Jews were increasingly interested in heaven/angels/afterlife. Subsequently there was a lot of interest in this little-mentioned man called Enoch. He became popular in Jewish writings in few centuries before and after Jesus. His strange apparent escape from death seemed to grant him a certain mystique. Books were written in his name which were increasingly mystical (Jude 1.14 also quotes from 1st of these - not as authoritative but as example!); the 3rd even claims that he's an angel called Metatron. But Hebrews turns from this aspect of his story and zooms in on what really matters::::

Heb 11.5-6: = walked, pleased, rewarded by...

1. The PACE And The PLACE (The walk itself)

"The 11th chapter of Hebrews is not about ultimate achievement in the world's eyes; it's about holding to faith, even when the world thinks you're ridiculous" Steve Ayers

Knowledge vs faith: "knowledge puffs up, but love builds up". DEMONS WILL BEAT YOU HANDS DOWN IN A BIBLE QUIZ! Needs to be centred on and in faith. Applied. Worked out. Why was Enoch commended as one who pleased God? Twice the Genesis text says He walked with God = commended as pleasing God BECAUSE he walked with God.

God "walked" in the garden Gen 3.8 and Noah "walked with God" Gen 6.9 (=generational family values!)

Ray Stedman = "Enoch used to take long walks with God. One day he walked so far God said, 'It's too far to go back; come on home with me.'"

Ever since the Fall there's been a need to walk WITH God that has been absent. There is a value to be found in walking with God so naturally and so genuinely that we can find ourselves closer to His place than to ours. Walking = lifestyle. He walked with Adam and Eve in the garden - and that relationship was broken - but now that kingdom is at hand, we are under an open heaven, it is available to us. Right here, right now. Through Jesus.

Our sin - the things we should do but don't, shouldn't but do, and more importantly the state of our selfish heart that causes that - this sin has separated us from the perfect, one-of-a-kind, HOLY God & made us subject to the judgement that that bears. Forever. EXCEPT by His Son Jesus... Once more we can walk WITH God. No shame. No hindrance. Perfect union. Through Jesus. Walking with Him: sometimes it's a walk, a run, a climb. Wrestling or resting.

2. the PERSON:

TOM WRIGHT: without faith, you can't begin to please God... you may have a general sense that there is a supreme divine being, and you may even have an idea that this being wants people to seek Him out. But unless you have faith, unless you really believe that God exists and that he does indeed want people to seek Him, and will reward them when they do, you can't actually begin to worship Him.

Why did Enoch please God? Because his heart & his mind were in step with God. He acknowledged God as THE context. And so, He ultimately found his pleasure IN God. Finding your joy in something gives it worth. So wherever you find most joy is what you consider of greatest worth. Is that Him? Or stuff/people/dreams?

God was not Enoch's means to an end. "Loving God means I get saved, ticket to heaven/ means I can ask Him for things/ means I'm not alone". Are we loving the walk/walking more than the One we're walking with?

3. PURPOSE: FAITH = TRUST = GLORIFIES THE FATHER!

(John Piper illustration of 3-year old on edge of pool and Dad says, "Jump! Trust me!" It makes HIM look good, not us. And the harder it seems for him to fulfil his promise, the better he looks when you trust him.)

We give glory to God when we trust him to do what he has promised to do – especially when all human possibilities are exhausted. Faith glorifies God.

THUS: what is faith? = more than facts/knowledge. It is trust. It is more than simply knowing someone, it is whether you trust them. We cannot rely on someone else's faith or trust.

2 Cor 5.7 = memory verse! = "For we walk by faith, not by sight"

Do you have any promises God has given you that you need to act upon? Not just prophetic promises given to you, but also trusting the promises in the Bible?

Is He clearly saying something to You and you have yet to step out in faith upon it? eg giving/ commitment/ prophetic gift/ baptism/ sharing your faith with your neighbour? YOU'RE ON THE DIVING BOARD; GOD SAYS JUMP!

...walk with Him. It pleases Him. And there lies the greatest reward. Christ walked among us. Let that continue to be a reality as demonstrated in our lives, in step with him, through His Holy Spirit.

Cell Q's:

How do we really know we're walking in step with God? What clarifies or endorses that? Give Biblical examples.
Share stories of when you've trusted God and the lessons the rest of us can learn from that.
Jesus says in John 10.10, "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly"

What are the common misconceptions of that promise?
What does it really look like?
What is your personal response to that?

Beacon Touchpaper #24: "God's Welfare System, part 2: Seeking to Sow"

2010-07-01T11:40:00.000+01:00

"But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." (Jer 29.7, ESV)

Shalom! Last month we considered what is meant by "welfare" when God told His people, through the prophet Jeremiah, to seek it on behalf of the city they were living in: Shalom. Wholeness, completeness, well-being... and now we'll look at why God instructed them to actively seek it.

Who springs to mind when you think of the term "unreached people groups"? Is it people who live thousands of miles away from you? Is it people who live in a remote land, or under a communist regime, or who worship strange-looking idols? And who springs to mind when you think of the poor? Would that be people with less money than you? People who can't afford a certain lifestyle? Those who live on the streets? Might I suggest that "the poor" could also be those with money: those who drive posh cars, live in big houses, play on golf courses... Because being poor is not simply being without money. It can also be those without the Spirit.

Unreached people groups are moving into our nation in increasing numbers. They are coming to us. Opportunity knocks! From the Middle East, Asia, Eastern Europe, these people are coming here to live in huge numbers. In our town and our region. Should we be moaning about that, or seeing it as opportunity to share the Gospel? Many Iranians, for example, are being saved across the UK, and determining to return home to Iran to take the Gospel back there. See? Exciting!

And yet... the phrase "unreached people group" goes even further: it can also include the disabled - over a quarter of the UK population have a long-standing health problem or disability*. How many of them are hindered in hearing the Gospel as a result? Do you know who the world's largest unreached people group actually are? It's the Deaf.

Jesus referred to words from Deuteronomy 15.11 when talking to His followers and friends in Bethany: "For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.'" IN YOUR LAND. They're here. Which is why we have a responsibility to participate in seeking the welfare - the shalom - of those around us. Look around you. Up your street. In your local shops. Where you work. Where you play. And see opportunity - amongst the poor in spirit, the unreached, the broken and the lonely - to share the wonderful news of our Jesus with those who may well have not met Him before.

*27.2% - Eurostat research results (2003), cited in OSSATE Accessibility Market and Stakeholder Analysis 2005

"Christ's Bride: the Betrothal and the Feast" - sermon notes for 06/06/10

2010-06-06T14:25:00.002+01:00

(You can hear the sermon audio here)

Matt 26.26-29 and Rev 19.6-9

David showed us last week that God calls himself Israel's husband: Isaiah 54, "...your Maker is your Husband". The image of mankind being either in or out of a marriage with God, or cheating on Him, is presented throughout the Old Testament, and it continues into the New Testament when just as God the Father called himself the Husband, so Christ calls Himself the Bridegroom (Jn 3, also Matt 9 and 25). Paul continues the theme calling earthly husbands to follow Christ's eg (Eph 5.25-27).

The great climax of history as we enter new heaven/earth is described amongst other things as our groom returning for His bride (Rev 19). But first, there's another New Testament passage I'd like us to look at that seems to bear no relevance to the pic of Bride. Or does it?

Read Matt 26.26-29. Some manuscripts insert "new" = NEW COVENANT. A new marriage proposal. What does this have to do with the bride pic? Let me explain:

The Betrothal:

Jewish marriages focus on 2 separate parts: BETROTHAL and MARRIAGE. Nowadays it usually occurs together, but in ancient times these were separate: the betrothal itself was as good as declaring the couple married but they did not live together immediately as man and wife. Unfaithfulness within an engagement was considered as adultery. When Jewish man makes a betrothal, he presents the KETUVAH (written notice of the covenant being made). This protects the woman's rights. It is the written vows (Scripture!). If she accepts, she drinks from a cup of wine her bridegroom has poured out for her. The groom says: "I will not drink of this cup until we are reunited".Sound familiar? If he did, he'd be proposing to somebody else! He then goes away for a set period of time (up to 1 year; to prepare a place) when they are then brought together for the marriage ceremony.

Betrothal for us = an absolute promise by Christ that He asks for our hand for eternity. Absolute security, the promise of everything that matters, made possible by Him. And He didn't just humble Himself to get on one knee to propose this, but humbled Himself to death on a cross so that chasm between us and God might be bridged by Him. And he has now gone away to prepare a place for us (Jn 14.2-3)

At the Last Supper, Christ confirmed His betrothal: "Here's the cup, will you marry me?". And once He'd finished His work on the Cross, He went to prepare a home. One day he'll return to take those who said "Yes" back home with Him forever.

Do you know His security? Do you have confidence in His absolute promise to you? (Josh 1.5, Heb 13.5, 2 Cor 1.20a)

So we're between betrothal (as good as married, secure) and the wedding feast itself...

The Feast:

Rev 19.6-9

Looking forward to that great party with our King as everything is consummated, we mustn't lose sight of the fact that there's so much to enjoy now. Until our great wedding feast with Christ, we can find great excitement in knowing we can never know Him enough. We should be never having enough of Him! Are you enjoying the great romance?

Are you betrothed to Christ? Or are you only dating Him? Are you merely flirting with Him? Don't miss out on the great romance that is available to you, RIGHT NOW.

Equally important: are you betrothed to Him, but flirting with another? My marriage = not just a promise in 1994, but a daily promise. Same here. Secure in betrothal, FOREVER, but also a daily walk here and now.

...CHOSEN: v9: “invited” = who? = the Bride. No one gets in as a guest. You can't slip in as a friend of the church. You don't come to the feast as a distant relative. You're in or you're out. You are invited to accept His marriage proposal. It's up to you.

...ADORNED: v7b-8: What are those righteous deeds? Didn't Isa 64.6 say they were like bloody rags?

But, in HIM = Bride/Church's gown of righteous deeds is her groom's gift of grace
Eph 5.25-27: “sanctify”, “cleansed”, “present... to Himself in splendour” - our righteous deeds (Rev 19.7b-8) are a co-labouring, a responsibility, but only made possible in the first place by HIS cleansing.

Who are you adorning yourself for? Who are you trying to change for? Yourself? Others? Christ? Who are you trying to please? Flirting elsewhere?

Note: the gown of fine linen/righteous deeds is provided by Him, and meant for Him: Esther, as she was preparing herself for presentation to King Xerxes - when he chose her as wife - she was GIVEN the things she needed for adornment. She didn't bring her own make-up bags and fancy outfits she'd been able to afford from the Next sale: HE provided the cosmetics, perfumes and "Anything she wanted" (Esther 2.13).

The Betrothal:

Have you accepted His proposal? Are you only dating Him? Or merely flirting?
Have you been drinking from another cup/unfaithful?
Are you secure in His absolute betrothal/promise?

The Feast:

Who are you adorning yourself for?
Are your deeds (linen) what He has provided, or purely legalistic WORKS?

Cell Questions:
1.What aspects of life can we be in danger of flirting with? How can we be unfaithful to Christ as our groom?
2.How can we keep our eyes from straying away from our Groom?
3.Does anybody struggle with the security that Christ's betrothal promises? How can we help each other know this truth more and more?
4.Pray for each other, and share if appropriate, regarding our motivations: who are we trying to please? Ourselves? Others? Him?

Beacon Touchpaper #23: "God's Welfare System, part 1: Shalom"

2010-06-01T17:43:00.000+01:00

"But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." (Jeremiah 29.7, ESV)

"Shalom" is a Hebrew word uttered by Jewish people as a greeting everywhere. Its basic translation is "peace", but it has a far greater meaning than some simple truce or state of mind. SHALOM encapsulates wholeness, completeness, health, fullness, rest, harmony, well-being... When Jesus often greeted the disciples with "Peace be with you" ("Shalom aleichem", John 20.19, 21, 26), He was not merely hoping they'd be calm and happy; He fully intended that they receive complete fullness through Him as Saviour. Shalom is the process of restoration to wholeness. Jewish people in their greetings are expressing a yearning for something that only their promised Messiah could bring. And He did.

We live in a broken world, where the once-perfect, FULL relationship between God and man has been fractured by the chasm of sin. And yet in Christ we find the complete restoration of that relationship once again. In His perfect life, death and resurrection, Christ has made it possible for us to be reunited with God the Father: whole and complete. Christ is also known as "Sar Shalom", the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9.6): His shalom extends beyond salvation to the ultimate restoration of all things to how they were first intended. And that restoration begins right here, right now, through us as His people.

In our nation, the concept of a "welfare system" guarantees minimum standards, social protection and provision of services. But these can only go so far in healing the cracks we see around us in "Broken Britain": abuse, anger, addiction, hurt, sickness... Nothing will ultimately heal these except for Christ's shalom. And in the same context, when God spoke to the Jewish people through the prophet Jeremiah about their place of exile, He told them to "seek the welfare of the city". That very same word translated as welfare is... "shalom".

We too are called to seek the shalom - wholeness - of those around us through meeting their needs and expressing Christ's love for them. Look for the needs around you and be Christ to them. That's God's welfare system. We will continue to study this verse in depth over future Touchpapers but in the meantime, "Shalom aleichem". Peace be upon you and our town.

Steve

The Cell Leader's Life training resource

2010-05-28T19:05:00.000+01:00

"How am I doing as a leader? Am I growing, passionate, envisioned?"

THE LEADER:

As with churches in general, so a Cell group takes on the DNA of its leader(s). Churches tend to mirror their leader(s). A particularly evangelistic leader will invariably result in a particularly evangelistic church, and so on. How you are spiritually directly affects your group. Recognising our strengths and weaknesses as individuals helps us recognise what will come naturally into our leadership and thus into the groups we lead:

What are my strengths?
Where can I recognise my limitations?
Which of those are the way God made me...
...and which are areas where I need to act?

THIS IS NOT ABOUT LEGALISM OR GUILT!!! Our understanding of His grace and Fatherhood - hence, our identity and personal walk with Him - feeds our groups' own understanding and their witness and growth is a direct result of that feeding.

THE HEART:

PROVERBS 4.23: "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life"

Whose life? Yours or others? Might I suggest both?
It is always so easy to believe it is our knowledge, our skills, our acumen that matter in leadership. Not so. Which is why Solomon - the wisest man on the planet told his son it's the heart that needs priority.

Michael Hyatt (CEO of Thomas Nelson publishers) gives the following wisdom¹:

“The most important thing you can do as a leader is to keep your heart open. What do I mean? Think of it this way. When your heart is closed:

You are distant and aloof.
You don’t connect to people.
Communication shuts down.
You leave people to fend for themselves.
You focus on what people are doing wrong.
You are critical and demanding.
People feel oppressed.

The result? Possibility dries up and the organization begins to die.

Conversely, when your heart is open:

You are fully present and accessible.
You connect to people.
Communication is wide open.
You are a resource to your people.
You may focus on what is missing, but not on who is wrong.
You are affirming and encouraging.
People feel free.

The result? Possibility flows through the organization and the organization grows and develops.”

THE VISION:

Have the confidence to dream dreams for our folk!!! = boldness in leading folk/taking some degree of (wise) risk:

"...leaders can easily type cast people, boxing them in to a role that gives them no potential."

"It was said that the core of Horatio Nelson’s talent for leadership was that he made his officers and men feel as if he had faith in them, and depended on them. Taking his captains into his confidence, not only engendering personal loyalty, quickly and permanently, but also created an atmosphere of trust and cooperation..." - Jesus did exactly this with a bunch of selfish, screwy oddballs 2000 years ago. He's still doing that with us too! (both quotes Colin Baron)

"Do you lead an organisation whose front line employee is a volunteer? Pay them vision and meaning. Today." (Will Mancini)

THE PREPARATION:

The behind-the-scenes stuff!

It is a well-documented fact² that those who pray the most for their cell groups on a daily basis are TWICE as likely to see their groups multiply than those who pray minimally. Prayer opens our eyes to the potential in each of our members, to enlightenment in how to tackle issues, in having HIS vision for our group before we cast it.

How do you pray for your group?
How do you prepare for a meeting?
Are you able to meet with or phone your members regularly?
And just as importantly: this acts as a model for your group to do the same...

¹Ref: http://michaelhyatt.com/2008/02/the-importance-of-a-leaders-heart.html
²Home Cell Group Explosion, Joel Comiskey, p34

"Ruth: an amazing woman. A more amazing God." - sermon notes for 9/05/10

2010-05-10T10:24:00.003+01:00

(You can hear the sermon audio here)

Providence: God at work:

God never needs a back-up plan. He's never taken by surprise:

Deism = separates God/creation (not involved)
Pantheism = mixes the 2 together and confuses where God begins/ends (so how is He involved?)
Fate = elusive/ fairytale/ personifies “destiny”
Chance (the god of evolution!) = “everything's an accident” (I'M NOT! NEITHER ARE YOU!)

Our God is the Creator Who still cares and is involved and has no back-up plan. When it looks like a lost cause He's not hastily coming up with another idea. He cares/ sustains/ provides.
At all levels: general (sustains everything; upholds, Heb 1.3); within that (makes grass to grow Ps 104.14, provides food for animals in season Ps 104.27, sends the rain Matt 5.45, puts gvt's in place Rom 13.1, gives life in the womb Ps 127.3); then even more specifically: Rom 8.28. (Now see Ruth 2.3: “happened to come...”)

Did God CAUSE the famine? Yes. Look at Ps 105.16-17 about His providence in Joseph's story. And here, God used a FAMINE to draw Ruth into His Son's bloodline. Why? Will look at that later...

Ruth: an amazing woman:

While still young, she had to deal with infertility PLUS widowhood within 10 years of marriage (v4)...

Ruth's character is exemplary – she is:

Faithful - 1.6-22 (particularly 15-18). She CLUNG to Naomi (v14) – same verb used in Gen 2.24 (ESV - “hold fast”; NIV - “be united”) = binding, exclusive. It declares that future abandonment WILL NOT HAPPEN. See also Dt 10.20 - “Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name.” Ruth, the Moabitess, ex-idolater (1.15 “and to her gods”), is demonstrating the very devotion God asks of His own people. She means this for life (v17). She's determined that the bitter blows she's been dealt will not defeat her. She saw the hope that God can bring – witnessed in the lives of her husband's family. Thus Ruth refused to allow bitterness seep into her heart.
Takes initiative (2.2) – isn't just some door mat who does what she's told.
Respectful (2.10 and 13 (“bowing”, “my lord”)
Humble (2.7, 10 and 13 again) - doesn't lean on her rights as a sojourner (Lev 19.9-10) but on Boaz's favour. Today, our whole culture is rights over responsibility! Ruth ends up in a BETTER place as a result of her humility (2.15)! And then better than THAT (2.16)!
Her reputation precedes her (2.11)
Hard-working (2.17)
Patient (2.23) – some time before the next step!
Sticks by her word (2.27b: “lived with her mother-in-law”)
Teachable (takes Naomi's advice to the letter: 3.1-5). Were do you get advice from? From those who say what you need to hear? Or those who say what you want to hear?
Kind (3.10) = hesed = same word used to describe God's covenanted love-faithfulness to His people. Boaz uses it in describing how she has looked after her mum-in-law, and now come to him as a preferable future, rather than a younger, eligible man.
Self-controlled – lying at Boaz's feet may not have been the most appropriate of ideas! Very risky. Alone! At night! (3.13-14 = all night, rising just before dawn!). However, her (and Boaz's) self-control is quite phenomenal (not a recommended option for unmarried couples, by the way...)

… It was all enough to make quite an impact on Boaz. His 1st impression of her was outstanding. Her character sang out. Proverbs 31: the ABC's of womanly excellence: can be depressing unless properly understood = an ideal, covers all aspects. Then we see Ruth... And her CHARACTER wooed him. (something for men to learn from too!). What would be people's most likely 1st impression of you?

Is she too perfect? An unattainable role model? NO. Why? Because she's human and she's real. So what's her secret? Because she vowed to “hold fast” to Naomi and to God. She took that vow seriously. A challenge for us all.

A more amazing God!:

Moab = modern-day Jordan. Moabites - descendants of Lot AND HIS DAUGHTER - worshipped Chemosh (incl human sacrifice). Moabites were not specifically forbidden in marriage, Dt 7.3, BUT not allowed into worshipping congregation, Dt 23.3

She was called “Ruth the Moabite” right up to her marriage: twice in ch1, three times in ch2, and twice in ch4. Emphasises that God's kindness extends BEYOND Israel - now see 4.10 = acquired as Boaz's WIFE, to maintain MAHLON's name thru property/deeds. Ruth also calls her daughter in 3.1. Israel have a position not of privilege but of mission - it was always God's intention to save the nations not a singular nation. So, here we see Ruth welcomed into HIS people as ONE OF HIS OWN. Why? Partly for this reason: so foreign blood flowed in Christ's veins!!!!!!!!

She was a foreigner and an idolatress (1.15) and yet God drew her into his Son's bloodline (Matt 1 = five women incl Mary, two of whom, Rahab and Ruth, were non-Jews) = means that Christ not only came FOR the nations but FROM the nations too!!!!

And so to the great romantic climax: the lovers marry, are prophesied over (An audacious prophecy! Telling a young woman who's had to deal with infertility that she'll have a child!), and she does indeed have a child. Obed is the grandfather of King David, the forefather of Jesus Christ.

Which brings us to this:

The overall EARTHLY goal of Ruth's story/Naomi's intentions = to find Ruth a home (1.9, 3.1)... The overall HEAVENLY goal of Ruth's story: to bring humanity home to the Father through His Son.

This story is about life from death: God the Father, in His Providence, brought life out of famine, out of infertility, out of death. Christ, the most marked result of this story, has done the same for us in His death and resurrection. What happened to Ruth has happened to us: Eph 2.11-13. We've been rescued from dead beliefs, from dead works, from death itself, into LIFE itself, by Christ Himself! Just like Ruth, we have been redeemed – rescued, delivered, saved.

The main point? That no matter how exemplary you are – even as much a man or woman of integrity as Ruth – we are still only saved by His grace. Ruth's high standards and faithfulness did not make up for her past, did not crowbar her into God's kingdom. God's providence did that. Her grandstanding speech, as much as it is a remarkable open commitment to Naomi, pointed the way to HIM – this is a prayer of commitment to the One Who is behind it all. HE drew her in. HE called her. HE saved her. And He is calling you too.

Nothing you say or do will change your past. Only He can do that. Not chance, not fate, Not an amoebic pantheistic god, not an absent or dead god. Only the True God, the God of providence. Seek Him first.

Cell Q's:

Look again at Psalm 105.16-17 about God's involvement in natural disasters.

Is this difficult for you?
How do we find comfort in this?
What would the world say?
What should be our answer?

Ruth was teachable and humble.

Where do you get your advice/counsel from?
How can we encourage more accountability, counsel amongst our Beacon family?

Beacon Touchpaper #22: "Our FATHER"

2010-05-02T23:21:00.000+01:00

"Pray then like this: our FATHER in heaven..." (Matt 6.9, ESV)

There are places on the internet where people can write their secrets anonymously for others to read. One in particular is extremely popular, with thousands of posts by people who cannot share their thoughts with others. Perhaps not surprisingly, for the most part it is a very sad and lonely place:

"My husband rarely talks to me. So when he's sleeping I look through his phone, his car & his clothes to see how his day went."

"I would never do anything to hurt myself, but sometimes I wish something would happen to me just to see if you actually cared."

"Mom, all I have ever wanted is for you to tell me you are proud of me! How hard is that?"

"I bring laughter to many, but I am so sad and lonely that I often wish that I will simply die in my sleep."

In many ways, the site has even become a virtual confessional booth, with people yearning for some relief from the things they struggle with and carry in secret. So many people wear masks; they live their days either pretending to be someone they're not, or allowing it to consume them on the outside too. We as believers aren't immune to this either, and can bottle up our feelings and our anxieties. But there is a truth that gives us freedom: we are God's children. We have been born through the Spirit into a family, created to share each others' burdens, to support one another and to provide accountability and counsel. We have been called to lean on each other.

But, praise God, neither does it stop there! As God's children we can call Him Abba Father - a name that combines honour, reverence, affection and intimacy in one beautiful name. There is a reason why Jesus taught us to pray with "our Father" before anything else.

Some people may have no one to turn to, or only to strangers on a website. Others believe they need a priest. Yet others may view God as an aloof king to whom they try to wave from the crowd and holler in the vain hope that he may one day notice them. We, however, have every opportunity - ALL THE TIME - to run through those throne room doors and straight into the embrace of our wonderful Father King. Go talk to your Father.

How did Jesus spend His Saturday?

2010-04-03T10:19:00.003+01:00

I've come across an interesting number of people who are confused, uncertain or wrongly taught about how Jesus spent the 36+ hours from 3pm Friday afternoon to dawn on Sunday. Many believe he went to Hell, but this is not Biblical.

The phrase "descended into hell" does not occur in the Bible, but appears in the Apostles' Creed: "...was crucified, dead, and buried, he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead." Even this particular phrase is not found in any early versions of the creed, but only appeared once in AD 390, and even then was intended to mean "descended into the grave". However, come AD 650 it appeared in final form, and spawned a number of explanations since to uphold its literal interpretation. This was not its intention, and is not upheld by Scripture.

One common piece of Scripture used to uphold the argument is from Ephesians 4.8-9 - the Greek text is, however, referring to descending into "the lower regions [which are] the earth". Another, 1 Peter 3.18-20, has been taken to mean that Christ literally visited Hell in his death and preached to the spirits there. The context, as always, is vital, and here it means the work that Christ did through His Spirit in the time of Noah. This also applies in similar vein to 1 Peter 4.6. There are no second chances for people.

And so, when Christ turns to the thief on the cross and says, "Today you will be with me in Paradise"(Luke 23.43), He meant just that. The Sabbath Saturday for Jesus was family time: with His heavenly Father, with his new friend the thief, and with the saints already there too who were true men and women of faith, their salvation secured in Christ's perfect death ("it is finished") and the glorious resurrection to come in just a few hours.

Beacon Touchpaper #21: "Jesus, our LIVING founder"

2010-03-28T15:26:00.001+01:00

"And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matt 28.18-20, ESV)

Martin Luther King, Jr. Mahatma Gandhi. Florence Nightingale. Leo Tolstoy. Sir Winston Churchill. Mother Teresa. William Wilberforce. Albert Einstein. Leonardo da Vinci. Martin Luther. Just a few examples of great men and women of history. All of these people have left immense legacies or made profound change for the generations to follow. Human rights, science, faith, liberty... these men and women have influenced millions for the good and for the future. They have shaped the world we live in. They have all died. They have all stayed dead.

Many more people throughout history have begun radical, continued social movements. But one significant difference each time is this: none of their founders are still with them. The Church, God's called and chosen people here on earth, is utterly unique for many reasons. Notably, it is the "only organisation in the world that exists solely for the benefit of its non-members" (Archbishop William Temple). And, more importantly, its - our - founder Jesus Christ is still with us. Always. To the end of the age.

As we celebrate Easter, just like when we remember Him in Communion, let us not only tell half the story. As we share the Gospel, let us not only preach His astounding work on the cross - paying our penalty for sin, dying in our place, receiving God's wrath so that we don't have to, granting us forgiveness - but let us also preach His glorious resurrection - in which we are raised to new life in Him, partaking in His righteousness, His blessings and eternity with Him. His death is only half the story; His resurrection completes it. Every sermon found in the book of Acts preaches the resurrection, bar one (Acts 7) - and that sermon was interrupted by the risen Jesus Himself while Stephen was preaching!

So be encouraged and preach the FULL story of Who Jesus is, not just was. Let our lives preach the glory of the living Jesus within us through His Holy Spirit. And let us continue to be strengthened by the knowledge that our glorious Founder (Heb 12.2), King and Saviour is WITH us now. Always!

"2 Peter 2: Dogs and Pigs in the Sheep-pen" - sermon notes for 21/03/10

2010-03-22T12:31:00.001Z

(hear the sermon here)

Fakery/counterfeit goods/scams/con artists, they can be found everywhere in the world: currency, documents, clothing, software, pharmaceuticals, art, etc. Just as it can be found everywhere, we shouldn't be surprised to find it IN THE CHURCH too! The trouble is we can be lulled into a false sense of security & forget that counterfeits can fool multitudes. And we can be one of those fooled too. The things we read, the things we hear on radio, see on TV... How to discern? How to avoid AND warn others?

False prophets are mentioned throughout the Bible: men claimed to speak from God when He hadn't sent them (Deut 18.20). In NT times, these men are described as:

Deceitful masqueraders (2 Cor 11.13)
devoted to myths (1 Tim 1.4)
shipwrecked their faith (1 Tim 1.19)
hypocritical liars (1 Tim 4.2)
conceited, quarrelling, corrupted, greedy (1 Tim 6.3-5)
ungodly, w/gangrenous teaching (2 Tim 2.16-17)
lovers of themselves, disobedient,worming their way, depraved & more (2 Tim 3.1-9)
ignorant & unstable (2 Pet 3.16)
antichrists (1 Jn 2.18)

Strong language! Another word is heretics (wilfully denies what the Bible says, even twisting Bible to argue their teaching)

NB: Peter doesn't name anyone but gives details of the false teaching, not teachers. The teachers come and go, the teaching persists in different forms...

1. Know the Danger:

Firstly, let it be noted that the false teaching Peter is concerned about here involves a particular brand of sexual permissiveness (13b: “carouse”; 14a: “full of adultery”; 18: “lustful desires”), so there was a genuine moral concern as well as a theological one. But elements of what he is describing here are relevant to false teaching in general:

“among you” (1); “secretly” (1) “many will follow” (2) “exploit” (3) “to use selfishly for one's OWN ends”; “with stories they have made up” = as opposed to 1.16: NOT cleverly invented stories but eye-witnesses! “seduce” (14); “entice” (18). We think we'd spot them, but they exploit, seduce & entice... 2 Cor 11: Satan's ministers had invaded the Corinthian church; Jude 19: men described as NOT having “the Spirit”

Who do they go after? v14: “they seduce the unstable”; v18: “they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error” - these false teachers here are particularly preying on the weak/the young... Remember they are sly, underhand, secret, seemingly innocuous...

They are often kind, friendly, fun, appealing... THAT's the problem. Remember, they convince MANY.

Sensuality & Lust – see above!
Greed (v3)
Despise authority (v10) – there's a big obvious SIREN!
Heresy & blasphemy – THE BIG ONE!!! - denying salvation in Christ alone (v1)

2. Know the Truth:

One symptom of false teaching is that it denies something fundamental (1b: They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them). To not deny but suggest fundamentals don't matter is just as dangerous... (Hear the audio for 2 examples of this)

Above all, the key to spotting false teaching is this: KNOW THE TRUTH. Anything else that isn't that, is FALSE... (1 Cor 15.1-2: “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.” Stand firm!) To spot fake currency, the experts look for markings of TRUE currency. All else is false.

See? The brilliance of the Gospel, of His Word is that we do not need to know all the signs of false teaching and spend all our time speaking against each individual instance. All we need do is KNOW THE TRUTH and anything else falls away, loses its power, is destroyed... So what are the signs of the TRUTH? = The Gospel: Jesus plus NOTHING.

Trinity = ever-existent, self-supportive >>> We = made male & female, made to worship, selfish, worshipped ourselves and things before Him, ruined it all; can't save ourselves: by grace alone, no works >>> Christ lived perfect & sinless as fully God/fully man & died perfect death in our place, bearing wrath of God and paying penalty for sin >>> rose again in victory >>> He opens our eyes to faith & submission >>> once saved, always saved >>> creation & relationship w/Him fully restored forever >>> by Jesus, through Jesus, in Jesus, for Jesus. That's the Truth. Add or take away, is false.

3. Know Him:

He will judge, not us. This whole chapter reminds us of that fact : 5 “if's” = v4: “if... angels”; v5: “if... Noah”; v6: “if... Sodom/Gomorrah”; v7: “if... Lot”; v9: “if this is so...”

Trust God and stick with the Truth. Do not fear man or people's thinking of you. Why do you come to church? To be tickled? To have an itch scratched? Or to truly grow? 2 Tim 4.3-4!

Conclusion:

These men are described as dogs & pigs amongst the sheep (sheep = church).
Pigs = People can begin to get cleaned up but go back to the mud of the world.
Dogs (from Prov 26.11) = They vomit false teaching. Vomit from the pulpit, people eat it, go home, vomit it back up for others to eat. And so on. Sick (literally!). That's the point.

2 Cor 4.2-6 = all about Jesus! Need Holy Spirit to open our/their eyes to Truth.

Question for the week:
Think of examples of when you've realised something you've long believed to be true/doctrinally correct is actually not so. How did you come to the realisation?

Two truths about the father of lies...

2010-03-02T03:54:00.001Z

Further to Sunday's preach and subsequent blog-posting on 1 Peter 5 (find it here), I'm afraid I failed to make one more point clear regarding the devil. This is something I'm certain many of us carry, yet it is a false belief... The true Biblical understanding of this can and will benefit any of you who have struggled with such. I will firstly clarify my point on the inability of Satan to read our minds, and then clarify this extra fact that can make a big difference to our confidence in resisting him:

Firstly, regarding the fact that Satan is not omniscient ("all-knowing") like God, and thus cannot read your thoughts, I'll direct you to Wayne Grudem for elaboration on the subject. He tells it far better than I can:

"With respect to knowing our thoughts, the Bible tells us that Jesus knew people's thoughts (Matt 9.4; Mk 2.8; Lk 6.8, 11.17) and that God knows people's thoughts (Gen 6.5; Ps 139.2, 4, 23; Isa 66.16), but there is no indication that angels or demons [which includes Satan] can know our thoughts. In fact, Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar that no one speaking by any other power than the God of heaven could tell the king what he had dreamed (see Dan 2.27-28). But if demons cannot read people's minds, how shall we understand contemporary reports of witch-doctors, fortune-tellers, or other people evidently under demonic influence who are able to tell people accurate details of their lives which they thought no one knew, such as (for example) what food they had for breakfast, where they keep some hidden money in their house, etc? Most of these things can be explained by realising that demons can observe what goes on in the world..." (Systematic Theology, p416)

You see, mediums' knowledge of dead grandparents' details, for another example, are a simple by-product of demonic observation over the years and so on. It's as simple as that. And when you know that your own thought-life is totally secure - private between only you and God - you have far less reason to fear the devil.

But there's that one more important fact:

As well as not being omniscient/all-knowing, neither is Satan omnipresent (everywhere at the same time) like God. We can all have in our heads this picture of the devil watching our every move, ready to pounce, making notes... Nope. He can only be in one place at any one time - he comes and goes (Matt 4.3, 11; Job 1.7-12). And I very much doubt he's bothered enough by me to be spending his precious time troubling me personally, while there's plenty of other brothers and sisters who are far more of a threat to Him. Which I actually take as a bit of a non-guilt-inducing provocation, to be honest!

The devil has many demons on his side that do his dirty work for him. When this work is attributed to Satan - even in the Bible - it is a reference similar to saying "Hitler invaded Poland". Actually, his soldiers did. See? Don't for one second let the devil become bigger in your head than he deserves. He is limited in his power and abilities, he is not all-knowing and he is not all-present. Do not fear. Take courage and know that in Christ we are safe and totally protected. James 4.7: "Resist the devil and he will flee" (which in itself proves that he can't be everywhere, or he couldn't flee, eh?). Just don't let your misunderstanding of him become another of the devil's lies that then holds you back... Stand firm!

Beacon Touchpaper #20: "Do (Not) Disturb"

2010-03-01T12:56:00.000Z

"Now when Jesus heard [of John's death], he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them..." (Matt 14.13-14, ESV)

The world we live in is increasingly fast-paced and introverted. Nearly one tenth of Britons go a week without meeting anybody socially, and 15% go a week without speaking to their neighbours at all. The way garden fences were built in the 1930's allowed for conversations to develop naturally between neighbours; most new developments today are apartment-based or include 2-metre high walls and fences. And when we're out and about, it's an easy thing to get caught up in our errands and rarely stop for more than a passing hello when we recognise a face or see someone who could do with a hand. The danger is to justify ourselves that we're too busy to stop; or we may not have actually noticed that that person would really appreciate just a few minutes of our time.

Jesus, upon hearing of his second-cousin John the Baptist's beheading, withdrew to a remote place. He needed time to grieve, to reflect and to commune with His Father. However, as soon as He saw the crowds that had followed Him, He had compassion upon them and put their needs before His. And his disciples learned from His example...

In Acts chapter 3, there is an amazing tale of Peter and John being willing to be inconvenienced for the Gospel. As they were heading into the temple for prayer, a lame man asks them for some money. Immediately, Peter stops and offers him so much more; the man is instantly healed in the name of Jesus and the crowds were filled with wonder as a result. So, having given the man his few moments, does Peter then continue his business? No, he then sees the crowd and begins to preach (with the ex-lame man clinging to him (v11)!). And the result of his preach? They got arrested and thrown into detention! But as for the crowd... many who heard the word believed! The total number of the church subsequently swelled to 5,000 men (= over 10,000 people). Peter and John were, just like Jesus, willing to be inconvenienced for the Gospel...

Just imagine for a moment what could happen if we ourselves were more willing to be inconvenienced for the Gospel? Of course, we are allowed to "shut the door" when we need to recuperate/ refresh/ spend time with God and family; being inconvenienced for the Gospel is consciously taking off the "Do Not Disturb" sign in our GENERAL everyday life... With that in mind, imagine what could happen if we put our timetable to one side for just a few moments when the opportunities arose? Churches like Abundant Life Church in Bradford are now practising the "Love15 Revolution" - being willing to give 15 minutes of our day to be inconvenienced; taking the "Do Not Disturb" sign off from around our necks... just imagine... "Do Not Disturb"? Make it "Do Disturb!" Go for it!

"1 Peter 5: Grace to the Humble" - sermon notes for 28/02/10

2010-03-01T12:31:00.008Z

(hear the sermon here)

In this chapter, we will study what Peter has to say on humility in church leadership, humility in the church members themselves, and finally humility in life itself. True humility leads to salvation and freedom in Christ...

The Shepherds: (1-4)

Peter was an elder in Jerusalem, handed over to James and the body of elders. He knows what it's like, you can't say he doesn't. And his concern? That all elders serve with the right heart, the right character (lists in 1 Tim 3.1-7 and Titus 1.5-9 are less about status and gifts, but CHARACTER):

not unwillingly/under compulsion, but WILLINGLY
not greedy for money, but EAGERLY
not lording or domineering, but EXAMPLES

If our leaders can't express Christ's humility in their leadership, how can the church be expected to follow, learn, imitate?

The word here “shepherd”, poimaino, refers to not just herding or just feeding, but the whole range of a shepherd's oversight: Elders are not meant to be mere administrators or policy-makers, but truly SHEPHERDS: Shepherds lived with their sheep, cared for them; tended to the weak, the injured, the lost; ensured the safety of the flock; protected the flock: Acts 20.28-35, Paul: “after my departure Fierce wolves will come in among you” – shepherds always went before the flock and searched out the land to ensure it was safe; normally worked in groups...

It is a calling: Acts 20.28 goes on to say “Pay careful attention to yourselves and all the flock, in which the HS has made you overseers” – not simply for those who aspire to it and have ability, or in right place at right time.

Elders need to be learning and growing so they are continually moving forward; else, they stagnate and so does the flock they are leading – if the shepherds don't keep moving forward, neither do the flock. (“leaders = readers”!)

Elders' leadership = about relationship: AMONG and OVER flock (re Jesus, Lk 22.27: “I am among you as one who serves”): not aloof but in authority (hence not LORDING but CARING) – an imbalance of either causes problems – requires a balance of confidence to lead with true humility

The flock: (5-11)

v5-6: ...HUMILITY (here it is again!): humility is a recognition of position and perspective: “under the mighty hand of God”

Humility is not a demeaning of yourself. It is not thinking less of yourself, but of yourself less. It is the willing submission to trust the sovereign King of all things and seek HIS will in all things, HIS heart in all circumstances, HIS character in our own, HIS glory and praise and not ours...

v6 leads into v7 = TRUSTING GOD: Peter continues to say cast your anxieties on Him – he should know! Jesus healed Peter's mum-in-law (Mk 1.29-34), helped Peter to catch fish (Lk 5.1-11), enabled him to walk on the water (Matt 26.47-56) and delivered Peter from prison by sending an angel (Acts 12.1-19; v11=“the Lord has sent an angel and rescued me”).

Casting our anxieties upon Him is not a frivolous act. It is a clear, conscious act. Thus, Peter says: Be sober-minded. Why? The devil “prowls... a roaring lion”... “to devour”. The devil is real, and a far greater theologian than any of us. He knows the Bible inside out, He knows our weaknesses, He knows the lies we'll pay attention to. HE CAN'T READ YOUR MIND, but don't be complacent either. Be sober-minded because He's on the prowl. DO NOT FEAR. But true humility reminds us of Who's in charge here. It ain't us, and it ain't the devil. Just don't be ignorant to His ploys.

v9 “resist” = conscious effort, sober-mindedness again. Be aware, avoid places, times and people where you're weak. Be accountable. Don't play games.

“firm in your faith” - firm in your faith means reminding yourself who you really trust, and following His counsel (via Scripture, HS and church). This verse is also an encouragement to know you aren't alone (“throughout the world”). Then v10 “...called you to His eternal glory in Christ will RESTORE, CONFIRM, STRENGTHEN, ESTABLISH” = IRREVOCABLE! Be encouraged!

The Gospel:

So, thus far we understand true humility (submitting all to God) as exhorted in our identity (ch1-2), the workplace (2), our home life (3), our social lives (4), now specifically in our church leadership and our submission to that, and Peter reminds us once again of the core Truth that generates true humility. Here's a Truth that underpins this passage, this letter, this Book in my hands:

Peter quotes a proverb in v5: (Prov 3.34 Septuagint version [Greek version of Hebrew Bible]=) “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble”.

How can we learn humility? Remember this: none of us deserves to live, or deserves another breath. I'm sure we're all very aware that life can be gone just like that. Age bears no relevance. Ecc 12.6 describes life as a silver cord that can simply snap. Why did you wake up this morning? It's because God sustained you through the night. The Bible says so. (Ps 3.5: “I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me”)

But why do we deserve to die? Rom 6.23: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Wages = something we've earned. But it's so much more than simply because of what we do, it's who we are. Which all boils down to pride again. Pride is us placing ourselves before anyone or anything else., the opposite of submission, the opposite of humility. Pride wants to be in control; pride thinks we know better. Pride got us into this mess in the 1st place...

God hates the sin of pride (Prov 16.5: “Everyone who is arrogant is an abomination to the Lord”). Isa 14 described how pride turned Lucifer into Satan. Pride is the reason for Adam and Eve defying God: placed their own desires first, thought they knew better than Him, and defied Him, ripping apart that perfect communion they'd had with Him and fouling it in every way. Sin entered the world and and it's been decaying since.

God opposes the proud. He is SO perfect, SO just, that anything short of perfect is intolerable to Him. Being perfect, He can't settle for anything less than perfection in His character, and that includes setting His heart on His own glory. He's the only Person Who can't be accused of being selfish. So it's impossible for us to please God on our own. Because that's where you stand if you don't have Him. Isa 64.6!

So Peter quoting from Proverbs is not some helpful sound-bite... “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” = The Gospel!

Isa 53.6: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way...” - My pride blames anyone but me, passes the buck, thinks I know better an God. That brings, as we've just seen, judgement and consequences. Humility accepts the truth about ourselves even when it hurts and leads us to God's Good News for us. What Good News? (Isa 53.6 continues): “...and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Glory of the Gospel= the Chief Shepherd (v4) became the sacrificial Lamb.

Heb 9.22: “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness (remission/ amnesty/ acquittal) of sins.”

Sin is dealt with in Christ's death; TRUSTING in Him as our Lord results in sins washed away through His blood, and we are raised to new life through His resurrection. Here's why Peter, writing to people dispersed and suffering, can say “peace to you” (v14)

TRUE HUMILITY recognises:

we are under the mighty hand of infinitely wise, holy, good God
we can never claim amnesty for our sin and pride
we cannot save ourselves

BUT ALSO: True humility receives His grace (that He gives us the free undeserved gift of amnesty, our punishment paid by His Son). You can know His peace in this life and beyond.

Cell Q's:

Have you ever considered yourself as someone prone to pride? Has Sunday's sermon changed your perception of yourself, either way?
Do you find it easy to let go and trust God? Why do you think you can or can't?
Do you find it easy to give up control of things to other people?
What's the one thing that's most significantly struck you during our study of 1 Peter?

Beacon Touchpaper #19: "Hope Eternal"

2010-02-08T09:18:00.000Z

"We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain..." (Heb 6.19, ESV)

In December 1999, Britons voted John Lennon's 'Imagine' as the song of the millennium - perhaps it was meant as more of a spoken thought than a favourite song? "Imagine there's no countries, it isn't hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for and no religion too. Imagine all the people living life in peace." Did it reflect a hope that the 21st century might herald a new age?

A decade later and we have seen more wars, earthquakes, famines, floods, global terrorism of an unthinkable scale, and a very steady eroding of Christian values in the UK, let alone elsewhere. Back then, most people hadn't even heard of Al-Qaeda. A global economic meltdown was unthinkable. Here in Britain we now have the unhappiest children in the G20 (Unicef) and the most miserable adults in Europe (WHO). And only 6.3% of us go to church on a monthly basis.

People always "hope for the best", but "hope" and "hope" are two different things. On the one hand, you have: Hope: n. the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best, while on the other hand you have: Hope: n. a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul. What makes the latter so defined? Jesus. What makes it so secure? Jesus. What makes it so unyielding? Jesus.

In Him we have an assurance that, despite the world we live in, we have an everlasting, irrevocable hope. Yes, there WILL be earthquakes and calamities (Matt 24.7), but Earth WILL be set free from decay (Rom 8.21) and God IS good and does good (Ps 119.68). A Biblical perspective is not naive (which is how the "Imagine" sentiment tends to prove itself); the Biblical perspective is the most honest, realistic, hope-inducing perspective you can ever "hope" to find. And you want to know why? Because it's God's perspective.

As we enter this new decade, let us as His children remember our hope eternal - Jesus and His victory - and press on into pursuing all He has prepared for us and the people around us. Let us not be dissuaded by statistics and news items, but encouraged to living out lives that demand a Gospel explanation. For Him, our hope eternal.

"Everyday Living in the Shadow of the Cross" - sermon notes for 31/1/10

2010-01-31T14:10:00.001Z

(hear the sermon here)

1 Peter 2.13-25

1.“Honour everyone” - v13-17

Note: Peter starts at the top of pile: the Emperor; not condemning the ultimate authority, nor demanding all believers seek to overthrow him. P says “be subject to”/”honour” (to hold in high respect). If he's telling us to submit to the guy at the top, then it goes without saying: honour all beneath him too. If we're called to submit to the PM, then MP's, councillors, employers, etc too. Rom 13.1: “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”

This is a call to honour ALL, so our lives advertise & glorify Christ within us. And the will of God is: v15= “SILENCE ignorant talk” ('silence' = lit. to “muzzle” yelping dogs!)

v15-16: “Live as free men” = not absolute freedom! TERTULLIAN: “as Christ was crucified between 2 thieves, so the doctrine of justification (the Gospel) is ever crucified between 2 opposite errors” = Legalism/Antinomianism (“anti-law”) = we are free to submit/obey. See the difference?

2.“Suffer well” - v18-20

Peter's stressing to slaves that although they're saved, it does not give them veto to announce their own political freedom (1 Cor 7.20-24). We still have a God-given station in life, whether we like or not. Peter's message = understanding suffering & position in life (if you're always comparing yourself with others, you'll always end up full of pride or jealousy)

Our lives are meant to advertise the Gospel. We're called to live honourable lives: easy when it's Obama/Brown. But Hitler/Stalin/Idi Amin/Mugabe? Surely there's a get-out clause? God's Word does not give us that.

Take another look at v20b: “a gracious thing in sight of God”: we must remember that perspective! Our life is a life of faith – the things we do not see. This world is focussed on what is seen/stuff and we get sucked into same line of thinking. We must remember what the Holy Spirit shows us, the bigger picture that our physical eyes can't comprehend.

3.“Christ: our example” - v21-25

The cross is described as “the great jewel of the Christian faith”: all precious jewels have many facets. Christ's work on on the cross means He's our sacrifice, our ransom, our expiation, our propitiation, our victor, our reconciliation, and so on... and our example. Christ was slighted over & over again, to the point of beating, torture, death. And still He lived honourably.

Phil 2.5-8 and Heb 12.2-3

Ever been rejected? Despised? Accused? Discriminated? Treated unfairly? Abandoned? Called names? Bereaved? Jesus was. And how did He respond?

But it's easy for our reaction to be, “Yeah, but He was Jesus, He was God.” Note: He was “fully God and fully man” (“hypostatic union”) It took the church 100's of years to get to grips with this. The two dangers are treating Him as only man = liberal, dangerous, wrong; or as a kind of Superman. Again, wrong! Answer this: if He was simply GOD in flesh and bone, then why sweat blood before His arrest? Why the need to sleep? Why would an unchanging eternal God be described as growing in wisdom and stature (Lk2)? Get hungry (Matt22.18)? Thirsty on the cross (Jn19.28)? Because he chose not to lean on His divinity.

So, what's His secret? How did Jesus the man, not leaning on His Divinity, live the life He lived? It was by the Holy Spirit:

Lk1-2: conceived by the Spirit
Lk3: John declared Jesus would baptise in Spirit & Spirit descended on Jesus @ baptism
Lk4: “full of the Holy Spirit” & “led by the Holy Spirit”
Lk4: began His 3-yr ministry by reading “Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me”
Lk4: returned to Galilee “in the power of the Spirit”
Then came healings, raisings from dead, calming storms, casting out demons...
Lk10.21: “rejoiced in the HS”
Then His arrest & death, and then He rose again BY THE HOLY SPIRIT (Rom 8.11)

This same Spirit that empowered Christ to live such a great example is available to us. You really think His Word would tell us to follow His example and not let it be possible?

So, just as Christ exemplified, we are called to sacrifice self daily/hourly/continually. As we turn the other cheek, as we honour those who may not deserve it, we present the Gospel in our actions. It is NOT weakness. It may look like that to the world, but why should we care? We do, but shouldn't. It's how Christ lived – and as far as I'm concerned He's the strongest, most forthright, most honourable man the world would ever know. What an example. And it is Biblically possible to follow in His footsteps.

(Jeff Vanderstelt on 1 Peter 3.15): “To 'be prepared to give an answer... for the hope that is in you' starts with living a life that demands a Gospel explanation.”

Cell Q's:

1.Share personal testimony of times you've suffered unjustly or as a result of circumstances and how you reacted (be honest and brave!)
2.How has the sermon enabled you to change your perspective on any current situations/circumstances?
3.Do you feel your life demands a Gospel explanation? What do you think you can do to enable that? Think of specific areas in your life.
4.Minister to each other for an increased outpouring of the Holy Spirit in your lives.

Beacon Touchpaper #18: "Plans and Purposes"

2010-01-02T22:48:00.003Z

“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'” (Luke 14.28-30, ESV)

Yes, it's the New Year again... The Noughties have been and gone, and here come the... um... err... "Tens"? "Teens"? "Twenty-tens"?

Whatever they may be called, one thing is for sure: we have a choice in how we apprehend this decade. We can wait and see what happens, "letting" God do His will in Herne Bay and beyond while we enjoy the show, or we can decide to participate in pursuing all He has prepared for us. Guess which of those God would prefer us do?

The above verses relate some everyday common-sense regarding a deliberate attitude to the Christian life: you want to follow a certain career path, or ensure certain values are established in your family/home/lifestyle, or you intend to grow in the giftings God has prepared for you. All of these are available, God-willing, but we do have to become serious about it ourselves. Planning, setting goals, putting routines into place, setting aside specific times to study, none of these are counter to trusting in God's sovereignty. His rule over all things does not mean we should do nothing and become spectators, nor does it mean we are puppets with no say in the matter! It means we get the unbelievable opportunity to labour alongside the King of all kings in His endeavours! We get to explore His adventure as it unfolds!

Luke's text in chapter 14 is in the context of not taking the decision to follow Christ lightly. As we prayerfully "work out our salvation" (Phil 2.12), we unfold His purposes for us. As we plan how we approach the next year and further - personal goals are a great way to start - we unearth God's own plans for us too. I'm determined to be more deliberate in pursuit of what God has prepared for myself, my family and His church than ever before this year. How about you?

("You won't accidentally get close to God" - On this same Touchpaper theme, check this link for a great help on developing stronger devotional times)

Beacon Touchpaper #17: "Eyewitness"

2009-12-02T21:06:00.001Z

"...wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him..." (Matt 2.1-3, ESV)

Picture it: you're simple folk, living in a hill-country village some 6 miles south of the capital city. Your village has a population of barely one hundred people and you all know each other exceptionally well. You work together, play together, share together. Some are family, some are close friends, some you don't like very much. But you and your families have lived in close proximity together for a lifetime.

There's nothing special about your village; it's unassuming and poor. But you do have one notable feature that is renowned across history: King David, the great king of your land, was born here 1000 years ago. Your humble community has a famed royal heritage. And then some shepherds from the hills appeared one night a couple of years ago to visit a newborn child during the census, claiming him to be King David's awaited descendant, THE King of the Jews that your nation have been waiting for: is he really the answer to your prayers and a fulfilment of the words of the prophets? He just seems a normal child, born to parents from elsewhere but who have stayed with relatives for the duration of his early years. And now strange astrologers from Persia have just arrived and announced exactly the same. You talk to the couple, you let your children play with this little boy. They're just another family. How can this be?

It's a question all of us may struggle to know how we may have answered had we been around then. But the fact is that at the time of Christ's birth "...all Jerusalem..." was troubled along with the despot Herod. The whole city had taken notice, but how many then chose to look away? How many truly allowed the facts to change something internally? Consider also how many folk 30 years later were also faced with the adult Jesus' ministry, example, miracles, death (when the temple's curtain was torn in two, an earthquake shook the city and dead bodies came to life) AND by His resurrection - over 500 eyewitnesses could not deny that particular fact.

This coming Christmas, some people will again ignore the truth and choose to look the other way. But there will also be locals (shepherds), people from different backgrounds (Persians), and many more who will sit up and take notice. We are His eyewitnesses. We are called to point the way.

Beacon Touchpaper #16: "Forget-me-not..."

2009-11-01T22:25:00.001Z

"Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people... Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done... Remember this also in my favour, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love... Remember me, O my God, for good" (Neh 5.19, 13.14, 13.22, 13.31, all ESV)

A regular request that appears through the book of Nehemiah is when the man himself keeps reminding God to remember him; Nehemiah makes rather a habit of it.

I don't know about you, but I've never considered God to be One Who forgets much; I have a funny feeling that's never been something He's really struggled with. The only time God forgets something is when He chooses to forget (Isa 43.25, Jer 31.34). So why on earth would Nehemiah ask God to remember him? What's he really saying here? Is it a demonstration of arrogance in the man?

The key is in understanding this: Nehemiah does not say this "out loud". Each of these four petitions are relayed as a part of the narration, they are personal prayers between Nehemiah and his God that are recorded within the passing narrative. Never are they uttered in front of other people. You see, Nehemiah was having a private conversation with his King that we are allowed to eavesdrop on and we see a man who - in genuine humility - has set his heart on God above all other things (oooh, sounds familiar... Ezra?). And in so doing, he is able to say, "Remember me for my good... my good deeds..." without arrogance, without hypocrisy and without condemnation. Paul demonstrates similar in Philippians 4.9.

But why does he still petition God to remember him? Because Nehemiah recognises that God is sovereign, that God is the only One Who can instigate true change, that God alone is the One we need to seek after. Nehemiah requests success in God's purposes, and strength to do so, but not once does he ever ask God to bless him personally in return for what he's done. He is simply verbalising his perspective: that it's all about God. Nehemiah had a one-track mind.

Jesus too demonstrated the same focus: everything He did was in order to please ONE, to be accepted by ONE. The Father. Why do you do what you do?

"Ezra: the man, the heart, the calling" - notes for sermon 25/10/09

2009-10-25T21:05:00.003Z

(hear the sermon here)

Ezra 7.1-10

YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC and SIGNIFICANT CALL UPON YOUR LIFE!!!

Looking at Ezra the man – not what he did, but who he was.

There's a danger of a disconnect occurring when we see others with clear callings and think, "That could never be me, I'm not like them, but I wish could do something great for Him."

Rick Warren says: “...there are no insignificant ministries in the church. Some are visible and some are behind the scenes, but all are valuable. Small or hidden ministries often make the biggest difference. In my home, the most important light is not the large chandelier in our dining room but the little night light that keeps me from stubbing my toe when I get up at night. There is no correlation between size and significance.” (Purpose Driven Life)

What is our “calling”? Eph 4.1: “I therefore [...] urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”

GENERAL CALLING = life of holiness, set apart, new priorities/values, our whole lives an act of worship, moving on to maturity, to fulfilling the mandate of showing Jesus to world at large. That's the baseline, GENERAL CALLING...

But we also have a SPECIFIC CALLING, each of us: Eph 2.10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Not all of us are called to a "renowned" ministry, but we are all called to “significant” purpose(s) that only we can fulfil with the giftings, circumstances, and relationships we've been given; if good works have been prepared for us beforehand by God, then they must be, by nature, SIGNIFICANT!

The working-out is also part of God's plan, part of our calling. God needs to do His greatest work IN you, before He can do His great work THROUGH you!

David, Moses, Elisha, Paul, Ezra, etc: they all took many, many years before they were ready for their callings to come to fruition...

EZRA THE MAN:

1.He was a scribe (skilled secretaries responsible for providing handwritten copies of documents, letters, government records, sacred writings). In the Jews' gradual return to Jerusalem, the scribes became the go-to guys for teaching.

"Scribe" = "Rabbi" (“teacher”) The scribes of Jesus' time had no authority (Matt 7.29). By then, they had added their own laws & definitions, turning a living faith into something dry, unattainable, guilt-inducing, condemning, HELL-BOUND. (Matt 23.4: "They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders"). They believed a set of rules could change the heart. Never! Thus: Jesus says in Matt 11.30, "my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Rabbi's “yoke” = his teaching)
Ezra set his heart on doing to the utmost WHAT HIS CURRENT ROLE IN LIFE WAS. Col 3.23-24: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men... You are serving the Lord Christ". Ezra put God first in his everyday life. Your calling may be as a manager, paramedic, mother, teacher, neighbour, host (opening yr home 4 gospel), and so on...

2."The hand of the Lord his God was on him" (v6) = God's favour was upon him – the king granted ALL he asked because God's clear favour, God's smile, was upon him. Why? Because his heart was in the right place...

THE HEART:

There's the key: he "set his heart"... He made a definitive choice.

Ezra SET HIS HEART on see one, do one, teach one (v10): studying/applying/passing on the written revelation of God available to him. Remember, the scribes of Jesus' time studied the word, but didn't apply it. Their "yoke" was a millstone around their & their disciples' necks. We too have the strongest call to study the Word,& DO,& TEACH.

Why did Ezra set his heart on the Word? It was a demonstration of his character. Character is everything. The Sermon on the Mount is all about character, the heart of the matter, not specific activity. People can be called, anointed, gifted, but character affects everything. You may recall some who've shown great potential for the kingdom and fallen by the wayside. When Jesus sent out the 12 in pairs to perform great exploits in Matt 10, JUDAS WAS ONE OF THEM: Performing religious deeds, like the scribes, or moving in the supernatural are not signs of being saved, or of godly character.

THE CALLING:

We have godly examples of everyday folk who made a big difference for the kingdom:

Shiphrah & Puah: Exodus 1: "...the midwives FEARED GOD" and saved a nation...
Theophilus: Lk 1.3 & Acts 1.1: a government official/influential Gentile citizen; Luke's patron, paid for his travels to interview eyewitnesses, and gave us 2 books of the Bible - a nightlight who keeps the church from stubbing its toe 2000 years later!!!
Aquila & Priscilla: mentioned in Acts, 1 Corinthians and Romans = pillars of the church.
Lois & Eunice: mums; of sincere faith: a profound influence on Timothy; prob only teen
Peggy & Christine Smith: the Hebrides, 1949: Blindness & arthritis prevented them from joining public worship meetings; spent day & night in prayer at home... Revival came.

See? Midwives, local officials, mums, elderly/infirm, pillars of the church. Normal folk. Made a difference.

CONCLUSION:

...Let's fix our eyes on Jesus. Always; He's the answer to everything. If you want to be used for the kingdom, fix your eyes on Him. Because by doing so, we hear from the Holy Spirit, we hear through the Word, we see circumstances change and people enter and leave our lives, such that we see God's “footprint” emerging; If you want to know your purpose in life, fix your eyes on Him.

Jesus says “Come to me... take my yoke... learn from me... my YOKE is easy”. In Him you'll find the whole reason for being alive. Without Him, we'd end up spending eternity apart from Him/God. With Him, you have an eternal destiny that starts NOW, not just in an eternal future. This life is fleeting and we never know how many chances we have to ensure He is always at the centre of our lives...

Cell Group Questions:

1.Did any points of Sunday's sermon strike you particularly?
2.How can we ensure our hearts ARE in the right place? What should we do, what can we put into practice?
3.Share your own PERSONAL stories of how you've seen your OWN calling, or that of others, unfold...
4.How can we apply what we learned on Sunday from a personal/individual point of view, to Beacon as a body of people? How do we unfold that practically?

Beacon Touchpaper #15: "Clunk, click. Every trip."

2009-10-01T07:10:00.002+01:00

"...be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." (Matt 10.16, ESV)

We live in a day and age where easy access to information, recreation and titillation is forever on the increase. The internet has become both a boon and a bane: it's a vast ocean of resources (thousands upon thousands of new sites are created EVERY day), but inevitably that ocean also contains dangers lurking just below the surface. For every site that can help equip us as God's people (of which there are genuinely plenty), and others that are God-honouring entertainment, there's plenty of others that can lure folks away from Truth and entrap them in easy-to-obtain vices or mindsets.

Of course, the internet is just one example of the world we live in. Media in general (TV/Radio/Magazines/Books) can all help feed an ungodly mindset just as much as enable our walk with Him. The next time you're in a newsagents, take a look at the varied covers on the magazine racks and you'll see the types of gods people live for: beauty, cars, bikes, fashion, careers, health, wealth, pets, houses, sex and more. And take a step away from media, and still we see influences that may affect our and our children's walk with God: opposing mindsets bolstered by recent changes in law, elements of school curriculum (evolution over intelligent design, sex education) and even decisions made by others of God's own people.

So what to do? Shut ourselves away (separatism)? Merge with the culture (syncretism)? Neither, of course: we are "in the world, but not of the world", and the key to doing this successfully lies in Jesus's warning: "...be wise as serpents and innocent as doves" (Matt 10.16). There's our how-to: understanding the culture around us and its thinking ("be wise"), yet remaining untainted by its sinful infection ("be innocent"). Remember: innocent does not mean naive. This way, we may live holy lives for Him, whilst still able to engage with the very people God has called us to share His grace with.

Do you understand the mindsets around you? Get researching, but keep your seatbelt on! Know your limitations, know where you get tempted, then show the people around you something of the grace that He has showered upon you. Maybe it's their turn... But just remember: Clunk, click. Every trip.

"A Jealousy for Integrity" - notes for sermon 27/09/09

2009-09-27T20:16:00.008+01:00

(hear the sermon here)

Why did Nehemiah have such a heart for the walls to be rebuilt?

Not a desire to see his “home-town” win the prettiest village award, nor about beautifying the City, but a heart to see the identity of God's people protected & secured.
"pleasing God is more important than pleasing people"
This required jealousy for integrity needs to be long-term and not incidental: Spurgeon called his monthly magazine "The Sword and the Trowel" because he knew we must be prepared to build and to fight simultaneously.

MAINTENANCE:
The walls in Jerusalem were not just for protection from physical threat, but also from corrupting spiritual integrity (Ch 13):
The walls we build here at Beacon will be tested...

What are they?
Walls = "Securing identity and community"
Community/cell life; Relationships/Accountability; iron sharpens iron
Service – protects our identity (“Love one another”) - are you serving?
Our leaders - Nehemiah spoke to the nobles & officials & people in that order, not just "everyone": the vision dissipates from leadership down, protection too. This is why we are being more deliberate about Cell leadership, etc

How we submit our thought lives to Him is another wall (personal integrity): IF WE ARE SAVED INTO A BODY, THEN YOUR SIN/SPIRITUAL CONDITION AFFECTS THE REST OF US TOO.

So, "we" build our walls, and what happens? Attack! v1-3 = taunts, 7,8,11 = death threats

Why? Jerusalem was herself a threat (economic: on the E-W trade rte)
The church is also a threat itself in the spiritual realm; we will face opposition

VIGILANCE:

We need to remain continually vigilant for our family, our marriages, our church life, our personal integrity...

Opp comes from inside AND outside the church

OUTSIDE: The Jews were literally surrounded: see v7 = N, S, E & W!
We are surrounded too:

Accusations of fundamentalism/dogmatism
Taunts on the subjects of Evolution/abortion/sexuality, etc

HOWEVER, unfortunately, also from within the church [v10 & 12]

= cynicism & unbelief – don’t be one of those people
apathy – if you don’t want opposition, don’t do anything!
those who don't grasp vision or trust God or the leaders (v10&12)
[elders look out for ungodly agendas: Tobiah 13 yrs on in temple!]

1st RESPONSE = v4 & v9: PRAYER! THEN practical arrangements (v9)
1ST RULE OF FIGHT CLUB = "PRAY"!

God is 100% committed to His people; This jealousy for integrity on God's behalf
ensured HIS promises were fulfilled: that His Son Messiah came at the right time through the right blood-line (including Zerubbabel!!!)

He will fulfil his purposes today too. So pray with that in mind!
Prayer helps us see this. Here's a nuclear fusion of truth:

take Isa 43.10b :"Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me"
and Psa 119.68a: "You are good and do good"
Two amazing atoms of truth, now combine them, & pray again!

v14-15 : Nehemiah follows the same: remind, then pray...
PRAYER ALWAYS REMINDS US OF THE TRUE PERSPECTIVE
THEN came the action, “setting the guard”, where the weaknesses were, stationed... SWORD AND TROWEL IN HAND

While there's still weak spots in our defences, we have a responsibility to deal with them, to repair our breaches: Peter 5.8: "Be sober-minded, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour"

as we grow, as we repair cracks, as we close our breaches, opposition & attack is inevitable - BE PREPARED!!!
In order to repair them, we need to know where they are:

Resisting temptation can be helped by general rules of thumb/look for the patterns (when/where/who/how do I feel before etc?)

Rick Warren: "Sin always has a temporary payoff. You wouldn’t do it if it didn’t. If sin had the pain of a root canal, it wouldn’t be a problem. There’s pleasure in sin. The Bible says it’s fun. But the pleasure is short-term. When you sin, you’re trading short-term pleasure for long-term damage and destruction. It’s not a good deal."

Corporately, our breaches can be:
Disunity; cynicism & unbelief; gossip; pride; apathy
KNOW YOUR/OUR BREACHES!!! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT...

PERSISTENCE:

It is easy to run hard for a period and then run out of steam

REMEMBER: within 13 yrs: intermarrying again, Tobiah in temple!
Apathy is a big enemy to the church; we must remember we are in this for the long haul... The people of Judah began to think the job was too much: "The builders' strength is failing; there's too much rubble; we can't do it by ourselves" (v10)
BUT: they were simply losing sight of what resources they had and Who was on their side! When you lose sight of Who: read Book of Revelation (chapter 19!).......
All it took was a man of vision like Nehemiah to show them not only the preferable future, but also that they COULD do it
And then, despite overt opposition & threats AND with a reduced workforce (½ holding the armour or carrying spears)
AND the builders working with swords strapped to their sides
THEY DID IT IN 52 DAYS! A WHOLE CITY'S WALLS! About 4.5 miles (Josephus)

But thru seeing God's dream - WHICH HE WILL FULFIL – of His Son Messiah being glorified amongst us and our community, and setting our hearts on unfolding His purposes IN THE LONG TERM – with VIGILANCE and PERSISTENCE, then we - like Ezra and Neh - will see the church here in Herne Bay no longer running with a limp, but making great strides for the kingdom, FOR HIS GLORY

Having a heart of jealousy for the integrity of God's people is not arrogance, or lack of humility, it is only reflecting God's own heart:
Zech 1.14: "Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion"
If we don’t have that heart, we have some serious talking with God to do...
A JEALOUSY 4 INTEGRITY of God's people reflects our God's hrt, and is reflected in how we build the walls that protect our identity and community – SWORD AND TROWEL IN HAND

Remember the 1st rule of Fight Club!!!

Cell Q's:

Look at Nehemiah's prayer in 4.4-5: How do we reconcile this kind of prayer with what we've been led to believe is the “appropriate” heart to pray with?
How can cell enable a long-term perspective amongst us?
Discuss the difference between genuine tiredness – and the need to take some “Sabbath” time out - and a need to persist in God’s strength. How many of us feel tired and what do we usually do about it?

Ezra & Nehemiah events timeline

2009-09-13T06:42:00.000+01:00

(For the new Beacon sermon series Autumn term '09)

Beacon Touchpaper #14: "The Author's Perspective"

2009-09-05T21:50:00.000+01:00

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." (2 Tim 3.16, ESV)

Many people look at Scripture in a manner akin to any other historical texts - as documents written by men of old, in days unlike ours, and therefore of interest possibly but certainly not relevant. Unfortunately, that's because they don't see the real authorship behind it.

A decision made last week by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has only proven similar: they voted to allow practising gays as clergy, a case that sparked the same worldwide debate as occurred last year when the Anglican Church faced similar issues. One advocate said, "We live today with an understanding of homosexuality that did not exist in Jesus' time and culture. We are responding to something that the writers of Scripture could not have understood." Except the Corinths of 2000 years ago were exactly the same as the Brightons, Amsterdams, Seattles, etc of today, of course. The writers may not have understood how modern culture will look and act today necessarily, but the Author of Scripture most certainly would. Nothing takes God by surprise.

The Bible is more than a book, more than a guide, more than just a manual; it is God's revelation to us of Himself, it is prophetic, it is inspired through man (as opposed to the common assumption that it was written simply by man), it is His living Word... it is literally "breathed out by God".

The Bible is 66 books, written by 40 different authors, over 1500 years, in 3 different languages, on 3 different continents - way too many factors to allow for conspiracy or coincidence! And yet this collection of books shares the wonderful common storyline: of a glorious plan to create and rescue a people made to glorify and enjoy God forever. That has never changed. "Times they are a changin" as someone once said, but Jesus Himself affirms, "Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10.35).

In which case, ask the following when talking to others about the Bible: Do we understand the Bible in the light of our own lives and surrounding culture? Or do we understand our lives and surrounding culture in the light of the Bible?

Beacon Touchpaper #13: "A Wise Man Once Said..."

2009-08-20T22:09:00.000+01:00

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction..." (Prov 1.7, ESV)

If, like me, you've been taking a certain brother's "handy household hint" to heart and been reading through the book of Proverbs on a daily basis, then I'm certain God has already been speaking to you. You'll know that these are not just maxims, or axioms, or any other little words ending in 'm', but divinely-inspired Truths that are just as applicable in the age of mobile phones and imperialism in a cup (aka Starbucks franchises) as they were when they became the collection as we know it over 2500 years ago.

King Solomon and the other writers of this book (he wrote the verse quoted above) knew the essence of real wisdom: it was not found in astrology, or mathematics, or philosophy, but founded upon the fear of the Lord (see also Psalm 111.10). If you really want to know true wisdom, then fearing ("revering/respecting/honouring") the Lord will bring humility, worship, identity, morality, and so on. If our lives truly revolve around Him, then as we learn more and more about Him, about ourselves, and about the world we live in ("knowledge"), we learn how to apply that in such a way that it is honouring to Him and best for us ("wisdom").

For a season, as appropriate, keep reading through this wonderful book each day - not instead of your quiet times, but as well as; we're talking just a few extra minutes - and learn some of these great truths off by heart too. Try these for starters:

10.9: "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out."
19.17: "Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed."
23.17: "Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day."
30.5: "Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him."

Let these Truths seep deep into your hearts, and as we abide in His word, and as His word abides in us, may He bring forth amazing fruit in our lives and in those around us. For His glory!

"God's Fruity People" - notes for sermon 19/07/09

2009-07-19T17:11:00.000+01:00

(hear the sermon here)

On the fourth section of our purpose statement: “Living life Jesus’ way, by His Spirit, on His mission, for His glory”.

How do we glorify Him?

God frequently uses a picture of His people as a vine, and Jesus continues to use the image during His time here on Earth; during His final evening, just prior to His arrest, He spoke to His disciples in such a way that He is preparing them for a new age in the Kingdom... they were the foundation for a spiritual community that covered the globe.

John 15.1-17

This is both a sobering and exciting passage, depending on where we stand right now, but it's something we must take seriously: unfolding the Word of God should always be allowed to impact our lives, or there's no point at all...

So... The 1st question is: Are we living for Christ? Or are we not? Hot or cold, the choice is ours, but we cannot be lukewarm; Jesus does not give us that option: He said to the church in Laodicea (Rev 3.14-22) - "Because you are lukewarm... I will spit you out of my mouth"!

It's all or nothing, hot or cold. Take your pick. Let’s remember this while we continue...

1. "Abide in me"

How do we do that?

Firstly, this is about relationship! This is not a credit system! Nothing we say or do will change how much God loves us as His children! This is all about a relationship with our loving Father!

A branch on its own cannot produce life; it needs to draw that life from the vine... As His children, we should show our love for Him by allowing His Holy Spirit to work through us to bear fruit. He's like the SAP: Father = Vinedresser/Gardener; Son = Vine (although we should never stretch that analogy too far: the Holy Spirit is a person - the third person of the eternal Godhead - and not some Star Wars-like "force". But as we are Christ here on Earth - His body - so His Holy Spirit dwells in us and works through us... Okay?)

>Thus... "Abide" = keeping in fellowship with Christ, so His life works through us to produce... fruit! This is a continual, daily, personal relationship with our Saviour. But how do we cultivate that/abide?

Spending time in the Word
v7 ="If you abide in me, and MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU" & also v10: "If you keep my commandments, you WILL ABIDE IN MY LOVE"
with the Holy Spirit/ prayer
trust
confession of sin (so no hindrance)
obedience

Abiding is not automatic ("abide in me" is a command/request, not an assumption): it demands worship, meditating on the Word, prayer, sacrifice, service - and all breathes new life in us!

2. Bearing fruit

How do we glorify God? v8: by bearing fruit, and see also see v16 - we have been chosen/appointed for it!

Something I should point out: whether we bear fruit or not affects not just ourselves, but others too... we don’t sin in a vacuum, sin has consequences, and our fruit-bearing is the same. For example:

A prepared preacher is far more important than a prepared sermon: affects delivery, preparation...
Where I am... affects how I lead my marriage, family
Elder = affects the church
Cell leader = affects the cell; leading W’s too
No one gets off lightly: we all lose out if you're not fulfilling your potential for Christ!
It affects the Gospel too... how we live our lives at home, in the workplace, where we play... we can miss opportunities if we're "DRIED UP/ NOT FIRED UP"...

Sobering isn't it? But be encouraged, learn from this. Because then it gets really exciting: look at what happens to those who are bearing fruit: WE GET PRUNED!!!

Jesus says that (v2) "every branch that DOES bear fruit will be pruned, in order that it may bear MORE fruit." PRUNING IS GOOD FOR US... Pruning is not nice, but is necessary! If you’re a gardener, you’ll know that!

2 things ensure a greater crop:

1. The removal of dead branches (v6):

removing the dead tissue that brings disease and weakness
there are 2 schools of thought about whom Jesus is speaking of here, both of which we can learn from regardless:

a. unbelievers (no fruit-bearing): then it would make sense that they're not abiding! ARE YOU SAVED??? Get right with God and quickly!

b. (more likely) believers (v2: “every branch of MINE that does not bear fruit he takes away”) who are failing to abide and therefore fail to produce fruit, or worse: remember 1 Cor 5! Don't end up in that position! Get right with God, quickly!

(He is not saying that you can lose your salvation! YOU CAN’T! - Jesus has already made that clear in 6.37 “whoever comes to me I will NEVER cast out” and 10.27-30 “no one will snatch them out of my hand”) – Jesus would not contradict himself...
Either way - unbelievers or disciplining believers failing to produce fruit – the message is the same: Get right with God, do it quick!

2. The pruning of the other branches:

Left to its own devices, a branch would/could still bear fruit, but it'll be inferior (eg wild)
The removal of an entire shoot or limb revitalizes a plant by removing weak, problematic, or excessive growths... so energy goes into further fruit and isn't wasted
= trimming the living tissue (anything that is – not necessarily wrong - robbing us of spiritual vigour which should be focussed elsewhere)...
Expert Vine-dressing is a very specific art and can take yrs of training: God is the ultimate/knows best!!!
"PRUNING IS GOOD FOR ME"!!!

Soooo.... what will this pruning look like in our lives?

Conviction – the NewFrontiers leaders hearing from God to end our Stoneleigh Bible weeks: the subsequent fruit in our communities and around the world had been far greater than of we'd continued...
chastening/discipline
restriction/circumstances changing or not changing

Jesus' intention has always been that we abide from the start, but at the very least we need to respond His pruning/prompting and ABIDE and BEAR FRUIT: v16: "chosen and appointed..."

We are chosen and appointed... to bear fruit... for His glory

3. The Crop
What does this fruit look like?

Remember: FRUIT IS FOR OTHERS: Fruit is for eating & reproducing! It's not just about us. Remember my point earlier: the spiritual condition of preacher/ elder/ husband/ member...
Doesn't occur overnight: takes cultivation

Character: The fruit of the spirit (Gal 5.22-23) = Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control...
Winning others for Christ: Rom 1.13: “I want you to know, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles”
Growth in holiness & obedience: Rom 6.22: “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life”
Giving /generosity: Rom 15.28: “When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them (ie Jerusalem church) what has been collected (Greek="sealed to them this fruit") (from Macedonian and Achaian churches), I will leave for Spain by way of you”
Service: Col 1.10: “so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God”
Praise: We are meant to use fruity language! Heb 13.15: “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name”

In Conclusion:

A change of heart, if genuine, will produce a crop. If we really want to glorify God - because of Who He is, because He loved us first - then we do that by bearing fruit FOR Him by abiding IN Him (v8)

Elements do conspire to limit our effectiveness for the Gospel:

Sin: confess/deal with it! Keep a short account with Him
Temptation - know your weaknesses and seek ways to protect yourself: accountability, avoidance of certain times/ circumstances/ people/ places...

God has set the choice before us:

Deut 30.19 = "I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life"
Rev 3.19: Jesus said to the Laodicean church after His stark warning: "Be zealous and repent..."
The choice is before you: life or death?
Do you want the smell of death lingering around you? No fruit-bearing? It's all too easy to be a “Professional Christian”, wearing a mask... How awful a thing for God’s own people – bought by Christ’s blood – to be dead wood... Some people look and act like Christians but aren't truly saved; it is also possible for God's own people to squander their inheritance and fail to abide in Him...
Or would you rather the “Aroma of Christ” around you: a life lived abundantly, His way, seeing His transforming wonders first-hand in your life and in those around you as a result
Ask yourself the question “AM I GROWING?” Compared to 3 months ago, 6 months, 1 year, 5 years ago... "Am I growing?"

If the Spirit has nudged you on anything - effectiveness for the Gospel, something hindering you, not fully experiencing the fruit of the Spirit in your life, or maybe you feel all "dried up/not fired up" - then now is the time to respond.

Bring glory to Him by abiding IN Him, in order to bear fruit FOR Him.

THAT'S how we glorify our King.

CELL QUESTIONS:

Share examples of pruning in your lives (circumstances/conviction, etc) and how you’ve grown/learnt as a result...
How can we as God’s people avoid being “lukewarm” in our current post-modern, post-Christian culture? What are the pitfalls to keep a lookout for?
Take another look at the listed fruit of the Spirit that Paul gives us in Gal 5.22-23: any of those you'd particularly like to see more of in your life right now? Pray for each other...

Beacon Touchpaper #12: "Daily Doings"

2009-07-05T01:44:00.000+01:00

"But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’" (Acts 2.16-21, ESV)

How many times do we refer to the Holy Spirit in prayer and when we meet? Honestly? And how many times do we refer Him as "it"? And why do we still have a common tendency to really only expect signs and wonders in our meetings and not outside?

This past weekend, those of us who made it to "Church on the Farm" were blessed by God's presence in a big way. He touched hearts, changed lives, healed bodies. His Spirit was welcomed as a person - as He should be - and He came in power. He ministered to us through the preaching of the Word, through fellowship and private moments of sharing and counsel, and through signs and wonders. Yes, a lot of that was through the meetings, but admittedly there were 5 of those in 2-and-a-bit days, and that was kind of the intention of an otherwise unusual weekend compared to our usual. But you know what? God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are not constrained to our meetings or to our quiet times. The sun and moon "turning" that Peter and Joel spoke of may not be fulfilled yet, but everything else in that passage refers to the Christian life from that moment nearly 2000 years ago, via now and into the future.

Prophecy, healing, visions, words of knowledge, any demonstration of the supernatural breaking into the natural is meant to be everyday life for you and me.

We are not all called to be prophets, but we are all called to live and walk by the Spirit. The same Spirit that helped create the sun and the oceans, that worked in power through Christ's ministry on earth and raised His lifeless body from the dead, is the same Spirit alive in you and me. When Peter recited the above Scripture from the prophet Joel, he was demonstrating that what the people were witnessing at that moment - the supernatural breaking into the natural - was an expected result of Christ's work in and through His people.

With "Healing on the Streets" commencing in Whitstable this month, and our own opportunities through Re:Act in a few weeks, let us expect what has tended to be the unexpected. Don't despise or grieve the Holy Spirit; spend time with Him and in the Word. Signs and wonders will follow when we allow the Spirit to guide us in our daily doings. It's already expected!

(for a full review of the "Church on the Farm" weekend, including some testimony, check out http://every-days-an-adventure.blogspot.com/2009/06/carry-on-camping.html )

"Building the church, reflecting the Kingdom" - notes for sermon 14/06/09

2009-06-27T18:32:00.000+01:00

Continuing our series preaching through our purpose statement - "Living life Jesus' way, by His Spirit, on His mission, for His glory" - we are now studying the section on mission. What does it mean to be on a mission? What is our mission?

Jim shared 2 weeks ago about God’s promise to (and through) Abram that all the world would be blessed through him and his offspring (and subsequently of course, SPIRITUAL offspring), and then Ben shared last week that our Great Commission from Jesus is to GO into all the world and make disciples of all nations... The blessing through Abraham is not shared by osmosis! We have a job to do!

But did God’s plan finish at “Right, off you go and tell the world about me...”? No! His plan continues into providing the perfect environment for nurturing, teaching, disciplining, mobilising, resourcing us to fulfil His purpose TOGETHER. A place where His Kingdom is perfectly reflected: His church.

I wonder what the disciples initially thought when he gave them that Commission? But also, I wonder what they thought when Jesus made His first official announcement about the church: “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it...” (Matt 16.18)

The understanding of what Christ’s church should look like, should act like, has been something that has been argued and debated over pretty much ever since that moment unfortunately – just take a look at all the variations of “church” around us, some Biblically legitimate, others not: there’s Protestant/ Roman Catholic, high church/ low church, Jehovah’s Witnesses/ Mormons, Greek Orthodox/ Lutheran, “Emerging” Church/ “Emergent” Church...

Let's a closer look at what God truly intends: at how the church’s primary design fulfils its purpose, that of worship, and its subsequent mission:

Read Ephesians 2.11-22

1.The Raw Materials

Look at those first few verses of this passage and see how Paul describes where we once were: “Gentiles in the flesh”, “separated from Christ”, “alienated”, “strangers”, “having no hope”, “without God”. In fact, earlier in chapter 2, Paul had described us as “by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind”: without a saving faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice, we are all subject to God’s condemnation as sinners. Every single one of us is guilty of “original sin” – God designed that Adam should represent the entire human race and so through his choice to rebel, all of mankind is condemned; our relationship with him is broken; this original sin is perfectly evident from a very young age – and all our own individual acts simply add to the case against us. Our selfishness, our own desires to put ourselves before God, to elevate ourselves or others or objects or lusts to the status of God, warrants just punishment from the High King.But now we are “brought near by the blood of Christ” (v13)!! Hallelujah! He has “reconciled us to God in one body through the cross”! That condemnation that we deserve as sinful creatures from a perfect, holy, just God has been crushed and killed by His amazing grace and love in Jesus Christ, the One Who paid our penalty. God has taken raw materials – you and me and our brothers and sisters across the world – and is crafting them into His radiant church. It doesn’t always look like it, but have a guess at whose fault that is...?

Take the man Peter as an example: it was he whom Jesus was addressing when he said in Matthew 16.18: “...You are Peter (which means “stone”), and on this rock I will build my church”. This is a hotly debated verse, and Roman Catholics have taken it to mean that Peter was the first Pope – I won’t even go there other than pointing out that Peter had no more authority than any of the other Apostles, plus that Peter himself teaches on the priesthood of all believers later in the NT; Jesus was not talking about an office, or an infallibility in this flawed man’s own words. This “ROCK” that Jesus mentions is Peter’s confession only seconds before – “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” – and his central role is establishing the early church. That’s it... But this man Peter is the very same one who only just a short while after this earth-shattering revelation actually rebuked Jesus for speaking of His need to suffer in the near-future and was lambasted in turn for allowing Satan to work through him. Peter had entertained the devil’s attempts to hinder Christ’s mission, and was so human-centred in his understanding of Jesus that he failed to see the truth for himself.

This same man denied his relationship with Jesus during the Saviour’s arrest and trial. THREE TIMES he was given the chance to stand beside his master. Three times he failed.

This same man caused no end of problems, as told in Galatians 2, which Paul had to confront and deal with; Peter began separating himself and eating only with Jews, who still believed it was important to follow kosher dietary laws and actually making the Gentiles feel like second-class Christians. This was wholly against Christ’s intention for a church where everyone was the same, there was no longer Jew or Gentile...

But do you know what? THANK GOD JESUS STILL CHOSE THIS MAN, DESPITE KNOWING WHAT HE WAS LIKE AND CAPABLE OF AND WOULD DO. It proves the point: “I will build my church...” Not Peter, not Paul, not you, not me. Jesus will, using raw materials like us and Peter so that He, Jesus, gets all the glory when, strangely enough, it works beautifully.We all have a part to play – we’ll look at that shortly – but this is Jesus’s church. Hallelujah!

2.The Building Plans

But what is the purpose of the church? What are we here for?

It has often been said that in saving the nations, the church is God’s plan “A”, and that there is no plan “B”. Very often, people look away from the church and look elsewhere for answers to the world’s problems – and there are some very good instances of great things being done outside of the church for the world’s poor and oppressed – but Christ’s church should be leading the way. Plus, of course, those non-church organisations don’t change the destiny of people’s souls...

In this passage, Paul tells us that we – once those very raw materials – are now “members of the household of God” (v19), “a holy temple in the Lord” (v21), “a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (v22).

At first glance, it may appear by reading through the Bible that God kept changing His mind: He created the garden of Eden, but Adam and Eve screwed that one up, so He banished them, then destroyed all but a few couples with the flood and started again, then tried again with the Israelites, who again screwed things up, so God sent Jesus to finally get things done. That can be how it appears. But: the church was God’s plan “A” all along... all the other instances were precursors of what was to come in Christ:

In Genesis, God "walked" with His people (5.22,24; 6.9); in Exodus, he decided to "dwell" with them (25.8) - He dwelt in the tabernacle until their sins caused His glory to depart (1 Sam 4); then He dwelt in the temple (1 Kings 8.1-11) until, again, Israel sinned and the glory departed (Ez 10.18-19); God subsequently dwelt in Christ's earthly body amongst us, the body that men took and nailed to a cross; today, by His Spirit, God dwells in the church, His spiritual temple (1 Cor 6.19-20 & Eph 2.20-22). God dwells here on earth in a corporate people, not just of one nation, but from across the nations, in anyone who trusts in Christ as their Saviour.

But why should this be a properly organised body? Why not just a multitude of individuals saved for eternity? What’s the difference?The Greek word from which “church” is translated, "ekklesia", occurs 114 times in the New Testament. This is the word used in Matt 16 when Jesus says “I will build my church”. But this word, ekklesia, was used in the New Testament period to describe more than the gatherings of Christians, but also to refer to assemblies called to perform specific tasks. The church is the people of God, the body of Christ, destined for a specific purpose. In this fellowship are those people who have accepted and entered into the reign of God. This reign is not entered into by nations, or even families, but by individuals, to BECOME HIS PEOPLE. For worshipping God, for nurturing each other, for evangelism and acts of mercy in the world. To reflect His kingdom.

The church is designed perfectly to demonstrate the Kingdom in word and deed. Worshipping Jesus TOGETHER, contending for the gospel TOGETHER, for harmony, love for our enemies, sharing a life in common; IT’S RADICAL!!! The people in Acts 5.12-14 didn't dare join them, but God added to the church in multitudes. Howzat?!!!

The church is the unique instrument for bringing God glory through worship and mission. This is our mission: to proclaim this Truth to the world in word and deed. TOGETHER.

3.The Building Process

Verses 21 & 22: "Christ Jesus... being the cornerstone, in Whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple; being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit... " What a process! Let’s unpack that...

First of all, remember that Jesus said “I will build my church...” He is the cornerstone, or foundation stone, of His church. Everything rests on Him. He is the primary foundation stone, the critical stone in the foundation’s corner that ensures the building is square and correct.

Ps 127.1 says: “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain”. Unless the building is constructed His way, with His oversight, instruction and blessing, it will be meaningless. That verse does not say we don’t labour, that we let God do all the work – we have a part to play – but we must ensure He is in charge, and we seek Him at all times for strength, guidance and blessing while we do. Jesus is the cornerstone, and we must act as such at all times. He must be at the centre of everything we do. For the very same reason, Paul clarifies here at the end of v.22, that it is “... by the Spirit...” That’s the same reason it’s in our purpose statement! We must recognise the Spirit’s work in our own lives and as we labour in our building work... Don’t grieve Him. He’s a person.

Now, Paul gives us further explanation of how the foundation was built around this glorious cornerstone of Jesus: v.20“...built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets ... Jesus Himself being the cornerstone...” With Christ as the stone that decides the correct position and accuracy of what follows, the church’s foundation continued to be established on the Apostles and prophets of the time: men who God had ordained for a purpose at that time. There are no more Apostles with a capital “A”, or prophets, who spoke and wrote the infallible words of God or continue to lay the foundation of Christ’s glorious church. A foundation gets laid once and once only. Play around with your footings and you’ll get subsidence. The foundation has been laid clearly and categorically by men that God ordained for a purpose at that time. And here in our Bible we have the unchanging blueprint to study and follow...

Since then, although the specific office of Apostle is no more, there are men with clear apostolic gifting - the ability to pioneer church plants, to minister cross-culturally, the calling to lead and influence multiple churches and so on – and thank God we in New Frontiers receive the benefit of such men that God has given us in that capacity. (Terry Virgo, Graham Hall, Tom Shaw, for example).

Continuing this thread of the current building process, Paul tells us 2 chapters later in Ephesians, that God has given us the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds (pastors) and teachers... why? “...to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ...”! The work continues! The show must go on! We have a mission to fulfil!

As for evangelists and prophets, we had the benefit of David Morris serving us so well recently, a man with a clear evangelistic gifting, and men such as Julian Adams – who will be serving us next week at Church on the Farm – are clearly gifted in the prophetic. Their prophecy does not continue to lay the foundation of the church – that has already been done – nor is it infallible or equal to Scripture – the canon is closed – but folks such as these guys are still provided by God to serve the church and “... equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ...”

And as for shepherds and teachers: Pray for your elders! (The lot of an elder is not easy and open to criticism...) God has given them the responsibility of looking after the likes of you and me – they need all the help they can get! Pray for those that support them too. The “great” apostle Paul asked for prayer himself on many occasions, recognising his own need for help. I know I keep saying it, but pray for these guys as they lead us...

All these guys are provided by our Father in heaven to equip us for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ – you and me – that we might fulfil His Great Commission to the best that we can. TOGETHER.

4.Conclusion:

The church is still being built, by and upon Christ, through His wonderful Holy Spirit, with us as co-labourers. Jesus calls us, those raw materials, one by one to salvation, but also calls us together for His mission. The NewFrontiers purpose statement = "A worldwide family of churches together on a mission". We are being joined together, both locally and globally, in Him and for Him, creating a beautiful, radiant dwelling place for God here on earth, and our actions and decisions should reflect that. More are added day by day, across the world, and I stand in faith and get excited about Christ’s name being glorified in Herne Bay more and more in the years to come. I believe it!

Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it...” There is nothing the devil can do that will resist Christ’s church. He might try, he does try, but keep close to Christ, foster your relationship with the Holy Spirit, because there is nowhere more exciting, or safer, than the true, Bible-based, Spirit-led church of Jesus Christ.

As Bill Hybels says in his book “Courageous Leadership”: "There is nothing like the local church when it’s working right. Its beauty is indescribable. Its power is breathtaking. Its potential is unlimited. It comforts the grieving and heals the broken in the context of community. It builds bridges to seekers and offers truth to the confused. It provides resources for those in need and opens its arms to the forgotten, the downtrodden, the disillusioned. It breaks the chains of addictions, frees the oppressed, and offers belonging to the marginalized of this world. Whatever the capacity for human suffering, the church has a greater capacity for healing and wholeness... Still to this day, the potential of the local church is almost more than I can grasp. No other organisation on earth is like the church. Nothing even comes close."

Are you playing your part? Are you saved in the first place? Do you believe Jesus Christ is the perfect Son of God, who died that we might be cleansed of all our wrongdoing and selfishness, and rose again that we might have eternal life with Him, unhindered, unstained, rescued from eternal punishment? Do you really believe that?

If you do, are you actively involved in His church, being joined together with your brothers and sisters for His glory and His purposes? Are you helping others to trust Him? Are you sharing the good news with others? Are you doing everything He is calling you to do?

We are no longer raw materials, we are being built together into a dwelling place for the Almighty God. Let’s live like it.

Beacon Touchpaper #11: "The Feast Prepared"

2009-06-01T06:40:00.000+01:00

"...that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God..." (Eph 3.17-19)

I couldn't unfold the above passage better than Martyn LLoyd-Jones himself, so I'll hand over to the good "Doctor":

". . . The secret of the early Christians, the early Protestants, Puritans and Methodists was that they were taught about the love of Christ, and they became filled with a knowledge of it. Once a man has the love of Christ in his heart you need not train him to witness; he will do it. He will know the power, the constraint, the motive; everything is already there... The servants of God who have most adorned the life and the history of the Christian Church have always been men who have realized that this is the most important thing of all, and they have spent hours in prayer seeking His face and enjoying His love. The man who knows the love of Christ in his heart can do more in one hour than the busy type of man can do in a century...

...Are we seeking the Lord's face? Are we coveting the knowledge of His love? The Apostle prayed for every single member of the Church at Ephesus that he or she 'might be able to comprehend with all saints what is the length and breadth and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.' How tragic it is that any of us should be living as paupers, out on the cold street, while the banqueting chamber is open and the feast prepared..."

Where are you? Where am I? Out on the cold street or in the banqueting chamber? Press in, the feast is prepared!

Beacon Touchpaper #10: "Opportunity Knocks"

2009-05-03T23:04:00.000+01:00

"(pray) ...also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel..." (Eph 6.19, ESV)

Don't you just love an evangelist? Charismatic, engaging, passionate, GIFTED. They seem to have the 'knack', and we can all be tempted to wish we were a little bit more like them at times. A touch more confident in our responses; a bit quicker in clever retorts; a tad more elaborate in how we express the gospel of our King Jesus. Then, after realising we probably never will be, we hunker down and get on with being just another one of the 'regular folks', while we let the evangelists roam around the country and see many people get saved simultaneously and respond en masse at altar calls. Or something like that.

Now, you and I know that's a bit of a caricature on both sides, but I'm sure most of us have probably experienced something similar in our thoughts over the years. In reality, evangelists are just as human as you or I: yes, they have a specific calling, but they aren't supermen either. I know for a fact that one guy some of you may have heard of has been highly praised for his gifting and the supernatural manifestation in his ministry - both in salvation and in healing. But truth be told, beforehand he's been terrified and scared it'll all go down like a lead balloon. Our God's bigger than that - hallelujah! - and thank God for that man's humility too.

The trouble is, there is also a danger that we could rest on our laurels and let these guys do all the 'fancy' work for us. Yes, they have a specific gifting, but we all have a part to play. We are all expected to participate in the sharing of the gospel. What does the apostle Paul tell us in Ephesians 4 about apostles, prophets, EVANGELISTS, pastors and teachers? That they're there to "do the important, heavy duty stuff" for us? Nope: it's "to equip the saints for the work of the ministry."

With our Front Edge weekend coming up, this is an opportunity for us all to scrum down and expect the unexpected. To pray, like Paul himself asks, "...that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel." Let's all pray that prayer like crazy - we can all do this; we can all expect that the God of the universe will give us the right words to say, will help us spot opportunities to invite folks to the service on Sunday 17th, and will let His Holy Spirit work through each one of us 'regular folks'. "On His mission, for His glory", as someone once said...

Beacon Touchpaper #9: "Easter: How do you eat yours?"

2009-05-03T23:02:00.000+01:00

"...because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved..." (Rom 10.9, ESV)

Easter in our country has traditionally become the time of year to celebrate:

(1) chocolate, (2) the multiplication abilities of cute rabbits, (3) "How do you eat yours?" Creme Egg adverts, and (4) the colour yellow. Regular polls in the national press have pointed out worrying numbers of children AND parents who struggle to recall exactly why we have a public holiday at this time each year. Maybe we shouldn't be surprised...

But also, perhaps, we should take the opportunity to recall what we believe too. Why do we as God's people celebrate Easter? And how seriously do we apply that?

Believing in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead is more than just accepting a fact. It is far more than "merely" looking at evidence, weighing up the pros and cons, and acknowledging a historical moment. Believing that God raised Him from the dead is having an absolute confidence in God's providence, His power, His love, His mercy, His grace, His justice... It's believing that God is completely for us. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit all agreed long before time began to see this rescue plan through to completion, and have been and always will be committed to their choice to adopt you and me. That commitment is sealed in Christ's death and resurrection.

Without the core truth of Jesus's death and resurrection, applied to our everyday lives and our relationship with Jesus Himself, even the Christian Easter can be as hollow as a chocolate egg...

Easter: How do you eat yours?

"Called into God's Family" - notes for sermon 22/02/09

2009-02-28T21:07:00.000Z

Continuing our series that delves into our Purpose Statement – "Living life Jesus' way, by His Spirit, on His mission, for His glory" – we’ll now follow the theme of family:

Family has been the basis of humankind since the beginning, and has also been twisted and corrupted since the Fall. The 17m families in UK alone reflect that: every size, type, quality and degree of unity or brokenness we can possibly think of. With divorce and commitment-phobia ever on the increase, the step-family is the largest growing family type in our country. A recent Observer article listed 3 reasons NOT to have a baby (economically costly; inevitable polluters; potentially relationally harmful). Many images are used in the Bible to help explain God's intention for His people (body, temple, army); the primary metaphor used is that of family... God’s family. His alternative society.

Read Romans 8.12-17 & 1 John 2.28 - 3.10

a) How we are a part of His family:

There is a reason why we can call God “Father”; it is not just some funky name made up for Him because we’re little and He’s big and lovely, it’s because He really is our heavenly Father.
Jesus had every right to call Him Father, for obvious reasons, but when He taught us how to pray: “Our Father in heaven...”
Our new birth is of a whole new heritage; a new, eternal heritage that means we may call the God of the universe “Father”.
More than that, it’s not a mere title that indicates some tentative bond. Our new birth is final and complete through Christ and the Holy Spirit, so much so that we can call God “Abba” Father.
READ Rom 8.15: Abba is the intimate version of “father” in Aramaic, used by children as an equivalent of our “Papa”, which contains intimacy, while retaining the dignity and respect of “Father”.
As demonstrated here in Romans 8, but also by Paul elsewhere in Gal 4.6 and by Jesus Himself in Mk 14.36, the terms “Abba” and “Father” are used together – “Abba Father” – therein lies trust, confidence, submissiveness and respect all rolled into one beautiful name.

But how can this be? What gives us the right to call Him so?

Verse 15 again = “Spirit of adoption as sons”!!!

ADOPTION = "To take into one's family through legal means and raise as one's own child"
It means being CHOSEN, from a situation of unwant, or neglect, or abuse, or the simple inability of their birth-parent(s) to care for the child, into a stable, loving, deliberate environment that nurtures, nourishes and secures a future. It is a LEGAL, binding act.
God’s plan was conceived way before creation. Our adoption has been His plan long before we came along; it is not a response to any characteristic about us sinful individuals that he likes (otherwise he wouldn’t have adopted us!), nor is it a knee-jerk reaction to Jesus saving us through His amazing death and resurrection (“Oh, you’ve saved them, have you? Guess I’d better adopt them to complete the package then.”)
No, God is never, ever taken off guard. Ephesians 1.4-5 says, “...He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world... In love He predestined us for adoption...”
God PLANNED that through His Son Jesus Christ, He would adopt every single selfish one of us that calls him Lord; billions around the world & through the ages.

Some friends of ours recently adopted a little boy after a lengthy, highly-regulated process and the final seal of the deal was when they got to change his surname to theirs. He is now theirs 100%, and they are his, and nothing will change that. He has gained their name, and their family heritage and all that comes with that. Our adoption also means that we too are heirs, as Paul says here in Rom 8.17: but heirs to what?

Paul tells the church in Ephesus of their “glorious inheritance” (Eph 1.18b), and Peter (1 Pet 1.4) calls it “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading”. Sounds wonderful, but what are they actually talking about?
We will be with God forever, we will live in new incorruptible bodies, living on a brand new earth; no more pain, suffering, death, and all the other, as yet unimaginable, privileges and blessings of heaven will be there waiting for us.
Our adoption as fellow heirs with Christ (Rom 8.17) means we are members of the royal family of the universe, one day to finally participate in all He has prepared for us without hindrance, forever! Amazing!

So, we have discovered how we have been literally adopted as His children, and our glorious inheritance as the result, but what about this in-between stage, this bit we call life on earth?

In this world, the definition of family is becoming increasingly blurred. Let’s now look at the hallmarks of family as per the Bible =

b) Biblical hallmarks of family life:

1) An expression of God's love:

Let's wind the clock right back for a moment, way back to when time didn't even exist and our clock wouldn't have meant anything. Back then, God was. Our God, the eternal Godhead, the Trinity as we call it, is made up of three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All have eternally existed and all will continue to do so in perfect unity. One or the other hasn't arrived later on, as some crazy beliefs made up, but all are uncreated and are equally God. Love, fellowship and glory existing in infinite measure for all time (John 17.5 = "And now, Father, glorify me in Your own presence with the glory that I had with You before the world existed") (Gen 1.1-2 & Col 1.16; Luke 3.21-22; Acts 7.55).
The Trinity is a mystery, and one we'll never fully understand - our brains may have a hundred billion nerve cells, and be capable of having more ideas than the number of atoms in the universe (fact!), but they're still way too small to fully understand the Trinity, so don't even try. What it does mean is that God is bigger than us. Hallelujah!
St Augustine, who spent 16 years of his life attempting to explain the Trinity, finally saw the light and gave up, saying: "Try to explain the Trinity and you will lose your mind; try to deny it and you will lose your soul." He understood the importance of accepting something that is clearly Scriptural and clearly beyond our grasp. Hallelujah! It is Truth, and a glorious mystery.
Now, the reason I'm talking about the Trinity is this: within the Godhead, the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit have expressed love through relationship for all time. And in creating us, God has chosen to express that love to us too.
God is wholly independent - He didn't need to create us, but He chose to. But it doesn't stop there, either. In the beginning, God made everything good – see it throughout Genesis chapter 1. But when was the first time declared something as "not good"? It was when He saw Adam was alone. Man was created in God's image, but was unable to demonstrate/participate in loving community as is found in the Trinity. Sure, Adam could commune with God, but God in His goodness knew Adam needed an equal to live beside and commune with, and without one, God's creation was not good. So He created Eve and thus the first human family was born. He instructed them to, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" (I wonder what went through their minds at that thought?).
Wind the clock forward a little, and you hear God instructing Noah and his family to, again, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth"; not long after, He informed Abraham that his offspring would match the stars in number. God loves family. In a big way; He loves exponential growth that glorifies Him. He invented family and He intends for us to follow its original intentions.
As God’s children, we are called - called from this fallen world to take a fresh hold of that baton He initially had in mind for mankind - to express that same love the Trinity has for each other and for us, made possible through our renewed relationship with Him in Christ and with each other.

2) Family Likeness:

the family bears the likeness of the parent, both in DNA and in nurturing/discipline. The household tends to reflect the father: a poor father, a poor household; a rich father, a rich household; an immoral, deceitful father...; a loving, moral father, a loving, moral household. And so on.
As sons & daughters of Adam, we are all born into this world with a sinful nature, and nothing WE can do can change that. But in God's amazing redemptive work through His Son, we are called as His children, reborn in the Spirit, reborn with a brand new DNA. The fruit of the Spirit = love, joy, peace, etc.. As His children, we all share the same Father, the same blood, the same DNA. Like Father, like sons/daughters...

3) Protection:

Meeting together keeps us in check, keeps us safe; our elders keep a look out for us regarding our health as a church, or for parties that might be out to cause harm; or it could be each of us looking out for each other – “how are you doing? I’ve noticed you’ve been missing the past couple of weeks/things ok?”
Discipline is also a factor: as a loving Father, God will ensure we grow up the right way; it’s not nice, and not easy, but we must accept that discipline is a Godly part of growing up. He is never vindictive, but always right.
Our corporate meetings together should also give us a prod and help us realise that all we’ve worried about during the week, all our fears, or all our needless striving, is made naked before our sovereign God... it helps us realise what’s important, helps us check our hearts: it was said of William Wilberforce, who battled for decades to finally end slavery in this country, that “he was prone to seasons of preoccupation where things of ambition gripped his soul. But there was a disciplined check and balance to his life – Sunday brought the cure”. Thank God for our Sunday services and our Cell groups! (IF YOU’RE NOT IN ONE – YOU KNOW WHAT I’M GOING TO SAY NEXT...!)

4) Growth and maturity:

There's that discipleship theme again... Matt 28 = Disciples, not converts!!!
READ Heb 5.12-6.1: How do we grow and mature? By constant practice. How does a concert pianist play so flawlessly on stage? By constant practice. How does David Beckham curl those free kicks in so sweetly to score a goal? Hours and hours of practice. This is not a legalistic thing, but the more we consciously practice our faith – prayer, reading and meditating on the Bible, putting what you’ve learnt INTO PRACTICE, we will mature. And what’s the best way to ensure we achieve this as a family? By:

5) Encouragement:

The writer to the Hebrews continues in 10.24 & 25; “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works... encouraging one another...” There is an onus on each one of us to keep an encouraging eye out for one another; as a protection, as we’ve just heard, but also in terms of ensuring we are all growing.
We have a responsibility to be concerned about a brother or sister who isn’t growing, or is struggling spiritually. That’s not a patronising thing, but those of us that are doing okay should be looking out for those that aren’t. This is a good thing: I’m hoping that my brothers and sisters are keeping an eye on me too. It’s for my own well-being that my “homies” want to be sure I’m growing, that I’m doing okay...
And thank God, as the writer to the Hebrews explains, that it’s not just a case of ensuring our inner knowledge is on the increase; no, this is a missional thing. We should be spurring one another on... TO LOVE AND GOOD WORKS. The fruit of these labours is a Gospel witness, whether works that bless our brothers and sisters, or bless the world around us. Either way, it’s a witness. Stirring one another up IS EVANGELISM. How cool is that? Hallelujah! “One another-ing” is a made-up verb (!) but it is wholly Biblical. It is the core of the new commandment that Christ gave us:

6) Mutual service:

John 13.34-35: “love one another... by this all people will know that you are my disciples...”
Our family life together, as God’s alternative society, should sing in so many different ways, in so many glorious harmonies, of our love for each other, of our love for our King. So much so, in fact, that people will know we’re His without us having to say a word.

Well, that’s all well and good, but we’re human and we don’t always show that. So, what can we do practically-speaking, to help matters?

c) The implications

One point to make before we look at practical application: Church family life should be about "being", rather than "doing". Let me explain...

Consider these 3 verses:
Rom 8.14: “All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God”
Rom 8.16: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”
1 Jn 3.9-10: “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God...”

The fruit of our new birth, is outward evidence of the change inside. This is not to say that people can’t do the right thing without being saved, of course not, our behaviour shouldn’t be the only confirmation of our salvation. We should be certain, for our own souls’ sake, that we’re truly led by the Spirit (8.14), that the Spirit bears witness with our spirit (8.16).
Be certain of why we behave the way we do: do we do good works because it’s the morally right or acceptable thing to do? Or because it’s expected of us? Or is it because of the new birth in us that has a hunger to please God, to bless and serve our brothers and sisters, to serve the world and tell them the Good News of Jesus Christ? Check yourself.
Thus, Church family life should be about "being", rather than "doing". The doing is simply the fruit of what's at stake in the heart. So we ensure our hearts are right, and the demonstration of that will occur naturally.

1 Tim 5.1-2: “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.” Paul is not saying “do this” or “do that”, but treat each other as family. Our attitude to each other should be that we are family. Being, rather than doing.

Giftings are a practical aspect of our family life:

Of the myriad spiritual gifts listed, the main gift that ensures protecting the value of true family life is that of hospitality. It involves opening our homes, which sends an undeniable message that you are interested in other people, even when you don’t want to! Someone once quipped, “Hospitality is making people feel at home, even though you wish they were”!
But it doesn't stop there in our homes either: it also extends to our Sunday meetings, Cell groups, wherever.
There's nothing worse than being invited round a friend's house, and the whole family are there doing their thing & ignoring you. You know you're an outsider, & you're made to feel like one. Imagine the difference if they went out of their way to speak to you, take your coat, make you a drink, ask you to stay for dinner, take an interest in you rather than their own private jokes and routines. If we all keep that attitude on a Sunday, for eg, "this is my home and these are my guests" then everything else falls into place.
It's for all of us to play a part. Not everyone is an extrovert, but we all have a part to play, even if it’s in some small way. Make people feel at home.
Hospitality is not just a gift for bringing the church closer together, it is a fundamental key to our evangelism as God’s family, especially these days where it’s harder for un-churched people to want to go anywhere near a formal meeting.
Relationships, energised by great hospitality, feeds the Gospel.

Expression of commitment:

Commitment = our Fellowship Meal!; Using the phone directory as a prayer list; Baptism: it doesn't make you a member of God's family, but it does SHOW you are a member...

IN CONCLUSION:
• Truly saved by and through Jesus Christ? Adopted as God’s child!
• a legal, binding, eternal covenant – there is complete security in that – and it brings a wealth of riches such as we could never dream.
• Our family life as His children should reflect His love, His likeness, offer the security of protection & encouragement, should demonstrate growth and mutual service... For ourselves and for our witness... for His glory...

Our corporate church family life is intended to be an example to world; it should convey an earth-shattering message...

(credos to P J Smythe's "Get Connected" booklet from GodFirst Church, Johannesburg for some of the above points...)

Beacon Touchpaper #8: "Inflow and Outflow"

2009-02-28T21:05:00.000Z

"...You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also..." (2 Timothy 2.1-2 ESV)

Towards the end of the 1990's, Disney Animation Studios witnessed a steady decline in both the quality of their output at the cinemas, and in the profits these features made. From about the same time, a little-known studio called Pixar began creating some computer-animated features the likes of which had never been seen before: “Toy Story”, “A Bug's Life”, ”Finding Nemo”, “The Incredibles”... The list goes on and on, and many of us have enjoyed their ingenuity, thrills and imagination. But what was the difference? How could such a massive organisation like Disney fail to compete with this far smaller, yet far more creative, company?

Well, Disney managed to buy Pixar in 2006 for a not-insignificant sum and the man so hugely responsible for Pixar's success came to run Disney's own animation fold. When he arrived, John Lasseter gave his new employees some simple wisdom which underlines the whole Pixar ethos in just a few words: "Continue to do your jobs, and also make sure you're continually learning and teaching at the same time (paraphrased)." In order to bring the best to the table, his people needed to be growing and passing it on.

The apostle Paul also understood the importance for growth in each one of us that we might fulfil our roles for God to the utmost: throughout his letters, he tells men and women to follow his example (1 Cor 4.16, 1 Cor 11.1 and Phil 3.17) - which speaks of a life of such remarkable integrity that that level of confidence is not arrogant, merely true - and to also become examples themselves (1 Tim 4.15-16, Titus 2.1-10). For a lake to remain fresh and not become stagnant, it needs two things: a decent inflow, and a decent outflow. There's that learning and teaching thing again...

...Who are you imitating? Who are you coming alongside and learning from? And is your life worthy of imitation? Are you modelling and teaching in your conduct, your speech, your knowledge, your passion? In and out, in and out...

Beacon Touchpaper #7: "What on EARTH are you doing?!!"

2009-02-05T16:37:00.000Z

What are we here for? What is the expectation upon us as Christians here on earth? Why does Beacon have "Living life Jesus' way, by His Spirit, on His mission, for His glory" as a purpose statement?

"Living life Jesus' way...": We as God's people are expected to live life the way Jesus created, modelled and commanded. A life of humility, of holiness, of transformation; a life that is different to the ways of the world. A life that stands out, a life that smells of LIFE, not of death.

"...by His Spirit...": That's all very well, but how on earth are we supposed be able to do such a thing? That bar's a bit high for me to reach, I have to be honest... Thank God, then, that THAT'S the point, and He has given us His Holy Spirit to be able to live life His way. It is the Holy Spirit's working in me that means I'm not a divorced guy who takes little responsibility for his daughter, who has had multiple partners, likes getting drunk, and is altogether not a nice person to boot. Because that's where I could well have been right now without Christ's salvation and work in me. It is HE Who helps us live the life He has designed for us. He's not an unreasonable God Who gives us a blueprint for something that we'd never be able to achieve and then gets the hump when we don't live up to it. He's a loving Father Who wants the best for His children and provides the means and mutual gifts for that to come to fruition.

"...on His mission...": What's the point? It's all very well living a holy life, but we could do that with Julie Andrews up a mountain (or similar...). The point is, of course, that Jesus has much more than 'just' personal change in mind, He has PURPOSE in mind, He has plans for His church, ones which give us the privilege of being on the very front-line of His military movements. He wants the likes of you and me (yes, even us!) to participate in His kingdom's advancement, to demonstrate that the Word of God is not a dusty book of historical moments and myths written by men with beards, but it's His living revelation; that He is alive and well and seated at the Father's side, interceding for us right now; that His blueprint for how life should be really lived IS applicable to today's society, and is able to transform it too! And He wants you and me to play a part in that! Hallelujah!

"...for His glory.": Why? Everything was created through Him and for Him. And it's gonna stay that way forever. He's the King of the universe, and He deserves every breath we breath and every ounce of our being to honour Him for that very reason. Our King is seated on the throne and it's to Him we live our lives...

"Living life Jesus' way, by His Spirit, on His mission, for His glory": thirteen simple words that can be sung about, written about, talked about and applied to our everyday lives for as long as we want and we'll never get to the bottom of what is really at stake here. But I'm up for the ride... wanna join me?

Beacon Touchpaper #6: "Encouragement"

2009-01-05T00:12:00.000Z

"...For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you - that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine." (Rom 1.11-12)

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. " (Heb 10.24-25)

The New Year is traditionally the season when we reflect on the past and consider what we would like to see accomplished throughout the next 12 months. Many make New Year's resolutions each time the occasion arises, and usually the same ones too: "no more cigarettes", "read my Bible every day", "get out of debt", "go to the gym twice a week", "learn something new". The trouble with these resolutions is, of course, that they can be forgotten by the time February arrives, can't they? Goals are far more practical, and far more achievable: for example, you could aim to read your Bible twice a week for January, then add a day in February, and so on every successive month until you're feasting daily by June. It's realistic and it's practical.
But how often do we consider these things in light of other people? Most resolutions and goals can tend to be rather self-centred, can't they? It's usually for good reason, and if you make a habit of this kind of practice, then keep going... But this January, have a thought for your fellow brothers and sisters. We all need building up, we all need spurring on, we all need encouragement. The apostle Paul himself knew he had weaknesses as well as strengths and certainly recognised his need for being built up by his Christian family.

In writing to his beloved brothers and sisters in Rome, he is hungry for mutual encouragement right from the very start of his letter. He understands the importance of encouragement itself, not just the obvious specific gifts of hospitality, prophecy and so on, nor the specific roles of evangelists, pastors or apostles, as a vital building block for the church. ALL these things are vital, but they should all be used, not just as an end in themselves, but in ENCOURAGEMENT to build Christ's glorious church. He was an apostle, called by Christ to plant and oversee churches over a massive region, and yet he still desired to see mutual encouragement between himself and his Roman church family who are gifted in so many other different ways. Whatever your gifting, you have a role to play in stirring up your brothers and sisters to love and good works (Heb 10.24). Who and how will you encourage? And how do you want to be encouraged?

Make a goal to speak to that person or group of people this coming week!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2009’s going to be a cracker!!

Beacon Touchpaper #5: "Christmas - What's the Point?"

2008-12-03T19:17:00.000Z

"...Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice..." (John 18.37)

One of the greatest Christmas texts comes, not from Jesus's birth, but from shortly before His death. When Jesus, under arrest and heading for the cross in just a few scant hours, explains his purpose here on Earth to Pilate, He is being far more provocative than Pilate realises. In uttering what can appear to be a rather elusive statement ("to bear witness to the truth", as opposed to "to show you I am King", or "to die that your sins might be forgiven"), Jesus is in fact prompting something far more fundamental. Pilate's response to that declaration follows immediately in verse 38: "What is truth?" This shows the Roman governor is missing the point entirely. The TRUTH was standing in front of Him all along: Jesus is the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life. And that's the Christmas message right there.

As we spend the next month preparing for and celebrating Christmas, spare a thought for those others who are also missing the point. There's more than a few: 125,000 tonnes of packaging will have been thrown away by January; 330,000 trees will be used to make Christmas cards; £20 billion will be spent in total (£900 million of those on decorations alone); only 1 in 4 children in the UK think Christmas is more about giving rather than receiving; a recent survey of 5,500 Christmas cards in our High Streets showed only 67 bore images of the Bible story; January the 8th is cited as the busiest day of the year for divorce lawyers, when up to 1 in 5 couples (!) will enquire about divorce after the pressures of Christmas. It's an epidemic...

How do we help get the real message of Christmas - "bearing witness to the TRUTH" - across? It can be in any number of ways. For many elderly or single parents, the only person they may see over the Christmas period will be their postman. For those who've suffered the loss of someone close to them, the thought of entering a new year without the person they loved can be a painful reminder of what they've lost. Many of these people will be our neighbours. Just a small gesture can make all the difference; it can be the first step in building bridges for further opportunities (from personal experience, having the neighbours round one evening for Christmas drinks can be a great success). One small leap for man, one giant leap for the Gospel...

So, how do we help get the real message of Christmas - bearing witness to the TRUTH - across? I guess I'll leave that up to you...

Communion - A Meal With a View (notes for sermon 23/11/08)

2008-11-22T08:47:00.001Z

1 Cor 11.17-34

Being able to worship freely is something we can take for granted in this country; 450 years ago, things weren't so different...

Over a period of 3 years (1555-1558), Queen Mary I – or Bloody Mary as she became known – rounded up 288 people – men, women, elderly, an archbishop, even 4 children – and burned them to death at the stake in big public shows. Farmers sold snacks to the crowds; some brought children with them to watch. The victims’ friends could pay to have a keg of gunpowder tied to their loved ones' neck or waist for less suffering; when the flames reached the keg, things progressed rather more quickly... NICE

WHY?: “The principal reason why they were burned was because they refused one of the peculiar doctrines of the Catholic Church. On that doctrine, in almost every case, hinged their life or death. If they admitted it, they might live; if they refused it, they must die” (J.C.Ryle, 1890) The doctrine in question was Communion... was the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the consecrated elements of bread and wine in the Lord's Supper? “Did they or did they not believe that the real body of Christ... was present on the so called altar so soon as the mystical words had passed the lips of the priest? Did they or did they not? That was the simple question. If they did not believe and admit it, they were burned.”

THANK GOD WE DON’T HAVE TO BE BURNED FOR OUR BELIEFS... But then, do we take Communion seriously enough sometimes?
This is both a subject and a practice that can either be belittled, or overly legalised, or handled irreverently for the sake of being ‘provocative’ or ‘different’. It is a trap we can easily fall into, "you're supposed to do it this way or that", and this tradition (or ordinance) can then become religion. THAT is not Christ's, nor Paul's, intention.

Concerning the Lord’s Supper, Paul has to reprimand the folks at Corinth because of division (that same old problem’s cropping up everywhere in this letter, isn’t it?) and now selfishness, greediness, lack of humility, and a complete lack of respect for their brethren and a lack of integrity as God’s people... Paul shows them and us that each time we share in the Lord’s Supper, it is a special place in time where we can stand still and acknowledge 4 spiritual scenic viewpoints:

1. Looking Back:

WHY we do it - Christ's instructions and explanation – verses 23-26, the historical explanation - the Last Supper itself (just hours before His arrest, torture and death) was a Passover meal: Matt 26.17-25, Mark 14.12-21, Luke 22.7-23 – "DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME"
it is not Christ's life and teachings that save us, it is His death and resurrection
we need to remember HOW He died too: blood was shed +++!
and in His resurrection, we are not merely participating in a 2000-year old event/memory but we are participating SPIRITUALLY in fellowship with our LIVING Saviour

2. Looking Around:

this should be a demonstration of unity as Christ's body (and there wasn't much in Corinth at this time! Communion was currently a demonstration of their DIS-unity!)
How is our church's unity? What does this really mean in practical terms? Is there a brother or sister we need to get right with? Someone we've sinned against or offended? Do we need to ask forgiveness? Or do we need to forgive someone?
v17 - the church coming together is for the worse! COMPLACENCY IS A SIN.
DIVERSITY is great – EMBRACE IT! Whether we feel like it or not, we're one big weird family; we don't always get it right - but DIVISION is WRONG.

3. Looking Within:

v27-28, 31-32 - "in a worthy/unworthy manner" - not that we must be worthy (THAT'S THE POINT!) but that we must do it in a WORTHY MANNER. A worthy manner does not mean perfect! That’s the point of Christ’s sacrifice!
v20-22 – the church in Corinth regularly shared a “love meal” or “agape feast” together as part of their corporate fellowship, this was a significant part of their meetings and would include the breaking of bread towards the end. However, some treated the Lord’s Supper as an excuse to chow down and be gluttonous, even ignoring those that were going without! AND SOME EVEN GOT DRUNK! The irreverence is perfectly clear but they didn’t see it. This despises the church (v22), let alone God Himself...
PAUL WISHES THEM TO UNDERSTAND THIS EVEN FURTHER THOUGH: Even if they did relearn their table manners and share their food, to simply eat, drink and remember is STILL NOT ENOUGH... WE CANNOT JUST STAND HERE AT THIS AMAZING VIEWPOINT AND SIMPLY ADMIRE THE VIEW: A RESPONSE IN HEART AND MIND AND ACTION IS REQUIRED: 1 Cor 10.16, Paul states: “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a *participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a *participation in the body of Christ?”
*"koinonia" = "communion by intimate participation". This word is used frequently in the New Testament to describe the relationship within the early church as well as the act of breaking bread. We PARTICIPATE INTIMATELY in the body and blood of the LIVING LORD JESUS CHRIST. If the Corinthian church really “got” that, would their behaviour have been altered? YEP!
Hence, in v27 Paul states that eating the bread or drinking the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of PROFANING THE BODY AND BLOOD OF THE LORD (profaning = being abusive, blasphemous, vulgar, FOUL...). Dare we even skirt close to such a state of heart before our most holy God? Examine yourself with complete reverence and fear...!
v28 - examine YOURSELF - not your elders' job, nor your brothers' or sisters'. Sure, we talked about judgement within the church in serious cases a few weeks back (1 Cor 5)... but the buck starts with YOU.
Because if you take communion without true repentance, it causes spiritual death, illness or physical death (see v30), it despises the church, it despises God's holiness.
A temptation can be to think of the God of the New Testament as a big softie. BUT HE'S THE SAME GOD THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE; OLD TESTAMENT, NEW TESTAMENT, BEFORE GENESIS 1.1, LONG AFTER REV CHAPTER 22... HE IS HOLY, PERFECT, JEALOUS AND HE IS LOVE.

Some pictures depict a slim flowery hippy Jesus, like a bearded Angelina Jolie with skin that hasn't seen the sun for years, a lovely white dress and beautifully conditioned hair: not my Jesus!

When Jesus walked this Earth, He was a meaty, rough-handed, homeless guy Who carved wood and stone for the first 30 years of His life; the real Jesus is the Son of God, the KING OF KINGS, Who became a man, God in human form, fully God and fully man simultaneously; He lived the perfect life, and showed us how He fulfilled the Old Testament, not threw it away, and was arrested and tortured at the hands of the people He created because of what He declared about Himself.

What He stood for and said offended those He created – it still does - and when they had finished ripping the flesh from His body, they hung Him on a cross by giant nails driven into His wrists and feet...

He hung there for hours until He gasped His last breath and said, "It is finished!" Why? Because in that moment He had completed what was required of the ultimate sacrifice. In our sinful state, each one of us bears the stain of sin; since Adam and Eve's choice to place their desires before God's, to put themselves in God's place, all things were and are corrupted: animals, bacteria, flora, man... our thoughts, our bodies, sex, relationships...

The cross deals with 2 aspects:

EXPIATION = SIN (BY US AND TO US)
PROPITIATION(*Eph 2) = WRATH: despite the current allegations of "cosmic child abuse", Jesus DID deal with God's wrath that was due us by bearing the full brunt of it Himself. There's a whole wealth of sermons here alone... It's little surprise that darkness came over the land for 3 hours, demonstrating the power of that dark moment when God turned His face away from His Son Who bore our dirty sins. Without the dealing of that wrath, there is no Gospel.

Then His glorious Resurrection... on the 3rd day, Jesus rose from the grave, victorious over sin, over the devil, over death. FOREVER. Without the resurrection, there is no complete Gospel.

THUS, if you genuinely judge yourself (v31-32) - ie not just deciding what's right and what's wrong, but also deciding on the appropriate action - then we will not be judged - because if that's done right, then we will stand right before the Lord, the most Holy One...

= examine our hearts
= judge our sins
= confession & appropriate response

4. Looking Forward:

v26b - "till He comes"
THIS IS CELEBRATION, AND NOT JUST BECAUSE OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED, BUT ALSO WHAT’S TO COME - FUTURE WEDDING FEAST!!! [John the Baptist describes Christ as the bridegroom; Christ uses a parable of a wedding ceremony to explain His return for us in the future; Rev 19.6-9 = the marriage of the Lamb]
We’re heading home together, and Jesus is preparing us a place
We may be remembering the death of Christ, but it is not a funeral wake. HE’S ALIVE FOR GOODNESS’ SAKE!!! It is absolute reason to rejoice, rather than to mourn

5. SO HOW SHOULD WE DO IT? AND WHAT, IF ANYTHING, DOES HAPPEN DURING COMMUNION?

FOR BELIEVERS, NOT NON-BELIEVERS
Different ways, but the substance is what matters...
There is no specific instruction on the size or type of bread; nor on wine or grape juice (Christ speaks of not drinking of this “fruit of the vine” until His return). There’s no legalistic edge to the bread and the wine; however, handing around tortilla chips and Pepsi for the sake of being ‘culturally relevant’ and ‘lateral thinking for the Gospel’ would be irreverent and missing the point...
Frequency? Again, weekly, monthly, that is not the concern...
The bread and wine DO NOT become Christ’s body and blood. That is a Roman Catholic belief (TRANSUBSTANTIATION), and is also what those Marian martyrs died resisting; when Jesus said “this is my flesh; this is my blood” it is said in a context of symbolism; Jesus and His followers understood symbolism well enough to not have to explain it! When He said “I am the true vine” (John 15.1), he didn’t have grapes hanging from His ears, and “I am the door” (John 10.9) does not imply he has fancy hinges and a mahogany wood stain... “My body, my blood” infers they are SYMBOLS and should not be taken any other way. Nothing magical occurs with the food when we eat and drink these things. Besides, Hebrews 9 is perfectly clear that Christ died once and ONCE ONLY; there is no place for a repeated dead body and shed blood...
What DOES happen, however, is that Communion literally FEEDS us spiritually as well as physically; it feeds our relationship with Christ through faith – AS WE REMEMBER WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR US, AS WE LOOK AROUND AND WITHIN AND AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT GREAT WEDDING DAY, WE NOURISH OUR SOULS
What also happens is that we PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL (v26.) Communion is a WITNESS – it is CELEBRATION and PROCLAMATION.
The world is watching us, asking is "Jesus really real?", and our conduct when taking communion speaks absolute volumes to any guests we may have.
Also, the act itself remembers the cross AND the resurrection in that we do it UNTIL HE RETURNS

CONCLUSION:

v33-34 - Paul's round-up of the sorry tale... He does not say STOP MEETING or STOP EATING, but SORT IT OUT...

1. Look back

to CHRIST’S perfect sacrifice & resurrection

• 2. Look around

Unity and fellowship; anyone we should be getting right with? Speak to them before partaking...

• 3. Look within

Examine ourselves; is there any sin that needs dealing with? We must not participate in Christ’s body & blood in an unworthy manner...
When we come together for Communion, what are we really thinking? Worrying about making a noise? About being asked to help pass the bread and wine around? About the injustice of whoever lost on "Strictly Come Dancing" last night? THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH WERE THINKING ABOUT THEIR BELLIES AND SOCIAL STATUS; WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THINKING ABOUT JESUS

• 4. Look forward

To that great day when He returns for us, His people, healed by His broken and torn body, washed in His blood, sealed by the Spirit; IT’S A SURE THING
it is a time, not for grief and sombreness (despite appropriate, sombre reflection of our own hearts to begin), BUT OF JOY AND CELEBRATION IN FELLOWSHIP WITH OUR LIVING LORD
Jesus gave thanks, even though He was about to suffer and die... WE SHOULD DO TOO...

Beacon Touchpaper#4: "Prayers for the saints"

2008-11-01T21:26:00.000Z

"...praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints..." (Eph 6.18)

My mind wanders. Regularly. One moment I can be thinking about what to cook for dinner tonight, then before I know it I'm straight on to that great scene from last night's DVD, via a poignant comment in one of Mark Driscoll's sermons I've just listened to, a cool line from a book I'm reading, and why the dog's just eaten today's post. And all that's supposed to be while I'm praying. Praying at length is one of the hardest things I've had to work through in my life.

It's often said that the average Christian spends less than 10 minutes a day in prayer. If the average Brit can spend 2 1/2 hours each day watching the TV, 44 minutes getting washed and dressed, 31 minutes cleaning and tidying, and even 34 minutes shopping - and recent research shows that we even spend 2 1/2 hours on average a day "faffing" (true story!*) - then how much priority do we honestly give to spending time each day with the God of the universe?

Paul, in chapter 6 of his great letter to the church in Ephesus, has just explained the reality of the spiritual dimension of the world around us, and the need to avoid ignorance of such a battle. As a conclusion to his great instructions on wearing the spiritual "armour of God", he finishes with the true body blow: PRAYER. Paul does not expect us to be knelt in a corner for hours, sweat dripping from our furrowed brow - there's a time and a place for such, but there's also work to be done - but instead he simply states "... at all times...". If anything has revolutionised my prayer life, it is in realising the truth of this instruction, and that realisation came when I stumbled across a quote from the remarkable preacher Charles H. Spurgeon: "The great matter is not how long you pray, but how earnestly you pray. Consider the life of the prayer rather than the length of the prayer." Don't feel you have to pray for more than a few minutes at a time in prayer. But don't go for more than a few minutes without praying either.

One means to enable praying "...at all times... for all the saints..." is using Paul's own prayers as models. Try Ephesians 1:15-23 & 3.16-19, Philippians 1.9-11, Colossians 1.9-14, 1 Thessalonians 3.11-13 or 2 Thessalonians 1.11-12 for starters. They are short, to the point, and powerful. Write one down on a post-it note and use it as a book mark, or maybe stick it to your car dashboard, bathroom mirror or computer screen. Pray them regularly, and maybe even learn them by heart! Using Paul's model as a template, we can pray for each other at all times, lifting God's people up before Him and asking for help, and connecting with the God of the universe ourselves on a regular, even continual basis... just imagine the outcome!

(* http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/National/nat-555britswasteday-aug08.pdf )

Christ's Virgin Church (notes for sermon 5/10/08)

2008-10-06T11:07:00.000+01:00

1 Cor 5

This can appear a rather negative passage, but Paul’s passion, despite whomever on the receiving end of it might have felt, is a very positive thing. He is consumed with a hunger to see Christ glorified and the church living as it is intended to – set apart, sanctified, undefiled... kept pure for her betrothed...

We’re still early in this season of spending time with the Corinthian church of AD55, but already we’ve read & heard that Paul has had to address: divisions in the church at Corinth, the essence of true wisdom in a world of human folly, and what it is to be one of Christ’s apostles and how they should be respected. Already, his message so far has been concerning the Corinthian church’s immaturity and inappropriate attitude. Once again, we find this attitude has allowed for yet another issue that Paul must address. Paul has laid out this part of his letter in such a deliberate way that it can be followed through sequentially for greatest clarity:

He states the sickness itself – that of the individual AND the church. Then,
He states the cure – the required response. Then,
He states the reasons behind his instructions. Then,
He states the application

(v 1-2) - The sickness: the specific sin and the church’s response

A man is sleeping with his step-mum! She may not be his biological mother [“His father’s wife”], but this brother has wooed and been having sex with the woman he calls “Mum”!

The report has been obviously significant enough to reach Paul in Asia, hundreds of miles away across the sea. Paul does not pass judgement on the woman herself: we can safely assume she’s not a believer then, otherwise he would have had the same pronouncement upon her. And where’s the guy’s Dad? We don’t know the full story, but what we do need to know is the issue at hand; and that this would not even be tolerated amongst pagans! Corinth was a city that was very open about sexuality, prostitution and so on - it was very "Amsterdam", in fact more so... The crowning feature of Corinth, up on the acropolis, was the temple to Aphrodite. Normally, she was the goddess of love, but various versions were worshipped in the Greek world. Here in Corinth, she was Aphrodite Porne, the patron goddess of lust and prostitution. Hordes of temple prostitutes ("priestesses"!) went up to the temple and men would have sex with them as an act of worship. So well known for its immorality that to have loose morals was known as “behaving like a Corinthian”. So, for the pagans to have not even tolerated this situation (let alone “frown upon it”) is eye-opening too. The Bible speaks of this kind of situation succinctly and bluntly; it does not need to explain itself: Deuteronomy 27.20 says 'Cursed be anyone who lies with his father’s wife, because he has uncovered his father’s nakedness': it is defiant, it is deviant and it is evil.

Everyone knew this man well. The church in Corinth was not that large (50-60 max? Rom 16.23 = “Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you”, written from Corinth in AD57, 2 years after this letter; the house of Gaius could not have held more than 50-60 at a push in one room).

And now, to add to the insult to God Himself, this church family themselves were arrogant about the whole thing (v.2); this could have been borne from pride – “We are free under grace!” – or out of cowardice, avoiding the confrontation of dealing with the problem. Either is a sin. This arrogance is just as much a stinking sin as what this brother’s been up to. “Free under grace” is an absolute, inexcusable abuse of the notion of “Christian liberty”; are you slave to your lust, or slave to your Lord? Freedom in Christ is not about free reign to do as we please because God now thinks we’re lovely... it is about submission, repentance, and genuine love for the King of kings. Plus, he thinks you’re lovely... See the difference?

(v 3-5) - The cure: the required response

Paul may not have been physically present, but he already knew what needed to be done with this man; he was not afraid to reveal his concern or outright horror at the situation, nor to pronounce his judgement upon the man himself.

“When you are assembled... deliver this man to Satan” (v4-5): this must be dealt with corporately and PUBLICLY (Paul isn’t suggesting a closed meeting). This way, there would be no confusion over the reasons, deliberations, the circumstances and the decision made: all the church must be aware of what was happening, and outsiders should be allowed to see how the church deals with such things – that it will not be tolerated for the sake of the Gospel and God’s glory. This is about integrity: it is not the sin that is being aired in this meeting – that’s already in the open! – but it is the church’s right response that is being made public.

We are not talking about a confidential issue at stake – not all church business should necessarily be aired “in public”! – individuals could be hurt in the process – but here we are talking about something that is open, defiant, blatant, with no attempt to hide it; even the general Corinthian populous, in all their own deviant ways, would not tolerate such a thing...

“Delivered to Satan” (v5): what a sentence! Paul means that this brother must be handed back into the kingdom of this sinful age around him, away from the supportive fellowship of his brothers and sisters (and note that Paul does not say forever...)

Paul uses this term elsewhere in 1 Tim 1.20 (“Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme”). The only other occurrence – likely where Paul got the notion from – is Job 2.6, where God places Job into “Satan’s hand” [“And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life”]; the immediate result? That Satan “struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head”! God’s purpose in this? That the ultimate result was Job’s declaration in the final chapter {Job 42.5-6}: “...now my eye sees You; therefore I despise myself [or ‘loathe my words’] and repent in dust and ashes.” Satan became the means, under God’s sovereign reign and control, in purifying Job’s heart and rightly restoring his relationship with his God. That is exactly Paul’s intention here again in Corinth.

(v6-8) - The reason: the purity of the bride

Now Paul deals with the church’s core problem: how they have responded until now is indicative of where they are at as a church family.

Paul states that “a little leaven leavens the whole lump” (v6). He is relating this to the Jewish Passover festival – when the Jews celebrate(d) leaving slavery in Egypt and beginning their journey to the promised land: leavened bread was forbidden during Passover... why? Upon God’s instructions, the enslaved Jews in Egypt sacrificed an unblemished lamb, the meat of which they ate and the blood of which marked their doors, distinguishing them from the Egyptian households and thus saving them from the final plague: God’s deadly judgement upon any house that wasn’t marked so. But they were also told to eat only unleavened bread (normally, a leavening agent, like yeast or sourdough, is used to soften and lighten the batch of dough - micro-organisms reproduce and spread throughout the whole lump, causing gas bubbles that make it rise). So, why unleavened bread at Passover? Because they had to leave in a hurry – “Don’t take time to bake risen bread! Make haste! You’ve got to get out of here when I say go!” The unleavened bread of Passover (“flat-bread”) – ‘fast-food’ - is still a memorial to their escape to freedom.

In the same way, Paul is saying, as His church Christ is now our perfect Passover sacrifice. The Passover itself in Egypt was merely a precursor of something far greater happening nearly 1500 years later... In the ultimate prison break, Jesus took the place of that unblemished lamb when He died upon the cross; God has released us from slavery under sin, delivering us “from the domain of darkness and [transferring] us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col 1.13), Jesus’ blood marking us out as His people, saving us from that plague of death... and yet here in Corinth the forbidden leaven/yeast of sin in His church is threatening to reproduce through the whole body. One infection can affect an entire body, causing fever and sickness, even more widespread infection and, in extreme cases, death. Small sin can be the thin end of the wedge. The church, if left unchecked, would leaven and become soft, light, weakened...

Thus, Paul is telling the Corinthians that this UNREPENTANT sin is infecting the whole body of the church. What’s his advice? If gangrene sets into a body part, applying a plaster will not solve the problem. What is required for rot? AMPUTATION. Literal “Dis-member-ment”! If this situation had been left alone, how many believers (particularly the younger, less mature Christians – although no Christian is immune to sin of course) could begin to think it’s okay after all to live like this? Or those outside? What would the witness be?

It may seem harsh, but delivering this man to Satan, "dis-membering" him is borne out of love, not vengeance; we can all sin, we all do, but flagrant, blatant sin that goes unchecked and not dealt with needs to be acted upon without hesitation but with a full understanding of why and how; we must be intolerant of sin when it jeopardises the rest of the church. Otherwise, that infection will just keep on creeping...

(v 9-13) - The application: purity in a fallen world

Paul has explained the issue at stake – the church’s purity under severe threat; the required response – removing the infection; and the Christ-centred reasons – the individual’s own repentance and the church maintaining purity for the sake of their King. Now, he addresses how this applies in a wider context...

Keeping ourselves pure for our betrothed is the responsibility of all the church. We are Christ’s bride – the Bible regularly uses the picture of marriage for the relationship between Christ and His church. There is a reason why Paul keeps reminding us throughout 1 Corinthians, right from the very 2nd verse, that we are sanctified (made holy, and are being made holy):

In ancient Greek weddings, the most important part of a bride's costume was her veil, which symbolised her virginity, and was not removed until she was finally handed over to the groom at the end of the day. The most important part of the celebration was the anakalupteria (“unveiling”), late in the evening, after the feast, and possibly as late as the moment the couple arrive at the groom's house, and that is when she is "unveiled". God's people are called to be sanctified, made & kept pure, until that great marriage day when he calls us home to Him.

How do we keep ourselves pure? The key issue here is about what goes on IN THE CHURCH. Paul, interestingly, insists we are not to avoid the sexually immoral, or the greedy, the swindlers, the idolaters (v10) OF THE WORLD; that is our mission field and our calling, to relate/engage/preach Christ in. We are in no position to judge them, that is God’s prerogative; only He knows their hearts. The ones we are supposed to have nothing to do with – not even eat with! – are those same people who do these things AND also call themselves brother or sister. They're the ones that should know better, that should be showing repentance. Their unrepentant sin infects the church. Paul’s examples:

Sexually immoral? Anyone who practices adultery, fornication, homosexuality, transgenderism – ANYTHING that is outside of God’s amazing, beautiful, simple mandate of MAN/WOMAN/MARRIAGE. Anything that despises and snubs God’s perfect blueprint for human sexuality has no place in His church.

The greedy? Those with a selfish lust for money, power, food, possessions. These are their gods, and have no place in the church of Jesus Christ, God of all gods.

The idolater? In the same way, these place material goods, money, health, family, TV, even THEMSELVES, before the God of gods. We should know better. Don't be enticed. The OT gods of Mammon, Baal & Asherah, and Molech are still around today... they just go by the names of Money, Sex and Power...

The revilers? Those who are abusive. They have no place in God’s kingdom of grace, love and humility.

The drunkard? The man who needs alcohol to get through each day rather than God, and destroys others’ lives with his drunkenness, and does not seek God’s help (alcoholism is an illness; Christ can heal – the unrepentance here is the issue, remember) has no place in the church.

The swindler? Untrustworthy, selfish, conniving, unscrupulous, cheating. Doesn’t sound much like a Christian witness, does it? No place in the church!

Our responsibility is to our Christian family and they to us: this is not about every little thing (PJ explained last week how we should not be judging each other in the light of foibles and, more importantly, the lack of a bigger picture about that person; Paul the Apostle even discusses how any smaller squabbles should be dealt with in a loving way in chapter 6), but when it comes to serious sin that is damaging the spiritual health of the church and its subsequent witness, then we have little choice and should in no way shy away from dealing with it. The purity of Christ’s bride, and the message she sends in her lifestyle is paramount.

The application(s):

1. Our response to our own sin:

Study our own hearts for impurity. Regularly. How is my thought life? Is it pure? Am I looking at inappropriate things? Adultery is only a couple of mouse clicks away.

Are there any gods in my life that I didn’t realise I actually idolise? Money? My career? Family? Health and fitness? Martin Luther said: “Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your god.”

Are there any addictions in my life? Seek a brother or a sister’s help; confidentially. Don’t think you’ll cope on your own: there’s a reason we’re meant to be God’s people TOGETHER. He can help you and heal you THROUGH THE SUPPORT, PRAYERS AND COUNSEL OF YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

2. Our response to a bro/sis’s sin:

Accept each other’s foibles! But, if something is significant, or affecting the church, then this is a job for the church leaders to pray through and deal with. Pray for your elders as they lead Beacon: for wisdom, foresight, and courage. Hopefully, it might not be needed...! Church discipline is never nice, nor easy, but it IS a necessary part of ensuring our well-being and our purity... Your leaders have been entrusted with that job and we need to trust them and to pray for them... With hope, much prayer and love, the individual would repent and change, but if not... we now know what needs to be done and why.

3. Our response to outsiders and their lifestyles:

Love them; don’t judge them. Only God knows where they are at, and we could never expect them to change without the Holy Spirit’s help anyway. They are living their life that way because of what’s going on at their core. Only the Holy Spirit can change that. What if a transvestite came into church this Sunday? Would we give sideways glances, nudges, whispers; or would we treat them like ANYONE ELSE? Sit next to them, talk to them, get them a cup of tea, invite them back next week, invite them along to cell group?

In conclusion:

Christ died for us on the cross as our unblemished sacrificial lamb; His blood saved us from the plague of death and set us free; now we are betrothed to Him and must live as such... Purity as His bride must be a priority. Let’s flee from anything that stains our witness and spiritual health: sexual immorality, greed, etc, but also gossip, slander, envy... Our corporate purity (our “veil”) should be a priority; let's pursue purity as His people, as His bride, because we are told to, but also because we WANT to...

Beacon Touchpaper #3: "Mud, glorious mud"

2008-10-01T13:29:00.000+01:00

"For we are God's fellow-workers. You are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it." (1 Cor 3.9-10)

Groundwork is always messy. I remember digging out the footings for my extension some 7 years ago and how messy and mucky we got (and thank the Lord for hired mechanical diggers...). Many skips of earth later, and then suddenly the rains came. Our 2 metre-deep trenches flooded and the walls began collapsing, dishearteningly. So, more mess and mud and screaming back muscles later and finally we had shored up the damaged areas, emptied the trenches of rainwater, and filled them with 7 tons of concrete. Was it worth it? Well, there wasn't much to see, to be honest: a large area of sticky clay, some grey patches of concrete lying dormant in the holes and not much else to appreciate. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't particularly inspiring. But now, sitting in my beautiful kitchen-diner, with mod-cons for cooking and a fancy-pants roof and a great space to entertain in, I can definitely say it was worth it.

Foundations do not typically contribute to the architectural aesthetics of a building, do they? They're hidden below ground, where (hopefully!) they'll never be seen again. But the fruit of building them well will always be noticeable. Without solid foundations, a building can collapse at any moment, and God's Church is exactly the same. The metaphor of comparing the Church to a building is not simply a human whim, it is entirely Biblical. Jesus told Peter He would "build" His church upon the "rock" (Peter's nickname), Paul refers to the concept in Romans and 1 Corinthians, and Peter himself and the writer to the Hebrews both write on the same theme. Overwhelmingly, the Bible tells us to build well: and not just the foundations, but everything on top as well. Each part of the process must be deliberate and Christ-centred.

We are entering into a new season at Beacon, and some of the near future could seem messy. As we restructure our small groups, and re-evaluate why we do certain things, and look to the future promises God has prepared for us and how we can act in that light, let us remember that these current times are foundations for the future. Let's do this well, together, praying with and for each other; despite the mud, the back-ache and the occasional delay, let's remember that as long as everything is Christ-centred, Bible-based and hence wise and deliberate (like the wise man of Matthew 7), the future fruits can be magnificent.

Beacon Touchpaper #2: "Identity Crisis"

2008-09-05T15:02:00.000+01:00

‘IDENTITY CRISIS’

"...you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession…” (1 Pet 2:9)

"Who are you?"

This is a question asked of each of us throughout our lives. What would you say? "I'm Steve/ Jennie/ Tom/ Sarah/ Barrack (you get the idea), I'm a teacher/ paramedic/ student/ mother/ pastor/ husband/ taxidermist, I'm friendly/ shy/ funny/ musical/ rather windy..." These are all valid responses, but do they really answer the question? These aspects are merely window-dressing; our jobs, social standing, background and talents do not make us who we are. If all were stripped away, what would be left? Who are you?

Filmmaker Marc Forster, whilst directing “Finding Neverland” in 2004 - a big movie on the life of J.M.Barrie (of Peter Pan fame), and with a cast of Hollywood A-listers - was prepared to walk away from the project halfway through because of unnecessary studio tweaking when the film was perfectly good as it was. Dustin Hoffman agreed, but he did ask, "How can you just walk away?" Marc's reply: "Because my work is not my identity. I am my identity."

Gloriously, we as Christians can take this a massive stage further. We can now say, "Christ is my identity." The apostle Peter informs us, "...you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people..." (1 Peter 2:9-10)

The next time you introduce yourself to someone, answer as you will (no pressure to give a wacky answer!), but remember these words too: Saved. Redeemed. Accepted. Cherished. Forgiven. Restored. Adopted. Set free. Justified. Sealed. Chosen...

Let me ask you again: "Who are you?"

Race for Life (notes for sermon 22/06/08)

2008-08-04T11:40:00.000+01:00

Philippians 3.12-4.1

Our minds must be conformed to God’s mindset in order for us to see more of His Kingdom power, not the other way around; ensuring we are in line with His thinking, and not limiting our minds as per our human understanding or previous experience. The Apostle Paul had this right mindset. The ‘games’ analogy was ever-present in his mind, and investigating this further helps explain how Paul thought. He mentions the analogy often:

“...if I may finish my course” [NIV: “finish the race”] in Acts 20.24; he talks of running and boxing and training in 1 Cor 9; twice in Galatians he speaks of running the race [2.2 & 5.7]; he writes to Timothy about competing as an athlete, and tells him in 2 Tim 4 that he has “finished the race”.

The passage we’re looking at investigates this image again and how it applies to our lives as Christians. First, some context:

It is about 61 AD, about 30 years after Christ. Paul is writing from imprisonment in Rome to the church in Philippi (in modern Northern Greece). It was a Roman colony, and Paul had founded the church there about 10 years previously during his 2^nd missionary journey, the 1^st European church.
The church had sent Paul a gift; he is writing them his thanks, and taking the opportunity to encourage them.
He wants them to understand the secret to a joyful Christian life: that true contentment is found in seeking Christ and His mission more and more.

Paul knows we are running a spiritual race in a secular world; participation isn’t optional, but the outcome of the race certainly is. We WILL complete the race, but how will we run it?

The Olympics were a massive part of Greek culture; they had religious importance, tying in with sacrifices and ceremonies honouring the God Zeus, and of course took their name from Mt Olympus, the home of the Gods; winners of the events were immortalised in poems and statues. The winner would be presented with a crown of olive leaves, a symbol of peace.

In the same way, our Christian life is a race, heading towards the goal of eternity with Christ; an incorruptible crown, not one of olive leaves. But why did Paul throw in the subject of citizenship at the end of this passage? Paul knew that the Philippians (people he could put a face to, let alone names) would respond to the statement in two ways:

In the Greek world, the only way you could compete in the games at all was if you were a Greek citizen. You didn’t run to gain citizenship, you needed it in the first place. The same applies to us in our Race for Life. If you are saved, you are involved...
The city of Philippi was a Roman colony; they were Roman citizens in the Greek world. Hence, they had the same rights and privileges as the citizens of Rome itself; they could not be beaten by local officials; if not satisfied with local justice, they could appeal directly to the Emperor (which is exactly what Paul himself did in Acts 25 onwards, which is how he ended up in Rome). The knowledge of our citizenship must affect our mindset.

Paul is encouraging the Philippians and ourselves to run the "race" in such a way that we don’t forget WHO WE ARE. This is what makes the difference on HOW we run. We can’t perform our best until we know who we ALREADY ARE IN CHRIST JESUS. The most successful athletes are the ones that already believe they’re winners – focussed and specialised to do what they do to their utmost. This is not a gospel of works that Paul is preaching. He is not saying we should work harder (read: “train harder”) in order to see salvation, but imploring us to realise our mission and to want to do it well. Earthly athletes are only winners once they believe it and run and train as such; the slightest doubt could make all the difference. Thank God, then that WE ARE WINNERS ALREADY. It is formidable, God-given Truth that we are safe in His hands; nothing we can do or fail to do can change that. What Paul is talking about here is HOW we run. Our performance is affected by our mindset, our effectiveness in the Kingdom of Heaven is our choice. Who wants to fulfil every potential God has set in us? Let’s investigate further:

1) our home nation: WE ARE CITIZENS OF HEAVEN (also Eph 2.19)

seated in heavenly places – Eph 2.6. As God's people, our names are written in the Book of Life; we have a whole new identity, a new bloodline.
Paul could boast in his Jewish roots if he wished (Phil 3.5-6), but in v7 he says “whatever gain I had, I count as loss for the sake of Christ” – his glorious inheritance in Christ surpassed his earthly standing.

Like the folks at Philippi, we can understand that our citizenship gives us an automatic place in the race, and also that our citizenship gives us the rights and privileges of our HOME NATION:

we wear the righteousness of Christ: (see most of Romans as ref!) His perfection has been applied to us in his death and resurrection.
Angels serve us: Heb 1.14 tells us they are ministering spirits sent out to serve those who are to inherit salvation.
We are co-heirs with Christ: Rom 8.17. We have a future inheritance of eternal life that is assured, but it is already active in the presence of the Holy Spirit and we can enjoy it now.

2) our race venue: IF WE ARE CITIZENS OF HEAVEN, THEN WE ARE FOREIGNERS ON EARTH

"strangers/aliens": 1 Peter 2.11, Peter exhorts us as “sojourners and exiles” (NIV = “aliens and strangers”... “to abstain from the passions of the flesh”)
“in the world, not of the world” – Jesus’ prayer (in John 17) demonstrates this. We are His, we do not belong here, but we have to remain here for a while. We’ve got a job to do! He wants us to relate but not conform.
We should be noticeable as foreigners. If I travel abroad, people would know I’m not local as soon as I open my mouth! So too should our conduct and speech be noticeable as foreigners here on earth.

3) our athletic mission: IF WE ARE FOREIGNERS ON EARTH, THEN WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR THE GOSPEL

AMBASSADORS - not as 2 Cor 5.20 is often mis-quoted (context is of "we" being "Paul & Timothy" to the church in Corinth & the word comes from root meaning elders/seniors), but the principle itself still remains:

John 20.21-22: “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you... receive the Holy Spirit”; Matt 28.19: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...”; Acts 1.8: “...and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

As foreigners here, we need to understand we’re not tourists. That’s often a temptation; but we have a mission: Representatives/messengers/envoys... ambassadors...

Sports people, and similar, are proud to represent their nation at events; school uniforms are worn for a reason; schools tell their pupils, “You’re ambassadors of the school!”; the Salvation Army wear their uniforms so that they are recognisable and to help the wearer remember to live up to their Christian profession

How about actual Ambassadors?

Their Embassy is considered a part of the nation that it represents. WHEREVER WE GO, THE KINGDOM OF GOD (“KING-DOM” = KING’S DOMAIN) IS RIGHT WHERE WE STAND.
They are paid wages relevant to their home nation. We are building up treasures in heaven.
They have the military at their disposal. We have an army of angels ministering on our behalf
They have a direct line to their President, their Commander-in-Chief – SO DO WE!
They have diplomatic immunity – SO DO WE! “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8.31b); John 10.27-29 = “My sheep hear my voice... they will never perish... no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand...”

The best sports ambassadors are the ones of integrity and honour. They’re the ones who conduct themselves in a worthy manner, the drug-free ones: we should not seek to be puffing ourselves up, but running purely on God-given gifts, relying on the Holy Spirit, letting everything we do point to Christ, to “conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel” to quote Paul to the Philippians again (1.27)

Conclusion and response:

"We're on a mission from God" (Blues Brothers...)

I want to be broken; I want this mindset all the time, not some of the time.
Paul gives us practical points in this passage:

v13: “...forgetting what lies behind, and straining forward...” Our past can hold us back, but only if we allow it to. In truth, we are new creations, our sins are removed as far as the east is from the west, God has chosen to forget the aspects of our past that we often still hold on to...
v17: “...keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us...” We have great role models to follow; some we know personally, some we read of. And maybe, just maybe, we could be one of those role models for others?
4.1: “...stand firm thus in the Lord...” Not conforming – a woman vicar on TV last week stated that a person practising witchcraft in her village was talking to the same God as she does, just demonstrating it in a different way. NOOOOOO!!!! That’s a fear of men, not of God. JESUS, HELP US TO PREACH YOUR TRUTH. (there was also the 1^st gay ceremony in Anglican Church between 2 clergymen few weeks ago; where do I even begin...?) WE MUST STAND FIRM IN THE LORD, KNOWING THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE.
The disciples asked for boldness in Acts 4.29-30
We are not alone, we have the Holy Spirit with us all the way.

“Fellow foreigners”, we are running a Race for Life. Not just for life in terms of number of years until we die, but for life in terms of preaching the life-saving Gospel of Jesus Christ, King of Kings, Victor of all things. He’s the ultimate example of Victory and we are his body.

The motto of the modern Olympic games is, “Citius, Altius, Fortius" ("faster, higher, stronger”) – how much do we want to see His kingdom increase in Herne Bay? In the lives of our loved ones? In our own lives? How generous can we be with our time, our money, our gifting?

WHY? For Him. He’s our goal. He’s waiting at the finishing line, in the Father’s house, and one day He’ll return to take us there. In the meantime, let’s ask him what He wants from us as we run this Race for Life...

Signs and symptoms

2008-07-26T07:25:00.000+01:00

(From Beacon's "Touchpaper" series)

How do people know who God's people are? Is it our avoidance of "unpalatable" TV shows? Is it because of how long we are known to spend on our quiet times? Or our regular church attendance on Sundays? Is it our strict adherence to the Highway Code when driving (hmmm...!)? Is it our clean speech? Because we don't get involved in office gossip? Because we don't get drunk? Or smoke? Or think most men's magazines these days are still porn in sheep's clothing? Or is it, perhaps, because we can't stop sharing the Gospel with the people around us?
Well, yes, there is truth to the above, but some non-Christians also go to church, and don't like swearing, and live "clean" lives. Some have even preached the Gospel and not actually been saved (sad but true...). So, I ask again: How do people know we're God's people?

Jesus, at the very last supper He was to have with His disciples before His arrest, torture, death and ultimate, glorious resurrection, shared a final exhortation to them. He said:
"...A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13.34-35)

Is there someone on their own in the church family this week? Someone you could share a meal with? Someone who would appreciate a bit of quality time, maybe just a phone call - "I've been thinking of you"? Or you could do their shopping for them? Or... or... the list is actually endless, really, isn't it? Right now, take a few seconds out and ask God to place someone on your heart that could do with a little TLC, a chat, an errand, an extra hand. The possibilities are endless. And, I guarantee, the God-honoured results even more so...