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?
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Thursday, February 5, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
Beacon Touchpaper #6: "Encouragement"
"...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!!
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!!
Read more!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Beacon Touchpaper #5: "Christmas - What's the Point?"
"...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...
Read more!
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...
Read more!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Communion - A Meal With a View (notes for sermon 23/11/08)
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
1. Looking Back:
WhenJesus 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:
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...
4. Looking Forward:
5. SO HOW SHOULD WE DO IT? AND WHAT, IF ANYTHING, DOES HAPPEN DURING COMMUNION?
CONCLUSION:
1. Look back
• 2. Look around
• 3. Look within
• 4. Look forward
Read more!
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.
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
- 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.
- 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.
When
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 .
= examine our hearts - = judge our sins
- = confession & appropriate response
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
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
v33-34 - Paul's round-up of the sorry tale... He does not say STOP MEETING or STOP EATING, but SORT IT OUT...
to CHRIST’S perfect sacrifice & resurrection
Unity and fellowship; anyone we should be getting right with? Speak to them before partaking...
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
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...
Read more!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Beacon Touchpaper#4: "Prayers for the saints"
"...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 )
Read more!
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 )
Read more!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Christ's Virgin Church (notes for sermon 5/10/08)
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:
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...
Read more!
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
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...
Read more!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Beacon Touchpaper #3: "Mud, glorious mud"
"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.
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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.
Read more!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Beacon Touchpaper #2: "Identity Crisis"
‘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?"
Read more!
"...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?"
Read more!
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