Christmas Day Message & Prayer

Did you get any good gifts?

I wonder why such gifts were given to you, and what they might indicate. Maybe, that you mean something to that person, and that this is a symbol of their affection. Is this the criteria for giving? Having a special regard for someone?

Jesus got some good gifts!

Refer verse 11 – part of the glorious verses 10-12 of Matthew chapter 2.

At least three ways to look at these gifts:

They were … spontaneous, generous and prophetic.

Later, I’m going to suggest that our response to meeting Jesus can also be spontaneous (or, natural), generous and prophetic.

Firstly, spontaneous – no mention of these gifts earlier than verse 11.

As a result of their successful search (through the provision of a bright guiding star), the ‘wise men’ were “overwhelmed with joy”. At the sight of the Christ child, they fell to their knees in worship. They honoured the baby for who he was destined to become. Then, these ‘wise men’ then threw open their “treasure chests”!!

“What shall we give”, they thought … and here’s the generous bit … “the best of what we have”! These were very valuable gifts. Who gives gold away, as well as these other valuable commodities? But then, the ‘wise men’ had the privilege of meeting the Christ child!

Thirdly, these gifts were prophetic because of what each gift symbolised. They each said something about the sort of life that would be lived by this child Jesus. Did these ‘wise men’ understand fully the depth of meaning in their gifts … perhaps, perhaps not? We certainly do now! Gold … is a gift for royalty; frankincense … speaks of the priestly role of offering a sacrifice for sin; myrrh … used in the preparation for a burial. Put together – here will be a special kind of king who provides forgiveness for sin at the cost of his own life! This life of Jesus will be a life of kingly leadership, spiritual service, and ultimate sacrifice.

Now, if we read this text with an Eastern mind, we would know that this story is not yet complete (with the giving of the ‘wise men’). There would have to be giving in return; these gifts would need to be reciprocated! The reader’s breath would be held waiting to discover what gifts the ‘wise men’ would receive in return. How would their giving be reciprocated?

These 3 great gifts were not brought for the purpose of receiving back (because they were spontaneous and worshipful), but there would have been some anticipation as to what was going to happen next.

The whole Gospel that follows unfolds the answer! The reciprocal gift was Jesus himself.

So the giving didn’t actually start with the ‘wise men’, for it had already begun with God. [The gifts of the ‘wise men’ were actually the gifts in return.]

So these 3 gifts can actually mirror the sorts of gifts we can bring today. Such giving occurs in response to God’s gift of Jesus to us. We cannot give anything to influence God to love us more (for God’s love cannot be any greater than it already is). It is simply in response to God’s gift of Jesus … that we can likewise throw open our “treasure chests”.

Pictured here is a mutuality of giving and receiving, which begins with God’s love and his coming into the world in human form as a vulnerable baby, and then is responded to by the “treasure chests” of his followers being thrown open.

What then do we have in our “treasure chests”? We would look into our “treasure chest” for the most valuable things. This means the heart of who we are, and the deep resources placed within us. It is our very life that we give back to God! Having done this, all that we have and enjoy are ready to be shared (in the cause of God’s Kingdom).

This can grow to become a very spontaneous and natural response to what Jesus has and is doing for us. The ‘wise men’ were “overwhelmed with joy”, fell to their knees and worshipped. What we have we will share, not reluctantly, but with generous hearts – which points to something bigger and better in life. Wholeheartedness and generosity always looms large! This is the ‘prophetic’ bit … it stands out – and it points to something!

The lives of the ‘wise men’ were changed for ever. Previously they may have just gone with the flow and returned to Herod with the information he wanted. However, now there was something new in their lives, and thus they were able to correctly interpret their dream, and understand that returning to Herod would be a very bad idea. What did they do instead? They took “another road”; and thus avoided any further encounter with that tyrant Herod.

The ‘wise men’ had followed their star, gave their allegiance to their new king, opened their “treasure chests”, and thus experienced transforming grace.

Christmas Day Prayer

Loving God, we praise you for all you have shown us in Jesus.                         

Now we know for sure that you are not far away.                                                 

We thank you that, though we cannot see you, you have promised that, no matter who or what we are, no matter what we have done or failed to do, you will be very near to each and every one of us.

Living God, we praise you for the joy of Jesus’ presence in our lives.                

We praise you that he came into this world just as we did – as a helpless baby. 

We thank you that his coming has left us in no doubt about your love and mercy.        

We praise you that Jesus has opened the way to real life now and for all eternity.

Most wonderful God, we praise you for the story of Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and the angels, the star, the wise men, and their three gifts.          

We praise you for the carols we sing, and the joy we share in celebrating the arrival of Jesus.                                                                                                             

We are all the more thankful that it is not just a story, but a message of the birth of the Saviour of the world. Amen.

Good News!

The message was out – the Saviour of the World, the Messiah, the Lord, Emmanuel, King of the Jews … had been born.

The angel of the Lord had said to the shepherds, “I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people”.

For the world of any generation this would be very good news – we had received the answer to all of our prayers.

God was up and about!

How do we respond to good news?

With celebration, by talking about it, by being thankful! Just like grand-parents when there is a new birth!!

What responses do we see in the bible accounts?

The Shepherds went and checked out for themselves what they had heard about; they could have decided not to bother, but they said to each other “Let us now go to Bethlehem”. They talked widely about what they had heard and seen. They went back to their job and daily lives glorifying and praising God – their lives changed forever. 

The Magi followed the star all the way to the Christ child – something had stirred in their souls; they certainly didn’t want to look back at their lives having missed this opportunity. They joyously worshipped Jesus, acknowledging him to be one of high rank (a “king”) worthy of their honour. They spontaneously gave the best (most valuable) gifts that they could to Jesus. Such gifts also seemed to suggest an understanding of the servant and suffering nature of Jesus’ mission. The Magi gave Jesus primacy (first place) … avoiding any return to Herod (to give him information).

THESE WERE RESPONSES OF KEEN INTEREST, UNDERSTANDING, JOY, HOPE, WORSHIP & COMMITMENT.

THE CHRISTMAS GOOD NEWS SEEMS TO BEG A RESPONSE: there is certainly encouragement to respond in a deeper way than ever before, and possibly to move beyond ourselves to a greater cause.

What is our response?

"Courage in the face of fear" (Matthew 1:18-25)

What do we fear? What things hit us for a six? What things become major disruptions?

What can we do about this?

When Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit (v.18).

For us now this is a marvellous statement. We might at times wonder about the nature of this birth, but in the cool light of day we realise that this was Creator God’s way of coming into the world in a personal way. This was the ultimate way for God to bring salvation to a lost people. Where rebellion from God’s ways had continued from generation to generation, this would be the way through which there could be real change. There would be a personal Saviour who would bring a permanent knowledge of God’s presence. The Son of God, conceived of the Holy Spirit, taking up residence in the world, would ultimately save God’s people from their sins (v.21). This Jesus would also be known as Emmanuel, because in Jesus, God is with us. So, we are happy to read that Mary was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit (v.18).

However, without the background knowledge we have, this came as a shock to people of the time, and especially to Joseph. Put yourself in his shoes! Joseph was in a huge predicament! His world had been turned upside down. Mary, the woman he was going to marry was pregnant, and he Joseph was not the father! Joseph previously was no doubt envisaging a fairly normal marriage and family life with Mary. Mary was ‘betrothed’ to Joseph … a marriage-in-waiting, just the formalities to go through. He loved Mary so much – but now she was pregnant … and Joseph knew that he had had nothing to do with this baby’s conception. The sense of betrayal, the pain, the confusion!

What would Joseph do? This is a question we often face in the midst of fearful circumstances. What would Joseph do? The easy thing or the right thing? Joseph could publicly reject Mary and leave her to endure public disgrace or worse. That would have been perhaps what Joseph’s mates were advising him to do. Cut and run! Is this what Joseph would do? The easy thing … recommended by ‘common wisdom’? What a dilemma! If Joseph publically denounced Mary, then it would be assumed that she had committed adultery – bringing Mary untold suffering. But Joseph loved Mary! Yet, how could she have done this to him. Still, he loved Mary … but to take on the responsibility for this child as if it was his – this would open him up to a lifelong stigma … that he himself had acted in an immoral manner.

Joseph resolved to do the best he could for Mary in the circumstances (refer verse 19). This showed great character, and shows us why God had placed Joseph in this situation in the first place – he could handle it! Those of us who have shown that we can handle challenges like this, are likely to be the ones used by God in situations of great import. Are we able to respond appropriately when we are faced with persecution or opposition, or do we just strike back? Joseph would not seek revenge or even vindication … Joseph would just “dismiss Mary quietly”, seeking to spare her the worst of the public humiliation and shame. This is how Matthew’s Gospel can describe Joseph as a “righteous man” (v.19) – a man after God’s own heart … one who would do the right and generous thing. Despite the hurt and disappointment he felt, he wasn’t going to take Mary down for no good reason.

The fact that Joseph had good character, to the extent of being described as a “righteous man”, also meant that he was the type of person who was ready to listen to God! Joseph was prepared to listen to God … even when what he was going to hear would be almost impossible to deal with … almost impossible to even believe: Joseph, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit (v.20). And this is not a birth that would allow Joseph and Mary to fade into the background – this child would be God’s Salvation. Joseph was able to hear and process that this special child Jesus would save humankind from their sins (v.21). God speaks to those who are ready to hear and respond! Joseph was ready to respond to what must have seemed amazing, but what was truly and undoubtedly from God.

This still could not have been easy for Joseph, and would’ve taken a lot of courage. What Joseph undoubtedly feared the most, was exactly what God was going to ask him to do. In going ahead with his marriage to Mary, Joseph was as good as admitting to the general public (even though it wasn’t true) that he was the father of this child. As mentioned earlier, this would mean for Joseph – a lifelong stigma. Would his reputation ever recover? And then those that thought that Joseph could not really have been the father, would have called Joseph a complete idiot for taking the sort of extraordinary action he did. Yet Joseph rose above all of this, seeing it all as secondary, to the primary role of fulfilling God’s will.

Joseph rose above all his fears and doubts in the service of Jesus. Joseph would endure the criticism of the crowd, in the joy of knowing he was doing the right thing. Joseph’s courage began when he heard God say, Joseph, do not be afraid (v.20). It was as Joseph got on top of his fear, that God’s plans went forward. What a remarkable response … “When Joseph awoke from sleep, he [simply and faithfully] did as the angel of the Lord commanded him …” (v.24)! Given his character and availability, Joseph had been chosen for this role, and he didn’t let God down.

Courage can be shown in the face of fear, e.g. police and emergency service personnel in Sydney this week, and the hostages themselves; and in the “I’ll ride with you” response … people finding courage to support others to maintain their courage.

The fear that Joseph could have suffered from, was the fear of what others might think. Such a fear could have made Joseph withdraw from his calling and retreat from being involved. Such a fear could have made Joseph neglect Mary’s needs. Such a fear as worrying about what others think, could have completely diverted Joseph from being the person God had made him to be. “Fear” is when the anxieties and feelings of alarm within us stop us doing what we know we should be doing. Fear stops us taking adventurous risks; thus fear tends to disrupt the discovery of all God has for us in life. For example, if Joseph had let his fear control him, being too worried about what others would think, then Mary, at the very least, would have been left destitute and vulnerable. And, if Joseph was at risk of caving in to the potential sneers of his community, this would have lost Joseph his very important role in history.

When Joseph heard the “angel of the Lord” say to him, “do not be afraid”, he found the faith within him to comply completely with God’s will. Joseph went on to adopt and affirm his role as human father to Jesus by giving him his name … “he named him Jesus” (v.25). There was probably unbelieving whispers around Joseph for the rest of his life, but Joseph knew that he had done the right thing … the God thing! Often missed in this text is how courageously and heroically Joseph acted (given the circumstances of his day).

So, where did all this courage and faith come from? God spoke … and Joseph listened! Basic trust!! God is speaking to us today, especially when we suffer fear. God speaks to us through his Word. God speaks to us when we pray. God speaks to us daily of his reality in his creation, and in his acts of re-creation. God speaks to us through other people, in particular events, and various circumstances. Sometimes we become fearful – however are we listening to the words “do not be afraid”, just like Joseph was? This might relate to who we are prepared to say Jesus is this Christmas. My Saviour! God with me! Emmanuel!

"Turning on the Lights" (Isaiah 9:1-7)

The first sentence of this passage is really like a heading. The lights are being turned on!!

What was the prophet Isaiah thinking? What did the prophet see? What was the prophet expecting? There will be hope, because God will respond to the people’s need! Isaiah is looking for (and indeed expecting) a turnaround! Where there is currently gloom for many, things will become brighter.

People want light in their lives, as can be seen by the publicity for the lighting up of Ireland Street and the new LED Christmas tree this Thursday night.

As we light advent candles, and put up street lights, and even in some cases adorn our homes with special coloured lights, we are saying that things at Christmas are being made brighter.

Had not the compassionate God responded when the people of Israel were under bondage in Egypt? Yes, they were liberated into freedom in a “spacious and fertile land”. But human beings being human beings … would this be enough!?! No, people still found their way back into trouble. So God repeatedly acted out of compassion and faithfulness to his promises; and this, despite his love often being thrown right back in his face. Why? The psalmist King David explained why: “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it” (24:1). We have so much to appreciate about God!

The year is around 734 BC. What will God do this time, in the time of Isaiah, some seven centuries before Jesus, with his people under the power of Assyria? The northern and southern kingdoms of Israel were divided, being ruled by separate kings. The north was being threatened by the military might of Assyria. According to the prophet, this was because, even though they were prosperous, they had taken their eyes off God, leading to all sorts of superstitious practices, social corruptions and economic injustices – such disintegration leaving them as ‘sitting ducks’. In a similar situation, the south was unsure whether to align themselves again with the north, or throw themselves in with Assyria (come what may). There certainly was confused thinking here! These peoples faced complete ruin – loss of life and land, exile, and loss of spiritual connections.

Under such conditions, Isaiah believed that God, who could only take so much of this, would raise up a new king, one who would unite the people under God’s reign. This is the necessary outcome – this is what is required. Isaiah is so confident of this, so assured that God will act, that he writes these words in the past tense as if it has already happened; and then says, “The zeal [i.e. passionate commitment] of the Lord of hosts will do this” (v.7). God will not allow people to endlessly dwell in despair and “darkness” without providing some source of “light”. Perhaps this would be Hezekiah, the son of the current king in the south, or perhaps another future king that would come in the line of David.

Isaiah, one of the greatest and most recorded prophets, was able to interpret God’s ways, and think God’s thoughts, and speak God’s message. Isaiah also well understood the problems of the society he lived in, and the root causes of this situation. When people eliminate God and defer to their own agendas, then we see all sorts of quests for personal power.

Isaiah was actually looking toward more permanent change (so that the people would not simply float from one disaster to the next as they had been).

The brightness that comes at Christmas is not meant to fade away by ‘Boxing Day’, or by the 2^nd of January, but rather last forever. What sort of happening will make a real difference? What will God ultimately do, when generation after generation of God’s people continue to rebel despite so much evidence of his love? Isaiah in effect asks, ‘If God was to act in the best way imaginable – what would this look like’? This prophet had faith that God would act again, and act in a remarkable way. Isaiah understood who God was … God would try again (just like the father in the prodigal son story) to reconnect and rebuild relationship with his beloved children.

Isaiah was correct in his understanding of God, yet these words would NOT be ultimately fulfilled for another seven centuries. Good and bad kings came and went, but no-one who lived up to the described and desired one here. Actually, no purely human leader was going to be able to pull this off. So, when would the damage of a “former time” be truly repaired? Not until … Jesus! Isaiah’s vision projects further forward to that ultimate of Godly responses to human need. And Jesus would physically walk “the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations” (v.1) – and bring the good news of God’s love and mercy to not only Jews, but to Gentiles as well. Isaiah’s words transcend the realities of his own time into another time; and then into all time!

Isaiah speaks into his nation’s current dilemma, longing for a national king who would act like he describes. Yet, the king that God sends to complete the task is not a political king who reigns over a particular nation, but necessarily a Servant King who leads a spiritual kingdom. This will be the path to a complete turnaround in human affairs. We should note that Jesus did not express his ‘kingship from on high, but rather as a ‘suffering servant’ dwelling in the midst of the people … in the press of the crowds, in a fishing boat, in a leper colony, amongst the blind, lame and demon-possessed, having his feet washed by a prostitute, dining in a tax collector’s house with the rejected, hanging from a cross.

Can we present a view of Christmas that will really brighten people’s lives? Those walking in darkness seeing a great light! People living under anxiety finding joy! People living under severe economic difficulties receiving help! The selfishness of the past gives way to a more equal and generous distribution of resources. The weight of the burdens and baggage pulling people down is relieved! The conflicts that depreciate our lives come to an end! Violence becomes a thing of the past. These are the signs of a new reality. Life can be celebrated again. This is Isaiah’s vision of Christmas. We can, if we want to, join in with this radical vision of Christmas.

The people of Israel had problems! The Egyptians, now the Assyrians, then later the Babylonians. But what was their real problem? Largely, their lack of integrity in the face of any challenge!

People at the time of Jesus had a problem. The Romans! But their problem too went deeper than what the Romans could dish out. They had deep unmet spiritual need!

People in today’s world have a problem or two. There is violence and conflict. Any violence and conflict has it origin deeply within the human heart. There is resultant poverty and injustice. There is also unhappiness and addiction. This is where we need to be touched. Where the bitterness and regret dwells! Where selfishness has taken root! Where there is darkness!

Isaiah had a vision of the sort of king we needed. And this turn-around of which the opening sentence speaks, is more than a recovery – it’s more like a new start. This new start brings with it God’s presence, God’s power, God’s love and God’s peace.

This king, known from his childhood, to be the Saviour of his people, is described in four ways. To say “he is named”, is to describe who he is, or to sum up his character. We then reflect on how these attributes are a gift to us. We can focus on what these words/names/character traits can mean for us.

A “Wonderful Counsellor” – literally “a wonder of a counsellor” – rather than living in the dark, we will be given insight, clarity, perspective, understanding, wisdom. So where we might have acted in one way (and not the best way), we would now act in a different way! If we act out of a compassionate and generous heart, this would bring a very different result than acting out of a selfish heart. With the “wonder of a counsellor” by our side, we can prayerfully grow into better decision-makers. Any counsellor worth his or her salt sits patiently with another and listens carefully, providing gentle feedback and sensitive support to help them move forward. The “Wonder of all Counsellors” can go further and share the burdens and calm any fears. This should be very good news for any human spirits caught in dark, confused, angry places, such that they can hardly function.

Jesus is not only human born of a woman but also “Mighty God”. This is the crux of the Gospel. God himself entered personhood to save us. In the end, God would have to deal with the human sin problem (that leads to all other problems) in a very personal way. Being “Mighty God” means that, there is all the power necessary for our re-creation. Jesus will perform a mighty act of sacrifice (on behalf of all people); one that God will honour with a subsequent resurrection. In our lives, and in the lives of others, prayers can be answered, and mountains can be moved, and outcomes can radically change.

The next name also connects the Son with the Father – “Everlasting Father”. This speaks of an ongoing loving personal relationship with our creator … here is all the grace, care, provision, encouragement, discipline and nurturing that we could ever need. Any honourable loving father would do anything that their child required to grow well; and always be there when needed. So where we might have felt alone, we now have company. [Those with dented or deficient father images should remember that God is NOT like the negative examples you may have experienced.] When speaking of relationship, we can look at the way Jesus befriended people, all sorts of people, and how he loved them; and also how he grouped his key disciples and travelled closely with them for three years.

And then, in this world of conflict, big scale, and smaller scale relational conflict, Jesus is named “Prince of Peace”. This means an “administrator of peace” – one who makes peace a reality. This should make all the difference, as a lack of peace is what results in people living in perpetual turmoil. Through having our guilt and shame dealt with we start to feel at peace with ourselves and experience peace with God. As this happens, we can be more at peace with others. We are less judgmental, more tolerant, more compassionate; for we are more content in our own skin. Our lives are thus de-complicated and de-stressed. The “Prince of Peace” gives us his peace, and then calls us to be peace-makers. We might still shudder at what we witness in the world and around us, but the solution begins with us, as we embrace the “Prince of Peace”. The “Prince of Peace” breaks any cycle of bitterness and works toward forgiveness and reconciliation. The Gospel of Jesus is about quelling conflict, reconciling people to each other, and bringing a new harmony into various situations.

Verse 7 speaks of “endless peace”, which seems a long way off from where we are at. Especially so, as we see this “endless peace” being established with justice and right living! Isaiah, for his time, saw this “endless peace” in more national and political terms. But when we factor Jesus into this text, we think of an “endless peace” based on an experience of forgiveness and salvation. This “endless peace” happens as the Son’s “authority” grows. So we might say that, as there is a greater experience of salvation amongst the world’s peoples this will lead to the sort of peace envisaged here. This also speaks I think of that eternal peace that we have to look forward to.

And so today, all of Isaiah’s vision is yet to be realised. The full potential of what God has done in Jesus is still to be maximised. It can only be further realised as we allow Jesus, the ultimate King described here, to have full sway in our lives, and as we identify with these aspects of his character. As we turn on the Christmas lights, we can expect a turnaround. We can expect any “gloom” around us to give way to a brighter future. We can expect that other people will also come to meet Jesus, and gradually sense that their “anguish” is being replaced with peace and hope.

"Where God's Compassion Leads" (Exodus 2:23-3:12)

(1) God of Compassion

What happened at the first Christmas was not a new idea – maybe a new strategy – but not something contrary to the way God had always acted. The Israelites, groaning under the burden of their slavery in Egypt, cried out to God … presumably a constant and corporate cry for help. “Groaning” would indicate a passionate, deep, heart-felt cry. “Slavery” is a dreadful thing because freedom has been taken away, and there would no consideration of basic human rights. They would be suffering exploitation and economic injustice. How the Egyptians treated the Israelites is referred to in terms of oppression (NRSV) and abuse (NLT; 3:9). When God spoke to Moses a bit later we read (refer verse 7) words used like “distress, misery, suffering”.

We then read that their cries for help … “rose up to God” (2:23). This signifies to me that God’s attention is never removed from us for too long. It was not surprising that God heard the people’s cries – it was a natural result of God’s love for his created beings. As we read in verse 25, “God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them”; or, in the NLT, “… and [God] knew it was time to act”. Not only did God hear and take notice, but God is also caused to remember his promises to Abraham and his descendants. God’s people could not be left to flounder and suffer and die, because God had promised to bless all the nations of the earth through these descendants of Abraham. There was a lot at risk!

One word describes well God’s response to the cries of his people … ‘compassion’. We know how Jesus shows deep, gut-wrenching compassion when confronted by human need. This is who God is! All God does on this occasion comes out of faithfulness to his own character and to the promises (or covenants) he has previously made. And this compassion is NOT based on it being deserved or earned, this compassion is based purely on human need. On the basis of this compassionate reaction to their dire situation, God will over time seek further and deeper relationship with his people; it would be those with grateful open hearts that will respond and maximise the benefits of God’s acts of mercy.

God’s timing is always impeccable, even when we can’t understand it or work it out. It is often in hindsight that we see the perfection of God’s timing. The trick is to know in the midst of uncertainty, that in fact, God’s timing is perfect … God will act at the best time and in the best way. Verse 25b in NLT … “God knew it was time to act”. God’s ultimate well-timed act was the sending of Jesus. We read Paul’s words in Galatians 4:4-5 … But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. History has shown, because of a number of factors, why Jesus came just at the right time so that God’s (compassionate) purposes might be fulfilled. We can’t know why God doesn’t seem to respond in some quite similar circumstances to what the Israelites faced here, but we do know that God can and does at certain times; which should encourage us to pray.

(2) God of Action

How does God act on this occasion (in Exodus)? Well, he forms a rescue plan. And this plan not only was a deliverance out of a bad situation, but also there was an idea toward a new style of living environment – a “good and broad land” (NRSV) or a “fertile and spacious land” (NLT). For the ancient Israelites this meant literally a new place, and this is also what is needed for many modern-day refugees … a new peaceful welcoming spacious land. But in other situations, for other people, this may mean deliverance to a new family or to a new spiritual community or simply to a new way of life (that could be described in terms of a “fertile and spacious land”).

Now, this all involves raising up a leader … Moses. Because God was calling him, Moses was obviously ready – more ready than he knew. Moses had had an interesting life to say the least. From being rescued from the river Nile, to being brought up in Pharaoh’s house, to becoming an outcast for defending a fellow Hebrew against an Egyptian oppressor – fleeing to Midian and becoming a farmhand, marrying the daughter of a priest whose family he had helped, and having a son. Now Moses faced a burning bush, a full-on fire … but the bush wasn’t succumbing to the flames.

First of all, Moses wasn’t frightened nor dismissive … he was inquisitive – refer verse 3. This was an unusual happening … there might just be more to it! When he heard a voice, that he may have begun to think was God, Moses was prepared to respond “Here I am” (v.4). God then further tested his readiness. Not only was Moses prepared to take his shoes off – showing reverence, he also hid his face – demonstrating his potential unworthiness (to be so close to the very presence of God). Moses thus passed the humility test! God can only use the humble … those who have a proper assessment of themselves … a sinner needing to be saved by grace. Yet having been saved by grace, we are then able to be used mightily.

(3) God of Faithfulness

God explains to Moses that having observed the misery on earth and heard the people’s cries, that he has “come down” to deliver them (v.8). This is personal!! Again, this concept of ‘coming down’ is consistent with what will happen many centuries later with Jesus. God’s ‘coming down’ on this occasion will involve the ongoing leadership of a person dedicated to God’s cause. God says to Moses (v.10), “Now go … for I am sending you to Pharaoh” (NLT); or better I think (given what follows), “So come … I will send you to Pharaoh” (NRSV).

You want me to do what? I have a bit of a chequered history with the royal family!! And there is a bit of tension between me and the Hebrew people as well. How does God answer these doubts?? What of great importance follows??? All protests become insignificant when we hear, “I will be with you” (verse 12)! There will still be difficulties and challenges for Moses to cope with … things would actually get worse before they got better … yet this is the best guarantee we could have!! There is no contradiction between God saying he will personally respond and then actually calling Moses to complete the task … because … “I will go with you”! This will be a partnership!

But before this guarantee came, Moses utters the words, “Who am I … that I should go to Pharaoh” (verse 11)!?!

What do you think lies behind this???

·        Guilt, shame

·        Identity crisis – born a Hebrew, but brought up as an Egyptian (literally “who am I”?)

·        Lack of confidence, self-doubt, feelings of limitation

·        Fear, lack of courage, unwilling to take a risk

·        Only sees the difficulty and probable failure, i.e. lack of faith.

The guarantee stands!!

Understanding our weaknesses will help us allow God to work through us; however dwelling on our weaknesses, or hiding behind them, will render us ineffective. God meets us initially where we are, at our recognized point of need, and from here we are led on to an understanding of our needs at a deeper level – which we should not ignore. A proper realistic view of ourselves is what we need to lead us toward a proper trust in God. We come as we are, open ourselves to Jesus, receive his forgiveness, fix our eyes on him, then go with Jesus through life … learning along the way. Then any task we are called to, is a task that God can accomplish through us. The “Come no closer” of verse 5 has now given way to “So come … I will be with you” (v.10,12). The protest, “Who am I …”, should have come to an end – it no longer stands up.

There will eventually be a “sign” that God has truly called Moses and has been with him all the way (v.12b), but that “sign” will not be seen until the job is done. Moses will have to exhibit faith to experience the results which will vindicate the whole effort. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating!

(4) People of Prayer & Compassion

So what might we want to cry out to God about?

Are we attentive to how God might answer?

What if we ourselves are asked to participate in a ‘rescue plan’?

Can we apply God’s promise, “I will be with you”?

The world, this country, even elements of our own community are in great need. What are we crying about? In the story of the exodus, clearly the people’s prayers led to a remarkable outcome. God wants to hear our cries. This is part of our participation in his compassion for the world. In some mysterious way, our cries of pain energise God’s compassion. God’s action was decisively for the oppressed, and against their oppressor Pharaoh. The protests and cries of the victims, and those who intercede for them are always heard by God. Psalm 103:6-8 says, The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly. He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love (NLT).

Do we join God in his nature of compassion? Do we back our prayers with action? Or, do we perhaps just go through the spiritual motions a bit? Perhaps we don’t unleash enough of God into certain situations!

Why doesn’t this happen, or that happen, we wonder! Have we cried out? Have we gone out on a limb??

God has a consistent mindset of bringing people out of bad situations into new hope, out of slavery into freedom, out of darkness and into light, out of death and into life. This is no matter whether they have fallen into bad situations through the behaviour of others, or got themselves into trouble and they themselves bear the responsibility. This is how God responded to the “fall”, and how God continues to respond. Ultimately of course, God responded to the sin problem in the world with Jesus. But this shouldn’t have been unexpected, because God was always seeking to get close up and personal and save his people.

'Resilience' series conclusion - "Mary & Martha: there is need of only one thing" (Luke 10:38-11:4)

(1) Where do you see ‘resilience’ here (in Luke 10:38-42 with Mary and Martha)?

Resilience =

·        the capacity to withstand and bounce back

·        absorbing setbacks and continuing to function well

·        to readily recover

·        to keep moving through difficult circumstances

·        making a difference despite setbacks

·        taking on challenges

·        to remain connected and open-hearted

·        growing.

What might help the building of ‘resilience’ from this passage?

·        Jesus was welcomed into their home (by Martha!)

·        Mary being attentive to Jesus … “who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying”

·        Mary choosing “the better part” which will not be taken away

What about a negative example?

·        Martha was worried and distracted “by many things”. This was understandable with all these disciples to feed; however if Martha was unwilling to sit at Jesus’ feet, then the result may well be a lack of ‘resilience’. Also, Martha thought nothing of seeking to interrupt Mary from sitting at Jesus’ feet … “Tell her then to help me” (v.40).

We might think on the surface that Jesus commended being passive over and above being active in this incident with Mary and Martha, but the context would suggest otherwise: at the beginning of chapter 10 there is the call to active mission (that Steve Stubbings talked about) … the sending out of the seventy (out of their comfort zones into ‘third places’); which is followed by the call toward active neighbourliness in the parable of the ‘good Samaritan’ … the challenge to be good neighbours (to people who may not even be our first choices). Steve Stubbings emphasised one very important word … a small word … perhaps what we might come to see as the end point and climax of our ‘resilience’ … “go”!

So the problem with Martha was NOT that she was active and motivated, rather it was that she was … “worried and distracted”. She had lost perspective, maybe she had even gone off track completely. Worries and distractions can be very pervasive and noisy, and block our minds from more productive endeavours. Jesus tried to return Martha back to basics by saying to her, “there is need of only one thing” (v.42a). That one thing was what Mary was displaying – the centrality of a devoted relationship with Jesus.

Our level of ‘resilience’ is ultimately connected to our response to one person – to the depth of our relationship with one person … Jesus!

When the seventy on mission came back and reported their incredible success to Jesus … “even the demons submit to us” (10:17), Jesus said back to them, “Do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (10:20)! Thus everything that is good in our present and in our future, stems from our relationship with Jesus. So what counts most is the relationship that fuels the best outcomes. This is where ‘resilience’ springs from!

(2) Why is it that we get worried and distracted?

·        We take our eyes off Jesus

·        We let little things take too big a priority

·        We concentrate on the negative rather than the positive

·        We become too self-interested

·        We are too concerned how others might see us

·        Even maybe, a misguided sense of justice. You may think that Martha was just interested in a fair distribution of the work; or rather, had she allowed a chip to form on her shoulder about how hard she worked compared with everyone else?!? “Lord, do you not care … tell her to help me” (v.40)!!!

·        Sometimes our perspective is just a little off. Martha was acting purely out of the perspective that Jesus was her guest, thereby missing the point that in this scene of hospitality, she was really Jesus’ guest. Jesus was in her house not to be served, but rather to serve. Sometimes, as much as we are called to serve others in the name of Jesus, we need to receive from Jesus. The repeated “Martha, Martha” of verse 41 seems to have a very compassionate tone to it … for she was missing out.

So Martha was not wrong in being active, it’s just that she lacked grounding, and therefore became easily worried and distracted. To be ‘resilient’ is to have what we do firmly grounded in who we believe in.

(3) Mary, listening and learning

Mary at the feet of Jesus, listening attentively, was ready to hear what was needed to be heard. This is NOT a text about a choice being contemplative on the one hand or active on the other, or even about life balance; it is a text about what is primary and should come first. Martha needed to be where Mary was, so that when she returned to her various activities … it would be the right sort of activities carried out in the right sort of way.

Throughout the history of Judaism, one of the most honoured positions for a Jew was the privilege of becoming a follower of the local rabbi and to be able to sit at their feet while they taught. Such followers would also study the rabbi’s words, watch how he acted and reacted to life and others – being determined to become like him. Mary correctly identified Jesus as the one she should follow in such a way as this!

Where do we need to be?

Why at Jesus’ feet?

This is the place of love, grace and … learning!

What might we need to learn?

We have been blessed and challenged by messages in our ‘resilience’ series, that have dealt with this concept in a number of ways. I believe, in a strong sense, that we have been sitting at Jesus’ feet as we have been listening to these profound messages about where we find and see ‘resilience’.

Glenn Arnott challenged us to strengthen our faith so that we would be in an increasingly better position to cope with the adverse winds and unsettled seas (Mark 6:45-52). Jesus will always be there for us … for when it came to the crunch he got into the boat; but Jesus does want us to be able to build our own resolve without resorting to worry and fear – so scared were the disciples on that occasion that they did not even recognise Jesus when he came past them walking on the water. That’s why he sent them out in the boat in the first place, and why he was going to originally just pass them by! Jesus tests our metal … this is part of us becoming who we are meant to be.

Andy Sparkes told us many stories about refugees who had built ‘resilience’ through all the difficult circumstances they had encountered. Some did this through faith in a God who would travel with them and carry them through no matter how bad things got. But this didn’t happen as their difficulties reduced, quite the opposite. Resilience built as they did everything they could to give their families a better life in a better place.

We all have to face up to changed environmental situations – longer hotter summers. But as John Atkins said to us, we also have to respond to the attitudes and decisions that got us here. God has given us plentiful resources. If we have neglected our stewardship of creation, and, if, because of greed, we have short-changed any other people or whole countries into poverty, then we need to respond to opportunities of practically helping. This is simply the beginning point of communal repentance. Jesus has taught us to help those who have been neglected and left behind.

When it comes to ‘resilience’ in our family life, Brett Ryan last week gave us very practical advice about spending time eating together around the table, undistracted by anything that would reduce the possibility of growing relationships. And then we have the opportunity of acknowledging Jesus as the extra person at our table at each and every meal. Would that change how we behaved?

When I spoke about ‘church resilience’, we saw that we will be able to take on what might seem the most incredible challenges because Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit through which to be effective in his name. Against all odds we can be a devoted, vital, generous and worshipping people that results in a growing Kingdom of God.

What else might we learn at Jesus’ feet?

The answers to all sorts of questions:

Big questions –

·        What do we see ourselves doing with our life?

Daily questions –

·        Who can we bless today?

·        What person or cause can we serve today?

Where might his take us?

Where we become such good listeners that we can naturally respond to God’s gentle directions.

Jesus concludes his commendation of Mary (in verse 42) with the words, “Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her”. What does this mean? Mary’s learnings at the feet of Jesus are treasures in heaven of eternal value. The resources gained will surely stand Mary in very good stead.

Now Mary might just get a bit active and serve some pavlova for dessert; and Martha … she may just leave the dishes until after Jesus leaves.

(4) A Prayer that is a Lifestyle

If we come to sit at Jesus’ feet, then we enter a relationship built on the simple basic trust of the next verses. This is not only a model prayer, but also a statement of ‘resilience’. If we adopt Jesus’ model prayer as a lifestyle, this will certainly bring ‘resilience’. This prayer can define the nature of our relationship with both God and the World.

In this way we have a unique contribution to make to the whole area of ‘resilience’ in our community.

We have a heavenly father who generously loves us, One that we can love in return, worship, and bear witness to. We have God-given purpose and vision revolving around God’s Kingdom being revealed on earth. We trust God for our daily needs without worrying. We maintain all of our relationships through the practice of forgiveness, and in so doing receive forgiveness ourselves. We are honest about our own transgressions. We trust that God always has our best interests at heart.

(5) Jesus brings ‘resilience’ – the ultimate capacity to bounce back.

Jesus himself rose from death to life. When we were dead in our sins … Jesus took our burden upon himself and died that we might live. When we were lost seemingly without hope … Jesus invited us into a relationship of love and freedom. When we were lonely and friendless … Jesus declared that he would be our friend. When we were scared and had nowhere else to turn … Jesus offered us his company, walking with us day by day. When we were busy but not actually achieving anything … Jesus invited us to sit at his feet and rest for a while. When we were wondering what life means for us … Jesus gently teaches us what we need to know.

"Hope Springs Eternal" (Jeremiah 29:10-14; Matthew 19:13-15)

God ‘s people in Israel had found themselves in exile. The prophets tell us that this was largely this people’s own fault. They had taken God for granted and neglected God’s ways. Because their lives were not as they should have been, they were a sitting duck for the invading military might of Babylon. Being taken north into exile … all seemed lost! Loss of land, social and spiritual connections; restricted freedom; living within a totally different culture – all hope seemed gone!!

Sometimes, because of the circumstances we face, we might think that all hope is gone. At other times, it is people close to us that we feel deeply for, as they go through struggles, and we sense that their hope is diminishing. There are so many people in desperate situations. We can even feel like we are in ‘exile’ in this world with all that is going on – so much evil happening in various parts of the world.

The prophet Jeremiah at the time might have said something like: “she’ll be right – you’ll be back home in no time”! But this would not be true – the situation the people were in was not going to be resolved so easily nor quickly. This would have been “false hope”, for it was not based in reality. Jeremiah was a ‘true’ prophet, and he was going to accurately reflect God’s take on the situation. This political situation will take seventy years to resolve. Get used to the idea, and settle down into some semblance of normal living.

So where was hope to be found? God would be with his people in this exile, and in their struggle (to adjust)! God would not leave his people to flounder in their difficulty and in their feelings of lostness! God remained available to them; while it is true that they couldn’t worship in the places of their choosing, God was still intimately close to them. This might be of encouragement to those we know, who in later years have moved into facilities where they would prefer not to be. God is mobile … not restricted to any place.

As God’s people began to carve out a new life for themselves in Babylon, and did so with integrity in terms of their relationships with all people, God would look after these people’s ultimate well-being – for surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Hope for these people would not be found in their surroundings (whether good or bad), not in their material resources (whether lots or little), not be found in physical places of worship (whether lavish or meagre), but rather purely in a relationship with God.

And for God to have “plans” for us, means that God really knows us well, and surely this suggests an enormous amount of loving intent. So when we cry out in despair, we know for sure that God hears us, and desires the best for us. There is a sense in this Jeremiah passage we have read, that when we come to terms with what matters most … our relationship with God (and through our relationship with God our relationship with our neighbour) … our future will be better than either the past or the present.

Seeking God with all our heart is the road to experiencing hope!! There is no barrier left to finding God – God certainly doesn’t put up any walls of separation – I will let you find me, says the Lord. And thus we can be refashioned and reformed … being prepared for eternity.

Now if this still seems a little illusive, then we can personalise this even more through our New Testament reading. You couldn’t have children disrupting Jesus could you!?! Jesus had more important things to do!?! Even his disciples, who should have known better, were party to stopping these children running up to Jesus. [These disciples had heard Jesus teaching on the need for humility (like you naturally see represented in children) just one chapter earlier.]

Here is a real downer … the natural and beautiful excitement of children being squashed by adults with misplaced priorities. Children had very low status in the society of that time, and Jesus would want to counteract that thinking, but also went on to elevate children as the ones we would have to emulate if we want to be fit for God’s kingdom. We don’t want to be repressing children and destroying their optimism. We know that a lot worse has been done to children that requires so much repentance and reparation.

Jesus of course senses better than anyone else what is at stake here: Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them. Jesus will not let hope be taken away! And not only that – Jesus presents an invitation to come to him that we can all respond to. Despite all the baggage and hurt that we have accumulated during winter, now that spring has arrived and Jesus is present, we can come to Jesus with all the humility and innocence of a child – it is to such as these [children] that the kingdom of heaven belongs. I’m sure Jesus touched every one of these children that were brought to him that day.

So much hope is lost through finding out that what we had invested most in turned out to be not worth as much as we had thought … things like work, achievement, status, material gain. So much hope is lost when some seem to rise while others get left behind. So much hope is lost through disappointment in other people. Yet hope is regained through a little trust and a bit of openness toward Jesus – a beautiful friend, wonderful Saviour, and the Lord of lords.

What a tremendous amount of hope there is in these scriptures. No matter how grim the winter has been, God is there, close available for the finding; bringing renewed opportunities of life and love. Spring comes around each year without any help from us! The same God that has set the seasons in place offers us new hope. We can allow the troubles of winter to dominate our spring, or embrace anew the hope that is in God.

And when other things and other people have tended to get in the way, Jesus makes way for us to come to him, and then places his hands gently upon us … such that hope springs eternal!

Church Resilience (Acts 2:42-47)

(A) DEFINING RESILIENCE

To be ‘resilient’, according to the dictionary, is to be able to ‘spring back’ or ‘readily recover’.

This suggests that certain testing or difficult things have happened, and a person or a group has found a way of recovering.

‘Resilience’ is about being ready, or having grown into a state which can absorb setbacks and difficulties and still function well.

Another good word could be “buoyant”, because to be “buoyant” means to be able to stay on top of the water.

Craig Lapsley, when he spoke at Harrietville last Wednesday, talked about ‘resilience’ in terms of health and well-being.

Communities, like Harrietville, and indeed within the whole Alpine region, are seeking to be proactively resilient – in the face of any fire or other disaster.

Craig also talked about resilience being required in, through and beyond times of change. In a broad environmental context this means climate change.

But in the context of a church, this means dealing with change brought about by “post-Christendom” – which refers to the church no longer being seen as relevant, and no longer in the centre of community thinking (as it once was).

Surely the Church, given its resources, can be an example of ‘resilience’, and make a unique contribution to community resilience.

How so?? The Holy Spirit, given to each of us, will provide all the giftedness and effectiveness required, if we are up for receiving this!!

We can go to the earliest record of church functioning in the Book of Acts – chapter 2:42-47 (and see what the Holy Spirit was up to).

Some may see this as idealistic, but surely this rings true as something worth aspiring to.

This is what happened in the early days of the church after they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

(B) AREAS OF CHURCH RESILIENCE (Acts 2:42-47)

We could just use the general term LOVE or CARING here, but we could also split this up a little bit and use some other words.

If we were to embrace these concepts, then we certainly would have a unique, special and effective contribution to make!

[Do you see a very important word in verse 42??? “They …”! The collective!!]

(1) DEVOTION = whole-hearted; not double-minded (v.42)

Ø Teaching – the how to of the Christian faith – the early believers knew that they needed to learn the basics of their faith, if they were to survive the rigours and challenges of their society, and then grow and flourish. Part of this learning would be to flesh out together how to effectively live out their faith in everyday life. What does it mean in real everyday life to be a follower of Jesus? How did Jesus live, and what did Jesus teach? What effect did this have? So the “apostles’ teaching” would have been all about Jesus, and what were the unique blessings that Jesus was bringing to people’s lives. In this way also, new people would be able to quickly appreciate what becoming an adherent of Jesus was all about. Central to this teaching would be the cross and resurrection of Jesus.

Ø Gathering – the actual word in the English text is “fellowship”, but the Greek word used is far more comprehensive than that … koinonia. This is far more than sharing a cuppa after services … this was about deep sharing, close relationship, real caring and spiritual communion. The early believers gained great support and strength from ‘gathering’ together often, sharing their burdens and their joys, and receiving encouragement when faced with disappointment or loss. This ‘gathering’ was not seen as a duty, but rather a pleasure and a lifeline. They still gathered, in those early days, in the temple in Jerusalem (before it became impossible) and then also in each other’s homes (near to where they lived) during other times of the week. You get the impression from this Acts passage of continued interaction. Verse 46 restates this desire to gather along with the hospitality involved.

Ø Hospitality – the connection these early believers had was not only in words but in reality. They shared with one another and were intent on building relationships. The sharing of meals in one another’s homes was, culturally speaking, the most intimate and friendly of activities. This natural hospitality would have included sharing communion with one another (the remembrance of the Lord’s Supper). Just like God’s hospitality to all of us, this hospitality and sharing would have crossed through societal barriers (like ethnicity and economic status) and embraced difference and diversity. Eating together is a great community builder, and sharing communion focusses this fellowship back to the source of all love.

Ø Prayer – i.e. “the prayers” … not just casual praying when it is convenient, this would refer to the set times of prayer that the early believers would engage in together. The early believers clearly believed in prayer, not only as an act of worship, but also as a means of activating God’s will upon situations and communities. We recently read in Acts 12, how the praying people of God brought about a complete change in the situation that Peter faced. One minute Peter faced execution, the next he was returned to ministry and leadership. Why wouldn’t you pray when it brought about outcomes like that!

(2) VITALITY – verse 43 – the early believers experienced many wonderful outcomes of their faith; God was working amongst them in mighty ways. It should be exciting to be part of the church. Of course this excitement is not only measured by what we get out of it personally, but also (and maybe more so) how others are benefitting. These “wonders and signs" likely extended to more than ‘supernatural’ events, which would be outstanding enough … but also rare and unusual happenings (from a human standpoint) i.e. occurrences of generosity, unity and neighbourly care. If people can get past their selfish inclinations and act in remarkably outgoing ways toward each other, then God must be at work – this all helping to explain the “awe” that came upon everyone. Church indeed should be exciting – we should come expecting something [having high expectations even], and return having experienced something significant!

(3) GENEROSITY – verses 44-45 – the early believers truly cared for one another and their lot in life. They were not selfish with their possessions or resources, nor were they over-envious with their time. They brought all their resources to the common need. This is way different from communism, because they did this by choice as a practical expression of their faith. There is an admission here that individually we are limited, but together we are whole. Here then is a decisive move from separation to overlap, from security to availability, from protection to vulnerability (Dan White Jnr – Syracuse NY). With this generosity came an openness, honesty and vulnerability [e.g. James 5:16] that allowed the general community to see that these people were real!

THIS CAN BE SCARY STUFF, BUT IT IS THE STUFF OF RESILIENCE!

(4) WORSHIP – verse 47 – “praising God” – these early believers were great worshippers … they knew where their salvation and welfare came from, and they were keen to publicly proclaim it. And this “praise” clearly infiltrated the local environment. If things were going well, they were willing to point to God as the source; if things were not going well, they were willing to seek out God for forgiveness and direction. They must have had integrity in all this – their words and actions must have stacked up well, because … why??? … they had the “goodwill of all the people”. We know from various historical reports, that Christians became highly renowned for not only looking after the sick, dying and dead of their own number, but of all the rest of the community as well. This all pointed towards great hope for those who were broken-hearted.

If we look at the outcome of these particular resilient attitudes (i.e. “goodwill” and numbers being “added”), then I think we can deduce some important other dynamics happening:

(5) EXTERNAL FOCUS – I think, by the results we read about in verse 47, that these early believers were missional … they were at least as externally focussed as much as they were considerate of each other. But then again, we have seen how these are likely connected and go together. You can’t really separate the two and expect good results. However, it is true, that the church was never meant to be a club, but rather a missional movement. The church is not essentially about ourselves, but rather about those who are yet to know Jesus. The ‘resilience’ of a church community may be assessed in terms of its growth … in effectiveness (Holy Spirit’s leading), in numbers, and in (good) reputation.

(6) BALANCE – Church life can be a bit tricky. We have to balance a lot of dynamics. We have to balance the internal needs of our congregation with our cause (mission). We have to value our being as much as our doing, and our doing as much as our being. Our desire and need to grow into the image of Jesus ourselves has to be balanced with our call to take the name of Jesus to the ends of the earth. We have to highly value relationships at the same time as valuing methods and processes to take us forward and make an impact (and help us embrace change). We have to balance relationships and progress. The ‘resilient’ church will balance all these (sometimes competing) dynamics very well. And, in balancing well, we will become more resilient!