Sunday, October 18, 2015

"Growing in God Together" (James 5:13-20)

1.     The Heights of Spiritual Community

What we see here, I believe, are the (rare) heights of spiritual community: expressions of passionate prayer, joyful worship, open sharing, healing and forgiveness, and an outgoing ministry. The way this is expressed, gatherings of the faithful lead to prayer and honesty, which in turn leads to healing and experiences of salvation. What potential there is here for good! This is something worth striving for!!

When we enquire about how the church should look and operate, we can turn to 1 Corinthians 12, where Paul talks about the church being like a body, with all its interconnected and interdependent parts, with Jesus as the head. Each and every body part, in an ideal sense, functions in perfect cooperation with all others, each spiritual gift coming together in harmony for the common good. Every body part is needed, and each one has a unique contribution to make to the whole. So, we, in the church are not religious consumers, but rather spirited contributors.

We can also turn to the early chapters of Acts, and sense the unity, and the commitment to mission, in the early Christian movement. Great diversity came together on the Day of Pentecost around the Lordship of Jesus, bringing thousands to faith. People starting gathering in homes, to worship, eat together, share the bread and the cup, to pray, to look after the sick and struggling; pooling their resources for mutual benefit. We should never say ‘that was then’ and ‘this is now’, and thereby miss the beauty and truth of what is conveyed there.

Then (in terms of how the church should look and function) we can turn to these verses in James, which to me convey the depth to which Jesus-following communities can go in their mutual care. But this can also be scary (especially in places like verse 16). Yet we can come to understand this as a process, not something that happens overnight, but something that can develop over time (given the right environment, and the right nurture).

The church united should present to the world a picture of what God looks like and the way God functions. If we are all born in the image of God, what does God look like? The best of all of us combined - the redeemed and sanctified people of God together. Or, the best in each one of us combined - the redeemed and sanctified people of God together.

2.     Growing in God Together

Last week we talked about each of us growing in our relationship with God, and what might be signs of ‘anti-growth’ that we have to be aware of (James chapter 4). This week, the text of James 5 helps us to consider ways in which we grow in God together. Growing in God is not just a personal pursuit with a vertical focus, not when we have been purpose designed as social and relational beings. Spiritual growth also has the horizontal component, where we come together as God’s people to minister with and to encourage each other.

This is about relationship building, not just for its own sake, but with real redemptive purpose. This is about becoming mutual sharers and helpers … bearing one another’s burdens. In so doing we experience more of God, and learn more of God’s character. There is a great depth to God who operates in the community of Father, Son and Spirit that we call the Trinity. [Building horizontal relationships with each other helps us delve into the depths of this community of God.] Through our interaction with each other we can become more clear about how God is being active in our life.

Now there are some realities that we have to acknowledge. This is not easy ground for everybody; perhaps it’s not easy ground for anybody! People have been hurt in the past. People have expectantly put themselves out there only to be disappointed or hurt. Many people have very negative experiences of human vulnerability. It’s natural for people to be a bit defensive, or afraid of what others might think, in a world that is so often judgemental and critical. We seem to even celebrate such negativity in producing and watching something like “Gogglebox”. Then there are little personality clashes that seem to divide if they’re not handled well. Sometimes high expectations aren’t met.

We can’t just wave the Bible, or say a one-off simple prayer, and expect things to immediately be different. But at the same time, any student of the Bible cannot ignore the ideal presented before us. Why? Because it is the well-functioning church, albeit warts and all, that will shine the light of Jesus and offer hope to the community. Why would we spend such time and energy on organising public events like FUSE and a community concert featuring Carter & Carter. It is because our job description as a church is to share the light and hope of the Gospel … the good news of Jesus. And we know that a church without a Gospel mission is no church at all, it is only another social club. So, of course, the Bible challenges us!

So, how can we be the church that Jesus heads? How can we grow in God together?? How can we reach the (rare) heights of spiritual community???

There’s something here about being real, and allowing others to be real. When there is a struggle, we don’t ignore it, but rather we pray. When there is a resolution, we celebrate. What could have been a private struggle becomes a corporate prayer; what could have been individual rejoicing becomes a community celebration. In all things, especially when caught in unknown territory, we trust wholly in God. I have seen this pan out magnificently in my days in Point Cook. There were two days at that church where we did reach the rare heights of spiritual community.

Also, in the church, we should not be afraid of weaknesses being exposed. For it is in our capacity to embrace, support (and transform) weakness that our real strength can be shown. What could be seen as potential liabilities or deficits through ‘worldly’ eyes can actually be our greatest blessings – for they reveal the mighty works of God. Take for instance the formerly lame man who went walking and leaping and praising God in the 3rd chapter of Acts, or the corrupt tax collector Zacchaeus who became the great benefactor of the poor (Luke 19), or the broken-hearted Peter (following his denials) being restored and ordained to significant ministry.

3.     The Environment of Faith

Creating an environment of faith, prayer and worship will ultimately bring about healing, forgiveness and restoration. When we gather together we should gather in this mindset – that today’s collection of faith, prayer and worship will lead to healing, forgiveness and restoration … in others and in ourselves. This is a far cry to coming to fulfil a religious obligation, and a far cry from coming to critically assess what’s going on. This is coming with an openness to the Spirit of God that rises way above the many distractions and imperfections.

The passage before us refers to where faith and prayer can lead:

(a)  Healing – i.e. the Lord raising up the sick (v.15-16) – we know that, in the case of serious illness or injury, this does not always mean an ultimate cure, although sometimes it does work out that way (and we should never discount this possibility). Generally speaking this is about God having the space to work, and the opportunity for God to draw close to someone and offer his intimate presence to them. This often takes away some of most serious anxieties and replaces them with God’s peace. Healing really means … whatever God wants to release or bring about in a person. We often sense how God is working away bringing us back to full health, and also reassuring us in times of despair.

It is suggested that the sick seek out the “elders” for prayer (v.14), and this is a very wise thing to do. It is likely that the pastors and elders have the availability and discernment to carefully and wisely deal with even the most complex situations. Like the laying on of hands represents the presence of the Holy Spirit, the “anointing with oil”, mentioned here, symbolises God’s power to restore and heal. Such prayer, though, is offered on behalf of the whole church (with the “elders” as the functionaries or facilitators).

With such prayer we commit a person to God’s best for them. We would of course hope and pray for the best case scenario as we see it, but it is God who has all the information from the whole landscape picture of a person’s life. We don’t limit our expectations, nor do we limit God’s power. Prayer connects a person with God’s will for them. We pray on their behalf, “Thy will be done”. This places people into the hands of infinite love and wisdom.

(b) Confession and forgiveness (v.15-16) – there is also that side of ‘healing’ which is really all about spiritual healing and renewal … beginning the process of salvation … being released from the oppression of sin and entrenched negativity. What is often required here is speaking it out … confessing what has being going wrong, being prepared to talk honestly about our struggles. It is confession that takes one properly down the road of repentance (i.e. new direction) bringing God’s mercy into play. There might be inner struggles, offences against the common good, or the sins of neglect. And there is nothing more isolating and debilitating than guilty secrets. Sometimes it is only when we give voice to our struggle that we can find release … “I’m struggling with this – please pray with me”. There is an element here too of taking responsibility – like the sportsperson who puts up their hand when they made a mistake badly affecting their attempt to score … thus apologising to their teammates. When the people of God admit their mistakes, we can all rejoice in the forgiveness of God.

I have often said that James 5:16 is the most challenging verse in the New Testament i.e. the ‘confessing your sins to one another’ bit. What was in mind here? This could be a confession and apology to one offended person as a step of reconciliation; but I think there is certainly more in view here (in the broader context of our human struggles). Is this confession before a congregation? Confession within a trusted small group? Confession to one other person? Probably, ‘horses for courses’. It probably depends on what, case by case, is the most appropriate, and will bring the most helpful and conclusive results. There are some things that would not be appropriate to share with the masses; while sometimes sharing something with a larger number of people brings with it more far-reaching support. King David went pretty public with his confession in Psalm 51 – we are still reading that one today (and benefitting by it).

I have seen great burdens lifted when confessions are made within small groups who have gained trust in one another. One-on-one accountability relationships have also proven very effective. The point is: being prepared to open ourselves to the wider resources of God that exist in other people. And this, as relationships blossom, would likely become more mutual (rather than just one-way traffic), and generally build the effectiveness of the church. The church, or some sections of it, has become notorious for hiding their sins. To turn this around, we may have to practice what Tim Gustafson (ODB 3.9.15) calls “a risky yet healthy honesty with each other and with the watching world”.

(c)  Restoration (v.20) – there are many people who wander away from God and the church over time, and that is really sad. No one cares more about this than God. Jesus tells the story about leaving 99 sheep behind (even in some danger) while taking up a priority search for one lost sheep. When that sheep is found there is much rejoicing and a huge party. The lost ones need supporters. Sometimes people can be sitting right next to us, but are really a long way away and disengaged from what is happening. They may also need a supporter. We might need to be on the front foot here, acting gently; as long as we are truly tapped in to God’s leading. So crucial is this, that we read success will “cover a multitude of sins”.

What an interesting way to end a letter! What a piece of motivational writing! Verse 20: “… whoever brings back a sinner from wandering … will cover a multitude of sins”. Whose sins are covered?? The person being returned to God’s sheepfold … certainly. The people who have gone out on a search – showing their commitment and sincerity, and backing up their words with actions … I reckon yes! They are clearly in harmony with God. To have neglected such a lost one would have been a sin itself, but that is not the case.

But there is a “multitude of sins” being ‘covered’! Perhaps this is where our actions of today mean that future sins that might have been committed will no longer be committed!! Mine, Yours, Everybody’s! This is the output of faithful spiritual community!?! Extraordinary … do you get excited about teasing out little things like this in the Bible? Did James finish here because he got tired of writing, or was there a deeper reason. Proverbs 10:12 starts challengingly and then finishes stirringly: “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offences”. This reference to a “multitude of sins” is not so much there to stress prevalent wickedness, but rather to highlight the extravagance of God’s grace!

4.     The Prayer of Faith

When James talks about the “prayer of faith” (v.15), whose faith is he talking about?? OURS!! The faith of the sufferer is still important, but it is more their willingness to seek prayer that counts, and then the faith of the rest of us that makes the difference. This is just like the faith of the four stretcher-bearers who exhibited great faith in breaking through a roof to make sure their friend could get to meet Jesus (Mark 2).

Verse 16b refers to the “prayer of the righteous” being powerful and effective – and we might think that this could exclude us … this notion of “righteous”. But actually a “righteous” person is simply a person who is right with God i.e. had their sins forgiven and can therefore be a clear channel of blessing to others. The example is given of the great prophet Elijah, and the power of his prayers; however James is quick to remark that Elijah was actually just human like the rest of us. Elijah had times of fear and depression, yet his prayers were powerful and effective, as he fully committed himself to God.

I would like to say that my prayers were powerful and effective, and I would like to say that the prayers of our Wednesday morning prayer group were powerful and effective, and I would like to say that the prayers of our elders and board were powerful and effective, but I would MOST like to say that the prayers of the community called Bright Church of Christ as a whole were powerful and effective! And what if we could say that for all the Jesus-following people and congregations of our area … what a difference that would make!!

As prayers are answered, as comfort comes, the Lord has blessed both the recipient and the supporters, for together they have experienced the love of God and the Holy Spirit’s power. That is how God builds the church (from: ET Welch in Side by Side, p.117).

5.     Preparation

A bold question would be: “Is our church a place where struggles can easily be shared”?

Another question: “What is my role in complementing this??
Sharing openly, or being a listener & supporter, or both!!

All of what James has said in previous chapters forms the preparation for the heights of this sort of spiritual functioning; especially the bits about how we view each other and how we speak to each other. We build trust in each other as we practice encouragement and use words that build up rather than tear down. We don’t judge or grumble or criticise, but rather show patience, and seek to get to know and understand each other, and then welcome each other’s unique contribution to the ‘body’. We pitch in and help! We especially show our credibility as Jesus-followers when we support those in particular need, and without reservation practice the ‘royal law’ – “love your neighbour as yourself”.

We also see the priority of putting our faith into action; in this context, into a ministry of compassion and prayer. First and foremost we humble ourselves before God, receive Jesus into our lives, accept his work of grace for us, trust God (in an undivided way) through thick and thin, reading his word and seeking his wisdom all along the journey of life. As Richard Rohr comments, “The ‘unbound’ ones are best prepared to unbind the rest of the world” (Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps, p.49).

6.     Prayer

Loving God, this is a difficult area of Your teaching for us to consider.
It is challenging to think about sharing our faults and struggles with each other;
Not to mention those who need to listen.
But you do call us to wholeness, and to truly be Your people;
Empower us by Your Spirit to live courageously in honesty and love.
Thank You that as we serve others we engage with Jesus;
Help those around us to recognise the presence of a loving and redeeming God,
And to also see how a caring community can be formed around the person of Jesus.

Amen!

Sunday, October 11, 2015

"Growing in God" (James 4 sermon notes)

1.     INTRODUCTION

One set of questions:
·        Do we want to grow?
·        Do we want to experience all of what God has for us?
·        Can we really embrace that joy of knowing Jesus (and having our sins forgiven)?
·        Do we want to develop spiritually and use our gifts for others?
·        Do we want to share our faith in the community (knowing that our life stacks up okay)?

Another set of questions; we might ask ourselves …
·        have I stopped growing?
·        am I stuck in a faith of yesterday, which doesn’t seem to work anymore?
·        maybe God is not very real to me? [We might come to the realisation here, that if we don’t feel close to God, who has moved!]

More questions:
·        Do I find many things in life just a bit too challenging?
·        Do I resist being challenged?
·        Do I just go through the motions a bit (even though I may put on a good face)?

James is a book about practical faith. This is the faith we will need to both survive and to thrive.
Experiencing salvation through God’s grace should lead to us, day-by-day, becoming more like Christ – more like Jesus.
So we need to ask all these questions about growth.

We start out being born or created in the image of God. Very quickly sin – our own and others’ – starts to mar that image.
Accepting Jesus into our lives starts (or should start) to reverse this trend.
In fact we are reborn, with a fresh start, into a new creation, with all new hope.
Thus, we should start to look more like Jesus than our old selves.

2.     BEING ON A GROWTH CURVE

How do we grow???

Answers in church today included: loving God, listening to God, feeding on God's Word, trusting God, stretching ourselves.

There are things that stop us growing or indicate that we are not growing (detailed in this passage) that we will come back to.

How do we put ourselves in the position to grow?
Verses 7-10 speak to this.

Firstly, we have to admit that we don’t know it all, can’t cope on our own, need help. This is the process of humbling ourselves (v.10). It is the humble that God can ‘lift up’. Often pride gets in our way – wanting to be seen in a good light, maybe better than we really are. Also, we can want to do it all our way and thus be resistant to change, even the most obvious needed change. We would like to be closer to God, we would like to grow; but not if this means a disruption to some of our comfortable ways. To be humble is to be open to new ways – to have space for God to work in. To be humble is to undergo some decluttering.

Such decluttering requires repentance. Verse 8 commences with the need to draw close to God, and God promises that as we sincerely do this, God will draw close to us. But this idea of ‘drawing closer’ has its challenges/implications. As we draw close to God we become more aware of things that don’t sit well in this space. No wonder our good humour turns to mourning and our joy turns to dejection (v.9). [This is a little counter-intuitive, and perhaps something we don’t take seriously enough. Sin cannot be taken lightly (presuming too much on God’s merciful nature) … especially when it negatively affects others!] Before we experience all the fun and joy of knowing Jesus, there is some work to be done. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). To receive the comfort, first comes the required mourning. [The good news is that we don’t have to stay here too long if we don’t want to (or we don’t cause ourselves to)].

Many times when people physically declutter, they keep their houses tidy for a while, then the clutter creeps back. Why? Because they really haven’t committed themselves to a new path, nor dealt with the issues that make them vulnerable to clutter. That is why repentance is far more than seeking forgiveness. Repentance is about change. Cleansing hands, and purifying hearts (v.8b)! This is about both deeds and attitudes, both the outer and inner life. It is also about gaining a clear singular focus. Drawing close to God has to be deliberately cultivated (just like working in the garden to get the best outcomes). The result will be God never tiring of addressing our needs. It is thoroughgoing repentance and forgiveness that removes any barriers to God drawing close to us (v.8a).

In chapter 4, there are five things mentioned that we could term anti-growth, or certain dynamics that indicate a lack of growth.

a)     Causing or feeding conflict (v.1-3) – talking here about interpersonal clashes (that often draw in the innocent) – being argumentative (often just for the sake of it). This comes from deep dissatisfaction from within, termed … “cravings that are at war within you” (v.1b) … desires to have things that are not fulfilled. And these desires and objectives are likely to be our own and not of God – or at least not of God’s best for us (our own ideas devoid of God). Instead of dealing with such unmet desires and expectations, we lash out – with the same sort of feelings that lead to murder if they are allowed to fester (v.2a). Such dissatisfaction could be fixed if we were prepared to empty ourselves before God, and ask God for what we really need with the right motivations in mind. When we find ourselves being aggressive or causing arguments, we might ask ourselves … what is brewing up on the inside, and why?? What are our desires and expectations, and where are they centred?? On God, or elsewhere? The root of conflict is in dissatisfied (and frustrated) souls!

b)    Divided loyalty (v.4-5) – this is where we do want God, but still a lot of the other. James refers to this in terms of ‘adultery’ (v.4), this going back to when Israel used to go off in search of other gods whenever it suited them, thus breaking their covenant relationship with God; this is ‘spiritual unfaithfulness’. These strong words in verse 4 suggest an abandonment of God when pursuits contrary to his will are preferred … activities that upset God’s best designs for people. “Friendship with the world” here means accepting uncritically some of the cultural norms that are opposed to God’s ways. We do of course live in the world, and we should actively seek to engage in the world to shine the light of Jesus so that others will come to know God. And there are so many wonderful things to enjoy about this world; but our real citizenship is with the Kingdom of God (where Jesus rules). So there should always be a sort of ‘guarded tension’ between us and the world. This should not dent our enthusiasm for sharing the good news, however we must always remember that God wants all of us for himself (v.5) – unreserved and wholehearted.

c)     Speaking badly of others (v.11-12) – this derives from a heart that quickly judges others, and usually without any understanding of personal backgrounds. This can tend to undermine someone else (with sometimes terribly drastic outcomes (e.g. Facebook bullying). We might do this somewhat unconsciously, but that is no excuse. Sadly, sometimes people undermine others deliberately and calculatingly. People can ‘plant’ a bias against others (that grows a life of its own). There are harsh critical spirits and unkind fault-finders out there; people setting themselves up as the (ultimate) judge. To act like this is to reject the notion of ‘loving your neighbour as yourself’ outright – it is to say in effect … God’s greatest law is wrong. [Now that can’t help growth!] Do we really value our own opinions above God’s?

d)    Taking back control (v.13-16) – this is the tendency to do whatever we like – relying on human strength – being a touch over-confident – ignoring God – trying to be independent – thinking we can control events – expecting others to fall into line – assuming we’ll stay healthy and financial (v.13-16). But, we ignore God at our peril. We have been given intelligence and the ability to make decisions; however if we take this to the extreme and isolate our decision-making from God, then we are looking for trouble. Proverbs 16:25 reads, “Sometimes there is a way that seems to be right, but in the end it is the way to death”. Only God knows everything about everything! Better to prayerfully bring God into all our decision-making. Sure, we can make plans; but we need to be open for God to take us on somewhat different routes than we might have imagined. Proverbs 16:9 says, “The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps”. We can trustingly say with the psalmist, “My times are in your hand” (Psalm 31:15a) – this has much more the sense of dependence on God, and following the nuances of the Holy Spirit’s leading.

e)     Failing to respond to God’s leading (v.17) – this is just as much of a sin as what we do in error. Here is a missed opportunity of obedience that would have led to growth. Maybe, you could think of a recent missed opportunity in your life. It could be that you didn’t recognise this for the opportunity it was at the time – maybe being not quite attuned to God’s gentle voice. It may have also been that this opportunity was a touch inconvenient when it came. There may have been challenges imbedded in this activity, whatever it was, from the simple to the complex, that were destined to grow us … had we participated. Most vivid here would be our response to any other person in particular need.

We look at these five areas of anti-growth, and ask, “Can we be better than this”? YES WE CAN!

If we want to grow, then we need to … “submit ourselves to God” (7a). This is NOT about giving up our lives, but about gaining true life. This is about obedience: we defer our individual thinking to higher wisdom. This is about adapting to those things we know about Jesus and living in this way. This is not about weakness, but rather is a courageous thing to do. “Let the weak say I am strong, let the poor say I am rich, because of what the Lord has done for us”!

This is also about putting up the spiritual walls of resistance against anything that is anti-God (v.7b). This is guarding ourselves against anything that may negatively affect our spiritual well-being or cut us from God. If something has the capacity to take our focus off God – that is the thing to be wary of!! When the habit of ‘resisting’ becomes so natural that we hardly have to think about it anymore, then the “devil” has ‘fled’, as has the influence of evil. Just check out our hero Jesus – how he dispensed with the ‘devil’ (refer Matthew 4). As the ancient Christian writer Hermas said, “[The devil] cannot dominate the servants of God who hope in him with all their hearts”. And, we largely resist, not in passive ways, but in regularly being about the good works of God.

3.     THE WHY QUESTION

Why should we want to grow??

Personal reasons!
The world needs us to grow!!

What should be the clear focus of a Christian person???

Following Jesus!
"Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him".
Where is our centre … Who is our centre? The centre is where everything starts and all activity springs from.