"Being Fully Alive" (Romans 6:1-11;17)

Introduction

Okay, so we appreciate God’s love, that comes rattling our way! Heaven has been torn open for us. We accept Jesus’ ministry and his great act of sacrificial love on our behalf. We make a decision to follow Jesus … now we are his disciple! We have made some public witness to this fact in baptism or testimony – we are now members of God’s Kingdom – citizens of heaven.

We also sense that we are called to be part of a community that worships together, shares together, and uses their gifts together! We sense our job description, i.e. to share God’s love (in some way or other) with everyone we meet. We have heard about the ‘great commission’ … about “going and making disciples”. We know that Jesus has promised us the Holy Spirit … to be with us always, and to make the seemingly impossible become possible!

So, what gets in the way?!?

What gets in the way of us being all of what we are called to be?

What stops us being fully alive?

·        Sin … a selfishness or self-centredness that inclines us toward certain desires; a failure to do what we know we should do (and what we have the capacity to do)

·        The old nature – especially the comfortable bits; where we can take various weaknesses a little too lightly (rather than allowing for remedial action)

·        Wallowing in guilt, instead of embracing forgiveness … because for some reason it’s preferable to change (maybe we like the sympathy)

·        Competing priorities, where seemingly powerful agendas (often career related, or finance related; sometimes family related) overwhelm us

·        Lack of focus (or understanding of what being a disciple means) – perhaps we have not had enough teaching, or not reflected enough on the teaching we have had

·        Life issues … e.g. illness, various troubles, financial woes

·        Bitterness (lack of forgiveness)

·        Shame i.e. not forgiving ourselves, or not valuing ourselves as much as God does

·        Lack of gratitude – finding ways to be grateful releases us; the opposite restricts us

·        A misunderstanding of freedom … freedom that has no reference point – that we can do whatever we like – laxity or apathy (especially addressed by Romans 6:1-2).

Responding to Grace

Sometimes, as Paul points out (Romans 6:1-2), we can take “grace” for granted. God has done so much for us, and we just keep lapping it up … but we don’t turn it into anything … we don’t actually bear that grace fully in our lives – we don’t allow change to take place. We have met Jesus, but we still get stuck where we always have been. And then we just get down on ourselves, which eventually leads (if not resolved) to getting down on everyone else.

It seems, from the way Paul expressed himself, that people of his time thought that if they sinned all the more, then there would be all the more grace to enjoy. Or to put it another way, as there was so much grace, they could still live as they liked. Or at least there was the potential for thinking this way! In other words, it didn’t matter if they sinned or not, because there would always be grace to rely on. ‘If God will forgive me later, why be good now?!’

But there are so many problems with this thinking! What are they???

·        This way of thinking is STATIC – there’s NO growth here:

We are not meant to stay static, relying on being forgiven time and time again, but we are meant to be a party to being changed into the image of Christ Jesus. To continually allow sin to happen while relying on God’s good graces for forgiveness is actually living under ‘law’ all over again and remaining enslaved (or ‘captive’) to sin. If we accept that Jesus died on our behalf, then we are committing to the death of sin in ourselves from this point on. [And that is what ‘water baptism’ demonstrates – a death to sin and old ways and a rising to something better.]

·        It’s SHORT-SIGHTED:

Salvation is a process that we embark on at one point in time, but then allow to grow and flourish (refer Romans 6:4 … so we too might walk in newness of life). Whereas, once upon a time, repentance was a decision to be debated and made, now repentance is a way of life … it is natural, it happens naturally each time we fall short of the mark, we much more spontaneously seek forgiveness; and not so that we can sin again, but rather that we can become more fully alive. We are less and less in open rebellion.

·        It’s SELFISH:

The grace we receive is not to be contained selfishly, but rather lived so that it might be shared (and it can’t be shared where it is not proven to be real nor effective). We are not just grace-recipients, but also should be grace-bearers. We should seek to live a life that is obviously invigorated with hope and purpose and peace … which has been sourced from outside of us – through a relationship with our Creator.

Paul says (v.2), in response to this notion of keeping on sinning (because grace abounds), “by no means …” (or, “no way known …”, or, “total nonsense”, “certainly not”, “it’s not on”)! It is possible to cheapen or waste God’s grace, by ignoring the call to embrace new life. The evidence of grace is not so much the forgiven sinner, but more so the transformed life.

Disruption to Worship

It is tragic to see wasted lives where there has been the opportunity for life to abound. Often, there is the need to just get past one problem area, or move on from one past hurt, and then there can be freedom. There is such joy to be found, and there is such good to be achieved, when people come to serve God and others with all their hearts and hands.

One area of life, amongst others, that might be negatively affected by an unwillingness or incapacity to become fully alive, would be … our worship. It’s difficult, maybe introspectively seen as hypocritical, to let loose in worshipping God, if we are hanging on to things that don’t belong in this worship space. So we can’t worship and we don’t worship (not really)! We stay away, or we stay reserved, or we go through the motions – because we just have not felt that release to worship; we feel the barriers, and we can’t break through!

Breaking Through

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11). This is our action plan!

To “consider” something a certain way … is to come to a conclusion or make a determination on how we view something. In this case, we need to make the decision to actively have the mindset … that we have died to sin and become alive in Jesus. THIS IS WHO WE ARE NOW!! Not just sinners saved by grace, but new people living new lives! No pretending … “believers should consider themselves to be what God in fact has made them” (F F Bruce).

Dead to Sin?

What is different when we have “died to sin”? Our earthly context means there are still significant temptations that we come across; however sin is now just a temptation, rather than a controlling power. We still have the capacity to sin. But we also have more capacity (in Jesus) to say “no” to sin. Although it remains possible for us to sin, there has been a radical change in our attitude to sin.

There is also this tension in which the ‘old person’ that has been crucified must still be resisted. But, we mostly sense sin’s destructiveness to ourselves and others, and are therefore more likely to resist. We become more gradually invested in and committed to our new nature, and more easily sense when we may be acting out of the old nature (and be less tolerant about this). Once we fully grasp that our old life has ended (and the whole debt has been paid), we shall want to have nothing more to do with it (John Stott).

We have also gained vast spiritual resources from Jesus to call upon. Jesus’ presence in our lives gives us strength to defeat temptation. We take our example from Jesus, in the way he dispensed decisively with temptation and any pressure to take the wrong path (e.g. in the wilderness, with Peter, and in the garden). Sin, and the old nature, can be dispensed with through “disciplined dependence on God” (G R Osborne).

As Martin Luther apparently said, “We can’t keep the birds from flying around our head, but we needn’t let them build a nest in our hair”.

Being Fully Alive

Being a slave to sin is a downhill road – our perception is distorted, our will is overpowered, obedience to God is impossible (R B Hays). Being fully alive, on the other hand, is having a mastery over those areas of life that may otherwise have a tendency to disrupt us (and sometimes entirely so). And that mastery, or that ‘master’, is Jesus (our ‘Lord’). We become alive to God “in Christ Jesus” (v.11). Being “in Christ Jesus” suggests that we have constant and growing communion with Jesus. It is NOT more effort that will help us, but more Jesus.

To have more Jesus means allowing the Holy Spirit more room in which to work, but also means knowing Jesus better from the reports we have available on his life. Later in Romans 6 (in verse 17), we read, Paul speaking to believers in Rome, But thanks be to God, that you, having once been slaves to sin, have become obedient from the heart – to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. There are vital things we need to know and deeply internalise. We have had ‘open heart surgery’, so to speak, when we accept Jesus, so that we might become completely different – wholeheartedly living in the way of Jesus.

There are the demands of discipleship, the ethical requirements of faith, and the principles that must guide us in our interactions with each other and the world (E F Harrison). We have to know these and put them into practice. This stuff shapes our lives! The ‘believer’ has entered a new realm of existence and has begun the process of changing old habits and patterns toward now fitting the Jesus way of life they have chosen (G R Osborne). And we have to stay in this process – towards its completion!

If God loves me so much that he tore heaven open so that I could have a relationship with him and join his community, then I will respond precisely as he desires. Thus grace is NOT licence (to do whatever we please), but rather, grace is fuel (to do God’s work) – Bryan Chapell. If the first way to be “alive in Christ Jesus” is to allow space for the Holy Spirit to work, the second way to become “alive in Christ Jesus” is to be active in Jesus’ current body i.e. the church. Jesus left his community to come to earth so that we might be fitted to join his community – both functionally and eternally … thus creating a bridge – heaven to earth and earth to heaven.

Conclusion

The level of God’s love that has embraced us actually demands that we respond wholeheartedly … properly responding to free (yet costly) grace … letting go of certain sinful pursuits … actively dealing with the stuff that gets in the way … proactively embracing Jesus as our ‘master and commander’ – in so doing, finding the true freedom in which to thrive.

We will not be like the released prisoner, who, unable to find a new path, reoffends themselves back to a prison cell. It is rather to say, “I [have] made my choice, [I’m] not going back to history” (L Wesley)! I will not seek to undo what God in his great grace has done for me!! Let us always remember who we are in Christ Jesus. You must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11).

It is in being fully alive that we find our true and complete identity … the person we were originally created to be. True freedom then, rather than doing anything we feel like, rather than being any sort of ‘free agents’, is doing those things that count, under the Lordship of Jesus, uninterrupted and uncompromised by the old ways.

"God's Love: Heaven Torn Open" (Mark 1:1-11 & Mark 15:33-39)

Introduction

What is the motivation for obedience?

Why should we do God’s will, or be fruitful, or use our gifts?

What should be the real motivation behind our obedience to God?

NOT fear of repercussions, NOT religious obligation, NOT duty, CERTAINLY NOT guilt!

Proposition – God’s Love

God created everything with such love and care. Despite knowing that giving human beings freewill would cause him so much pain, God did so hoping that many would choose a relationship with him … rather than the emptiness of denying God a place in their lives. God desired relationships with his creations, and he has never deviated from this desire.

Over recorded history, God has often been frustrated by a lack of response to His Ways. We see this time and time again in the Old Testament. There have been a few shining lights, like Abraham, Moses and David, but so many instances of apathy and rebellion. So many calls to reform their ways and tackle injustice had fallen on deaf ears. The people of Israel found themselves defeated by foreign nations and taken into exile because they had lost their way. Sacrifices were made seeking forgiveness, but lives remained unchanged. So God gave up!?! No!!

The people were in need; and God’s love had been seen in His care for the universe. What would God do? The prophets longed for an answer. Isaiah cried out these words, “O that you [God] would tear open the heavens and come down” (64:1). Sometimes we’ll get a job done on our property while we’re not there, and when we get home we find that it just isn’t done right. We’ll get on the phone and try to describe the problem, but in the end, the boss will need to come out and see to the issue in person. “O that you God would tear open heaven and come down”, and deal with this!

This is exactly what God eventually did – the heavens were “torn open”. God would respond to this prophetic cry by bringing grace right into the hustle and bustle of the human environment. In Matthew and Luke we have the birth narratives (that we read at Christmas) where we discover that Jesus was the Son of God sent to earth. The Gospel of John opens with those great words about the “Word becoming flesh”. In Mark, at the time of Jesus’ baptism, we hear that the heavens have been “torn apart” (Mark 1:10).

The root of the Greek word used here is “schizo” – the word from which we get the medical term ‘schizophrenic’ – meaning a divided or torn mind. In the context of “heaven”, there has been a separation – a tearing away. Never let us think that this was a simple or uncomplicated thing for God to do – this was the greatest act of love since creation itself. The community of God – the Trinity – Father, Son and Spirit, had always been together (to this point), and together created the world and everything in it. This was a tight community!

God’s extreme response to the need of humanity was to ‘tear apart’ this community, and send the Son to earth. And the Son would be sent as a human being – a human being vulnerable to hurt, rejection, betrayal and violence. Jesus would experience life, in a particular time and place, like we experience life; yet in a way that we couldn’t help but notice – in a sinless and messianic way. And Jesus would experience death in a way that would bring us new life – because his death was actually our death.

God would suffer a loss of community … for the sake of offering us community. Through this act of love, we could be drawn ourselves into relationship with God’s community, as well as into a new community of people of faith. Jesus would leave many aspects of his divinity behind in heaven so that he could personally experience what it is to be human. Not that God didn’t know already something about human suffering – it’s just that we would get to know how Jesus experienced the breadth of being human, and see how he handled this.

Jesus brought together the fullness of the love of heaven with the vast need of humanity. Jesus too would have a sense of loss, intensified on the cross (Mark 15:34) – “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani”? This is unprecedented love, radical love, extraordinary love! We should say again, that God was here reengaging with his original desire to forge eternal intimate relationships with his created beings, and paying a great cost to do so!

That Jesus was fully human is seen through the fact that he needed the Holy Spirit, just like we do, if he was to fulfil God’s will. It will be this Spirit that Jesus relies upon to guide him through his ministry. The Holy Spirit would be needed to effectively deal with all the needs, expectations, problems, diseases and opposition that lay ahead. In the very next verse, the Holy Spirit ‘drives’ Jesus out into the wilderness, so that he might endure and rise above all temptation, before embarking on all the challenging ministry that lay ahead. As all members of the Trinity participated in the first creation, all members participate in the new work of re-creation (RA Cole) … God in the sending, Jesus in the redeeming, and the Spirit in the guiding!

But the main point I am making, is the magnificent extent of God’s love … that he would let his Son go … that the perfection of the community of heaven could be torn apart for our sake. But God judged this to be worth it – for the human Jesus, with the Holy Spirit on side, would indeed change everything. That this would not be without cost, is indeed amplified in those heart-rendering words (of Jesus from the cross), “My God, my God why have you forsaken me” (Mark 15:34). This was an expression of isolation, of broken community, and the weight of the burden that had been placed upon Jesus.

A Second Tearing

So the heavens were torn open to allow Jesus to take up residence on earth, but then the heavens were torn open again. There was a part of the temple (called the ‘Holy of Holies’) reserved for the high priest – this was behind a curtain. There were all sorts of perceived barriers that separated people from God symbolised by this curtain. The law had to be addressed in all sorts of rigorous ways, sacrifices had to be made in a certain way. It was really only the high priest who could fully commune with God.

But had this made any real difference?!? When Jesus died his perfect death, for the remission of our sins, what happened to this curtain??? It was “torn in two from top to bottom” (Mark 15:38). This symbolically demonstrated that heaven had again been thrown wide open, with Jesus ushering the way for us to engage fully with God. There was now unrestricted access to God. Now there could be real relationships forged based on mutual love; that could in turn lead to much more natural, spontaneous and heart-felt responses.

In previous days there had been knowledge about God, certain experiences of God’s power, calls for obedience to God’s commandments; but all from something of a distance. Now heaven had been torn open. Hebrews 6:19 says, “We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain …”. There was now an opening for a direct and personal connection with God. There was now to be complete and unhindered access to God, for anyone who sought this.

There should be a sense of excitement here! The full capacities of heaven are now available on earth! We can have an open relationship with God now! A heavenly relationship is there for us to be lived here and now on earth. In this we are completely engulfed and fuelled by God’s love – a very personal love – a very gracious love – a very active love – an unrestrained and passionate love – a very costly love – and that is why we would want to be obedient, fruitful, and using all the gifts available to us for God’s glory!

Heaven is NOT just a place to be enjoyed later, but a place to be experienced here and now. Heaven, that has been “torn open” in the greatest demonstration of love, defines how we live now. This is why we were taught to pray these words … “Your Kingdom come; Your Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). When the heavens split open (at Jesus’ baptism), it is the Holy Spirit that comes forth. As this Spirit guided Jesus, this same Holy Spirit will be our companion on the journey of accomplishing God’s will.

Heaven Torn Open

So, the heavens were “torn open”, and Jesus came as a human to identify with us. Jesus was baptised to identify with a death to life experience, and received the Holy Spirit through which to undertake a thorough ministry of redemption. In this, Jesus removed all the barriers that stood between us and God … such barriers as sin, guilt, shame, pride and selfishness. As Isaiah put it seven centuries earlier (53:12), “… he was numbered with the transgressors, yet he bore the sin of many”. This would allow us all to enter new life; and whilst remaining on earth, express the priorities of heaven.

Such was the depth and significance of the scene of the cross that a Roman Centurion, perhaps one who earlier might have been involved in gambling over Jesus’ clothes, came to this conclusion … “Truly this man was God’s Son” (Mark 15:39)! Here, the Roman Centurion knows what God knows, and agrees with what God has said earlier – “You are my Son the beloved” (Mark 1:11). This was the most unlikely of persons to make such a statement. If this ‘hard-nosed’ Roman soldier could say this, then anyone could say it! This statement begs the question as to whether we can say these words – “Truly this man was God’s Son”! Here, in Jesus, was God’s agent of salvation – heaven is torn open – this changes everything – eternal life starts now!

This Roman Centurion, in making the statement he did, has switched his allegiance from Caesar to Jesus (and chosen a new king); in so doing switched his life orientation from one of violence to self-sacrifice. This was an absolute change of direction that would affect everything (if it was real)! So this is where we find our motivation for obedience, fruitfulness and the use of our gifts!

Not in guilt, fear or obligation!! We aren’t obedient to gain God’s love – it doesn’t work that way! God first loves us, and out of this … our hearts, minds, hands and feet are engaged in God’s purposes. It is God’s extraordinary ground-breaking life-changing love that makes us want to love him in return, and respond to him in ways that make a difference for good. This mutual love relationship we develop enlivens us … and impels us.

"Comings & Goings" (Matthew 28:16-20)

Introduction

Let me review Easter …

·        On Palm Sunday … Jesus showed how he was to be the spiritual king of a spiritual kingdom based around real fruitfulness. This was a new fruitfulness, not based around the old ways of temple sacrifices, contrasting with the world’s injustice, not going down a dead-end street, but offering real life and hope.

·        On Good Friday … Jesus did everything that needed to be done so that we could experience forgiveness. The grace seen that day was certainly costly and not to be taken for granted, but at the same time, came to us freely and abundantly.

·        On Easter Sunday … Jesus rose from the dead to show that evil and death could not defeat God’s purposes, that God’s love will win the day. We will never have to try to make it alone, because Jesus has risen and continues to be available to us. We have been invited into a new relationship with God, where we can experience joy in becoming who we were created to be, being fully released in service of others.

Where does that leave us? Was all this only for us who already believe? No, this is all leading somewhere.

Jesus was with his disciples and others for forty days following his resurrection. In this time (according to the various gospel accounts), Jesus reassured us (humanity) about the reality of his physical resurrection – “touch me and see”, gave us a measure of his peace in expectation of receiving the Holy Spirit, and in Peter’s particular case … Jesus reinstalled him in ministry and leadership (with the words, “Feed my lambs”).

But most famously, Jesus commissioned all his followers to a particular course of action. This has been called the “great commission’ – which is fair, because this is such a concise and clear statement about what we should be on about. Yet we read this text, and may find ourselves with more questions than answers:

·        What were they doing on a mountain?

·        Why was there doubt?

·        Where do we “go”, and how do we actually “make disciples”?

·        What does it mean to be “baptised” in the name of all the Trinity?

·        How does the “teaching” happen?

·        How is doubt dealt with?

Together on the Mountain

We should note that the disciples were gathered together to receive their commission. This coming together was at Jesus’ command. What Jesus was going to ask these followers to do was a collective task. And this was a task to be fulfilled out of a faith that was based on a mutual response to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. So there would need to be a ‘coming’ before there was a ‘going’! In fact there would need to be a series of ‘comings together’ to properly facilitate the ‘going out’. In fact … if Jesus’ mission was going to be fully embraced, there would need to an ongoing appreciation of ‘being together’. This was later borne out by the early church’s strong commitment to one another, and to Paul’s theology of the people of God being inter-connected like a “body”, with Jesus at the head.

We should also note that this commission comes from the One authorised to give it. Jesus has become our central focus – the meeting place between ourselves and God – the One who interprets God’s will for us.

The “go” is to “go and to keep on going”. Movement! Connecting! Sometimes the paths which we normally walk in daily life are enough … just with a new focus toward the spiritual well-being of others. We naturally “go” to our neighbours, colleagues, friends, family, and regular contacts. Then there are those people who seem to coincidentally come across our path. Other times we will sense a call outside of our comfort zones. This “going” often means lending much-needed practical support. On some occasions we might feel a special pull towards a certain person or situation. In any case, we need to be prayerful and tuned into God.

This is all about being available to form and build relationships (of safety and trust). This is not about dragging people in (as if they must agree with us), but rather going out to meet people where they are, listening to their story, and sharing with them something that they would find interesting and helpful. This is of course not just about words … it’s about sharing life.

This is about inviting … inviting people to enter a new sense of community, and allowing people to feel accepted and to belong … on their own pathway to finding faith (or discovering something new to believe in). This could mean an invitation to your home, or to a social occasion, small group or special service at church. First comes belonging, allowing believing to come in their time and God’s time. There can sometimes be quite a time lag between the ‘inviting’ and the ‘believing’. The bridge will often be the sense of ‘belonging’ that is appreciated in between. Where relationships grow and flourish, redemption and healing occur.

Making Disciples, Baptising & Teaching

This is not about converts to our way of thinking, this is about the goal of making “disciples” of Jesus. This means preparing the way, through the way we live, for other people to discover how to live with and for Jesus. To be a disciple is to be a replica, a facsimile, a re-run, a follower in all ways; being under the discipline … in this case of Jesus … in lifestyle, attitudes and ethical principles. To be “making” disciples indicates that we are making significant contributions to others’ lives through our faith and practical service. We are helping God to mould people.

“Disciples” of Jesus will come from all nations, backgrounds, ethnic groupings, cultures. How things look now, are not how they will always be; not while we can share the Gospel! This is why we should be very careful about any negative labelling of any grouping, or any generalisations. For if we allow any animosity to build about any group, then this will inevitably disrupt the exercise of our commission! Every person on God’s earth is just a person who needs to know Jesus. Call me naïve if you like, but then Jesus would be naïve too … as he hopefully and graciously engaged with those who may and did send him to a cross! Jesus said that we also should take up our cross, which in part means engaging with those who may hurt us … in an attempt to reach those who will come to love God. Therefore, for centuries, the Christian Church has seen missionaries go out to the most dangerous of places. Now the world is smaller, we all have an opportunity for this sort of mission work (right where we live).

As we have said, discipleship – is the act of following in the Jesus way. Once there, we can make a symbolic presentation of who we are now. This is ‘baptism’ – where we publicly identify with the death and resurrection of Jesus; where water represents a purification. We go under the water to show that we have died to sin (or turned away from sin), and come out of the water to show that we have risen to new life. We are now Jesus people – we have died to self and the world, and now live for God’s purposes. [If any want to be baptised, or know more about baptism, then please ask me.] We want to show the community and world around us the sincerity and validity of faith in Jesus through public witness.

Baptism is given in the name of all members of God’s Trinity. Why?? Two main reasons:

·        Baptism testifies that we are connecting with God in all aspects of life i.e. with God who created us and has always loved us, with Jesus who has saved us and led us into new life, and with the Holy Spirit who enables and empowers us on a daily basis to walk in the ways of God;

·        Baptism in the name of God’s Community shows that we are being baptised into a community i.e. God’s Church – into an interconnectedness with others who have likewise become disciples of Jesus … as God is community, we are baptised into community.

Discipleship, baptism, then learning. Some of us have received the call and gift to be teachers, essentially teachers of God’s Word … where we find all we need to know about being God’s people. Yet, as this is a mutual commission, we are all, in some way or other, teachers of one another. We all have different experiences of God, we all have different testimonies of how God has blessed us and challenged us, we all have learnt things from God’s Word that have made a positive difference in us that we can share. We need to help each other grow! Each of our unique experiences of life and God can bring so much to our understanding of how God is touching people’s lives.

What needs to spread through our teaching and learning is “everything that I [Jesus] have commanded you”. These matters are contained in the four gospels and are also promoted in the rest of the new testament. This is NOT knowledge for knowledge sake or just receiving abstract truths, but rather practical teaching for everyday living. Think of this as training for life, much like being on the training track for sport. What is very obvious, is that a lot of the values that Jesus teaches are very different to how the world around us often operates. Bitterness versus forgiveness. Power versus humility. Hate versus love. Selfishness versus selflessness. Wealth versus generosity. Conflict versus peace. Hardness versus compassion.

And this brings us back to the required balance between ‘coming’ and ‘going’. We need to be together to learn and encourage one another in being disciples, in combination with our ‘going’ … to share the love and grace of Jesus with those who we meet and are led to.

Doubt & Faith

We should note the comment that “some doubted” (v.17b). We know that some disciples, most famously Thomas, doubted the reality of Jesus’ resurrection. Despite all of Jesus’ appearances and reassurances, some found it hard to fully accept what had happened. Even now as they had gathered around Jesus and worshipped him, and were there in the act of being commissioned for ministry and fruitfulness, “some [still] doubted”! Doubt brings uncertainty and hesitation. It’s hard to give yourself fully to something where doubt exists. Such doubt would mean that these disciples were not fully ready or prepared to embrace the mission set before them.

What would we do with such doubt and inertia … in ourselves, or in others??

·        In ourselves … get involved, especially in corporate worship, give things a try, be open to the faith and encouragement of others

·        In others … one word – encouragement … positive encouragement, about their value, about their giftedness, about how much God loves them.

Doubt may be based all around human incapacity and limitation. The disciples may have been actually doubting themselves. Where was all this leading, and would they be up to it!? The disciples that day may have been feeling the enormity of the task. But this is not all of what there is to the mission of God! This is super/human work empowered by a greater source than merely the human. This is Jesus’ work, and it will all being empowered by the Holy Spirit of God.

If the opportunity exists, so will the resources! So in the face of some who were doubting, Jesus said, “Remember, I am with you always” … and not just today and tomorrow, but, “to the end of the age”. Jesus will go with us, before us, beside us, behind us and within us … guiding, comforting, reassuring, empowering, encouraging, strengthening … all bases covered.

I suppose it’s human to want all the facts, and have some idea what the future might hold, but this is not the way of faith. We might find that it is only as we “go” that we experience Jesus’ company, and, conversely, if we are not experiencing Jesus’ company, it might be because we haven’t gone anywhere! The more I “go”, the more of Jesus I might get!! Faith expressed is faith embraced.

Jesus clearly believes that his disciples can succeed. And Jesus’ first disciples did succeed brilliantly … in the power of the Holy Spirit. The challenge of this ‘great commission’ is now ours. This is in the face of some levels of disinterest or even antipathy, and many other options for people’s allegiances. Yet in a town like this, where we live, we do have plenty of opportunities to build on one another’s efforts in addressing the ‘great commission’.

Conclusion

Never think we go out on mission on our own, under our own devices! This is a partnership. This is a partnership … built on a series of relationships that have been forged, in each and every case, in two places – at the foot of the cross, and at the open tomb. Have we been to both places? Have we received the forgiveness we need at the cross, followed by the entry into new life at the open tomb?? If our answer is ‘yes’ and ‘yes’, then we are promised the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which will not only deal with any doubt, but also deal with all fear.

Our friends and neighbours live and breathe in the presence of the greatest Lord. Yet, [often], they do not know it. We, the people of the Lord, who know [God’s] majesty over heaven and earth, must stand up … and, in whatever way is appropriate to our gifts, personality and circumstances, promote [God’s] glory. [from John Dickson: “The Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission”, pg.37.] Amen to that!!