"Together in the Garden" (Mark 14:32-42)

Introduction

What can we learn from the time when Jesus and his disciples were together in the garden?

Following the ‘last supper’, Jesus took his disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. Here, Jesus needed to pray. He wanted some space, but Jesus also desired the special companionship and solidarity of three key disciples. This is because, as we read here, Jesus, “began to be distressed and agitated”. Jesus knew more than any other, the torture and trauma that lay ahead of him. A cross was a hideous way to die. The strongest faith still does NOT preclude the possibility of anxiety, and being taken places that you don’t want to go. Most human beings, and Jesus was surely flesh and blood, would want comfort and reassurance in such grave circumstances.

So, even if Jesus wanted to pray alone, he would want to know that there was alert and concerned friends close-by. Yet there seems to be another reason for Peter, James and John … to only be a stone’s throw away. They were close enough to observe and hear what was going on, and what was being prayed, especially as Jesus would likely be praying out loud, as was the custom. Would this also then serve as a test – a test of their discipleship – what would be their reaction?! Regrettably, we see Jesus let down and disappointed, for these disciples went to sleep. They allowed their weariness to get the better of them, and entirely missed the significance of what was happening (right close-by to them).

On one hand we have Jesus committing himself entirely to God’s will. This despite what it is about to cost him! On the other hand, we have key disciples who are asleep. This despite being asked by Jesus to stay alert (as soon the soldiers will come)! This is a pretty stark scene!! In fact, it is while Jesus makes his final determination to go to the cross for the salvation of his followers, that his three key followers keep falling asleep! What a moment to miss! These three disciples were also being given an insight into the level of sacrifice that God through Jesus was willing to make for the redemption of the world; but they couldn’t deal with it. And when confronted about this by Jesus, they weren’t able to explain themselves (v 40).

And so, for me, the challenge of verse 38 looms large – to “keep awake and pray” – so that we don’t miss what God is doing, nor where God is leading us.

A Commitment to God’s Will

Not many people, when things are going well for them, give up their life easily, not at thirty-three years old. Even if there is a good cause involved – if there was a different way other than a self-sacrifice – that alternative would readily be preferred. Jesus has this moment, where he wonders if there could be a different solution. Could another path to the salvation of humanity be found? Had God thought this fully through?! I actually reckon that God had thought this all through many times, before concluding … that the only way … sin – in its smallest and gravest forms – could be defeated, was through a self-sacrifice so perfect that it would have to come personally from God Himself!

And there is another way of thinking about this. Because of how Jesus lived and taught, uncovering hypocrisy and opposing injustice, upsetting the apple cart of the status-quo, showing up the darkness of people’s hearts, and revealing the evil that brought havoc to the world – then this also put Jesus on an unstoppable path toward being killed off – on a collision course with a cross! So the rejected servant of God, and the perfect sacrifice to bring freedom … coincided in the one person – Jesus of Nazareth – Son of God. This WAS God’s will, because SOMEONE had to draw a line in the sand!!! No!! This cup could NOT pass to anyone else. For God, all things are possible, yet things must be first aligned with God’s will.

If Jesus had a moment of apprehension and desire to walk away from the cross, this was quickly resolved, it seems, in the next moment – with the most courageous words ever heard … “Not what I want, but what you want”. Remarkable – given the circumstances of what lay ahead. Thoroughly impressive (in the level of self-sacrifice here)! There may have been some comfort in that this commitment was given to his “Abba” – meaning a real relational intimacy existed; but still, there was to be a huge cost. So, these words, “Not what I want, but what you want”, are the ultimate words of faith and trust … in the face of a very significant challenge. And, for us, these words should fit any life situation we find ourselves in … from the most threatening to the everyday!

This was actually the way Jesus lived through his entire three-year ministry – from confronting the temptations of the devil to go his own way, through to the pressures to conform to the cultural norms of society … rather than standing up for the outcast and loving his neighbour. And such was the weight of the sin of all humankind upon Jesus, that he even willingly endured the absence of God at his moment of death – “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Mark 15:34). “Not what I want, but what [God] wants”. [We shouldn’t doubt God’s compassionate presence with Jesus in his suffering – God was still right there with him; it’s just that, such was the weight and darkness of all the sin that Jesus was bearing on his own body, he felt that God was absent.]

Falling Asleep

These are the true words of discipleship – “Not what I want, but what you want”. These are the words that move us from fear and self to faith and service (as we spoke about last week). This is releasing ourselves to the full potential and ministry that God has given each one of us. Yet when these faithful words were spoken, and the path of salvation for all humankind was settled, and the cost of this was being born deeply in Jesus’ spirit – Peter James and John … were found to be asleep. How should we feel about this? How should we react to this? You would think that they could NOT possibly have missed the vivid drama of Jesus throwing himself to the ground and crying out to God in such a distressed fashion (v 35)!

We could say that these disciples let Jesus down at his most poignant moment of need. Yet, it is most interesting, that what Jesus said to them, rather than being about Jesus’ own situation, was more about the risk they were putting themselves in! By ignoring Jesus, and probably their own opportunity to pray as well – they were actually lessening their OWN resources to cope with what was ahead of THEM. They were rendering themselves to be more vulnerable and less effective that needed to be the case.

We know how weak the human condition can be. And we know how challenging life can be in any number of ways. People can be easily inspired, and start to run well, but then start to hesitate at the hurdles – looking toward self-preservation. Even when we have the best of intentions – when “the spirit is willing” – if we are not awake, watching and ready, we can hit the wall. These disciples’ lack of attentiveness was actually putting themselves in grave danger. Dan Reiland writes: Nothing of any real value continues to move forward without sacrifice – from your marriage at home, to your mission at church, sliding into the comfort zone is like quicksand; you don’t notice what you’re stepping in, until you are already in danger … grave danger.

Which Direction?

So, this all begs a very important question. Are we moving toward or away from God’s will? That is a question for us … that I think this text poses! Jesus, although under pressure, and while under pressure, moved definitively toward God’s will. However, the disciples were moving progressively further away from God’s will. This is seen, that despite Jesus’ very reasonable requests and objections, they continued in this pattern of sleepy apathy. We read that, “… a third time”, Jesus found them sleeping! “Enough” of this {“Enough” already}, says Jesus (v 41)! To emphasise the backward steps being taken here, Jesus calls Peter “Simon”, a name that he has not been called since chapter 3 (v 16); this suggesting that Peter had, in effect, gone back to the beginning [and we know from Hebrews 6 that it can be a slippery slope to nowhere from there]. Grave danger!

In terms of the church collectively, we read in the letter to the church in Sardis in Revelation chapter 3 (v 2), that this particular congregation in Sardis had to, “Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death … for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God” – or in other words, ‘Wake up, and do what needs to be done, for you are not wholly in the will of God’. Their discipleship was lacking. The advice to this first century church was to “remember” and “obey” what they already knew, and “repent” to get back on track (v 3). This is similar to where Jesus says in the garden, “Keep awake and pray” (v 38).

It seems that it’s easy to move away (from God’s will) – you just go to sleep and ignore any alarms. It’s admittedly much harder to move towards God’s will – this often involves change, inconvenience, discomfort and sacrifice. We simply look at Jesus to see this. On the cross there was flesh and blood – a vulnerable human being who felt all of the pain and torture such a death would bring. The sense of majesty we get in that picture (which is not a particularly pretty picture, far from it) is found when we look deeper into Jesus’ character, courage and obedience. Jesus humbled himself, and took the most difficult path, the narrow way that he spoke of himself, and accepted death on a cross (refer Philippians 2:6-8).

The Right Direction

How do we actually move towards God’s will?? In answering this today, I’m focussing on the words in verse 38. When Jesus found Peter, James and John asleep the first time (v 37-8), Jesus said to them, “Keep awake and pray …”!

1. Keeping Awake – being alert

I guess that it’s possible to look awake and busy without really achieving anything, let alone achieving the most important things! How can “keeping awake” actually move us towards God’s will? Part of this would be … being alert to what Jesus’ life teaches us (as we see play out in this passage). Perhaps more so than seeing the invincible God, we need to reflect on the suffering servant, both as an antidote to our woes, and, as an example for the conduct of our lives.

Keeping awake or being alert means having our ‘spiritual antennas’ up. This involves open eyes, ears and hearts. Having our ‘spiritual antennas’ up means at least two things: that we are noticing what God is up to, e.g. when previously closed doors are now opening, or difficult relationships are softening; and secondly, that we are not missing those clues about other people who are in need. Being alert is about getting on the same page with God.

2. Prayer

We need to be constantly preparing ourselves for what lies ahead, knowing that we can neither control, nor accurately predict, what this will entail. This passage suggests that ‘falling asleep’ in such circumstances was NOT the right brand of preparation. We need to be able to act more proactively with the best resources, rather than reactively with a lack of resources.

We need to be increasingly thinking God’s thoughts – increasingly being able to hear God’s voice cutting across our thoughts. This is the work of prayer! Jeremiah 33:3 (Message) says: Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvellous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own. Those disciples were about to face a major trial. Their prayerlessness hurt them and deprived them.

We certainly need to pray in the face of any potential time of trial. Yet, prayer should NOT just be working through a needs-based ‘shopping-list’, but rather an exploration into the mind of God, so that we are much better aligned with the purposes of God (v 38). Had the disciples been praying in this way that day … when they were together in the garden, they may not have fled, and Peter may not have denied (knowing) Jesus.

Can we take up our opportunities to pray, both personally and collectively, in the face of all future challenges and God-given opportunities?? Can we begin to hear God’s voice cutting across our thoughts, and thus refining our perspectives and bringing us wisdom. Can we be truly prepared? Can we, more often than not, respond in creative ways to the situations that come across our path??

Conclusion

At the end of this passage, we see Jesus rise beyond all discouragement and disappointment, and take his followers on with him (v 42), even if it was only to the scene of his arrest. Even though they would flee and fail again, which is an inevitable outcome of their lack of attention; this tells us that Jesus still chose those who would ultimately, because of the resurrection and Holy Spirit, thoroughly embrace God’s will … often to the death (as Jesus did before them). Every honest assessment of the performance of the disciples in the Gospel narratives, is focussed on a loving interest in their growth and future, and, through the re-telling and examination of these passages – there is a serious interest in our growth and our future well-being.

So all is never lost, while Jesus keeps an eye on us and keeps calling us onward. This gives us much hope, because even though these disciples often misunderstood, doubted, denied knowing him, and fell asleep, Jesus kept investing in them. Jesus keeps investing in us; and we keep our focus on his death and resurrection, because these events assure us that things don’t have to remain the same – we can move towards being within God’s will. This will require the sort of alertness that properly gauges what is happening around us, and the quantity and quality of prayer … that will build in us … a deep awareness of the presence of God. Amen!

"One Last Meal Together" (Mark 14:12-31)

Introduction

When we come to communion, we normally read the verses about the bread and the cup in isolation. Today we’ll read these verses in the context of the passages around them, and hopefully bring some more light to bear on the significance of all this! These incidents from Mark 14 all happened in the last week of Jesus’ earthly life. Naturally, with a crucifixion pending, there would be many tensions in the group! But Jesus’ main intention here, was to bring his disciples together around an increasing understanding of what God was trying to achieve.

It seems to me, that we, in today’s church, would also gather for worship, communion and teaching, so that we, too, better understand what God is doing around us (and how God is calling us to be part of this). We would have to concede that there is often differences within church communities about what we should be doing, and tensions can arise out of this. Yet, when Jesus shares the bread and the cup with his disciples, and as we share the bread and the cup with each other, there is inherent here a higher vision – a grand Kingdom vision … one that leads all the way to the great eternal banquet. This is about the priority of discipleship and mission.

Jesus used the bread and the wine at the table … as symbols of the meaning of his upcoming sacrificial death. From this very meal we get the shape and form for our communion service. It was Paul, who first taught (in 1^st Corinthians 11), that we should commemorate this event by participating in something that resembled the original. Paul included the words of Jesus, in connection with taking the bread and the cup, “Do this in remembrance of me”, and also, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes”.

It is clear that from the very beginning of the early church, even well before Paul wrote that letter, they were already doing exactly that. Within their homes, early Christians would meet together for fellowship around food – with worship, prayer, singing, teaching, sharing and encouragement, and at the same time, remembering Jesus' death and resurrection through the bread and cup.

Preparations

Jesus wanted to host an intimate meal with his disciples before the events of the week took over (leading to his death on the cross). Jesus wanted to spend some special time with those who had become his close friends before they would be separated. And Jesus wanted to advance their acceptance of what was happening around them, while also challenging their misgivings and misunderstandings. That this was a very special occasion, with high objectives, is seen in the careful preparations.

We might see in verses 12 to 16, some careful pre-planning, or maybe just how the Holy Spirit will open doors when you are following what Jesus says and working within God’s will. Either way, for this ‘last supper’ … the right place is available at the right time for the right reason, and the further necessary arrangements are made. Yet, there is still tension in the air! Jesus’ great hope, is that in sharing the particular elements of bread and wine, and giving them certain meaning, he can help his disciples take the Gospel forward.

This is a bit like the perfectly planned dinner party that we might arrange. All the right arrangements and hospitality is in place. Yet when the guests start arriving, we soon witness the personality clashes and some relational tensions, because after all we are human beings. The hosts then spend the rest of the evening trying to keep the peace and harmony, even trying to manipulate who is left talking to who.

In the case of the meal Jesus has arranged, the big elephant in the room is the presence of a traitor – one who will betray Jesus to the Romans and the Jewish authorities who wish to bring Jesus’ demise. And then, there is the rest of the “twelve”, who would still prefer to intervene to stop Jesus’ death, and in doing so … have an unrealistic view of their own bravery. Honest conversations with Jesus’ disciples have become difficult, because they refuse to accept what Jesus is telling them about God’s plans.

Telling the Story

It’s interesting that the true story of what happened that night is told at all!! You would think that the disciples would want some of this embarrassing stuff covered up and hidden in the cupboard and hopefully forgotten. In the face of their perceived bravery, Jesus accurately predicted their desertion! Yet, this was a real part of their journey of discovery and faith, and they would, in hindsight, come to understand how instructive it would be for future generations.

Jesus wanted to deal with the tensions, but they were resistant to him. Out of all the uncertainty and fear around this, Peter even denied knowing Jesus three times. Yet, Peter was so repentant, forgiven and transformed, that he had no problem with these incidents being passed on with complete honesty. So, when the first Gospel, the Gospel of Mark, was put together in written form and distributed, there was a very honest memory of what actually happened – warts and all. It’s actually as we come to the bread and cup with full honesty, that we receive the most blessing. [And this is why we have to delve deeply into Good Friday ... to make the most of Resurrection Sunday.]

What is there to learn from Jesus taking the bread and the wine and sharing them around the table that night … in the face of such disquiet?! In the case of the first and second century readers of this Gospel text, what was there to learn? Far from pointing fingers in disgust at Peter and the others, any new followers of Jesus would recognise, that under the persecution they experienced, it could easily be them … if they were not vigilant … who would be the next ones to deny and betray Jesus.

These ‘believers’ would enter into this text, and with the first disciples say, “Surely not I – surely you don’t mean me … do you”!? They would understand that under certain circumstances, it could actually be them! They would likely feel “distress” around this, like the original disciples did. They could also see themselves as confident and brave as Peter and the others were, but then note how quickly and easily they disowned Jesus and fled. Because of the honest telling of these traditions, we too can well and truly find a place in the Gospel text … where we might be challenged.

Sharing the Meal

This was around the time of the Passover, where people of the Jewish nation would celebrate their liberation from slavery in Egypt. However, Jesus was about to reinterpret the whole notion of liberation, freedom and salvation. Jesus was about to show how God’s intent for the salvation, of, not just the people of Israel, but indeed, of, the whole world, will now centre around Jesus himself. The sacrifice (of his life) that Jesus will soon make, will change absolutely everything!

His disciples had NOT understood any of this up until now, and would continue to struggle with all this, until after Jesus’ resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Yet Jesus would still strive to share with them the depth of what they had become involved in! Why? Why was Jesus at such pains to get them to understand what God was up to? Because they were the ones … who were called … and would have the role of representing and passing on this message of salvation.

Jesus wanted to have this last meal together, with high hopes for intimate fellowship and togetherness … as expressed in verse 20 with the act of each one dipping their bread into a common dish of sauce. But there was a lot of confused minds around the table … they were ‘on the edge’ concerning any talk about Jesus’ death. It is interesting to consider, that these particular disciples … at first glance … seem unsuitable for the task ahead – they didn’t even have enough self-awareness to understand their own shortcomings. Yet Jesus didn’t think so – he chose them! And we know that eventually they had remarkable success.

With one exception of course. Jesus also chose Judas – there just must have been something exceptional in him that attracted Jesus to call him; but unfortunately the character flaws in Judas were just too great for even Jesus to fix, and Judas fell away disastrously toward betrayal. This reminds us the potential that God can recognise within each one of us, but at the same time our responsibility to respond to God in a proper fashion (lest we be lost)!

As we read in verse 21, Jesus was on an inevitable path to the cross, but there was NO lack of responsibility on any of those who caused this, including Judas. However, in the segment of the narrative we have read from Mark’s version of events, Judas is not even mentioned. Why not? Perhaps Mark’s readers were not to jump on Judas’ back too quickly, without first thinking about themselves. What would they have done? How would they have reacted? After all, in the midst of such dramatic change, human beings often tend to react in negative and defensive ways. Judas had his chance, he had his options; he made a bad choice – what will we choose?!

Jesus had come with all the promise of a ‘Messiah’ – which meant for most … the defeat of the Roman empire and the restoration of Israel’s self-determination. Such was the general expectation of a ‘Messiah’ – probably the result of a self-serving misreading of the Hebrew Scriptures. However, God had acted for the people of Israel in the past, but had their hearts ever fully changed as a nation?

Their own prophets would often claim that the answer was ‘No’! What was required, was NOT a military campaign, but rather a spiritual revolution. Yet, the established power-brokers, were NOT prepared for the status-quo to be upset, especially if that meant they would lose their privileged position. They were quite pleased with their large book of little laws, that kept the lowly people in their place. We have often seen how the Pharisees etc were NOT AT ALL happy with Jesus turning the microscope on their own inner life.

This was the context behind Jesus’ bold attempts at change. And even his closest disciples, who had spent three years with Jesus, couldn’t contemplate the thought that ultimate change was going to require Jesus’ death: the real ‘Messiah’ would need to be a suffering servant. God’s prior disappointment … would now lead to the highest expression of mercy ever seen!

For the real problem to be addressed was sin … right at the depth of people’s being, that would require a path to be forged towards forgiveness – if lives particularly, and the world in general, was ever going to be put right. Here was the path to salvation for all those who understood their culpability and need. Still, the original disciples, hearing what Jesus said about his broken body and poured out blood, couldn’t yet really find their way onto the same page with Jesus. They still saw Jesus’ death as an unnecessary intrusion into their lives – something to be avoided.

So, this passage serves to ask people of all generations where they sit! Today this passage asks us where we sit!! Can we get past other expectations and reservations, to just admit that Jesus is dying for us? The disciples should NOT have disbelieved Jesus. But they did! Looking at verses 12 to 16 again, this is the second time that Jesus had sent the disciples off with instructions … that had worked out exactly as Jesus had said they would (the other being Palm Sunday). Verse 16 says that the disciples, “found everything as [Jesus] had told them”! The clear lesson for us all is – when Jesus speaks, just believe in him!

All the remarkable and miraculous experiences the disciples have had with Jesus, and still they can doubt him! It seems that even when Jesus mentioned his impending resurrection (at verse 28), this made NO impact! Jesus here was seeking to bring comforting reassurances, that despite his death, he would NOT leave them alone, but rather re-gather and lead them again. Yet this just went straight past the disciples … as if it wasn’t even said! Sometimes our ears are well and truly closed; maybe our eyes too! No wonder the first disciples were susceptible to doubting themselves on the one hand, and being over-confident on the other. They hadn’t yet learned to fully believe and trust in Jesus!

True Discipleship

As we have said, Jesus wanted to have this intimate dinner with his disciples, but the room was full of tension. Ultimately this tension surrounds the matter of true discipleship. Following Jesus would never be about our convenience or comfort. Following Jesus would not be about addressing our whims and preferences. Rather, following Jesus would be about a sacrificial serving ministry in the world. If we come to the bread and the cup for other reasons, we will likely, in the end, fall away, become a deserter, and in the worst case scenario … betray Jesus altogether.

I addressed this possibility last week from Hebrews 6, where we saw that the worst cases of rejecting Jesus having once embraced him, in effect suggested that his sacrifice was worthless. Judas, who dipped his bread in the same sauce bowl as Jesus and the others (v 20), tragically destroyed his possibilities of intimate relationship with God. So, when Jesus invites us to a meal, this special meal of bread and wine, symbolising real sacrifice, he wants us to be wholly on the same page with him.

Jesus wants the tension to pass, and true intimacy of relationship to develop. Jesus wants us to take note of the misunderstandings on that first occasion, and come to a place of complete faith. So, this is where self-examination comes in! “Surely not I”! How can we act to avoid betrayal or desertion? We never should take any of this lightly! The cross is both … because of us … and for us!! What causes us tension around the cross? Do we fear the change that Jesus is seeking to bring to our lives?

Judas wanted to control Jesus; Peter and the others wanted to define Jesus’ mission according to their own thinking!! Are we too comfortable in the old life? Do we think we have already given up enough (or done enough)? When we sing out loud about our love for Jesus, is this real (or something of a pretence)? Do we fear the unknown future of following Jesus come what may? Would it be okay if we could just measure and control the work of God’s Spirit in and around us (rather than this being open-ended)? We need to move our thinking … from fear and self TO faith and service!

In a way we have to work against our brain’s natural inclination to avoid change. Our brain is wired to pick up threats and negative possibilities … more so than the positive. Our brain is tuned to minimise threat, and thereby avoid change, as much as possible. The older we get, the more we default to a preference for the familiar (what we are used to) as against anything more unknown (or uncertain). To counteract this, we need the Holy Spirit’s help. The Gospel says, that to be a disciple, we need to move our thinking … from fear and self TO faith and service!

This is how it happens … we accept the invitation to a meal where sinners find redemption.

Jesus took a loaf of bread and broke it – offering the plate of broken pieces around the group. {First, Jesus had “blessed” this bread, signifying tremendous spiritual significance. This special broken bread was NOT about stomachs, but rather about our souls.} This bread now broken, represented his body to be broken because of the brokenness of humanity. In taking a piece from the broken loaf, we can identify with this brokenness, that we indeed have been broken, and that as Jesus identifies himself with that brokenness, and takes that brokenness upon himself, we can be healed. We take our piece of bread, humbly acknowledging our part (and our responsibility) in the fact that we are broken, and we receive forgiveness for that neglect. We do this, not just on our own, but together, in solidarity with one another, as we have all been in the same boat; and because what Jesus has done, is for all the world.

Jesus took a cup of wine and shared it around. {First, he had given “thanks”. We could wonder what Jesus gave “thanks” for!? I would think that such ‘thanksgiving’ might have been about God’s long-term [eternal] loving consideration of all those he had created – such that he sought to form covenants of mutual relationships with people of all generations.} This cup … would be “poured out for many”. This cup, then, would symbolise the new ultimate covenant of grace, where we wouldn’t have to strive against any religious ‘law’ to be good enough, but rather, just … embrace Jesus. No more guilt nor shame, rather just fruitfulness. If we could just say ‘yes’ to following Jesus, we would be included in this covenant of grace, such that we wouldn’t have to worry what the future might hold – we just simply trust God.

Conclusion

Despite the tensions and disappointments of that last supper together, this meal forms the basis of our communion together in the church. We are together because of our collective foundation in Jesus, the sacrificial service that he brought to all of us, and our combined mission to share this level of service with the community around us. For, as Easter in totality teaches us – the cross is far from the end, in fact it’s the beginning of the new beginning.

What the original disciples didn’t understand at the time, in their fear, they came to understand with power over coming weeks: that Jesus would be raised up, and go ahead of them to Galilee, to re-establish his leadership of their number, and make their lives count in extraordinary ways. In the power of the resurrection and God’s Spirit, the eleven remaining disciples, plus a new one, plus many committed women, plus loads of other converts to the cause (including the apostle Paul), will now turn the world upside down. They have now come to fully understand and commit to what Jesus was always teaching them, and what has now been laid out for us in God’s Word. They believed, and we can believe!

So, we are invited to this tremendous meal week by week, the ultimate feast of the Kingdom. In true discipleship, we no longer have to wonder whether we would betray or desert Jesus, let alone pretend we can cope with severe challenges in our own strength. We just humbly accept the bread, and joyfully drink of the cup – having been served them … personally … by Jesus. The body that has been broken … is being reunited … as the people of God become the ‘Body of Christ’ – the gathered church – still diverse, and gifted in different ways; but unified in purpose ... just like the community of God – Father, Son and Spirit. Amen.

"Building to Completion" (Hebrews 6:1-20)

Introduction

As impressive as it is, the concrete foundation of our new worship centre will NOT do us any good, unless we build a structure on it, and build that structure to its completion. This is like our spiritual lives – our lives need to be built towards completion … to become mature in faith and spirituality i.e. complete with all of what God wants to implant into our lives. This should be of major encouragement to us – that God loves and values us so much, that He has a daily interest in bringing us maturity.

I remember when we lived in Point Cook, there was a block on Dunnings Road, with just a concrete slab and timber frame, for year after year, with no sign of any further work to be done on it … just laying dormant. What a sad sight that was. And eventually it was pulled down. There is also that house there next to Gei Lin’s place – for whatever reason lying dormant – seeing it stand there half-finished (half-built) is a very sad sight!!

People can be like that too! And, as we are NOT robots on a predetermined course, and as good progress is NOT automatic – we need to take our own responsibility for going forward! This can be a slow process - because there is NO shortcut past our need for healing nor the consequences of our choices.

Yet, standing still is not an option, for in standing still we will inevitably go backwards. If we are resistant to God bringing transformation and newness to our lives, then we will inevitably go backwards. We have read in Hebrews chapter six about the extreme dangers inherent in going backwards. Standing still and going backwards actually contradict the power and effectiveness of the saving work of Jesus on the cross!

It could be … that, at times, we look at how others are tending to walk away from Jesus, and think about how we may go that way too – either by decision, or by neglect, or by consequence. How is it that we can guard against that, and in all ways commit to following Jesus and worshipping God and being open to the Holy Spirit in our lives … come what may!? How can we move from good foundations to the complete building? And how can we be reassured … that we are on the right track?

Solid Food

If we began our reading a little earlier in Hebrews (5:11f), we would have heard about the need to move from consuming milk to solid food. If we remain only on milk, we will remain as spiritual infants. We will likely, then, not have the necessary resources to survive the complexity of what life throws at us. We will also NOT grow sufficiently to be able to teach others concerning the spiritual life, because the necessary depth of understanding has not yet entered us.

As we notice in the first part of chapter six (vs 1-2), there were those who had the foundational teaching, but preferred to stay there and not deepen their understanding. They allowed the ideas to touch their mind but NOT their heart. Their thoughts just revolved around the basics, and they probably argued them back and forth; but rather than moving forward, they preferred to start from scratch again and again. This then becomes much more like religious dogma than a living breathing faith. Such ones are good with the head knowledge, but short on life application.

Many commentators believe that … the early Christians referred to here, were reluctant to move beyond the stuff that remained quite compatible with the beliefs of the religion of their birth, and the Judaism of their upbringing, rather than moving into a full experience of the ‘Good News’ of Jesus (and toward the far more revolutionary move of the Holy Spirit in their lives). They were nervous about breaking free of their own particular status-quo. In so doing they easily regressed back into (the presumed safety of) Judaism. But they were actually putting themselves at risk!

We can so easily get bogged down in religious dogma, and thereby miss the potentialities of spiritual enrichment. And we can also limit the amount of the Gospel message we take on, in an attempt to not upset our apple-cart too much, or alienate any of our family or friends, or upset our level of social acceptance. Yet, sitting on a thin fence is NOT a happy way to live! It’s a tricky place to be! And, we read in verses 4 to 5, there is a huge problem here.

The writer to the Hebrews is probably more alluding to some very callous cases of rebellion, but perhaps we still see some resonance here: people we know who have had a good taste of the Gospel and faith, and then fallen away (many into the pull of popular secular currents). Whatever has caused this – a bad experience, hurt, unmet expectations, bad teaching, or just a personal decision to do so, the ramifications are huge. We know that some people have been promised too much – that ‘come to Jesus and everything will be alright’ kind of comment, that has set so many people up for failure. God is actually NOT interested in making our life comfortable. 

[We know also, that, tragically, some people have suffered under spiritual abuse, and needed to distance themselves from the abusers.] 

Yet, what we have here, is basically a warning to those who choose to walk away, rather than taking up the opportunity to grow to maturity. And this is put very dramatically and passionately, with a very strong pastoral heart: Don’t fall away, or it will be “impossible” for this to be reversed … says the text (v 4). “Impossible”!?! This, I don’t think, means “impossible” by design, but rather, “impossible” by effect – it just works out that way. This is so sad. This is because people often get so hardened against what they once embraced. Because, for them, it didn’t seem to work!

Certain people can become very hostile, stubborn, fixed, seemingly impenetrable. If they, for whatever reason, feel that faith and/or church hasn’t worked for them (according to the expectations they were given), then they can fall into a habit of negativity and rejection. In this way, it is seen as “impossible” for them to return. There is here a major mental resistance to repentance.

While this is their position – we know that God continues, maybe increasingly so, to hunt down the one of the hundred who has strayed, or seek to welcome back the prodigal … who has simply made some bad choices to destructive ends. Yet, ultimately, it will have to be their decision to return, for intimate relationship with God has always been voluntary.

A Digression – supporting those who have fallen away

What do we do for these people – how do we support those who have fallen away (with a view to seeing them return)?

I have a 5-point plan:

1. We pray – not only for them, but also for wisdom in handling well any conversations around the topic of faith with them; praying also for active opportunities for such conversations to occur in God’s good timing. In this we seek to be sensitive to God’s guidance and timing, and discern whether it is we, or somebody else, who is best suited to minister to a certain person.

2. We should be flexible in our approach, hearing where the other person is at, and where their problem areas lie, without being judgmental or applying our hard and fast solutions – which may miss the mark entirely. The particular doctrines and presentations of the Gospel message that didn’t work for the person previously, will likely NOT work for them again. We would likely need to vary our approach until we find something that resonates. The goal is to build trust and an open line of communication.

3. We would likely need to widen the entry points around the love and grace of God, God’s huge capacity to forgive, offering a sense of value, acceptance and a new safe place to belong. We don’t insist they believe this or that (those things that may appear important to us), but rather simply help them to find the embrace of God … in the situation they currently find themselves in. And be very patient … waiting on the Lord. This likely won’t be an even journey, but rather have its ups and downs.

4. At some point we invite them to explore a new experience of Christian community – whether that is just eating with other people who may be helpful in the situation, or in a gentle church social activity, or in a home group, or in a suitable-style worship service, or to help in some practical thing the church is doing (e.g. working bee or serving some neighbours) – whatever will suit the individual situation the best – where those who are also involved understand the high stakes involved and respect this space highly … with NO unnecessary invasions into their life before a person becomes ready.

5. We should model in our lives that the Gospel actually works. People, especially those who have walked away, will need to know the Gospel works, that the Gospel works in relationship and community, as they observe this in the lives of others i.e. us! This is before they will accept any of the truths we think are important. This is another, maybe the main, reason … why we need to allow God to build, mature and complete us – as God desires to use us as a channel of Christ’s blessing!

The Path to Maturity

The strength of this warning in Hebrews, and the strong encouragement for ourselves to be prepared to go forward, is highlighted in verse 6. To taste grace and mercy and forgiveness, and then to deem this insufficient … and walk away, is to in effect declare that Jesus should be crucified all over again. This also brings public contempt over the effectiveness of Jesus’ sacrificial service. This is just like saying that a soldier’s sacrifice was wasted in a worthless cause! To worship One, and then to reject that One, is to breed public contempt. So … I couldn’t think of a greater motivation for going forward toward completeness than this!

Later in verse 12 the English word “sluggish” is used to describe one lacking diligence in these matters. Sluggishness leads to stagnation which will always have negative outcomes. We would want to sense the urgency of this scripture, and help others through this … before it becomes terminal. So, reflecting on verses 7 & 8, I would want to be … like that ground that drinks up all of the rain that is falling down on it, producing a crop that is useful to all those for whom it is cultivated. This is so much preferable, don’t you think, to ground that only produces thorns and thistles!?

The question then is – what are the markers of this path to maturity? How, and with what, do we move toward completeness??

This surrounds the dynamic of knowing Jesus well, and he, Jesus, knowing us well. This surrounds an ongoing, never static, reflection on the cross, and the various ways in which this brings us freedom from sin and a peace through which we can endure all kinds of circumstances. This is also about the resurrection … which opens our path to all sorts of new possibilities.

1. Studying God’s Word in the Bible in conversation with others - it is important to help one another understand the styles of literature within, the variety of authors, what is culturally conditioned and what transcends culture
2. Receiving teaching from God’s Word with deep reflection and life application - including the helpfulness of taking notes
3. Involvement in prayer, both personal and corporate
4. Participation in worship and communion within the ‘Body of Christ’
5. Being continually open to the Holy Spirit bringing greater giftedness and fruitfulness into your life
6. Collaborating with others in serving ministries, including the ministry of encouragement (Hebrews 6:10). Verse 10 shows, that despite the dire warnings in this passage, the writer is well aware of those whose loving service shows that they are indeed on the right track.
7. Becoming an “imitator” of Jesus, being his representative in all contexts (Hebrews 6:12). Imitating those who are already fully faithful, with the example given here of Abraham, really leads us to “imitating” the ultimate example of Jesus.
8. Thorough complete repentance every time there is a blip in the road. Knowing what ‘repentance’ is … is still a far cry from practicing repentance. And ‘repentance’ is … a complete active turn-around from whatever it is that separates us from God (and others).

Seizing the Hope

In this way we will fully “seize the hope set before us” (v 18). To “seize” something is to focus on it and eagerly take possession of it. Or as verse 11 says it, “… we want each one of you to show the same diligence so as to realise the full assurance of hope to the very end”. [It is only with solid food in our stomachs that can we do this!]

“Hope” is ‘confident expectation’ – a ‘confident expectation’ based on the absolute reliability and faithfulness of God. Part of this is also prayerful patience. The promises made to Abraham (referred to here in verses 13-15) regarding being the father of many offspring, seemed, at his and his wife’s age, to be farfetched.

Yet Abraham was faithful and went forward in relationship with God. And this promise eventually began to be fulfilled with the birth of Isaac (25 years later), and then was ultimately fulfilled, many many centuries later, when people from all the nations of the earth came to become disciples of Jesus.

We can have this “hope” … that Jesus knows us, and lives with us, and has taken us behind the ‘curtain’ into the ‘holy of holies’ where God lives. It is in this way that we move forward … from having the right foundation … to … having an anchor for our souls … that surely and steadfastly guards our life, and keeps us steady in any storm. This is maturity and completeness!

From this position of being anchored to Jesus, we cannot be moved (or absent-mindedly drift) in any adverse direction. This is also the “hope” of a purposeful life of serving in community and making a difference for good, bringing with this … eternal promises for ourselves and others.

We have an anchor that keeps the soul,

Steadfast and sure while the billows roll;
Fastened to the rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love!
(Priscilla J Owens – 1882). 

Are we grounded firm and deep in the Saviour's love? This is building to completion! 

That's all we need - to be grounded firm and deep in the Saviour's love! 

Then sings my soul, then sings my soul;

How great Your love is, how great Your love is!

"Open to the Spirit" (Zechariah 4:1-7, Acts 6:1-15)

Introduction

What makes the difference? A foundation in Jesus that brings intimacy with God. Yes! Now where do we go from there? How does this work in real life when obstacles present themselves? How does a church work its way through the mountains of complexity, to make a real impact in its local context?? When Jesus left us with such a great commission, what provision did he make for this mission’s success??? As we shall see, the way of true progress, is the way of the “Spirit”. Whereas, God doesn’t recognise what we do in our own strength, what we do through God’s Spirit moves mountains.

Zechariah 4:1-7

First to the Hebrew Scriptures. God’s people had returned to their homeland from exile after Cyrus King of Persia had overthrown the Babylonians. Their major task was to rebuild the Jerusalem temple. This was a huge task, for a people, who had for so long been removed from their land and spiritual heritage. They were discouraged, believing that they lacked the necessary resources. The prophet Zechariah was here bringing God’s message to the people’s leader Zerubbabel – that this task was indeed possible … under certain circumstances. What could be seen as a big mountain to climb in the sense of the task at hand, could actually become much more achievable.

Zechariah was telling Zerubbabel, that the resources that they thought they lacked, were NOT the resources that they actually needed! Under certain conditions, that metaphorical “great mountain” (of verse 7) could become like a flat wide “plain”. What were the conditions that would help them? These would NOT come by human “might”, strength, or energy – nor through human “power”, position or influence; but rather … only … by God’s Spirit. Verse 6 says, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts”.

And the fact that, through God’s Spirit, the seemingly impossible, or at least hugely difficult, would be achieved, would result in a witness to the character of God – there would be … quote … “shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it’”. There would be an obvious and undeniable witness to God’s activity amongst them. Perhaps we also see here a pointer to the ultimate person of “grace”. The completion of this temple project would be roundly celebrated when the “top stone” (verse 7) or “capstone” or “final stone” was installed in its rightful position.

So, having heard this, wouldn’t Zerubbabel, put aside any reliance on his own might, and his own political power, and just be open to God’s Spirit?! You would think he would! But he may not! Why not? The job will not get done unless he does! But still … he may prefer his own resources (even though they will be found deficient), he may prefer his own way of going about it over God’s design (even though that won’t work either), he may not be able to trust God enough (even though he has had enough good experiences of God to counter any fear), he just may not be able to feel it (he may not know God intimately enough … even though he has worshipped God in the past). His life might be racked with sin or resentment that he just can’t confess or get past.

The good news is, even to such a one as this, that the invitation persists to simply open oneself to God’s Spirit. Don’t try to fix yourself, don’t try to survive on your own, don’t try to achieve the unachievable without God, don’t think that you know better (in limited finite understanding), don’t ignore those previous faith-filled moments, don’t ignore the testimony of the worshipping people around you. Don’t hang on to your sin and your bitterness as if they are your friends, when they are really your enemies. Don’t! Just don’t! Be open to God’s Spirit!! AND THE RESULT WILL BE REAL AND TANGIBLE EVIDENCE OF GRACE! “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the LORD”.

What are our “mountains”? What are our ‘obstacles’? Individually? As a church? Mountains seemingly too high to climb. Mountains seemingly too wide to walk around. Mountains seemingly to vast to see beyond. Mountains of our own making. Mountains of others’ making. What sits across our path? Whatever it is … “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the LORD”. And they will become as “plains”. These could be areas difficult to deal with. These could be mountains that we hide behind. These could be circumstances completely out of our control. “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the LORD”.

Acts 6:1-15

Now to the New Testament. In the early church community, things were moving quickly, and there was rapid growth. And there are often teething problems with anything new and organic like the early church. There is often a variety of expectations and demand, as against the capacity to supply. Here, some people thought they were getting a worse deal than others, when it came to the distribution of food, with the concern that this derived from preferential treatment based on cultural bias. How to tackle this … so the work of the Kingdom could go on?

Wisdom was needed in handling this. The apostles would clearly need to continue with their assigned role of prayer and preaching, while other leaders would need to be raised up for new roles within the team ministry. As the circle grew bigger, so would the need for more people to collaborate according to God-given giftedness. Where participation simply means involvement on a team, ‘collaboration’ means producing something as a team.

The apostles seeking the Spirit’s guidance, asked the whole gathered community of disciples (refer v 2), as the congregation was called, to be part of discerning and selecting certain disciples for the practical ministry task at hand – seeking those who were filled with the Spirit and wisdom in their lives (v 3). The presence of such “Spirit and wisdom” could only be identified through the character and ‘fruit’ of their lives (and the truth and integrity of their words). And for this process of discernment, the Holy Spirit would be required as well – for the right personnel assessments to be made. As a result of this Spirit-led discernment, seven ‘deacons’ were appointed into this particular ministry of service. {We should note, that the cultural context evident here, where only men were being mentioned, was later counteracted by Paul, as, following Jesus, he rightly gave equal status to women.}

We should note also, that as these ‘deacons’ gathered together and stood before the apostles, who prayed for them and blessed them with a laying on of hands, they were NOT to be individuals off on their own independent mission, but rather part of a joint effort to the serve the whole … accountable to one another. They were part of a team. That’s what the Holy Spirit is about – bringing together great diversity into unity of faith and action. We all have equal access to the empowering of the Holy Spirit – just different callings and roles to perform.

The Holy Spirit is a pre-requisite for all effective ministry. And what results we see from this process!! For example look at verse 7 – even “priests”, who were likely seen as stuck and immovable in old religious tradition, were sensing the possibility of freedom and coming to faith in Jesus. Here we see a mountain being brought low! [BTW … That this was an inclusive process, is seen in the naming of Nicolaus who had been a God-fearing Gentile adherent to Jewish religion before becoming a Jesus-follower.]

When people are ministering in the right areas, according to their gifts, as part of the ‘body’, this is the path to health and growth. Yet things don’t remain static in the work of the Kingdom of God for very long. We should note a couple more of these names (in verse 5). Stephen was first on the list, identified as “a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit” (in v 5). Yet, as that criteria was applied to all the new appointees, it is probably the name of Stephen itself which is being highlighted here. In verse 5 … Stephen is being appointed as a ‘deacon’ – a title often used to describe a ministry of service. Then, as soon as verse 8, we read, “Stephen, full of grace and power [and we now know where that is deriving from – not from himself but from … God’s Spirit], did great wonders and signs among the people”.

As we read on, we see that Stephen has subsequently become a preacher and evangelist (before being martyred in the cause of Jesus). Point being, becoming open to the Spirit, enables God’s Spirit to do not just one thing in a person’s life (and discipleship and ministry), but a number of things … one after another … continuing to transform and enable a person … probably on the basis of active obedience and growing maturity. Serving tables obediently and gracefully one day – capturing thousands for Jesus the next. “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord”. There were those of different views who opposed Stephen, but we read in verse 10, that, “they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke”. It is the Spirit of God who grows us into the person we were created to be, in God’s time, through the appointed seasons and experiences of life.

There is a Philip here too. There was an original disciple named Philip, especially mentioned in John’s Gospel, who likely now has been identified with the “apostles”. So this is likely another Philip, who has been inducted as a ‘deacon’. It is more than likely, that it is this Philip, who also quickly became a successful evangelist to the Ethiopian eunuch we read about in Acts chapter 8. So, it is the Holy Spirit that guides and empowers us into being the people that God created us to be, into the giftedness and calling that God had eternally in mind for us, and into the opportunities and successful avenues of ministry that God continually provides through the church. And this of course, as we have been saying over and over, is in the context of being the diverse yet unified ‘Body of Christ’ together.

But to experience the Holy Spirit like this … requires what? Being open!! All the same issues that may have surfaced for Zerubbabel so long ago, may surface for us: preferring to rely on ourselves (and whatever influence and resources we have at hand), trying to fix ourselves or go it alone, preferring our own way of doing things (even when they don’t prove effective or produce fruit), not finding a way … through which to trust God enough (even though we have a number of good experiences to draw on), not developing an intimacy with God … through the life foundation of following Jesus (even though we have sensed God’s presence in worship), or by just getting stuck in sin or resentment. No! Let’s not get stuck there or anywhere. Let’s be open to the Spirit!

Conclusion

If we look with our own eyes, we see mountains … we see obstacles. If we look with the eyes of God’s Spirit we see opportunities. How hard is it for a smallish church to build a new worship centre? Our eyes or God’s eyes? Is it a mountain or an opportunity? We have decided that, indeed, it is an opportunity. How hard will it be to fill the new worship centre? Mountain or plain? Our eyes or the eyes of God’s Spirit? If we are all open to the Holy Spirit together, God’s grace will abound!!

As we receive the grace of Jesus and follow Jesus through everyday life, the Holy Spirit is available to us. The Holy Spirit is a gift of God. The Holy Spirit is powerful and makes a load of difference. We know this from Luke … the way he told the Pentecost story. The believers were together, as they were instructed by Jesus to be, and bang! Effective communication and thousands into the Kingdom.

But the promise of the Holy Spirit is very intimate as well. John’s Gospel brings this out, as Jesus reassures his disciples that they would not be left alone (to their own devices): Jesus says, “Peace be with you” (20:19-21) and adds “Receive the Holy Spirit” (20:22). This is a peace that only comes from the Holy Spirit, and means that we can cope with any challenge and any adventure in the name of Jesus.

To be described as “full of the Spirit”, like Stephen, Philip, and the other five were, means that the fruit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are evident in our lives in community – within the team of the ‘Body of Christ’ – the church, and in the life we live in the world. If we are open to this fullness, and have the humility to put self aside, we will receive it. And this experience can transform the perspective through which we see everything.

Postscript

I’ve been thinking about the phrase “labouring in obscurity”. In season one, episode eight, of the Netflix series ‘The Crown’, a drama following the life of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen travels to Ceylon on a diplomatic tour. She appoints her sister, Princess Margaret, to be her representative for minor royal engagements. This drama portrays Princess Margaret, being unhappy with her sister’s lack of flair, taking the opportunity to bring some colour to the monarchy. She speaks her own mind, jokes with the press, and belittles other dignitaries. Princess Margaret is then rebuked by Winston Churchill, because she had NOT been appointed to represent herself. Churchill says: Your Royal Highness, when you appear in public, performing official duties, you are not you. Princess Margaret replies: Of course I’m me. Churchill responds: The Crown. That’s what they’ve come to see, not you.

This is NOT about … not being noticed; rather, it is about who is being noticed! This is NOT about denying or suppressing our unique personality, but rather seeking the Spirit … so that all of who we uniquely are … points towards Jesus. This cannot happen through human might, nor human power, but only through God’s Spirit. And when people recognise Jesus present in their community, there will be massive responses to this gift of God’s grace. Amen.

"Better Building Practices" (Matthew 7:21-29)

Introduction

This message started out when I was wondering why the church, generally speaking, with all the resources God has given it, has not, and does not, make a bigger difference in the world. When we bemoan the track that we see the world going down – especially tracks of selfish greed and violence, and a lack of care for the poor and vulnerable, this should cause us to think what we all might be getting wrong. As we read the Old Testament prophets, we see there a call to faithfulness and integrity – we can’t blandly call upon the name of the Lord while ignoring God’s precepts and ideals.

This is what Jesus is highlighting as well, at the conclusion of his ‘sermon on the mount’ (as recorded by Matthew). Look at verses 21-23. It is possible that we can claim to speak for God, or even that we claim to be acting in God’s name – but because of a lack of love, or lack of consistency, or because it is all more about ourselves than it is about Jesus … that it just doesn’t count for anything; it actually counts for nought! Maybe we don’t experience a better world, because so much is wasted, because we miss what is most important in God’s eyes.

Michael Green writes, “I fear that so much which passes for Christianity will be shrivelled up in the day of judgment, and be found to be bogus and worthless”. It could be that we, at times, are better at pointing fingers than confessing our own sin! Maybe, then, as I suspect, it is about the quality of our foundations – putting the right foundation in place (through which to be able to make the sort of difference we are called by God to make)! It is interesting that this dichotomy (or big difference) between how we see ourselves, and how God sees us, is resolved in our text by looking at “foundations”.

The verses that follow (24-27) would suggest that we can fail – because we don’t actually have the right foundation! Rather than building on mere sand, we need a strong, “rock”-like foundation – which can only be supplied by one person – and that is Jesus. And this is not just for individual benefit, but for the collective as well. We, together, need a living knowledge of, and deep connection with, Jesus. This, inescapably, includes obeying his teaching. Each house (referred to in this parable) may have looked okay in good weather, but when the storm came, only the houses with good foundations survived.

Good foundations

Like just about everything we build, our life needs to be built on a firm foundation. Otherwise we will just flop around in the wind or sink in the wet. We need to clearly know who we are, what we stand for, and what our purpose is in life. We need to be clearly established! Otherwise we will likely just float along, and before we know it, many opportunities have passed us by. “The man who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd”. Some may just want a little manageable amount of Jesus – but surely this would be akin to only building on sand.

When Peter, later, correctly identified Jesus as, “the Christ – the Anointed One – the Son of the Living God”, Jesus said that the “church” will be built on this truth (Matt 16:18). This “rock” of truth would be the foundation on which the “church” will be built. If Jesus is truly the “Son of the Living God” (16:16), then of course everything starts, proceeds and finishes through Jesus. This is ‘best building practice’! For this had been a revelation for Peter straight from God, the most gripping revelation he could ever have had (16:17). “The rock is Christ’s own person and teaching, the only foundation for stable spiritual and social building” (J R Dummelow).

If we are to embrace that ‘circle’ of mutual humble servanthood towards one another, based on ‘agape’ love (that John talked about last week), then we will need to consider how firm a foundation we have in Jesus!? Do we just try to speak the right words, and act in the right way, without going deep enough into the far reaches of Jesus? In Jesus, deeply in Jesus, we can be transformed from the inside out, and become whole and real – and fully known to God! Who we are is being clearly defined!

There is surely a strong connection … between having a foundation firmly in Jesus and experiencing an intimacy with God. “Being Christian involves joining one’s own life, IN ALL OF ITS ASPECTS, to the person of Jesus, and, through him, to the Father” (Pope Francis). Or, as Paul famously puts it, “I have been crucified with Christ [meaning … I accept Christ’s transforming work on the cross for me]; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:19-20). We are not perfect, and we will disappoint, but this should not deter us from seeking to point others in the direction of Jesus.

The crowd that day, that heard Jesus speak live [imagine that!] reckoned … that, unlike much of the religious talk of the day, and the hypocrisy often witnessed in that society – what Jesus was saying made absolute sense (v 29)! And what Jesus taught through that great ‘sermon on the mount’ (Matthew chapters 5 – 7), he lived; and for the concepts and ideals that he spoke about, he also died, such was their importance.

Ideals like: peacemaking, forgiveness, being salt and light, purity, honesty, love for enemies, sincere prayerfulness, generosity, faith, self-awareness, being non-judgmental, openness, fruitfulness. This is how to build a life! However, if we ever live in God-contrary ways i.e. harbour grudges, refuse forgiveness or fail to love, then Jesus may say, “I don’t know you”.

A Matter of Emphasis

Where else might we be going wrong? Where might we be building on sand instead of rock? It may be where we put the emphasis …  rather than being totally wrong!? For example, why does God give each of us ‘gifts’ through the Holy Spirit?? To make us feel good … to make us superior?? No!! Paul teaches, in line with Jesus, that ‘gifts’ – each and every ‘gift’ – are given for “the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). We are given ‘gifts’ so we can work together with effectiveness and bless the whole. There is NO ‘I’ in team, the great coaches rightly say.

The ‘fruit of the Spirit’ that Paul talks about in Galatians – these aren’t individual medals … these are relational character traits – every one of them. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal 5:22-3). These stand against all the negative and abusive character traits that are previously listed in Galatians chapter 5 (e.g. 5:19-21). All of life is relational – God designed it that way on the basis of the interactive experience of the Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Spirit. So surely, and this is my point, salvation is also NOT primarily individual nor personal, but rather collective.

When we receive Jesus into our life, we are immediately drawn into a Kingdom of believers and the Body of Christ. To over-emphasise personal salvation to the exclusion of community responsibility … misses God’s intention to build the new creation – to rebuild creation anew. We would tend to think too much of heaven, and not enough of earth (and the functioning of the church on earth). And to over-emphasise personal salvation, which the bible actually never does, does not critique the individualism and self-centredness so rampant in our society.

As an extension of this thought, Greg Laurie talks about how easily we fall into wanting a god in our own image. We want a god who will conform to our wishes and desires, who will fulfil our agendas; a user-friendly god whom we can easily adapt to our pre-determined choices. This is just like the people of Jesus’ day, who wanted a ‘Messiah’ who would act according to their plans and conform to their designs. And when Jesus challenged this notion – well we know how that turned out! Those who were stuck in this grace-denying mindset, participated in the crucifixion of Jesus.

The bible’s emphasis is ‘collective redemption’ – God’s Kingdom becoming evident on earth. This may start one life at a time, but can’t stay there long. While we still think as individuals, we see personal preferences rather than community needs. Thus, we tend to find fault, rather than giving preference to encouragement. Our opinions are the only opinions. But, we are being called out of individual ‘deadness’ into community life. And as we live out true community life in the circle of ‘agape love’, we actually have something worthwhile to contribute. Different perspectives shared in the right spirit … enrich us all.

We actually gain little by simply appealing to the self-interest in others. Unless people are drawn from individual thinking toward community thinking, they will not stay on the journey of faith. Those that want to move simply from one individual reality to another sort of individual reality … just for their own needs … will not likely look deeply enough to find a sufficiently sound foundation. Sadly, they will not easily sit in the church. And the world will remain the same. So, our emphasis needs to be biblical – making disciples who are prepared to be disciples and make more disciples.

One more example about emphasis. Please bear with me, and think this through a bit. Does sometimes saying that God is in control, mean, that we, even unconsciously, abrogate responsibility?! From the moment of our creation, God called us to be stewards of everything else God created. We have responsibility on the earth. We might prefer, when faced with evil, injustice and pain, to just wish that Jesus would come again and put everything right. That is our ultimate hope; but our calling is to be part of what God wants to do now, what Jesus has already made doable.

We haven’t yet fully realised the impact and possibilities of Jesus’ first coming! Why should God bail us out with Jesus’ second coming, when we haven’t yet utilised all the possibilities and power of his first coming, and his giving of the Holy Spirit to the church?! Perhaps if we more fully focussed on Jesus as the foundation of everything we do, the church would be less focussed on its institutional privileges … and more focussed on reaching the broken and lost. Jesus has called us and equipped us to make a difference right across the problems and challenges of society – education, health care, welfare, work and family.

Conclusion

Mark DeYmaz (founding pastor of Mosaic Church in Little Rock Arkansas) speaks of being willing to “labour in obscurity”, allowing God to exalt our efforts towards the redemption and transformation of a community – because it’s not about us but all about Jesus. Those who are being built on a firm foundation in Jesus … are released from their own battles with self, to humbly and quietly, but surely, plant the seeds of Gospel hope through encouragement … and therefore truly make a big difference.

Who do we serve? Ourselves? An institution? A political agenda? Or, others (in the name of Jesus)? When Rick and Kay Warren were participating in a discussion among global leaders about how to help the AIDS crisis in Africa, Rick pointed out that while there were only three hospitals in Rwanda, there were 700 churches. If those churches could be mobilized for basic medical care, it would make a huge difference in a suffering population. He further pointed out that there are villages with no doctors, grocery stores or electricity, but those villages have churches in them.

If we establish our foundation well in Jesus, then all the diverse aspects and demands of life can be integrated with good rhythm. Instead of life becoming chaotic, having a foundation in Jesus helps us put every component of our lives into good perspective. Jesus is not someone or something we have to balance with other priorities, but rather Jesus becomes the central focus point through which everything else gets analysed. And this, I believe, is the way to do life! 

Ephesians 3:20-21 says: Now to him, who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.