Last Sunday's sermon at St Andrew's was on Acts 4:1-21, one of my favourite passages in the Bible. Most of the talk was based on v12 - 'Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved,' a verse which reminds us that the way God has provided for us to get to heaven is the name of his Son, knowing Jesus and trusting only in him. And there's 'no other name', no other way.
That's not a very popular message these days; it wasn't a popular message when Peter and John told the religious leaders in Acts 4 either. They arrested these two Christians, they threatened them, they 'commanded them not to speak or teach at all to anyone in this name.' But Peter and John won't stop telling people about Jesus; v20 - 'We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.'
That's the challenge, isn't it? If we believe v12 in our hearts, that there's no way to heaven except through trusting in Jesus, then we must also say v20 with our lips - 'We cannot help speaking about what we know to be true about Jesus.' When people get cross because we tell them Jesus is the only way, when people ask us firmly to shut up about Jesus, they just don't want to listen, the challenge is to respond as Peter and John did; 'I must keep telling people. I can't help speaking about it.'
It's easy to think 'I can't do that. It's too hard. I don't know many answers. Talking about Jesus to people is best left up to professionals like Peter and John back then, and to vicars and people like that today.' Well, take a look at v13 - the religious leaders 'realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and took note that these men had been with Jesus'.
Peter and John didn't wear dog collars; they hadn't been to university; they were ordinary, untrained guys. And yet here they stood up in front of the most intelligent, intimidating men in the country and said 'Jesus is the only way you can be saved. You need to trust in him.' They knew they were untrained; they knew most people would reject their message; but they knew v12 was true and so they spoke out anyway. They couldn't help it.
What an encouragement for us! If Peter and John can do it, so can we. Acts 4 leaves us no opportunity to say 'I can't do it. I don't know enough/can't speak well enough/am not a vicar..' Acts 4 says you can do it - you can tell someone about Jesus today; and if you remember v12, that Jesus is the only way the people we know can be saved, then you will tell someone about Jesus, you too won't be able to help speaking the truth about Jesus.
When it comes to talking about Jesus, there's no such word as 'can't'.
Thursday, 5 July 2007
Verse of the week
'We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts' 1 Thessalonians 2:4
It's very rare to meet someone who doesn't often dress/speak/act in order to win praise or friendship from others. Most of us worry what others think of us; most of us long to be popular. Even people who deliberately kick out against the prevailing fashion are still defining themselves in terms of what men think and expect. And actually as we seek to gain praise from others, we become slaves to that search.
That's why the Christian life is so liberating. The Christian no longer needs to think 'What will they think of me?' or 'How can I become, or stay, popular?' Because the Christian, lik Paul in this verse, is no longer desperately striving to please men; no, the Christian is striving to please God, the God who tests our hearts, who is pleased by inner rather than outer beauty, by motivation more than fashion, by our hearts more than our clothes. How wonderful to be freed from finding our assurance and confidence in what society says, and to be able to know that we can please not just our schoolfriends or our work colleagues or our footballing friends but the Creator God himself!
And that's also why the Christian life is so challenging. Paul writes this verse shortly after being kicked out of Thessaloniki because he refused to say what pleased people; instead he said the message of the gospel, and spoke of Jesus Christ and his death in our place. His words displeased people so much they rioted; the few Christians in the city were now being persecuted.
It often seems so much easier to please people rather than God; to keep quiet rather than speaking out, to do what the crowd wants rather than what you know God wants. Paul didn't care what the crowd wanted him to do, he cared only for what God wanted him to do. The challenge for us as Christians is to remind ourselves every day that as God's people we need be and should be no longer trying to please men, but to please God, the God who knows not just what we choose to show to others, but what is in our hearts.
It's very rare to meet someone who doesn't often dress/speak/act in order to win praise or friendship from others. Most of us worry what others think of us; most of us long to be popular. Even people who deliberately kick out against the prevailing fashion are still defining themselves in terms of what men think and expect. And actually as we seek to gain praise from others, we become slaves to that search.
That's why the Christian life is so liberating. The Christian no longer needs to think 'What will they think of me?' or 'How can I become, or stay, popular?' Because the Christian, lik Paul in this verse, is no longer desperately striving to please men; no, the Christian is striving to please God, the God who tests our hearts, who is pleased by inner rather than outer beauty, by motivation more than fashion, by our hearts more than our clothes. How wonderful to be freed from finding our assurance and confidence in what society says, and to be able to know that we can please not just our schoolfriends or our work colleagues or our footballing friends but the Creator God himself!
And that's also why the Christian life is so challenging. Paul writes this verse shortly after being kicked out of Thessaloniki because he refused to say what pleased people; instead he said the message of the gospel, and spoke of Jesus Christ and his death in our place. His words displeased people so much they rioted; the few Christians in the city were now being persecuted.
It often seems so much easier to please people rather than God; to keep quiet rather than speaking out, to do what the crowd wants rather than what you know God wants. Paul didn't care what the crowd wanted him to do, he cared only for what God wanted him to do. The challenge for us as Christians is to remind ourselves every day that as God's people we need be and should be no longer trying to please men, but to please God, the God who knows not just what we choose to show to others, but what is in our hearts.
Friday, 29 June 2007
Verse of the week
'Now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you...?' 1 Thessalonians 3:8-9
What happens when someone becomes a Christian? Their eternal destiny changes. They pass from death to life, from alienation from God to friendship with God. And every day they keep going as a Christian, so they get closer to that wonderful eternal destiny.
As Christians, then, when we see someone else become a Christian, we have seen something more significant than anything else we'll ever see. And when that person keeps going, continues to stand firm in the Lord, we are seeing someone moving towards a perfect eternal life with Christ. Just looking at a Christian friend in that way should give us more joy than anything else - to look at them and think 'Once you were facing the eternal death of separation from God, but now, because of Jesus, I will see you in the New Creation when we live there with Christ.'
Paul had not seen these Thessalonian Christians for some time, and he was concerned whether they were keeping going in the face of persecution from those around them. Then one day he heard that these young Christians were keeping going, were doing well, were standing firm in the Lord. And what joy that brought him - 'now we really live'!
And his joy in seeing others keeping going in the Christian faith leads him to give thanks to God. In fact, Paul is so aware of how wonderful it is that these Thessalonians have become Christians and kept going as Christians that he knows he can never thank God enough. However long he spends on his knees in thanksgiving, he'll never have said enough.
We all have Christian friends who we can look at and see keeping going with Christ. Many of us will have Christian friends who we once lived amongst but now are parted from. What joy it ought to bring us when we hear, by email or phone or letter, that they are standing firm in the Lord! And how much ought we to fall on our knees and give great thanks to God for those lives, lives he has saved and is sustaining until heaven.
So often the state of our bank balance, or our wardrobe, or our football team, is of more importance to us than the state of our Christian friends - might it be that we would 'really live' when we find out about Christians who are keeping going, might it be that we would thank God properly for what he has done for those friends of ours.
What happens when someone becomes a Christian? Their eternal destiny changes. They pass from death to life, from alienation from God to friendship with God. And every day they keep going as a Christian, so they get closer to that wonderful eternal destiny.
As Christians, then, when we see someone else become a Christian, we have seen something more significant than anything else we'll ever see. And when that person keeps going, continues to stand firm in the Lord, we are seeing someone moving towards a perfect eternal life with Christ. Just looking at a Christian friend in that way should give us more joy than anything else - to look at them and think 'Once you were facing the eternal death of separation from God, but now, because of Jesus, I will see you in the New Creation when we live there with Christ.'
Paul had not seen these Thessalonian Christians for some time, and he was concerned whether they were keeping going in the face of persecution from those around them. Then one day he heard that these young Christians were keeping going, were doing well, were standing firm in the Lord. And what joy that brought him - 'now we really live'!
And his joy in seeing others keeping going in the Christian faith leads him to give thanks to God. In fact, Paul is so aware of how wonderful it is that these Thessalonians have become Christians and kept going as Christians that he knows he can never thank God enough. However long he spends on his knees in thanksgiving, he'll never have said enough.
We all have Christian friends who we can look at and see keeping going with Christ. Many of us will have Christian friends who we once lived amongst but now are parted from. What joy it ought to bring us when we hear, by email or phone or letter, that they are standing firm in the Lord! And how much ought we to fall on our knees and give great thanks to God for those lives, lives he has saved and is sustaining until heaven.
So often the state of our bank balance, or our wardrobe, or our football team, is of more importance to us than the state of our Christian friends - might it be that we would 'really live' when we find out about Christians who are keeping going, might it be that we would thank God properly for what he has done for those friends of ours.
Friday, 22 June 2007
'Salvation issues'
Just thinking about the previous post, it's probably worth reminding ourselves that there's a difference between not understanding or disagreeing over different issues about Christianity.
Some people disagree over what are termed 'salvation issues'; things which, if you don't believe, you can't be saved. So for instance if you don't believe God made the world, or if you don't believe you have rejected God, or if you don't believe Jesus took the punishment for your sins, or if you don't believe he will return in judgement and glory, then the whole gospel falls apart. So if someone says 'Jesus won't return' that's a salvation issue, and so obviously them not believing that matters very much.
There are also what we can call 'secondary issues'; things which, if you don't believe, you may be wrong but it doesn't mean you're not saved. Here are a couple of examples; some Christians think you should baptise babies, others that you should only baptise adults who are professing faith. Clearly one is right and one is wrong, and it matters in that we want to follow God's truth; but getting that wrong won't mean you can't be saved. Or again, some Christians think you shouldn't work on a Sunday, others that you must take a day of rest each week but not necessarily Sunday, others that you don't have to take a day off at all. One of those positions is right, but if I've got it wrong when I get to heaven I won't be thrown out!
It's quite helpful, when someone says something that we think 'I've never heard that before', or 'I don't understand that' or even 'I don't think that's right', to ask ourselves whether this is a salvation issue or a secondary issue. If it's a salvation issue, in other words something that will directly effect how we understand the cross and resurrection and return of Jesus Christ, it's something you need to think about, pray about and take very seriously.
But if it isn't - then don't worry too much! It's not like if you get that wrong God's going to be angry, or if you don't understand it then you're not saved anymore. It's still worth thinking about - we want to know God as well as possible - but it's not something that should make you suddenly worry you're not a Christian anymore.
For what it's worth, unless someone says 'Humans are robots' or 'God is not in control in any way', I think the debate in the post below is a secondary issue. By all means think about it, discuss it, and pray about it; but as you do so, just keep remembering 'I know Jesus is God, that he died for my sins, that he rose again and will return one day to take me to his recreated world'. Knowing that is what saves us; nothing more and nothing less.
Some people disagree over what are termed 'salvation issues'; things which, if you don't believe, you can't be saved. So for instance if you don't believe God made the world, or if you don't believe you have rejected God, or if you don't believe Jesus took the punishment for your sins, or if you don't believe he will return in judgement and glory, then the whole gospel falls apart. So if someone says 'Jesus won't return' that's a salvation issue, and so obviously them not believing that matters very much.
There are also what we can call 'secondary issues'; things which, if you don't believe, you may be wrong but it doesn't mean you're not saved. Here are a couple of examples; some Christians think you should baptise babies, others that you should only baptise adults who are professing faith. Clearly one is right and one is wrong, and it matters in that we want to follow God's truth; but getting that wrong won't mean you can't be saved. Or again, some Christians think you shouldn't work on a Sunday, others that you must take a day of rest each week but not necessarily Sunday, others that you don't have to take a day off at all. One of those positions is right, but if I've got it wrong when I get to heaven I won't be thrown out!
It's quite helpful, when someone says something that we think 'I've never heard that before', or 'I don't understand that' or even 'I don't think that's right', to ask ourselves whether this is a salvation issue or a secondary issue. If it's a salvation issue, in other words something that will directly effect how we understand the cross and resurrection and return of Jesus Christ, it's something you need to think about, pray about and take very seriously.
But if it isn't - then don't worry too much! It's not like if you get that wrong God's going to be angry, or if you don't understand it then you're not saved anymore. It's still worth thinking about - we want to know God as well as possible - but it's not something that should make you suddenly worry you're not a Christian anymore.
For what it's worth, unless someone says 'Humans are robots' or 'God is not in control in any way', I think the debate in the post below is a secondary issue. By all means think about it, discuss it, and pray about it; but as you do so, just keep remembering 'I know Jesus is God, that he died for my sins, that he rose again and will return one day to take me to his recreated world'. Knowing that is what saves us; nothing more and nothing less.
God's control and our free will...
(If you haven't read the previous post, it's probably helpful to do so before you read this)
(This is a long post, but it's a complicated subject!)
Here's a question which countless Bible-believing Christians have struggled with for centuries; what does it mean for God to be in control of (or sovereign over) his creation, and therefore over humanity? If God is in control, how much free choice do humans have, and if none then how can they be responsible for what they do?
Essentially, it's helpful to think about this issue by imagining a horizontal line, and at one end is God's sovereignty and at the other is human free choice. At one end, you have God's sovereignty but no free choice; that would mean that we were basically robots, but you would maintain a view of God being fully in control. At the other end, you have complete human free choice, but you would have lost any idea of a God who was in any sense in control of anything (this 'God' would just have to wait around, hoping that things went OK in the world, but unable/unwilling to do anything about it).
In the middle area of that line, you have a blending of God's sovereignty and human free will, and biblical Christians sit all along that line, disagreeing on how exactly God's sovereignty and human choice fit together. In other words, mature Christians disagree on this issue. And I think the reason for that is that the Bible doesn't make it clear exactly how God is in control and humans have free choice.
For an example, look at Matthew 11:27-29...
V27 – 'No-one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him' – so the only way any of us can know God is if Jesus chooses to reveal him to us. God the Father, Son and Spirit is in charge of whether we know God or not.
V28-29 – 'Come to me...Take my yoke' – Jesus invites people to choose whether to come to him, to accept the 'rest' (eternal life) he offers, or not.
In other words, in these verses God is telling us two truths. Firstly, he is in control. Secondly, humans have to make a choice. Those are two truths in God's Word, so whatever we decide about this issue we mustn't end up denying either of those.
All through Scripture are verses which seem to suggest that God is in control in a way which means that humans don't have free choice (even if we think we do); then there are other verses which point to humans having control over how they respond to God. There are some verses which suggest that God has the whole plan mapped out and that everything happens happens because he decided it would happen exactly that way; then there are other verses in which, for instance, God changes his mind about something. In other words, all through the Bible both truths; God is in control, humans have to choose; are affirmed.
It seems to me that in trying to fit them together we are very close to where the iceberg goes into the sea (see previous post). And that means that we may not be able to find a complete answer, simply because God has not chosen to reveal that answer to us. But that's fine; we just accept the truths he has told us, and know that even if they don't make total sense to us, that's because we don't know everything about God and how his creation works. No-one has yet from the Bible come up with a 'system' which brings God's sovereignty and human free choice together in a way into which every verse of the Bible fits.
Three final points:
First - because the Bible affirms both truths, if we come up with a 'system' it mustn't get rid of either. Some people say that humans have no such thing as free choice; I think that's difficult to maintain from the whole witness of the Bible. Other people are so determined to defend human free choice that they make God into some powerless, separate divinity, incapable of influencing or helping us; that is clearly not what the Bible says either (and would mean there was not point to praying).
Second – there are many verses in the Bible which can be used to push God's sovereignty over everything, but also can be read in a way which says humans have free choice. Take 1 Peter 2:7-8, for example. 'They stumble because they disobey the message (about Jesus) – which is what they were destined for.' Now, we could say that these particular people were destined by God to 'stumble', ie be judged and punished by Jesus; and other people were destined by God to accept Jesus. God has 'predestined' everyone's ultimate destination; humans do not have free choice, it just seems as though they do.
Or, we read the verse differently. Who is it who stumbles? Those who disobey the message calling everyone to repent and bow down to Jesus. And God has destined that people who choose disobey that message will stumble, ie be judged and punished by Jesus. People choose what they will do with Jesus, accept or reject his message; and God, in his sovereignty, has chosen/destined that anyone who rejects the message will face judgement.
Only one of those readings is right – I don't know which! But the point is, it's unwise to point to a verse like that and say 'Aha! See, humans do choose' or 'There! God is in control and humans don't have free choice'. Much better to come to a verse like that and say 'I know that the Bible tells me that God is in control, and humans choose how they'll respond to Jesus. I don't know how they fit together, so I can't take this verse too far; but what this verse does remind me is that people who reject Jesus will be judged and punished by him.'
Third – Just because I don't understand how those two truths fit together, doesn't mean others don't understand more (I don't think anyone can understand fully). Sometimes it's right to say 'I don't know'; but that doesn't mean we shouldn't listen to people who do seem to know more, and doesn't mean that we shouldn't look in our Bibles to try to find out more of what God has decided to reveal to us. If other people have fitted the truths together in a biblical way that I don't get, then listen to them! But most of all, we must listen to God, to God who reveals himself through his Son in his Word, who has saved sinners like us, and who calls us to tell others the good news of the eternal life that he offers.
(This is a long post, but it's a complicated subject!)
Here's a question which countless Bible-believing Christians have struggled with for centuries; what does it mean for God to be in control of (or sovereign over) his creation, and therefore over humanity? If God is in control, how much free choice do humans have, and if none then how can they be responsible for what they do?
Essentially, it's helpful to think about this issue by imagining a horizontal line, and at one end is God's sovereignty and at the other is human free choice. At one end, you have God's sovereignty but no free choice; that would mean that we were basically robots, but you would maintain a view of God being fully in control. At the other end, you have complete human free choice, but you would have lost any idea of a God who was in any sense in control of anything (this 'God' would just have to wait around, hoping that things went OK in the world, but unable/unwilling to do anything about it).
In the middle area of that line, you have a blending of God's sovereignty and human free will, and biblical Christians sit all along that line, disagreeing on how exactly God's sovereignty and human choice fit together. In other words, mature Christians disagree on this issue. And I think the reason for that is that the Bible doesn't make it clear exactly how God is in control and humans have free choice.
For an example, look at Matthew 11:27-29...
V27 – 'No-one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him' – so the only way any of us can know God is if Jesus chooses to reveal him to us. God the Father, Son and Spirit is in charge of whether we know God or not.
V28-29 – 'Come to me...Take my yoke' – Jesus invites people to choose whether to come to him, to accept the 'rest' (eternal life) he offers, or not.
In other words, in these verses God is telling us two truths. Firstly, he is in control. Secondly, humans have to make a choice. Those are two truths in God's Word, so whatever we decide about this issue we mustn't end up denying either of those.
All through Scripture are verses which seem to suggest that God is in control in a way which means that humans don't have free choice (even if we think we do); then there are other verses which point to humans having control over how they respond to God. There are some verses which suggest that God has the whole plan mapped out and that everything happens happens because he decided it would happen exactly that way; then there are other verses in which, for instance, God changes his mind about something. In other words, all through the Bible both truths; God is in control, humans have to choose; are affirmed.
It seems to me that in trying to fit them together we are very close to where the iceberg goes into the sea (see previous post). And that means that we may not be able to find a complete answer, simply because God has not chosen to reveal that answer to us. But that's fine; we just accept the truths he has told us, and know that even if they don't make total sense to us, that's because we don't know everything about God and how his creation works. No-one has yet from the Bible come up with a 'system' which brings God's sovereignty and human free choice together in a way into which every verse of the Bible fits.
Three final points:
First - because the Bible affirms both truths, if we come up with a 'system' it mustn't get rid of either. Some people say that humans have no such thing as free choice; I think that's difficult to maintain from the whole witness of the Bible. Other people are so determined to defend human free choice that they make God into some powerless, separate divinity, incapable of influencing or helping us; that is clearly not what the Bible says either (and would mean there was not point to praying).
Second – there are many verses in the Bible which can be used to push God's sovereignty over everything, but also can be read in a way which says humans have free choice. Take 1 Peter 2:7-8, for example. 'They stumble because they disobey the message (about Jesus) – which is what they were destined for.' Now, we could say that these particular people were destined by God to 'stumble', ie be judged and punished by Jesus; and other people were destined by God to accept Jesus. God has 'predestined' everyone's ultimate destination; humans do not have free choice, it just seems as though they do.
Or, we read the verse differently. Who is it who stumbles? Those who disobey the message calling everyone to repent and bow down to Jesus. And God has destined that people who choose disobey that message will stumble, ie be judged and punished by Jesus. People choose what they will do with Jesus, accept or reject his message; and God, in his sovereignty, has chosen/destined that anyone who rejects the message will face judgement.
Only one of those readings is right – I don't know which! But the point is, it's unwise to point to a verse like that and say 'Aha! See, humans do choose' or 'There! God is in control and humans don't have free choice'. Much better to come to a verse like that and say 'I know that the Bible tells me that God is in control, and humans choose how they'll respond to Jesus. I don't know how they fit together, so I can't take this verse too far; but what this verse does remind me is that people who reject Jesus will be judged and punished by him.'
Third – Just because I don't understand how those two truths fit together, doesn't mean others don't understand more (I don't think anyone can understand fully). Sometimes it's right to say 'I don't know'; but that doesn't mean we shouldn't listen to people who do seem to know more, and doesn't mean that we shouldn't look in our Bibles to try to find out more of what God has decided to reveal to us. If other people have fitted the truths together in a biblical way that I don't get, then listen to them! But most of all, we must listen to God, to God who reveals himself through his Son in his Word, who has saved sinners like us, and who calls us to tell others the good news of the eternal life that he offers.
God's Iceberg
How can we know God, and what do we know about him? In many ways, that is the most fundamental question we can ever ask, even more so than 'Why are we here?' The answer to the first question is that God is revealed to us through his Son – in him and through him we can know God, the Father, Son and Spirit (John 14:9-11, Colossians 1:19). Today, we can know the Son, Jesus, through the word of God, the Bible (Colossians 1:25-26).
What do we know about God when we look at Jesus in the Bible? Here's the bit which we often forget – we know all that God tells us, and nothing more. And God has not told us everything, but only what we need to know to enable us to know how to be saved and to know how to live God's way (2 Timothy 3:15-17).
As the sixteenth-century theologian John Calvin put it quite helpfully, we don't know all of God, we only know God 'as he is to us'; in other words we know only what God has chosen to reveal of himself through his Son. And the Bible tells us that that wasn't everything; for instance, while on earth Jesus didn't know when he would return (Mark 13:32). There is much of God that we do not know, and since we're human and he is the divine Creator, it is wise not to guess too much, and if we must guess then it is essential not to insist that our guess is the right one. If we didn't have God's Word, everything we thought we knew about God would be a guess; because we have his Word, we can know what it tells us and only what it tells us is definitely true. So for example God's favourite colour may or may not be blue; but since Scripture doesn't tell us, I can only guess and I could never tell you you were wrong for thinking God preferred red.
A picture I find fairly useful (and always remember that any picture has its limits and weaknesses) is an iceberg. Icebergs look huge above the surface, intricate and beautiful yet also somewhat scary; yet 7/8 of an iceberg is below the surface, unseen. So it is with God. We can see so much of him, enough for us to know that he is holy, he is loving, he is a perfect judge, and that in his love he saves people from his judgement. What we know of him in His Word to us is like the top of that iceberg; it's all interlinked, and it's huge, and you can spend a lifetime learning more about it and how wonderful God is.
But there are things that we are not to know, at least this side of the New Creation. And that means that there will always be things we cannot understand about God. Imagine a crag coming up from the iceberg at an unlikely angle, an angle that doesn't fit with the rest of the iceberg we can see. Why that crag is as it is can only be explained by what lies beneath the surface, and we can't see that. We don't decide the crag isn't really there, we just accept that we can't fit it with the rest of the iceberg that we can see.
So it is with God. We can never know anything about him without his Word; but we can never know everything about him from his Word.
Sometimes he tells us in Scripture a truth about himself, or a truth about how he deals with us, which we can't fit in with everything else we know about God from His Word. We say 'That doesn't seem to make sense.' But that doesn't mean it's not true, it's just that we can't work out how it's true. And it's at that point that we have to remember that God is God, and we aren't. We can never know everything. But we can know enough to be saved and to know how to live Christlike lives, and we should be eternally grateful to God that he has revealed that to us.
What do we know about God when we look at Jesus in the Bible? Here's the bit which we often forget – we know all that God tells us, and nothing more. And God has not told us everything, but only what we need to know to enable us to know how to be saved and to know how to live God's way (2 Timothy 3:15-17).
As the sixteenth-century theologian John Calvin put it quite helpfully, we don't know all of God, we only know God 'as he is to us'; in other words we know only what God has chosen to reveal of himself through his Son. And the Bible tells us that that wasn't everything; for instance, while on earth Jesus didn't know when he would return (Mark 13:32). There is much of God that we do not know, and since we're human and he is the divine Creator, it is wise not to guess too much, and if we must guess then it is essential not to insist that our guess is the right one. If we didn't have God's Word, everything we thought we knew about God would be a guess; because we have his Word, we can know what it tells us and only what it tells us is definitely true. So for example God's favourite colour may or may not be blue; but since Scripture doesn't tell us, I can only guess and I could never tell you you were wrong for thinking God preferred red.
A picture I find fairly useful (and always remember that any picture has its limits and weaknesses) is an iceberg. Icebergs look huge above the surface, intricate and beautiful yet also somewhat scary; yet 7/8 of an iceberg is below the surface, unseen. So it is with God. We can see so much of him, enough for us to know that he is holy, he is loving, he is a perfect judge, and that in his love he saves people from his judgement. What we know of him in His Word to us is like the top of that iceberg; it's all interlinked, and it's huge, and you can spend a lifetime learning more about it and how wonderful God is.
But there are things that we are not to know, at least this side of the New Creation. And that means that there will always be things we cannot understand about God. Imagine a crag coming up from the iceberg at an unlikely angle, an angle that doesn't fit with the rest of the iceberg we can see. Why that crag is as it is can only be explained by what lies beneath the surface, and we can't see that. We don't decide the crag isn't really there, we just accept that we can't fit it with the rest of the iceberg that we can see.
So it is with God. We can never know anything about him without his Word; but we can never know everything about him from his Word.
Sometimes he tells us in Scripture a truth about himself, or a truth about how he deals with us, which we can't fit in with everything else we know about God from His Word. We say 'That doesn't seem to make sense.' But that doesn't mean it's not true, it's just that we can't work out how it's true. And it's at that point that we have to remember that God is God, and we aren't. We can never know everything. But we can know enough to be saved and to know how to live Christlike lives, and we should be eternally grateful to God that he has revealed that to us.
Verse of the week
'Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.' Hebrews 10:25
God does not bring people to follow Christ singly, but together; he does not save individuals but rather a people. If you are a Christian, you are part of God's family; and families (should!) meet together, look out for one another, encourage one another. The Christian life is hard enough as it is; if we neglect the help God offers us through the church, through other Christians, then it will be harder still.
And so the writer to the Hebrews urges his readers, and us today, not to give up meeting together, not to give up gathering together as Christians. Some people, he says, have stopped bothering with church - don't follow them. Back in chapter 6 we're told of Christians who fell away, who stopped trusting in Christ; it's most likely that these were the same people as had given up meeting with other Christians. The Bible consistently urges us not to think we can get by without other Christians.
Why? Because we need encouragement. That's part of what meeting Christians is for. Sometimes we're finding following Christ really hard, and need encouraging. Sometimes we have seen God work in our lives, and that's an encouragement for others. We are all to encourage, and to expect to be encouraged, by our Christian family.
What should we say to encourage people? 'You see the Day approaching'. Every day that passes is a day closer to the Day when Jesus returns, saves his people from judgement and brings us into his perfect recreated world. That is a Day worth looking forward to; that is a Day which encourages us as we look forward to it. And so that is the Day we should remind our Christian friends of, because if we keep looking forward to that Day then we will keep going on as Christians on this day.
So, when was the last time you encouraged a fellow Christian? Are you the kind of person who makes church and meetings midweek a priority as much as you can, and goes to church or youth group or whatever thinking 'I want to encourage someone this evening. I want to look out for who's struggling a bit. I want to remind them that one day Jesus will return and they'll see him and live with him forever.' Wouldn't it be great if we all encouraged each other in that way, as this verse teaches us to do?
God does not bring people to follow Christ singly, but together; he does not save individuals but rather a people. If you are a Christian, you are part of God's family; and families (should!) meet together, look out for one another, encourage one another. The Christian life is hard enough as it is; if we neglect the help God offers us through the church, through other Christians, then it will be harder still.
And so the writer to the Hebrews urges his readers, and us today, not to give up meeting together, not to give up gathering together as Christians. Some people, he says, have stopped bothering with church - don't follow them. Back in chapter 6 we're told of Christians who fell away, who stopped trusting in Christ; it's most likely that these were the same people as had given up meeting with other Christians. The Bible consistently urges us not to think we can get by without other Christians.
Why? Because we need encouragement. That's part of what meeting Christians is for. Sometimes we're finding following Christ really hard, and need encouraging. Sometimes we have seen God work in our lives, and that's an encouragement for others. We are all to encourage, and to expect to be encouraged, by our Christian family.
What should we say to encourage people? 'You see the Day approaching'. Every day that passes is a day closer to the Day when Jesus returns, saves his people from judgement and brings us into his perfect recreated world. That is a Day worth looking forward to; that is a Day which encourages us as we look forward to it. And so that is the Day we should remind our Christian friends of, because if we keep looking forward to that Day then we will keep going on as Christians on this day.
So, when was the last time you encouraged a fellow Christian? Are you the kind of person who makes church and meetings midweek a priority as much as you can, and goes to church or youth group or whatever thinking 'I want to encourage someone this evening. I want to look out for who's struggling a bit. I want to remind them that one day Jesus will return and they'll see him and live with him forever.' Wouldn't it be great if we all encouraged each other in that way, as this verse teaches us to do?
Thursday, 24 May 2007
A good joke (well, I thought so...)
Once upon a time there was a family of balloons - daddy balloon, mummy balloon and baby balloon. And the time came when the parent balloons decided that baby balloon needed to sleep in his own bed, as he was getting too big to come into their bed at night.
So one night mummy balloon tucked baby balloon in his own bed, and told him lovingly but firmly that he was not to come into mummy and daddy balloons' bed that night.
In the night, baby balloon woke up, and wanted to get into his parents' bed. So he crept quietly into their room, and tried to climb in between them. But there wasn't room. So he thought for a bit, and then he quietly undid the knot on daddy balloon and let a bit of air out. Then he tried to squeeze in - but there still wasn't room. So he undid the knot on mummy balloon and let some air out. Then he tried to squeeze in - but the gap was just too small. So he undid the knot on himself, and let some air out of himself. Now he was small enough to fit in, so he climbed in between his parents. But in doing so, he woke mummy and daddy balloon up. Daddy balloon asked what had happened, and baby balloon shamefacedly told them.
Daddy balloon was cross.
He said: 'I'm very disappointed in you, baby balloon. Not only have you let me and your mother down, but you've let yourself down too!'
So one night mummy balloon tucked baby balloon in his own bed, and told him lovingly but firmly that he was not to come into mummy and daddy balloons' bed that night.
In the night, baby balloon woke up, and wanted to get into his parents' bed. So he crept quietly into their room, and tried to climb in between them. But there wasn't room. So he thought for a bit, and then he quietly undid the knot on daddy balloon and let a bit of air out. Then he tried to squeeze in - but there still wasn't room. So he undid the knot on mummy balloon and let some air out. Then he tried to squeeze in - but the gap was just too small. So he undid the knot on himself, and let some air out of himself. Now he was small enough to fit in, so he climbed in between his parents. But in doing so, he woke mummy and daddy balloon up. Daddy balloon asked what had happened, and baby balloon shamefacedly told them.
Daddy balloon was cross.
He said: 'I'm very disappointed in you, baby balloon. Not only have you let me and your mother down, but you've let yourself down too!'
Priorities
It's exam time at the moment, so perhaps time for a challenging reminder - this comes from one of the women who helps at our youth group here.
A fortnight ago at youth group we were thinking about reading the Bible, and some of the 'yoof' said they didn't have time to read their Bibles at home, they had too much else on - school, homework, sports clubs, drama, etc.
'What's your priority in life - to know God or to do well at worldly stuff?' she asked them.
'To know God,' came back the answer.
'Well if that really were the case, that would show itself in how you use your time. If knowing God is really your priority, you'd make time, even give things up, so that you read his Word each day.'
I imagine the reply began with 'But'. 'But' is a dangerous word - it's normally the beginning of an excuse. No buts. That youth leader was right - if knowing God is your priority, you'll make time to read his Word (even when exams are on). No ifs. No buts. Just change.
A fortnight ago at youth group we were thinking about reading the Bible, and some of the 'yoof' said they didn't have time to read their Bibles at home, they had too much else on - school, homework, sports clubs, drama, etc.
'What's your priority in life - to know God or to do well at worldly stuff?' she asked them.
'To know God,' came back the answer.
'Well if that really were the case, that would show itself in how you use your time. If knowing God is really your priority, you'd make time, even give things up, so that you read his Word each day.'
I imagine the reply began with 'But'. 'But' is a dangerous word - it's normally the beginning of an excuse. No buts. That youth leader was right - if knowing God is your priority, you'll make time to read his Word (even when exams are on). No ifs. No buts. Just change.
Taking the blame
So, after last night's Champions League final (if you don't like football, read on anyway, it's not really about that), the usual recriminations have begun. UEFA are criticising the Liverpool fans who stormed a barrier outside the stadium. The fans are blaming the police who used tear gas on them. The media are blaming UEFA for not having proper ticketing procedures. UEFA in turn are blaming the fans who travelled to Athens (where the game was) without tickets. One thing's for sure - no-one's going to stand up and say 'Yup, it was my fault. I'm to blame.'
We live in a blame-shifting society, if you think about it. People always try to show it was someone else's fault. It's a natural human trait - you watch a five-year-old caught in the act of hitting someone else try to blame everyone else. It happens so often we don't really notice - when was the last time you heard a politician come on TV and say 'Yes, it was my fault. I'm to blame. This mess was caused mainly by me'?
Our natural reaction is always to shift the blame. It's what Adam and Eve did when they ate the forbidden fruit and committed the first act of rebellion against God - Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the snake. But actually, seeking to move the fault onto others is exhausting (how tiring is it to think up and stick to excuses?)...and ultimately, according to the Bible, it's pointless.
The opening chapters of Romans address people who have all sorts of excuses for why God shouldn't be angry at them for sinning. It's not their fault...they didn't know...someone else is worse anyway...but one day God will no longer let anyone pass the buck. 'Every mouth may be silenced and the whole world (will be) held accountable to God' (Romans 3:19). One day, as people stand before God to be judged, all those excuses will stick in the throat, and all anyone will be able to say is 'Yes, I'm to blame. I've messed up. I've rebelled. It's my fault'.
How much more liberating, and sensible, to admit when we're at fault now. How wonderful to be able, today, not to try to pass the buck or make excuses, but to say to God, as Paul does, 'I am the worst of sinners.' As we look at ourselves, our thoughts and actions and words, we know we've messed up - we know, as Paul did, that we are sinners. Let's be honest, let's admit our sins, let's accept that we're to blame. No-one else. Us.
Because when we do that, and only when we do that, we're forgiven. As Paul says, 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst' (1 Timothy 1:15). That's wonderful - we admit we're to blame, but Christ came to take the blame! But he only does that for those who know and accept they're at fault, not for those who seek to pass the buck. In this culture of ours which seeks to blame everyone else but ourselves, as Christians let's be honest with ourselves, with others and most importantly with God. Let's acknowledge when we get things wrong, let's accept when we should take the blame, and let's turn to the God who forgives everyone who, like Paul, knows they're an awful sinner, and who knows that Jesus has come to save them.
We live in a blame-shifting society, if you think about it. People always try to show it was someone else's fault. It's a natural human trait - you watch a five-year-old caught in the act of hitting someone else try to blame everyone else. It happens so often we don't really notice - when was the last time you heard a politician come on TV and say 'Yes, it was my fault. I'm to blame. This mess was caused mainly by me'?
Our natural reaction is always to shift the blame. It's what Adam and Eve did when they ate the forbidden fruit and committed the first act of rebellion against God - Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the snake. But actually, seeking to move the fault onto others is exhausting (how tiring is it to think up and stick to excuses?)...and ultimately, according to the Bible, it's pointless.
The opening chapters of Romans address people who have all sorts of excuses for why God shouldn't be angry at them for sinning. It's not their fault...they didn't know...someone else is worse anyway...but one day God will no longer let anyone pass the buck. 'Every mouth may be silenced and the whole world (will be) held accountable to God' (Romans 3:19). One day, as people stand before God to be judged, all those excuses will stick in the throat, and all anyone will be able to say is 'Yes, I'm to blame. I've messed up. I've rebelled. It's my fault'.
How much more liberating, and sensible, to admit when we're at fault now. How wonderful to be able, today, not to try to pass the buck or make excuses, but to say to God, as Paul does, 'I am the worst of sinners.' As we look at ourselves, our thoughts and actions and words, we know we've messed up - we know, as Paul did, that we are sinners. Let's be honest, let's admit our sins, let's accept that we're to blame. No-one else. Us.
Because when we do that, and only when we do that, we're forgiven. As Paul says, 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst' (1 Timothy 1:15). That's wonderful - we admit we're to blame, but Christ came to take the blame! But he only does that for those who know and accept they're at fault, not for those who seek to pass the buck. In this culture of ours which seeks to blame everyone else but ourselves, as Christians let's be honest with ourselves, with others and most importantly with God. Let's acknowledge when we get things wrong, let's accept when we should take the blame, and let's turn to the God who forgives everyone who, like Paul, knows they're an awful sinner, and who knows that Jesus has come to save them.
Verse of the week
'What does this mean?' Acts 2:12
This Sunday is the Sunday when churches remember the Day of Pentecost, the day when the Holy Spirit first came to dwell in all of God's people. Ever since that day, shortly after Jesus ascended back to heaven, every single Christian, regardless of age, race or sex, has had God the Spirit dwelling in them. That's the closeness of the relationship we enjoy with our Creator God - he lives in us.
That's a great privilege - it's also a great challenge. When the first Christians received the Holy Spirit, he enabled them to speak various languages so they could chat to foreign people staying in Jerusalem. And that work of the Spirit amazed everyone who saw and heard the Christians, causing them to ask 'What does this mean?' The conduct of the Spirit-filled Christians prompted people to want to know what it was that made such a difference, and gave them a chance to tell people about Jesus.
So there's the challenge...as Christians, as Spirit-filled people, would people look at the way we behave and speak and say 'They are different. They've got something I haven't got. What does this mean?' One of the works of the Spirit is to enable Christians to live differently, so that others might see the attractiveness of a Spirit-filled life and want to know more. In our culture, increasingly anti-Christian, it's more important than ever that we don't only welcome the privilege of being Spirit-filled people, but accept the challenge too, and allow God's Spirit to work in us and through us so that people will see us and ask 'What does this mean?'
This Sunday is the Sunday when churches remember the Day of Pentecost, the day when the Holy Spirit first came to dwell in all of God's people. Ever since that day, shortly after Jesus ascended back to heaven, every single Christian, regardless of age, race or sex, has had God the Spirit dwelling in them. That's the closeness of the relationship we enjoy with our Creator God - he lives in us.
That's a great privilege - it's also a great challenge. When the first Christians received the Holy Spirit, he enabled them to speak various languages so they could chat to foreign people staying in Jerusalem. And that work of the Spirit amazed everyone who saw and heard the Christians, causing them to ask 'What does this mean?' The conduct of the Spirit-filled Christians prompted people to want to know what it was that made such a difference, and gave them a chance to tell people about Jesus.
So there's the challenge...as Christians, as Spirit-filled people, would people look at the way we behave and speak and say 'They are different. They've got something I haven't got. What does this mean?' One of the works of the Spirit is to enable Christians to live differently, so that others might see the attractiveness of a Spirit-filled life and want to know more. In our culture, increasingly anti-Christian, it's more important than ever that we don't only welcome the privilege of being Spirit-filled people, but accept the challenge too, and allow God's Spirit to work in us and through us so that people will see us and ask 'What does this mean?'
Thursday, 17 May 2007
The gospel according to Robbie
I'm currently trying to put together a sermon series based on Robbie Williams' songs, comparing Robbie's view on life to God's view in the Bible. It's interesting how much Robbie talks about God and about death and about love in his songs - it's also very sad how far he seems to be from understanding what God and death and love are really all about (though he did sit near a friend of mine in a church in NY once...)
Anyway, thinking about Robbie got me thinking about the celebrity lifestyle which is in our faces day after day, and which affects how we each live, particularly if we're at school or university. What does the celebrity lifestyle tell you about how to live? Have sex with lots of good-looking people, settling down forever is just dull, drugs are fine as long as you don't take too many (and if you do, you'll probably get to go out with a supermodel like Pete Docherty); live for the moment, live for yourself, that's how to be happy in life.
But hold on a minute...before we adopt this lifestyle (and I recently heard of someone I know who's given up on the Christian life because it's too restrictive, they just want to live this kind of celebrity-driven, live for the moment lifestyle for a bit until they're older) it's worth thinking about where it leads. After all, if you want to know if a diet works, you look for the effect it's had on people; if you want to know whether you'll look good in a new top, you think about how you'll look in it before you buy it, not after.
So, let's take Robbie. He's slept with some of the most glamorous, good-looking girls in the world; he's experimented with virtually every substance known to man; he's hugely rich; he's hugely famous and popular; he has lived for the moment and lived for himself.
Last February he went into rehab. For depression. Seems it wasn't such a great life after all.
And of course, he's not the only one. Think Britney Spears. Think George Michael. The list goes on...seems it's not such a great life after all.
Jesus, on the other hand, tells us that he's come so that people can have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10). The lifestyle he offers might at first glance look 'restrictive' or 'boring' compared to Robbie's, but think about the result. It leads to eternal life in heaven. It leads to security in life on earth; you know you're loved, you know you're valued, and you'll have friends (family, in fact) in every single city on earth. You'll know that in everything God is working for your good. You'll never need to worry about death (not like Robbie). You'll never need to worry about life.
The gospel according to Robbie is pushed onto us by so many magazines and TV shows - it's not surprising we're sometimes tempted to listen. But there's only one gospel which leads to life, to contentment, to security, rather than to depression, rehab, death...and that's the gospel according to Jesus Christ.
I'm praying for Robbie Williams, that he would come to find the life to the full which Jesus offers; and I'm praying for all those Christians I know who are surrounded by the gospel according to Robbie day after day, that they would always remember to look where that lifestyle leads, and stick with the full and eternal life which only Jesus offers.
Anyway, thinking about Robbie got me thinking about the celebrity lifestyle which is in our faces day after day, and which affects how we each live, particularly if we're at school or university. What does the celebrity lifestyle tell you about how to live? Have sex with lots of good-looking people, settling down forever is just dull, drugs are fine as long as you don't take too many (and if you do, you'll probably get to go out with a supermodel like Pete Docherty); live for the moment, live for yourself, that's how to be happy in life.
But hold on a minute...before we adopt this lifestyle (and I recently heard of someone I know who's given up on the Christian life because it's too restrictive, they just want to live this kind of celebrity-driven, live for the moment lifestyle for a bit until they're older) it's worth thinking about where it leads. After all, if you want to know if a diet works, you look for the effect it's had on people; if you want to know whether you'll look good in a new top, you think about how you'll look in it before you buy it, not after.
So, let's take Robbie. He's slept with some of the most glamorous, good-looking girls in the world; he's experimented with virtually every substance known to man; he's hugely rich; he's hugely famous and popular; he has lived for the moment and lived for himself.
Last February he went into rehab. For depression. Seems it wasn't such a great life after all.
And of course, he's not the only one. Think Britney Spears. Think George Michael. The list goes on...seems it's not such a great life after all.
Jesus, on the other hand, tells us that he's come so that people can have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10). The lifestyle he offers might at first glance look 'restrictive' or 'boring' compared to Robbie's, but think about the result. It leads to eternal life in heaven. It leads to security in life on earth; you know you're loved, you know you're valued, and you'll have friends (family, in fact) in every single city on earth. You'll know that in everything God is working for your good. You'll never need to worry about death (not like Robbie). You'll never need to worry about life.
The gospel according to Robbie is pushed onto us by so many magazines and TV shows - it's not surprising we're sometimes tempted to listen. But there's only one gospel which leads to life, to contentment, to security, rather than to depression, rehab, death...and that's the gospel according to Jesus Christ.
I'm praying for Robbie Williams, that he would come to find the life to the full which Jesus offers; and I'm praying for all those Christians I know who are surrounded by the gospel according to Robbie day after day, that they would always remember to look where that lifestyle leads, and stick with the full and eternal life which only Jesus offers.
Verse of the week
'Now take off your ornaments' Exodus 33:5
Every now and then I come across a verse that has made no impression on me when I've read it before but I suddenly see what it's on about (usually helped by someone else pointing it out to me in very simple language). Exodus 33:5 is one such verse.
The action is taking place at the bottom of Mount Sinai, after God's rescued his people from Egypt. Moses went up the mountain to get the Ten Commandments, but the people below got bored and decided to make an idol, which God had expressly told them not to do, and worship this golden calf they'd made. They deliberately disobeyed God. God, understandably, was pretty angry, and many of those who were involved died. It looks like the relationship between God and God's people is over; divorce seems to be the likely outcome.
Where do 'ornaments', or jewellery, come into all this? Why does God tell his unfaithful people to take their ornaments off? Is this a divine prohibition on necklaces, bracelets etc?!
No...the key to understanding it is that to make the golden calf, God's people had used their earrings. They'd used their some of their ornaments to sin against God...and yet they were still wearing them! It's almost as though they still want to leave themselves the possibility of sinning in this way again. And so God says 'Take off your ornaments'. If there's to be any possibility of these people being forgiven for what they've done, they need to take steps to make sure they'll never do it again.
Aren't Christians today very much like the people of God then? How often do we sin, and say we're sorry, but not think about how we can stop it happening again? How often do we sin in the same way over and over again, never making sure we don't get into that particular situation or thought process? We're like an alcoholic who goes to a pub and then is surprised that he gets drunk.
God says to us today - 'Take off your ornaments'. Which sins are you struggling with? Identify them, and then think hard about how you can make sure you don't do the things which cause you to do that sin, or don't speak in the way which leads to that sin. Elton John once sang 'Sorry seems to be the hardest word' - well it isn't...it's easy to say, but not so easy to do anything about. Take off your ornaments.
Every now and then I come across a verse that has made no impression on me when I've read it before but I suddenly see what it's on about (usually helped by someone else pointing it out to me in very simple language). Exodus 33:5 is one such verse.
The action is taking place at the bottom of Mount Sinai, after God's rescued his people from Egypt. Moses went up the mountain to get the Ten Commandments, but the people below got bored and decided to make an idol, which God had expressly told them not to do, and worship this golden calf they'd made. They deliberately disobeyed God. God, understandably, was pretty angry, and many of those who were involved died. It looks like the relationship between God and God's people is over; divorce seems to be the likely outcome.
Where do 'ornaments', or jewellery, come into all this? Why does God tell his unfaithful people to take their ornaments off? Is this a divine prohibition on necklaces, bracelets etc?!
No...the key to understanding it is that to make the golden calf, God's people had used their earrings. They'd used their some of their ornaments to sin against God...and yet they were still wearing them! It's almost as though they still want to leave themselves the possibility of sinning in this way again. And so God says 'Take off your ornaments'. If there's to be any possibility of these people being forgiven for what they've done, they need to take steps to make sure they'll never do it again.
Aren't Christians today very much like the people of God then? How often do we sin, and say we're sorry, but not think about how we can stop it happening again? How often do we sin in the same way over and over again, never making sure we don't get into that particular situation or thought process? We're like an alcoholic who goes to a pub and then is surprised that he gets drunk.
God says to us today - 'Take off your ornaments'. Which sins are you struggling with? Identify them, and then think hard about how you can make sure you don't do the things which cause you to do that sin, or don't speak in the way which leads to that sin. Elton John once sang 'Sorry seems to be the hardest word' - well it isn't...it's easy to say, but not so easy to do anything about. Take off your ornaments.
Thursday, 3 May 2007
Verse of the week
'And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words' 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18
Encouraging other Christians is not just a polite request in the Bible, it's a command. We are to encourage each other. It sounds an obvious thing to say, but then if we think about how often we encourage Christians we know to keep trusting in Jesus, do we really do it all that much? When was the last time you encouraged someone you know? Encouragement isn't just the job of the church leaders, or of older Christians...it's a command for everyone.
What should we say to encourage each other? Well this verse gives us one great encouragement that we should share - 'we will be with the Lord forever.' Paul is talking of the day Christ returns to this world, returns in glory and power to bring about his perfect recreated world. That is the day that Christians, living and dead, will receive perfect bodies, see Jesus face to face, and live with him and with each other forever. If we're not encouraged by knowing that that is what the future holds for us, then we won't be encouraged by anything!
So why not, this week, aim to encourage at least one Christian you know with these words? Who is it you know who's struggling in their faith, or facing a difficult time in life? Encourage them with these words - help them to look forward to the day when we'll be with Christ forever.
Encouraging other Christians is not just a polite request in the Bible, it's a command. We are to encourage each other. It sounds an obvious thing to say, but then if we think about how often we encourage Christians we know to keep trusting in Jesus, do we really do it all that much? When was the last time you encouraged someone you know? Encouragement isn't just the job of the church leaders, or of older Christians...it's a command for everyone.
What should we say to encourage each other? Well this verse gives us one great encouragement that we should share - 'we will be with the Lord forever.' Paul is talking of the day Christ returns to this world, returns in glory and power to bring about his perfect recreated world. That is the day that Christians, living and dead, will receive perfect bodies, see Jesus face to face, and live with him and with each other forever. If we're not encouraged by knowing that that is what the future holds for us, then we won't be encouraged by anything!
So why not, this week, aim to encourage at least one Christian you know with these words? Who is it you know who's struggling in their faith, or facing a difficult time in life? Encourage them with these words - help them to look forward to the day when we'll be with Christ forever.
Thursday, 26 April 2007
Heard the one about....
Q: How many Anglicans does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Change?!
(I think the more you've worked for the Anglican Church, the funnier that will get...)
A: Change?!
(I think the more you've worked for the Anglican Church, the funnier that will get...)
Verse of the week
'Brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honoured, just as it was with you' 2 Thessalonians 3:1
Q: What does a car need to keep running?
A: Petrol - which is why I'm always filling my car up.
Q: What does a person need to keep going?
A: Food - which is why I'm always filling myself up.
Q: What does the message of Jesus need to keep spreading?
A: Prayer - which is why I'm always...ermmm....ermmmm....am I?
The theory's fine - it's God who spreads his good news through the evangelism of his people, so obviously we need to pray to God that he would continue to do it. It's not rocket science! So when was the last time you got down on your knees and prayed that 'the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honoured, just as it was with you'? That question is one to which my answer is shameful.
A Christian once told you the message of the Lord; thank God for them. God once for the first time enabled you to honour that message by trusting in it and obeying it; thank God for that. And now continue to pray; pray that others would hear about Jesus and trust in him. Here's what Paul's asking Christians 2,000 years ago, and us today, to pray:
For the rapid spread of the good news about Jesus.
For those who are involved in spreading that good news (ie every Christian you know - if they're doing it they need prayer, and if they're not, they definitely need prayer!)
That the message would be honoured; that more and more people would come to trust in Jesus.
It's time for me to recommit myself to praying for these things, and maybe it is for you too - why not start right now?!
Q: What does a car need to keep running?
A: Petrol - which is why I'm always filling my car up.
Q: What does a person need to keep going?
A: Food - which is why I'm always filling myself up.
Q: What does the message of Jesus need to keep spreading?
A: Prayer - which is why I'm always...ermmm....ermmmm....am I?
The theory's fine - it's God who spreads his good news through the evangelism of his people, so obviously we need to pray to God that he would continue to do it. It's not rocket science! So when was the last time you got down on your knees and prayed that 'the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honoured, just as it was with you'? That question is one to which my answer is shameful.
A Christian once told you the message of the Lord; thank God for them. God once for the first time enabled you to honour that message by trusting in it and obeying it; thank God for that. And now continue to pray; pray that others would hear about Jesus and trust in him. Here's what Paul's asking Christians 2,000 years ago, and us today, to pray:
For the rapid spread of the good news about Jesus.
For those who are involved in spreading that good news (ie every Christian you know - if they're doing it they need prayer, and if they're not, they definitely need prayer!)
That the message would be honoured; that more and more people would come to trust in Jesus.
It's time for me to recommit myself to praying for these things, and maybe it is for you too - why not start right now?!
Goal of the century?
Whether you like football or not, have a look at this - poetry on a pitch...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FdjxeGFsdA
The scorer is Barcelona's Argentinian genius Lionel Messi. And because it's got French commentary, it counts as revision for anyone with a French exam coming up...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FdjxeGFsdA
The scorer is Barcelona's Argentinian genius Lionel Messi. And because it's got French commentary, it counts as revision for anyone with a French exam coming up...
Thursday, 19 April 2007
Verse of the week
'God's elect, strangers in the world' 1 Peter 1:1
Every now and then (presumably when they've run out of proper news) newspapers report surveys which show that teenagers in 'this day and age' are searching for an identity. We're often told that adolescence is a time when people seek to work out who they are and where they fit into things.
Well, if you're a Christian (however old you are), here's your identity.
You are one of God's elect. You are chosen by God, loved by God, and God sent his Son to die for you. You belong to God, and are part of his family. Since God gave his own Son for you, there's nothing he won't do for you. You are saved, and will spend eternity with God in his recreated perfect world.
I spent most of my teenage years dressing stupidly, acting stupidly, and speaking stupidly, trying to find an identity I was happy with, that made me feel secure. Read the previous paragraph again - is that not the greatest identity anyone can have? I wish I'd known when I was younger that I could be part of God's elect. What a wonderful encouragement to know that's our identity in God's sight!
But if you're a Christian, you are also a stranger in the world. A foreigner. Someone who doesn't quite fit in, will never really belong. Because my Dad's German, I support Germany at football, and whenever World Cup time comes around I always feel a bit left out of things. Well that is the experience of God's elect in a fallen, sinful, godless world. Perhaps you expect that even though you're a Christian you'll always fit in with your schoolfriends? Perhaps you feel that even though you're a Christian life in this world should be easy? Perhaps you're surprised when things your friends or family say or do make you feel awkward because you're a Christian?
But you won't fit in all the time, it won't be easy all the time, you will feel awkward some of the time; because you're a stranger in this world. You are loved by God, you belong to God; and so you won't be loved by the world because you don't belong to the world.
God's chosen ones, strangers in the world; that's the identity of the Christian, and it's a wonderful one; and it certainly beats being the world's chosen ones, and strangers to God.
Every now and then (presumably when they've run out of proper news) newspapers report surveys which show that teenagers in 'this day and age' are searching for an identity. We're often told that adolescence is a time when people seek to work out who they are and where they fit into things.
Well, if you're a Christian (however old you are), here's your identity.
You are one of God's elect. You are chosen by God, loved by God, and God sent his Son to die for you. You belong to God, and are part of his family. Since God gave his own Son for you, there's nothing he won't do for you. You are saved, and will spend eternity with God in his recreated perfect world.
I spent most of my teenage years dressing stupidly, acting stupidly, and speaking stupidly, trying to find an identity I was happy with, that made me feel secure. Read the previous paragraph again - is that not the greatest identity anyone can have? I wish I'd known when I was younger that I could be part of God's elect. What a wonderful encouragement to know that's our identity in God's sight!
But if you're a Christian, you are also a stranger in the world. A foreigner. Someone who doesn't quite fit in, will never really belong. Because my Dad's German, I support Germany at football, and whenever World Cup time comes around I always feel a bit left out of things. Well that is the experience of God's elect in a fallen, sinful, godless world. Perhaps you expect that even though you're a Christian you'll always fit in with your schoolfriends? Perhaps you feel that even though you're a Christian life in this world should be easy? Perhaps you're surprised when things your friends or family say or do make you feel awkward because you're a Christian?
But you won't fit in all the time, it won't be easy all the time, you will feel awkward some of the time; because you're a stranger in this world. You are loved by God, you belong to God; and so you won't be loved by the world because you don't belong to the world.
God's chosen ones, strangers in the world; that's the identity of the Christian, and it's a wonderful one; and it certainly beats being the world's chosen ones, and strangers to God.
Giving (What's in it for me?)
After a little bit of a post-Easter break, I thought I'd put a few posts up about Christian giving...
On our local radio station there's currently a charity auction, where you bid for stuff and the money goes to a local kids' charity. One of the things to bid for is two Take That tickets (no, I haven't taken out another mortgage to bid - yet!) The basic selling point of the auction is that you can give some money to charity AND get something for yourself.
A lot of charity is like that these days - it suggests that we're unwilling to give money away unless there's something in it for us (in which case it's not really giving money at all). It's similar with Comic Relief, isn't it? We'd never ring that number and pledge money unless we had tuned in to watch Ricky Gervais, Jonathan Ross, Little Britain and all the others do funny stuff. We're happy to give to charity - if there's something in it for us too.
That's quite different from the Bible's view of giving. One place Christian giving is dealt with in detail is 2 Corinthians 8:1-9:15; here's one verse from it:
'This service (ie giving) that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God' (9:12).
Two things to say - firstly, Christians should give money away in order, first and foremost, to help other Christians who are less fortunate than us. Secondly, and this is very different to the 'charity auction' way of doing things, Christians should be generous so that more thanks will go to God. Christians give not to get thanks for themselves, but so that God would get thanks.
After all, if you have some money, it's God who gave it to you - and he gave it to you so that you could help Christians who need help (that's what 8:13-15 is saying). So when you give that money to poorer Christians, it's God (who gave you the money in the first place) who gets the thanks, rather than you.
As Christians when the collection plate comes round at church, or a Christian charity asks for money, our first thought should never be 'What's in it for me?', but 'What's in it for God?' Giving money helps people; and giving money brings thanks to God; and that will surely be enough for us to long to give our money to those in the worldwide church who need it.
On our local radio station there's currently a charity auction, where you bid for stuff and the money goes to a local kids' charity. One of the things to bid for is two Take That tickets (no, I haven't taken out another mortgage to bid - yet!) The basic selling point of the auction is that you can give some money to charity AND get something for yourself.
A lot of charity is like that these days - it suggests that we're unwilling to give money away unless there's something in it for us (in which case it's not really giving money at all). It's similar with Comic Relief, isn't it? We'd never ring that number and pledge money unless we had tuned in to watch Ricky Gervais, Jonathan Ross, Little Britain and all the others do funny stuff. We're happy to give to charity - if there's something in it for us too.
That's quite different from the Bible's view of giving. One place Christian giving is dealt with in detail is 2 Corinthians 8:1-9:15; here's one verse from it:
'This service (ie giving) that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God' (9:12).
Two things to say - firstly, Christians should give money away in order, first and foremost, to help other Christians who are less fortunate than us. Secondly, and this is very different to the 'charity auction' way of doing things, Christians should be generous so that more thanks will go to God. Christians give not to get thanks for themselves, but so that God would get thanks.
After all, if you have some money, it's God who gave it to you - and he gave it to you so that you could help Christians who need help (that's what 8:13-15 is saying). So when you give that money to poorer Christians, it's God (who gave you the money in the first place) who gets the thanks, rather than you.
As Christians when the collection plate comes round at church, or a Christian charity asks for money, our first thought should never be 'What's in it for me?', but 'What's in it for God?' Giving money helps people; and giving money brings thanks to God; and that will surely be enough for us to long to give our money to those in the worldwide church who need it.
Sunday, 8 April 2007
Verse of the day
'Therefore I will give him a portion among the great' Isaiah 53:12
Happy Easter! Christ the King who bore our sins could not stay dead; he must defeat death, and he had a kingdom to rule. His Father raised him, and the empty tomb stands in joyous testament of the fact that our Saviour is the universe's ruler. His glory in heaven is unimaginable, as he, 'the lamb who was slain', sits on the throne being worshipped.
This Easter Sunday, let us rest in renewed assurance that everything we need has been done for us by and in Jesus Christ - there is no better person to rely on than the one who now sits in glory in heaven, having been given a 'portion among the great.' And what joy to know that because he has gone before us, there is a portion among the great for us too - the portion of perfect eternal life.
And this Easter Sunday, why not think of the empty tomb and then think of the throneroom of heaven, and see the one who is your Saviour and your brother and your friend sitting there. Remember today that God the Father has given His Son a portion among the great, and has exalted him above all others, and remember to pray not just with joy but with breathless awe to the one who died among criminals and now sits among the great.
Happy Easter! Christ the King who bore our sins could not stay dead; he must defeat death, and he had a kingdom to rule. His Father raised him, and the empty tomb stands in joyous testament of the fact that our Saviour is the universe's ruler. His glory in heaven is unimaginable, as he, 'the lamb who was slain', sits on the throne being worshipped.
This Easter Sunday, let us rest in renewed assurance that everything we need has been done for us by and in Jesus Christ - there is no better person to rely on than the one who now sits in glory in heaven, having been given a 'portion among the great.' And what joy to know that because he has gone before us, there is a portion among the great for us too - the portion of perfect eternal life.
And this Easter Sunday, why not think of the empty tomb and then think of the throneroom of heaven, and see the one who is your Saviour and your brother and your friend sitting there. Remember today that God the Father has given His Son a portion among the great, and has exalted him above all others, and remember to pray not just with joy but with breathless awe to the one who died among criminals and now sits among the great.
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