Imagine your whole life was displayed on the walls of this church. Everything you have have done. Everything you have ever said. Everything you have ever thought. What would it feel like if your friends and family could walk around the room and see all your secrets. I tell you, if that was me, I would be deeply ashamed.

But here’s the good news. A day is coming when God will come to fix the world. To you, to me, to followers of Jesus around the world – God says a day is coming, a day of his favour, when he will take away our disgrace. All our guilt, all our shame, all our brokenness, all our mess – will vanish.

Full text after the break…

Luke 1:5-25

Preached in Wednesbury 4^th July 2010

2^nd reading: Isaiah 25:1-9

Last week we began looking at Luke’s account of Jesus. Luke begins by insisting that his account is true and trustworthy. Read it, listen to it, and you find certainty.

The introduction, however, isn’t over. We have 82 verses to go until Jesus turns up. But with the story of John the Baptist, his parents Zechariah and Elizabeth, Luke writes to get us excited. “God is back on the scene,” says Luke. “He’s at work. Things are happening. Guess who’s coming!”

In this passage we’re going to see:

Promises being fulfilled.

Pattern for our future.

First: PROMISES BEING FULFILLED (5-22)

There are two stories going on here. There is the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, a childless couple in their later years, and God gives them a child.

The personal story involves promises. Verse 13ff the angel delivers God’s promise of a son, and the drama is that Zechariah doesn’t believe Gabriel’s words. He doesn’t take the LORD at his word. That’s unbelief. Faith is: “you say it, I’ll believe it and live as if it’s true.”

God makes a promise and keeps his promise. You’ll have to read the rest of the chapter to see that happen. That’s the personal story.

There is a bigger story of which they are one chapter. The story that began when God made the world, the story of God saving a people for himself.

There are lots of little clues here to show that this story of a small family is big part of that greater story.

I don’t know if you watched the latest Dr Who series. It was the season finale last week. One of the enjoyable parts of watching the finale is seeing how earlier storylines made more sense. Small details from early episodes suddenly became significant parts of the overarching plot.

It’s the same with good books and the best movies. And it’s the same with the best book, the Bible. Let me list you some of the clues that connect Zechariah and Elizabeth to the rest of the Bible.

One obvious one is linking Zechariah and Elizabeth to Abijah and Aaron. They are part of a wider family and nation.

Elizabeth says that her pregnancy has taken away her disgrace, echoes Jacob’s wife Rachel (in Genesis) when the birth of Joseph takes away her disgrace.

The angel appearing to announce a birth reminds us when an angel appeared to predict the birth of Samson. Samson, like John the Baptist, was not allowed to drink wine and was filled with the Spirit.

Verse 17 “He will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the father s to their children” is a quote from the prophet Malachi.

Now, it doesn’t matter if you spotted these or not. The more you read the Scriptures the more connections you notice, and there are always more to discover.

The point is: this is the next chapter in the big story. Since the last prophet in the Old Testament there has been some 400 years of silence. God has been missing (it seems) for 400 years. Imagine that. You’re God’s people but the last time God spoke was in the year 1610. That’s a long time ago! What about God’s great promises to drive out evil? What about his plan to bring blessing to the world?

Everything seemed to have stopped. But now God is back in action. The appearance of the angel to Zechariah tells us that God’s promise-plan is now full-steam ahead!

PAUSE.

Why does that matter for us? Put simply: God makes promises to us. We need to know they are certain. I might make a promise to you, that on Wednesday I will come and completely redecorate your house, for free. I might make that promise, but I can tell you, don’t take me at my word. It’s a hollow promise, because I already have 3 meetings on Wednesday and I’m no good at decoration.

But what if I made that promise, and I could show you dozens of people that I made a similar promise to, and they could all tell you that I turned up on time and did a fantastic decoration job. Well then you might believe me. With that evidence you could take me at my word.

God has made a promise that one day he will come and redecorate the whole universe.

Isaiah 25 gives us a picture of that day. Jesus Christ will return. Sadness and sorrow, tears and turmoil – these will be driven out. No more death. No more evil. No more injustice. This is the world that God promises.

The question is: can you trust him? Is it a hollow promise or can you take him at his word?

Yes. Zechariah and Elizabeth’s story shows God keeping his promises. The whole Bible shows God making promises and fulfilling them.

So you can trust him about the promise of a better world when Jesus returns.

This passage we see promises being fulfilled. We also see a pattern of that better world. A pattern of our future.

Second, PATTERN OF THE FUTURE (25)

“The LORD has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown me his favour and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

Think about Elizabeth’s disgrace. Verse 7 “they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well on in years.”

For many people today, not being able to have children feels like a never-ending agony. Friends and neighbours and other family members celebrate a new arrival, while those who cannot have children smile on the outside but are dying on the inside.

It must have been worse for Elizabeth, in a society in which not being able to have children made you a nobody. A barren woman might be viewed as good as dead. She experienced disgrace, social isolation; she would feel as if she was at the very bottom of society.

But the Lord shows favour; he looks kindly upon her and gives her a child. Her disgrace is taken away.

This passage is not a promise that upright, blameless Christian women will always be given children. No, it’s a pattern. When God shows his favour, disgrace is taken away.

Many many followers of Jesus experience disgrace.

Around many countries, if someone converts to Christianity they bring shame on their family. It is a disgrace.

Christians are often overlooked, ignored, sidelined. In one area of India it might be that they are not allowed to buy food from the village shop. In the workplace in this country it might mean a follower of Jesus is the butt of jokes, is overlooked for promotion.

Around the world it is common to find Christianity spreading among those who are low, the disgraced. In the Untouchables caste in India. The slums of Brazil.

In your life there will probably be things that bring, or could bring, disgrace. Maybe you feel a deep shame for something in the past. Something you have rarely, or never spoken about, yet it haunts you and the thought of others knowing terrifies you.

Imagine your whole life was displayed on the walls of this church. Everything you have have done. Everything you have ever said. Everything you have ever thought. What would it feel like if your friends and family could walk around the room and see all your secrets. I tell you, if that was me, I would be deeply ashamed.

But here’s the good news. A day is coming when God will come to fix the world. To you, to me, to followers of Jesus around the world – God says a day is coming, a day of his favour, when he will take away our disgrace. All our guilt, all our shame, all our brokenness, all our mess – will vanish.

Imagine a Christian from the untouchables caste in India. Her whole life others look down on her; she is given menial jobs that no one else wants. Her health is poor, her appearance not worth mentioning. No on in government is interested in her. No big name in society is interested in her, they barely notice as they drive past in their chauffeur driven car. But she knows Jesus. Her story has been grafted into the Great Story.

A day is coming when all her disgrace will be taken away. Her body will be resurrected. She will shine with the glorious Spirit filling her completely. If people could see NOW what she will be THEN, they would fall down and worship her. The important, the rich, the powerful who passed her by – Jesus will say to them, “You are nothing. You have nothing. Depart from me you wicked people.” But to her, Jesus will say, “Welcome home. Great to see. Well done, good and faithful servant.”

A day is coming when God’s people will shine with the very radiance of God. A day is coming when the humble believer will be exalted to the right hand of the Father, seated with Jesus on the Throne of Majesty. If your story has been grafted into Jesus’ story, then his happy ending is your happy ending; his glorious victory and power will one day be your glorious victory and power. As Mary will say, later in chapter 1, “He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but sent the rich away empty.”

Zechariah and Elizabeth show us promises being fulfilled. God’s promise of a new world is certain.

They are also a pattern of our future. Elizabeth’s disgrace was taken away. When Jesus returns, your disgrace will be taken away. Permanently. Together with all of God’s people you will shine with everlasting glory and favour.

–oo00oo–

The question is: where should I stand my ground? What is the foundation for the decisions I need to make?

There will be many things in the life of this church that are good and need to continue. Some that need to change or end. How do I judge? When difficult decisions needs to be made, where do I stand? What do I hold on to?

This passage from 1 Corinthians tells me to stand on the cross and resurrection of Jesus. My priority is to hold firmly to this message. At a training day I had back in March, the Archdeacon of Lichfield said this: A Vicar is not primarily there to do fundraising, maintain a building, organise rotas. A vicar’s priority is to keep the church faithful to the gospel. The gospel is the foundation. It’s where I stand.

1 Cor 15 sermon

Full text after the break…

Firm Foundations

First reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Second reading: Matthew 7:24-27

A sailor meets a pirate in a bar, and talk turns to their adventures on the sea. The sailor notes that the pirate has a peg-leg, a hook, and an eye patch.
The sailor asks, “So, how did you end up with the peg-leg?” The pirate replies, “We were in a storm at sea, and I was swept overboard into a school of sharks. Just as my men were pulling me out, a shark bit my leg off.”
“Wow!” said the sailor. “What about your hook”? “Well”, replied the pirate, “We were boarding an enemy ship and were battling the other sailors with swords. One of the enemy cut my hand off.”
“Incredible!” remarked the sailor. “How did you get the eye patch”? “A seagull dropping fell into my eye,” replied the pirate.
“You lost your eye to a seagull dropping?,” the sailor asked incredulously. “Well,” said the pirate, “it was my first day with my hook.”

I might not have a hook, but I do have a license from the Bishop to be the Vicar here – and that is far more dangerous than a hook! I’m very conscious that one wrong move and I might have my eye out. Or rather, embarrass myself, or even worse, unwittingly offend someone else.

So to get ready – over the last few months, and indeed the last few years, I’ve been asking various ministers for their advice for a new vicar.

“Make 2 or 3 big changes in the honeymoon period.”

“Don’t make any big changes for the first year.”

“First thing to do is make sure the services are okay.”

“Forget the services, your priority is young people.”

Where do I start with all that?

Essentially the question is: where should I stand my ground? What is the foundation for the decisions I need to make?

There will be many things in the life of this church that are good and need to continue. Some that need to change or end. How do I judge? When difficult decisions needs to be made, where do I stand? What do I hold on to?

This passage from 1 Corinthians tells me to stand on the cross and resurrection of Jesus. My priority is to hold firmly to this message. At a training day I had back in March, the Archdeacon of Lichfield: Vicar is not primarily there to do fundraising, maintain a building, organise rotas. A vicar’s priority is to keep the church faithful to the gospel. The gospel is the foundation. It’s where I stand.

It’s where all of us need to stand. Listen again to the apostle:

1Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance…

The good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection is our sure foundation. It’s the message we need to receive and take our stand. Hold firmly to it. It is of first importance.

I want to pick our three implications of this fact. If the good news is the foundation of my ministry, this church, our lives – what does it mean for our minds, our hands, and our hearts.

First: Implication for mind.

The gospel, the message of the cross and the empty tomb, needs to change our mind. I will grow as a Christian as my mind is transformed and my thinking shaped by Jesus.

As we make decisions in life, our thinking is based on certain assumptions. Our mind has a foundation. So, for example, someone’s thinking might be based on the fact that they need more money. All their decisions revolve around that key truth. Or a church family might make all its decisions around, say, the desire to keep the building open.

The foundation for our mind must be Jesus Christ.

That’s easy to say, but in practice, our foundation is often elsewhere.

[Pause]

In the parishes I’ve just come from, the church of All Saints stands in the village of Moddershall. It was built by the Wedgwood family in 1904. A lot of coal mining took place in that area and many buildings were badly affected by subsidence. Large cracks appeared in the walls of the church. Eventually, the Coal Board paid to have the whole church building taken down, stone-by-stone, a large concrete raft laid as a new foundation, then the church re-built on top.

The church building needed a new, secure foundation. A bad foundation will not keep a building safe when pressures and changes come.

The foundation for this church must be the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Please pray for me, the wardens, the PCC as we use our minds to think about what this means for all we do.

But all of us need to do this. Jesus’ death and resurrection is a foundation, not simply for the religious part of your life. It is the foundation for everything.

It’s Father’s Day today. For many fathers it will be a day of cards from the children, booze from the supermarket and World Cup pint glasses, or World Cup boxer-shorts, or a World Cup toolset.

Fathering is under pressure. Cracks are appearing. Fathering needs a good foundation – fatherhood needs to be built on the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

So does your retirement. Your career. Your unemployment. Your leisure. Your marriage. Your child-raising.

The message of Jesus’ death and resurrection is of first importance – for every part of life. We need to think about how we build every part of life on this good foundation. When the storms come, every part of our life needs to be built on rock, not sand.

That’s the first implication: for your mind. Our thinking must be shaped and grounded on the good news of Jesus.

Second: Implication for hand.

The hand represents the work we do. Here I want to say a big thank you for those who have worked hard in the life of this church, especially over the last 2 ½ years of interregnum. I know it’s been a long time; I’m sure it’s been discouraging at times. You’ve kept things going, dealt with the crisis of the theft of lead, organised weddings and funerals, and given me a great welcome this last Wednesday. Well done.

Well done to all of you. Well done to Brian and Malcolm in particular. You have carried a huge responsibility and I hope many people have expressed their thanks to you.

Here in 1 Corinthians 15, the verses we have had read are the start of a long chapter in which Paul persuades the Christians in Corinth about the reality of the resurrection. Not Jesus’ resurrection – he assumes that, it’s the foundation he builds on. He is trying to persuade this young church that, because Jesus died and rose again, so also THEY will die and rise again. They and we will be raised. On the day of Christ, at his return, when the archangel blows his trumpet – we will be raised, we will be changed, we will be given immortal bodies to enjoy life with God forever.

It’s an amazing chapter. If Paul’s writings are the Himalayas, maybe 1 Corinthians 15 is Mt Everest – the pinnacle. And the view from the top is amazing. Listen to how Paul ends:

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.

See what he’s saying? Because of the resurrection, your work for the Lord, your labour for Christ, is not in vain.

Think about it this way.

You’ve had endless paperwork to fill in. But eventually it will all crumble and turn to dust. Ultimately it’s a waste of time, isn’t it?

You’ve organised weddings, baptisms, funerals. But one day everyone who attended them will have died.

When you’re dead and your children are dead and their children have long been forgotten, all the hard work you’ve done – it’s all in vain, isn’t it?

No. No – gloriously no. Walls may crumble. Papers will fade. But everything you have done for the LORD will last forever. When you struggled on, kept things going – when you worked hard to serve the Lord Jesus and love his people – this will last forever! On the last day YOU will be resurrected, you will see the Lord, and all that you have done for him will go with you.

Have you seen the film Gladiator? Full of great lines. As Maximus prepares his cavalry for the attack on the barbarians, he says these words: “What you do in life echoes in eternity.”

He’s right. Because of the resurrection – your labour for the LORD is not in vain. What you do in life echoes in eternity. So thank you for your hard work. Make sure you thank those who have served you.

Our foundation is the good news of Jesus Christ.

Implication for the mind: we need to think about all of life and shape it around the cross and resurrection.

Implication for the hand: your hard work has eternal value when done for the Lord.

Finally, implication for the heart.

Third: Implication for heart.

What is of first importance to you? What makes your heart sing? What do you daydream about?

It could be your children or grandchildren. And so your timetable revolves around them.

Freedom from debt and worries about money. And so you keep looking for a job.

Of first importance is this. “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter and then to the Twelve.”

Why is this first importance?

Through the gospel of Jesus Christ we find eternal life.

Christ died for our sins. On the cross

• our sins are forgiven
• our guilt is washed away
• God’s anger is turned back
• God’s mercy is revealed

When Jesus rose again

• we are given new life in the Spirit
• we are adopted as God’s beloved children
• we are given spiritual riches
• all our enemies are defeated

Through this good news, this message of salvation

• God is made our father
• Jesus is our brother
• heaven is made our future
• glory is our destination
• hell is trampled down
• hope is made certain

That is truth to warm the heart. That is why this is of first importance.

Friends, we have an adventure ahead of us. By God’s grace, I pray that everything I do will be built on this foundation: that Jesus died and rose again. My prayer is that together:

• our minds will be transformed by this message
• our hands strengthened in God’s service
• our hearts captured by the display of his love.

And so to Jesus be all the glory.

Luke 8:22-25

One of the major themes in Luke, a thread that runs through this gospel, is the importance of God’s word.  He starts by telling us that his message came from those who were servants of the word.  The gospel ends with the road to Emmaus, where Jesus explains his ministry from God’s word.

In chapter 8, just before the story of Jesus calming the storm, we’ve had the Parable of the Sower.  The seed is the word of God, and the good soil is those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it and by persevering produce a crop.

We’ve just had the account of Jesus’ mother and brothers trying to see him, but our Lord replies, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

That’s what a Christian is.  Someone who hears God’s word concerning his Son and puts it into practice.
That’s what defines my ministry.  As the Bishop says in the BCP Ordering of Priests, I cannot by any other means compass the doing of so weighty a work, pertaining to the salvation of man, but with doctrine and exhortation taken out of the holy Scriptures, and with a life agreeable to the same.

So just how important is this word?  How powerful is it?  What can it do for us?

Jesus gets into the boat, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.”  They sail, he sleeps, there’s a squall, and they’re swamped.  Well, almost swamped.

“Master, Master, we’re going to drown.”

Jesus stands up and rebukes the wind and the waters.  Immediately we go from storm to silence, from calamity to calm.  All it takes is a few words.

I think we are told THREE things about the importance of the Word.

1. Jesus’ words are the Creator’s words.

“Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

At home, bathtime is my duty.  My daughter, who is 5, has had her tea and it’s up to bath then bed.  So I run the bath and in she jumps.  Normally she wants a story and I have to make up some coherent parable about a duck who’s lost his friend, or whatever suggestion she makes.  If my brain is particularly weary I’ll try to avoid the storytelling by suggesting some game, and splashing water is always a good game.  The waves slosh back and forth, over her, over me, and if it gets a bit out of control I’ll tell her to stop swishing around, but the waves keep going.  I can’t stop them with a word.

Jesus could.  We are reminded of the formless and void creation, the waters of the great abyss, and God’s word bringing order out of chaos.  God alone controls the raging oceans.  Only his word is powerful enough to do that – and here the disciples are shocked to see that Jesus’ words are the words of divinity.  When he speaks, Creation recognises its master and obeys without question.

2. Jesus’ words protect his people.

Without his words, the disciples would have drowned.  His words save them.
We’re about to encounter Legion, driven mad by evil powers, but Jesus’ words save him.
Looking ahead – and I’ll admit that Matthew makes this point more clearly than Luke – the disciples are going to be sent out into the nations.  Psalm 65, one of the readings for Sunday, is a good example of how the nations, in rebellion against God, are likened to a tumultuous sea, raging and swirling against the Lord.  As the disciples, as we, go out into the world in the name of Jesus, we are hopelessly outnumbered.  We have no strength against the waves of changing culture.  Spiritual powers would gladly swamp our boat and take us to the depths.

Yet Jesus is with us.  His words protect us.  Where the church is fearful of the storm, and scared of mission, Jesus says, “Where is your faith?”  Let’s trust his protective, powerful word.  Let’s hear God’s word and put it into practice.

Jesus’ words are the Creator’s words.
Jesus’ words protect his people.

3. Jesus’ words take us to the cross.

We’re always meant to read the gospels in the light of the Old Testament.  We can’t hear this story without thinking of another man asleep in a boat while a storm brings great danger.

Jonah, of course, was sent to take God’s word to the nations.  But he runs away, and on that boat sailing to Tarshish a great storm develops and threatens them all.  He is woken from his sleep, and knows that the only way to calm the storm is if he is thrown overboard, into the depths of the grave.

Jesus is God’s word to the nations.  He doesn’t run away – from chapter 8 verse 1 he has been travelling about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.

But he is sailing straight into a storm.  In chapter 9:51 he resolutely sets out for Jerusalem, he points the bow of the boat into the very centre of the raging waters.  The only way to calm the storm, the only way to protect his people and bring the peace that the angels sang about at his birth, is if he is thrown overboard into the depths of the grave.  He stands silent before Herod, he makes no rebuke, and he is drowned in the waters of death.

But that is our salvation.  That, ultimately, is how the Creator protects his people.

How important is God’s word?  How powerful is it? What can it do for us?

Very important.  Very powerful.  It protects us as we keep on going for growth.

May we hear God’s word and put it into practice.

Amen.

Around the web you can find lots of great Tim Keller sermons.  Steve McCoy has the definitive list here.  The Redeemer site has released 150 free sermons, but there is no easy way of downloading them quickly.  They are organised into 3 main categories: Discovery, Growth and Mission, with lots of sub-categories.  Within these sermons you will find

• Six sermons that lie behind The Reason for God
• Six sermons on The Prodigal God

I have downloaded them all, and kept them in their categories by arranging them in a hierarchical folder structure.

Discovery Sermons are here (1.24GB zip file)

Growth Sermons are here (930MB zip file)

Mission Sermons are here (705MB zip file)

In addition, I have compiled all of the free resources I have, from various sources, which are here (1.1GB zip file)

This contains:

If anyone feels like producing a document that indexes the free sermons, i.e. goes through Redeemer’s free sermons pages and copies the passage and mini-description for each sermon, that would be an amazing resource!

All in all, this is 4GB containing 250 sermons which will take you 150 hours to listen to.

(If you like this, and are feeling generous, my Amazon wish list is here…)

If I put a link to it, you won’t go and read it.  So here it is, in all its goodness.  Listen to Jesus speak about his Church, and think about the new name we have in Christ.

Zion’s New Name

¹ For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her righteousness shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.

² The nations will see your righteousness,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.

³ You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD’s hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

⁴ No longer will they call you Deserted,
or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah, ['My delight is in her']
and your land Beulah ['Married'];
for the LORD will take delight in you,
and your land will be married.

⁵ As a young man marries a maiden,
so will your sons [or 'Builder'] marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you.

⁶ I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the LORD,
give yourselves no rest,

⁷ and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem
and makes her the praise of the earth.

⁸ The LORD has sworn by his right hand
and by his mighty arm:
“Never again will I give your grain
as food for your enemies,
and never again will foreigners drink the new wine
for which you have toiled;

⁹ but those who harvest it will eat it
and praise the LORD,
and those who gather the grapes will drink it
in the courts of my sanctuary.”

¹⁰ Pass through, pass through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, build up the highway!
Remove the stones.
Raise a banner for the nations.

¹¹ The LORD has made proclamation
to the ends of the earth:
“Say to the Daughter of Zion,
‘See, your Savior comes!
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.’ ”

¹² They will be called the Holy People,
the Redeemed of the LORD;
and you will be called Sought After,
the City No Longer Deserted.

What does this mean?

Many many Christians experience disgrace. Around many countries, if someone converts to Christianity they bring shame on their family. It is a disgrace. Christians are often overlooked, ignored, sidelined. In one area of India it might be that they are not allowed to buy food from the village shop. In the workplace in this country it might mean a follower of Jesus is the butt of jokes, is overlooked for promotion. Around the world it is common to find Christianity spreading among those who are low, the disgraced. In the Untouchables caste in India. Or the slums of Brazil.

You might have experienced disgrace in your life, or you feel a deep shame for something in the past. Something you have rarely, or never spoken about, yet it haunts you and the thought of others knowing terrifies you.

To you, to me, to Christians around the world – Jesus says a day is coming, a day of his favour, when he will take away our disgrace. All our guilt, shame, isolation – will vanish.

Imagine a Christian from the untouchables caste in India. Her whole life others look down on her; she is given menial jobs that no one else wants. Her health is poor, her appearance not worth mentioning. No on in government is interested in her. No big name in society is interested in her, they barely notice as they drive past in their chauffeur driven car. But she knows Jesus. Her story has been grafted into the Great Story.

A day is coming when all her disgrace will be taken away. Her body will be resurrected. She will shine with the glorious Spirit filling her completely. If people could see NOW what she will be THEN, they would fall down and worship her. The important, the rich, the powerful – Jesus will say to them, “You are nothing. You have nothing. Depart from me you wicked people.” But to her, Jesus will say, “Welcome home. Great to see. Well done, good and faithful servant.”

A day is coming when God’s people will shine with the very radiance of God. When the humble believer will be exalted to the right hand of the Father, seated with Jesus on the Throne of Majesty. If your life has been grafted onto Jesus’ life, then his glorious victory and power will one day be your glorious victory and power. As Mary will say, later in chapter 1, “He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but sent the rich away empty.”

http://renew.redeemer.com/ This is the site of the new campaign and thinking about the future of Redeemer Church, NY.  It’s a sort of back-to-basics campaign to renew Redeemer’s commitment to church planting in New York and to get more of the congregation involved in the life of the church.  Well worth browsing the (very nicely presented) site to see how they hope to develop.  An added bonus is that the current sermon series, on Hope, is available for free download as each sermon is preached.

The Prodigal God. Tim Keller’s book, The Prodigal God, has been turned into a DVD series with attending sermons, i.e. you would aim to put the whole church through 5/6 weeks of focus on this famous parable.  There’s a nice trailer for the DVDs, which I’ve just discovered can be obtained from Amazon.  You can download 6 sermons (MP3 files) and sermon outlines for another 5 sermons (all free).  If you’re a preacher- get them, listen to them and stash them away for a future sermon series!

Although not free (7 sermons at $2.50 each), I’ve just been listening to his series on “The Gospel According to Abraham.”  Really enjoyed them.  He doesn’t quite come out and say all the appearances of the LORD are appearances of the pre-incarnate Son, but they remain thoroughly Jesus-focussed material.

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All the best stories begin with “A long long time ago, in a land far far away…” so that’s how I’ll begin mine.

A long long time ago in a land far far away was a town, a largish town, with the usual inhabitants of fairy-tale towns.  A mayor, some soldiers, merchants and peasants.  Butchers, bakers and candle-stick makers.

A short distance from the town was a large castle, entirely surrounded by a moat.  There was no bridge over the moat, and only one door on the outside wall.  In the castle lived a Great King; he owned the castle, the land, the whole town- but hadn’t been seen for some years.

One day messengers came from the castle, proclaiming the King’s message.  “A Great Plague is coming,” they warned “And could strike at any time.  Even now your clothes may be infected.  Leave your town and head for the castle.  There no plague can harm you.  You will find new clothes, a place to live for you and for your families.”

Many thought the messengers were fakes.  “We haven’t seen the king.  How do we know he sent you?”  Others said, “Plague? What plague?  There hasn’t been a plague here for generations.  I don’t believe you.”

Some believed the King and asked the messengers, “how can we get to the castle?  There’s no bridge.”

“Through the water” said the messengers.  “At the edge of the moat you’ll find a rope, hold on to that and someone in the castle will pull you through the water. Don’t worry – there are new clothes waiting for you.  The water will make sure the plague isn’t carried into the castle.”

So they walked to the castle and, each in turn, grabbed the rope and were pulled across.  Some plunged in, looking forward to a good clean.  Fathers held little children on their back.  Others, especially those who had nice clothes, were less sure.  A few walked around the castle looking for a bridge, but there wasn’t one. “Isn’t there another way,” they asked. “A bridge, or a tunnel, or even a boat?”  “No,” said the messengers. “There’s only one castle, one door and one rope to pull you through the water.  You must all enter the same way.”  And eventually they realised it was the only way, so they gave in and were pulled across also.

Once inside the castle the people were amazed.  Each was given a new set of clothes to match their new job, and the clothes were exquisite.  No two sets were identical, because the King loved variety, but each carried the King’s crest emblazoned on the front.  Some clothes were for those tasked with looking after the sick.  Some were for those working in the kitchens, there was a huge variety of tasks to be done so that the new community could flourish.

Some of the grandest clothes belonged to the trumpet blowers.  They had the job of keeping time and making sure everyone knew where they should be and when.  Morning and evening, and before mealtimes, the trumpeters sounded their fanfare.

After a few weeks the trumpeters started to get arrogant.  “We’re the ones who really make the place work,” they said.  “We have the fanciest clothes, we’re always in the public.  Of all the people here in this castle, we’re the ones who really belong.”

Actually, they didn’t say that last bit.  But that’s how they behaved.  At meal times they sat together.  They started blowing trumpets after mealtimes and before every coffee break.  They tried to persuade others to join them; “we don’t need cleaners and cooks and water carriers.  The castle would look so much grander if you all joined us.”

Down in the basement kitchens, people were upset.  All they did was wash vegetables, cook the meat and serve it up.  They never had a chance to blow trumpets.  Their clothes, although far better than anything they had in their old town, were more practical than showy.  “Maybe we don’t belong” they thought to themselves.  “Maybe the castle really is for those who play the trumpet, and the King only invited us here to make sure the trumpeters were okay.”

Discontent and grumbling grew.  Divisions formed between different groups.  Eventually the King heard about it and called everyone together in the central courtyard.

What he said, is essentially what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:

• You all joined this castle community the same way.  There is one door and one castle and so there is one community.
• You all belong; imagine how crazy it would be if you were all trumpeters.
• You are all needed.  Whether great or less impressive, we work together.

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This leads neatly into a 3 pointer:

1. There is one body and one way of becoming part of it. (verses 12-13)
2. You all belong. (verses 14-20)
3. You are all needed. (verses 21-26)

Later I was reading the Sunday Telegraph and found this article about some of Iran’s clerics. The summary says it all:

“The Ayatollah Khomenei brought millions on to the streets of Iran to overthrow the decadence of the Shah. Now the late leader’s grandsons and other Iranian clerics face a backlash over their families’ fondness for fast cars, big houses and hot tubs.”

(NB the sermon is here)