I mean it. Are you reading this sentence?  Stop it and click the link above.  Glen recently reached his 1000th post, and he’s summed them all up in 1000 words.  I’d post it here, but I don’t want to overwhelm his blog with even more incoming links.

Right, off you go then. And don’t come back until you’ve had a good feast on lots of tasty riches.

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–

Every day of our lives Jesus summons us to follow him and die.  That is the call.  The Bible says nothing about churchgoers. It says everything about being disciples.  Learners. Followers.

Luke’s gospel will challenge us to the depths of our being.  If this message is true, then everything changes.

And so Luke begins his gospel by telling us that this message is true.  This message is trustworthy. You can be certain of it.  Luke says he has set out to write an orderly account of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.  And there are 4 reasons why we can trust what he writes.

Full text after the break…

Luke 1:1-4

St Bart’s, 27^th June 2010

Second reading: 2 Timothy 3:10 – 4:5

What a week it’s been. England vs Slovenia – and we made it through to the quarter final. Maybe that was the highlight of your week.

Less exciting, but much more important, was George Osborne’s budget. Tough times are ahead. I guess every one of us will feel the pinch as taxes rise and spending falls. George Osborne risks becomes the most unpopular man in the country – but he has tried to shift the blame to the previous government. “We have a terrible legacy” has been his message. “For too many years government policy has been ‘spend now pay later’. We need to act now to prevent disaster down the road.”

The Church of England has a terrible legacy as well. For too many years, in parishes all over the country, it seems church policy has been “please come to church. We won’t ask too much of you. Take communion, join the electoral roll, give some spare change. That will do – and we hope you don’t mind.”

Jesus is completely different. I’ve been focussing my attention on Luke’s gospel recently. Listen to Jesus talk about what it means to follow him:

• Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
• Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I say?
• My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.
• If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Every day of our lives Jesus summons us to follow him and die. That is the call. The Bible says nothing about churchgoers. It says everything about being disciples. Learners. Followers.

Luke’s gospel will challenge us to the depths of our being. If this message is true, then everything changes.

And so Luke begins his gospel by telling us that this message is true. This message is trustworthy. You can be certain of it. Luke says he has set out to write an orderly account of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. And there are 4 reasons why we can trust what he writes.

1. This account is one of many.

Verse 1: “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us.” Luke’s account of Jesus is not the only one. We have 3 others – Matthew, Mark and John – but it sounds as if there may have been others doing the rounds. Over time, the 4 gospels as we have them were recognised to be those that God had inspired. But as Luke wrote to Theophilus, Luke knew that Theophilus could check what he had written against what others had written.

Authors like Dan Brown, of the Da Vinci Code, will try to tell us that these gospels were written hundreds of years later by powerful bishops and rulers trying to force their version of Christianity onto others. But that’s nonsense. The stories of Jesus were doing the rounds right from the beginning, of course they were! If anyone started adding new stories, they’d have been rejected straight away. We can trust Luke’s account because it matches what others have said about Jesus.

1. This account is based on eye-witness evidence.

Verse 2: the stories of Jesus were handed down to Luke and others by “those who from the first were eyewitnesses.” This isn’t Chinese Whispers. This isn’t some rumour spread on Twitter (that’s an internet thing, for those who don’t know). These are eye-witness accounts.

Do you remember how the apostle John began his 1^st Letter? “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it.”

1. (We can trust Luke’s account because) Those who passed on the message were “servants of the word”.

Verse 2 again. The people who passed on the accounts of Jesus were not only eyewitnesses, they were also “servants of the word.” That is, the word – the message of Jesus – had supreme authority. These eyewitnesses had no right to change it, to tidy it up, to make it sound more impressive.

Again, people will sometimes tell you that the gospels might have their origin in historical truth, but that over time they were changed, bits were added – so that the Christ we see here in the Bible is not necessarily the same as the Jesus of history. But again, that is rubbish. The apostles were servants of the word, not masters of the word. As you read the gospels, I think this is just obvious. Jesus’ hard bits of teaching aren’t brushed out. The disciples frequently make mistakes, get things wrong – there’s no attempt to make them appear as heroes. You can trust Luke’s gospel because those who passed on the message were “servants of the word”.

As an aside, that’s a phrase that I want to own for myself. As Vicar I have no authority of my own, except that of being a servant of the word. It is a priority of mine to spend time working hard on sermons making sure that everything I say is based on the Bible. If I ever teach something, from this pulpit or in conversation, that contradicts or ignores what the Bible says, then challenge me. Ask me how I support what I say, and if I can’t defend what I say from the Scriptures, then tell me to shut up. Kick me out of the church! I am a servant of the word.

1. Luke has carefully investigated everything

Back to the Bible. Verse 3, “Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also for me to write an orderly account for you.”

Careful investigation. Luke admits that he is not an eyewitness, so he has investigated and researched the stories. All the stories. For example, it is very likely that Luke met with Mary, mother of Jesus. This is a gospel written with an eye for detail and accuracy.

Put these 4 things together

• this account is one of many
• it is based on eye-witness accounts
• those who passed it on were servants of the word
• it has been carefully investigated

put these together and we can have confidence in this gospel.

That is so important. As I said at the beginning, if this message is true – then it changes everything. God wants you to put all your eggs in the basket marked ‘Jesus’. You are called to entrust yourself entirely to him.

At school, and during my time at University, I did quite a lot of caving, or potholing. Whenever I mention caving, everyone always thinks of small, tight tunnels. There are plenty of those. But there are plenty of large caverns. One cave is Lancaster Pot. Up on the Yorkshire Moors, a metal plate on the ground can be opened up to find a narrow hole dropping away. But don’t be deceived. You abseil, awkwardly, through some 20feet of passageway. But then suddenly it opens out, and you’re dangling from a single rope, the floor 70 feet below. Hanging in mid air, that’s when you need to know that the rope is trustworthy, and that the other end is firmly attached to solid rock. You have entrusted yourself entirely to that rock.

We are to entrust ourselves entirely to the rock that is Jesus. You can be a churchgoer and actually your life depends on the size of your bank account, or the security of your job. But being a disciple is completely different. Being a disciple means adapting our spending according to Jesus’ teaching. Being a disciple means raising children according to Jesus’ teaching. It means setting our church priorities in line with Jesus’ priorities.

If we are hanging EVERYTHING off Jesus then we need to know that this gospel is trustworthy. And Luke insists it is. Here, in these pages, Luke’s writing will enable you to know the CERTAINTY of the things you have been taught.

So read it. Pick up a gospel and start reading.

Get into the Bible. Put your roots down deep in God’s Word. Maybe the Explore Notes or Time with God will help you do that.

Let me close with one final thought.

Look back at verse 1. “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us.” He doesn’t say, “the things that have happened among us” but “the things that have been fulfilled among us.”

Luke’s gospel will show us how to live. But more importantly it will show us God keeping his promises. The promises, predictions and plans made long in the past, recorded in the Old Testament: these have been fulfilled and Luke shows us how.

Luke’s account is trustworthy, but it also reveals a trustworthy God. A God who keeps his promises. A God whose word you can depend on.

Keeping promises can be costly. Let me give you a simple example. We’re opening our home to you this afternoon. Essentially we’ve made a promise – that if you turn up, between 3 and 5 pm, we promise to let you in and serve you tea or coffee and cake. To keep that promise is costly. It cost money to buy the ingredients to make the cakes. It cost me time yesterday as I tidied up my study. And if, at 5 minutes to 3, I am watching, say, an old episode of Top Gear and really enjoying it, it will cost me to turn it off and open the door.

It’s a silly example. And of course the cost is worth it, because we get to know you better. But it shows how keeping promises can be costly.

And it cost God everything.

God promised to save a people for himself. He promised to create a people who would bring his blessing to the whole world.

And it cost him. To keep his promise God the Son left the glory of heaven and was born as a servant in a backwater of the Roman Empire. To keep his promise the Lord was persecuted, tempted, rejected, despised.

To keep his promise to you and me Jesus went to the cross. There he paid the ultimate price. The sin of the world was heaped on him, judgement day fell on him as he died.

But ask him, “was it worth it?” and the resurrected Lord Jesus will say, “YES.” “Because I get to know you.”

Luke’s gospel is trustworthy. It needs to be, because Jesus calls you to death, everyday. To be a disciple means entrusting every part of your life to him. Yet, as you do so, you are giving yourself to One who gave himself for you. He paid the price. He is trustworthy even to the point of death. Come to him and find the certainty of God’s love.

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.

Here is proof that I am the Vicar of St Bartholomew’s Wednesbury, in case anyone was wondering. I discovered a few weeks ago that as Vicar I cannot be a pub landlord (without being kicked out of my post).

I’ll try to post a bit more regularly. But no promises!

Proof that I'm a Vicar!

Praise Jesus!

Andrew shows that cocaine has lost its aura of danger, and points to a suppressed World Health Organisation study that suggests cocaine use is not as harmful as portrayed on anti-drugs adverts.

I’m not that interested in the medical science, and I’m not suggesting you go out and take some!  Of more interest is Andrew Brown’s description of the problem that underlies drug use (emphasis mine):

My own view is that “harmful use” – whether of cocaine, alcohol, over-eating, or any other self-destructive behaviour – is a symptom of an underlying malaise. This is when a desperate person starts worshipping a substance, or turning it into the primary relationship and the primary source of pleasure. Then what happens is that the substance or the behaviour starts possessing the person. Much better, I feel, that humans should gain this kind of satisfaction from other living people, from meaningful work, and from families especially. So rather than focusing on symptoms, politicians might better spend their time thinking why, under their management, the structures that used to hold society together and support people to have healthy and fulfilled lives seem to have crumbled.

I have no idea about Andrew’s religious beliefs, or lack of.  But it is fascinating how the language of worship is used.  The substance has become an idol, a functional saviour, offering satisfaction but leading to slavery.  Andrew would rather we look to work, family and relationships as better idols, but that’s no solution.  None of these are inherently reliable and none can give true meaning.  Only Jesus can satisfy.  Worshipping him is true liberation.  Which is why the best solution to the drugs problem is not education or wealth, but the good news of Jesus Christ.

Jesus loved to ask questions, see e.g. Mark 8:17-21; Luke 2:49, 5:21-23, 7:39-44, 8:25, 9:18-20, 10:25-28, 18:18-20, 20:1-8, 24:17-19; John 4:7, 9:35-38

The GCM Collective community site has a discussion about this, and here are a few suggestions that came up:

I have found the below questions helpful in drawing out who people are – their history, interests, dreams, and faith.  I have found that asking the questions with sincere love makes people feel cared for and opens up great conversation.

I am wondering…

… What was your upbringing like?

… What is your relationship with your parents like?

… Who has had the biggest impact on your life and why?

… What are you passionate about?

… If you could do anything you wanted to what would you do?

… If you could live anywhere you wanted to where would you live?

… Do you have any kind of spiritual belief?

… Do you believe in God? In what way?

… What has your spiritual journey been like?

… What guides your life?

… What do you see as the biggest social problem of our day?

… if you could tell a group of Christians anything you want what would you tell them?

… In your opinion who is Jesus?

… If Jesus were here today would you follow him? Why or why not?

… Is there anything you would like prayer for?

Worldview questions

A worldview is the overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world. People everywhere ask four questions. (Who am I? Where am I? What is wrong? What’s the remedy?) Their worldview shapes the way they answer these questions:

I am wondering…

…what do you see as the purpose of your life?  (Who am I?)
…how do you view the nature of the world we live in? (Where am I?)
…from your perspective what is wrong with the world we live in? (what holds us back from full attainment?)
…what do you see as the remedy of our worlds problems? (How do I attain salvation?)

The same author linked to a booklet he’s found helpful:

“The Art of Powerful Questions” – http://www.theworldcafe.com/articles/aopq.pdf

And another person recommended this:  http://fieldgatemedia.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Twenty-Questions-to-Help-Me-Care-for-Others.pdf

Any other recommendations?  Mention them in the comments.

I last mentioned Patrick two years ago.  This year I have some more good links:

Patrick of Ireland gives a good summary of his life.  I didn’t know Patrick wrote against slavery, but I do now.  On the subject of Patrick’s method of evangelism:

their methodology of evangelizing the pagans of Ireland has much to be commended for our day.  They lived in Christian community while living in close proximity to those who worshipped many gods.  By voice of their preaching and example of gospel living together in good works, Celtic Christianity spread rapidly over Ireland. Furthermore, they remained orthodox to the teachings of the Bible and the early creeds while living out this faith in a way very close to the lives of the Celts.

In this article, Mark O’Driscoll also describes Patrick’s method.  Patrick’s endeavours bore much fruit:

Patrick gave his life to the people who had enslaved him until he died at 77 years of age. He had seen untold thousands of people convert as between 30-40 of the 150 tribes had become substantially Christian. He had trained 1000 pastors, planted 700 churches, and was the first noted person in history to take a strong public stand against slavery.

Russell Moore explains what lessons evangelicals can learn from Patrick.

Over at The Fundamentals of Orthodoxy Peter Ould has an 8 minute video about St Patrick to want, from the creators of Veggie Tales!

I blog very irregularly; when I post something new it is because

a) I’ve found something that I find interesting;

b) This coincides with having a quiet moment to go online and write it up.

This means that this blog is a hopeless guide to my main interests and passions.  For that you’ll have to get to know me!  I love hiking, with fond memories of damp tents on Dartmoor.  I’d be very excited if I could do some caving again (last time was October 1999, yes I’m counting the months and years).  I’ll read anything, especially by Tom Clancy.  I tinker with computers and think you should ditch Windows and replace it with Linux Mint. On Tuesday night you’ll find me at my local Wetherspoons with some guys from church, and when I was thinking about St Bartholomew, Wednesbury, I was delighted to see there’s a Wetherspoons just across the road!

How about I give you some of my favourite Bible verses?

“My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colosians 2:2)

Here Paul’s passion is my own as well.  People may be Christian, or may not be a follower of Jesus, but I can guarantee that they need to discover more of the riches that are in Jesus Christ.  Nothing compares to him.  All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in him, and no-where else.

“On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine – the best of meats and the finest of wines.

On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever.

The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth.  The LORD has spoken.

In that day they will say: “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” ” (Isaiah 25:6-9)

What a glorious description of the New Heavens and the New Earth that Jesus will bring when he returns!  That is our hope.  When we truly know this to be our future, through faith in Jesus, it sets our heart free from making this life our ultimate goal, releasing us to serve and love others, no matter the cost.

I could give many others. How about Numbers 14:14 – and ask yourself, “Who is the LORD who has been seen ‘eye-to-eye’ (literally)?”  Can’t work it out?  John 1:18 and Colossians 1:15 might help.  Or what about Ephesians – one of the best places to see what Church really is all about.

Enjoy the blog.  If you’re interested in more, I’ll be in Stone until May and in Wednesbury from June 16th onwards!  And, as I’ve said many other times, if you really want some food for the soul, check out Christ The Truth, or A Spreading Goodness.