Sermon 31st October 2021 – Reformation Sunday Text: Romans 3:19-28 – No distinctions

 Sermon 31^st October 2021 – Reformation Sunday

Text: Romans 3:19-28 – No distinctions

 

Well here we are with a sense of freedom. Still some restrictions in place but a sense that we are beginning to enjoy some of the freedoms we had with more on the horizon. However we know that there are some in our community who are made to feel as if they are not able to enjoy the freedoms that many are having.

A distinction is being made by society of the vaccinated and unvaccinated. A distinction that God would never make.

 

In order for us to reopen our churches we needed to comply with all the requirements and so we will be providing worship opportunities for all of our members that comply with the Government mandates. But it is important to state from the outset that there is no distinction in what is received at any worship service and that is the Grace of God.

 

This is one of the biggest challenges to face the church in modern times and we need to ensure that we have the same mind as Christ where there is no distinction – no male nor female, no Jew nor Greek, no slave nor free, no vaccinated or unvaccinated when it comes to the grace and mercy of God. If we could not offer the opportunity for all of our members and the visiting community to worship in some form and receive the sacrament then I would not be standing here before you today until we could.

 

Christ is not divided and neither should the church albeit for the time being in order to abide by the Government mandate for churches to open we have a variety of worship options for all to be able to worship.

 

Society is going to be divided and not able to offer that opportunity in many settings but the church must be able to do so and as much as many people have seen the Government as an enemy of the church because of the lockdowns, we are being given a freedom that most business and workplaces are not being given – to be able to provide worship for all of our members albeit in different settings.

But those different settings are different only in time and not in what is received. And that’s what Paul emphasizes in our Epistle reading when he says:

God’s righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

 

So please, pray that we may be one in this difficult period of time for the church and for every one of our members and those who are seeking Christ. Paul reminds us that there is only one class of people. He says - all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  This is the only class distinction and it captures every single one of us – we are all sinners needing God’s forgiveness.

And that means the Gospel unifies us. As St Paul says - all are justified freely by God’s grace. And this is what happens when Christ is at the centre of our teaching and is what Luther fought hard for during the Reformation. Because in Luther’s day there was a distinction made. That only those who could afford to purchase an indulgence could experience the comforting grace of God and thus those who could not were made to feel like 2nd class citizens – peasants.

Indulgences were what the Church of Luther’s day sold to the people to bring them comfort rather than the freely given Gospel.

 

The Gospel does not distinguish – for we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And that’s what Luther fought so hard for even putting his very life on the line. The Gospel cannot be compromised which is what the Reformation stands for:

Saved by grace, through faith, for Christ’s sake.

Grace alone.

Faith alone.

Christ alone.

Scripture alone.

To the glory of God alone.

If we, as the Church, cannot show that then we are not the church of the Reformation. We are not the Church of Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

In the past couple weeks we have seen how Jesus breaks down any class distinction with the Gospel.

For James and John who wanted that high class distinction of being able to sit at Jesus’ left and right in his glory Jesus reminds them that the first shall be last and the greatest is to be a servant of all. And when the crowd tried to shut down blind Bartimaeus and keep him quiet Jesus draws him out of the crowd and to himself. The Jews today tried to point out their distinction – we are children of Abraham. The church needs to be open to all people and I am thankful that even though Government mandates require us to have 2 different services that they are different only by time. The church needs to be there for all people because God is our refuge and our strength. God is our ever present help in trouble.

 

I know a lot of people are afraid at present. They too are the body of Christ even though they are not present in the church building at present. Some are afraid to rejoin gatherings and we should also support them. No one should be made to feel less than what they are. And what they are – they are children of God who have been set free by Jesus.

 

We know what fear can do. We’ve seen it on the news – we seen it on social media. Fear can make us point the finger at others. Fear can make us put down others who are “not like us”. Fear can make class distinctions. But Jesus came to set us free from that. Luther fought the church of his day to bring the Gospel back to where it belonged – with the people – all people.

 

I hope and I pray that we too can be a refuge and strength for all people – a place where we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, because The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. And be comforted by the words of our Psalm from the Lord almighty - Be still, and know that I am God;

Sermon 24th October 2021 – 22nd Sunday after Pentecost Text: Mark 10:46-52 – Blind faith

 Sermon 24^th October 2021 – 22^nd Sunday after Pentecost

Text: Mark 10:46-52 – Blind faith

 

Our Gospel reading today is interesting, not because of the story of Jesus healing a blind man, but because of what Jesus says to blind Bartimaeus.  Bartimaeus has heard that Jesus has come to town and he knows that Jesus is able to heal him from his blindness. What’s interesting is that as soon as Jesus becomes aware of Bartimaeus calling out to him he asks him a question:  What do you want me to do for you?

 

What I find interesting about this is that this was the very same question that Jesus asked his disciples James and John last week. What do you want me to do for you? Jesus, however, on this occasion honors  Bartimaeus’s request when he had previously denied James and John and their request. Jesus didn’t say to Bartimaeus, go on your way, the last shall be first so put up with your suffering. No, Jesus said: Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately Bartimaeus regained his sight and followed Jesus on the way.

 

What was the difference in their requests? The difference was that Bartimaeus was crying out for mercy when James and John were crying out for glory. Look at the difference in their approaches. James and John – Lord, we want you do for us whatever we ask. Not very humble. Bartimaeus, on the other hand approaches Jesus and says: Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.

 

Like James and John we see the response from the people around Bartimaeus anything but humble and caring. James and John didn’t care about the other 10 disciples – they snuck off on their own to try and corner Jesus into granting their request. They didn’t come with humility or ask for mercy. There was nothing humble in the way they asked Jesus – Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask; Compared to Bartimaeus – Lord, have mercy on me. There was nothing humble in what James and John requested – we want to sit at your left and right when you come in glory. Compared to Bartimaeus – His request – Lord, I want to see.

But what is also interesting is the attitude of the people around Bartimaeus.

 

As Jesus arrives they are aware of his reputation of being able to heal the sick but when one of their own people begins to shout out to Jesus they tell him to be quiet. They lack any sympathy for poor old blind Bartimaeus. Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me! Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” I think something very important appears here that’s easy to miss. Jesus stood still. – he stopped

 

In our busy lives do we stop and stand still so we can see the needs of others around us or are we so focused on where we are going that we don’t see the needs of others around us. One of the things that really concerns me is the amount of emails and phone calls that I get, as I’m sure you do to, and we delete or ignore them because it’s just another scam – someone asking for money – someone trying to scam us. Or we get bombarded with so many requests that we ignore them all – there’s just too many. I hope and pray that I haven’t ignored or deleted – told them to be quiet – because it was just another of those annoying spam messages. But that’s how we often treat people. It’s easier to walk across the road than be annoyed by that person who is always asking for money. It’s easier to keep walking when you see that person sleeping on the side of the footpath. And once the day has begun and you’re emersed in your work they just fade from our memory. But not so with Jesus. Jesus stops.

 

Despite his hectic schedule and people pressing in on him he hears the cry of one person asking for mercy.

What our reading reveals here today is that there are 2 types of blindness.

There is the physical blindness that Bartimaeus experiences but there is also the spiritual blindness that the people around him experience that they became blind to the needs of Bartimaeus.

But not so Jesus.

He sees the needs of Bartimaeus and also the spiritual blindness of the crowds. Jesus shows the crowd he is interested in the one who to them was a disturbance.

 

And our Hebrews reading points out that Jesus is different. In the Old Testament priesthood they would need to offer daily, 3 times a day, burnt offerings for their sins and the sins of the people. But Jesus began a new priesthood – a continuous priesthood where he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. And he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus led the way to self-sacrifice for others. Putting himself last for us which is what he taught his disciples last week – the last shall be first.

 

The crowd in our gospel saw this blind beggar as an annoyance, disturbing Jesus as he preached God’s kingdom. Bartimaeus was a disturbance, a distraction but Jesus recognizes his humanity and stops and calls him over. Bartimaeus wasn’t blind when it came to knowing Jesus.  Bartimaeus had a perfect vision of what it meant to be a loved child of God.  Not only did he know that he was a loved child of God but he insisted on being treated as such.  Have mercy on me. Not even the crowd could hold him back. In fact when the crowd tried to stop him our reading says - he cried out even more loudly.

 

It sort of reminds me of when the Pharisees told Jesus to keep his disciples quiet on Palm Sunday crying out Hosanna to our King: Jesus replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out. Or when the disciples rebuked the parents bringing their children to Jesus and Jesus rebuked them saying, let the children come to me. Who are we holding back from receiving the mercy and presence of Jesus because of our attitudes? We might not even know we are doing it like the people in our Gospel reading. They thought they were doing Jesus a favour  by holding back the disturbance of Bartimaeus. But Jesus calls him to himself.

 

Maybe we need to stop for a minute - open our eyes and see the needy around us. We as the church, the body of Jesus Christ have a world calling out for mercy. We can quickly become like the crowd; blind to the needs of those sitting right outside our doors.  Like in our gospel we, the crowd, are the ones who often are in need of having our sight restored, and our blindness healed. If we listen hard enough and look long enough we cand see and hear the cries of Bartimaeus still.  Jesus, son of David have mercy on us. And we are the body of Jesus. And we need to stop, open our eyes and listen to the cries of the world calling out for mercy. As we sing in that timeless hymn, Amazing Grace –

 

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.

 

Sermon 17th October 2021 – 21st Sunday after Pentecost Text: Mark 10:35-45 – Humble glory

 Sermon 17^th October 2021 – 21^st Sunday after Pentecost

Text: Mark 10:35-45 – Humble glory

When the 10 disciples heard about James and John’s request to Jesus - “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” They were angry at them. Was it because the other 10 disciples were so humble that they were upset that James and John didn’t understand Jesus’ call for humility? I am going to go out on a limb here and say “no”. I reckon they were angry because they didn’t think of it first. They were angry because James and John got a head start on what they also wanted – to sit right next to Jesus in Heaven and receive that prominent glory.

Peter was quick to point out to Jesus last week that he had left everything to follow Jesus. And again Jesus spells out to them that they need to understand that God works differently to human understanding of power and authority. He reminds them of how ruthless earthly authority can be: You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.

And so, again, Jesus spells out what God’s call to humble servanthood looks like: Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.

This is really important for all of us to understand as we journey through this life to our life in the Kingdom of God. Granted that we may not be looking for positions of authority in God’s Kingdom. Like you, I presume you would just be happy being in heaven as Psalm 84 says: Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

Whether or not we are sitting at Jesus’ left or right, we need to remember that God knows us all intimately even the very hairs on our head are numbered. So as we wait for that glorious day for our entry into heaven we are asked to have that same humility that Jesus showed and in our Hebrews reading we are given a description of what that looked like. In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

Our Hebrews reading reveals to us a very deep mystery. That suffering is part of our humility. It says that Jesus learnt obedience through suffering. And that he became perfect and the source of salvation through his suffering and our suffering not because he was he Son of God.

St Paul says a very similar thing in Philippians chapter 2 when he describes Jesus’ humility. Firstly he describes his humility in giving up his heavenly glory – the glory that John and James were asking for when Paul says: Jesus, who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he emptied himself by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a human being, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Again, Paul is linking obedience and suffering. And it was through his humility – through his obedience – through his suffering that Jesus revealed true greatness as God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name. So, as our Hebrews reading says about Jesus’ greatness was that Christ did not glorify himself but was appointed by the one who said to him, You are my Son.

So James and John’s search for greatness began wrongly. They wanted highly designated seats in heaven – one at Jesus’ left and one at his right. But Jesus reveals that true greatness is hidden. True greatness in God’s Kingdom is not measured by human standards as we saw throughout Jesus’ life from the moment he was born. Born in a feeding trough in a barn. Rejected by his hometown. Calls for his crucifixion by his own people. And then humiliated before dying a gruesome and shameful death.

But all this was hidden greatness which will be revealed when Jesus returns. And when Christ returns then his true glory will be revealed and so will ours. Until then our glory and greatness is hidden behind the suffering of the world. Both the suffering of the world and our own personal suffering.

It is not a nice time when we go through periods of suffering but somehow there are hidden blessings that the world cannot comprehend and neither can we, except through faith in God; Again, as St Paul discovered in 2 Corinthians 12. There Paul describes the suffering that he experienced which he believed was a hindrance to the work he was doing for God. 3 times he pleaded with God to take the suffering away – to which God responds – “my grace is all you need for my power is made perfect in weakness – in suffering. So Paul, instead of pleading for the removal of his suffering now boasted gladly in his suffering as the power of Christ was revealed in him.

And in Romans he further discovers the hidden glory revealed in his suffering: He says: We glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Not everyone can attain worldly greatness. Look at the example of John and James. They wanted the 2 seats available – one on the left and one on the right of Jesus. That’s it. There are no other seats next to Jesus. So worldly greatness is limited. We can’t all be number one – someone has to be number 2 – someone has to be last.

I’m not sure if the story is true but - A reporter once asked the celebrated orchestra conductor Leonard Bernstein what was the most difficult instrument to play.  To the reporter’s surprise, Leonard Bernstein replied without any hesitation whatever:  "Second fiddle! I can always get plenty of first violinists, but to find one who plays second violin with as much enthusiasm is not easy.

We need to discover the greatness that God has placed in all of us. As Paul says, we are God’s masterpiece created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do.

As we continue to journey through this pandemic and beyond let us keep trusting in God as it is in that trust during times of suffering that we discover God’s presence with us. In the Old Testament we hear that when Moses ascended Mt Sinai to speak face to face with God it says that Moses entered the cloud of thick darkness where God was. So in this time of prolonged darkness let us continue to offer up our prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who is able to save us from death, and we can be confident that God hears us because Jesus is our great high priest.

We don’t need to be at his right or left hand side because wherever we are Jesus is at the right hand of God praying for us.

 

 

 

Sermon 10th October 2021 – 20th Sunday after Pentecost Text: Mark 10:17-31 – Heart surgery

 Sermon 10^th October 2021 – 20^th Sunday after Pentecost

Text: Mark 10:17-31 – Heart surgery

 

I find the question put to Jesus today rather strange. A man ran up and knelt before Jesus, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? I find Jesus’ response even stranger that he did not correct him. There is nothing we can do to inherit anything. An inheritance is not earned it is received. It is given to us by someone. It is not a case of what we “do” to earn an inheritance; it is a matter of who we are that entitles us to receive an inheritance.

 

I’m not a lawyer but as I understand it there are 2 ways that can happen. First, that a person names you in their last will and testament to receive an amount from their estate when they die. Or, secondly, that you are a descendant or dependant with a right to claim from an estate in case there is no last will and testament or you believe you have been unfairly left out. So an inheritance is not about what we DO but about who we are.

 

Now Jesus knows this but as usual he tries to turn this person away from this “doing” to looking at their heart. He’s done that many times – whether it be the Canaanite woman who claimed her rights as a dog to the  crumbs that fall from the masters table or the accusers of the adulterous woman – look at your heart. And so Jesus does the same today. Jesus says to him – well, if it’s about doing - You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honour your father and mother. But the man could not find the answer or the comfort of eternal life despite having “done” all these things since his youth. NOW Jesus is able to challenge this man to look at his heart: You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.

 

Now, on the surface this looks like another “doing” but it’s not. Because Jesus knows this is something he cannot do. Jesus has worked out where his heart is truly focused – on his possessions. So he says – get rid of those possessions, follow me and you’ll have treasures in heaven. Now we know that this is not about “doing” by getting rid of his possessions but about his heart because this is what Jesus says in his sermon on the mount –  Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

So while this man was so focused on his possessions for earthly assurance, he was stopping himself from having eternal assurance.

 

Our reading from the book of Hebrews points out the same need for heart surgery by the Word of God: The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. The Word of God, acts like a surgeon’s scalpel cutting through all that is blocking the beating of the heart. Cutting through the outer shell to get to the inside; It divides soul from spirit – joints from marrow.

 

Sometimes our hearts are so blocked, like the man in our Gospel reading, that the 2 edge sword is needed to cut away whatever it is that is preventing us from living in and appreciating God’s Kingdom in our lives. In each person it’s different. In the man in our Gospel reading it was his possessions that were controlling his life. For some it can be their anger at the moment about the way life is going in this pandemic. For some it may be an inability to forgive someone for the hurt they have done to them.

At the moment I believe it is fear that is diverting a lot of people away from their faith and trust in God and causing much spiritual damage – like the man in our Gospel reading. Remember a few weeks ago when Jesus spoke about our eyes, hands and feet causing us to stumble by the things we participate with in our lives.

This is similar but it looks at the heart to see what blockages there are to prevent us from letting go of our fears and trusting God with our lives. It is daunting to let go of those things that we hang on to.

 

And at the moment fear is sapping many people of their faith and trust in God. We look at the numbers. We look at the statistics. We look at the exposure sites. We listen to the grim outlooks. This is not denying their reality but we are called to not look away from God.

 

Remember Peter – when he looked away from Jesus and focused on the wind and the waves he began to sink.

Were the wind and the waves real – of course they were. But when he focused on them he lost his faith in Jesus. It’s the same with the disciples in the boat. Peter denying Jesus. Peter drawing his sword when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus. Focusing away from Jesus and focusing on the surrounds. That was the man in the Gospel readings problem. He was so focused on his possessions that he didn’t realise that the one giving him eternal life was standing there in front of him and he didn’t need to do anything.

 

Jesus assures us that by letting go of our fears and the earthly things we cling to to help us that we can experience immeasurable blessings – much more than the blessings that our possessions or whatever else it is we are hanging on to. St Paul says a similar thing in Colossians Chapter 3: Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Notice the present tense of our eternal assurance: You HAVE been raised with Christ. So set your HEARTS on things above where Christ IS.

 

Listen to what Jesus tells Peter about how our earthly focus prevents eternal blessings now: Peter said: “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”  Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold NOW in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. Notice that Jesus is not just saying that the blessings are only in Heaven. No, he says that our rewards will be hundredfold in this life – and in the age to come it will be eternal life. And neither did he say that there isn’t suffering when we give up our earthly assurances – no, they come with persecutions.

 

But let us remember that when we let go of our earthly fears and earthly assurances that we see Jesus more clearly and we see – We have a high priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. And because we now see Jesus more clearly we are able to approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. And that time of need is now so let us find those things that are preventing our focus on Jesus and allow the double edged sword of God’s word to cut them from our lives. The double edged sword, like a doctor’s scalpel may need to cut deep but it cuts in order to heal. Both now and in eternity.