Sermon Ash Wednesday Text: 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 – Be reconciled NOW

 Sermon Ash Wednesday

Text: 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 – Be reconciled NOW

 

It was just before Ash Wednesday last year when a fresh lockdown began and we had to cancel this service.

One of the things that we had hope Covid and lockdowns would have provided for us would be a reevaluation of life and what is truly important. Maybe not being able to see friends and family who lived outside of the 5km radius would make us hunger for visiting them when restrictions were lifted. Maybe if there had been some previous hostilities it would be a time to be reconciled when restrictions lifted.

 

We had really hoped that with churches being shut and Holy Communion being so scarce that it would have created an eager hunger to worship back at church.We had hoped that it would have revived that sentiment in Paul’s writing today - now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation – because none of us knew when the next time would be that we would be able to share the sacrament together – when we would be able to worship together, and once we did resume, when the next lockdown would begin.

 

And so as we returned – and still with clouds hanging over our head till the 2nd lockdown, then 3rd, 4th, 5th – every moment we gathered together was special – was sacred – that NOW is the time to celebrate our time together. And still now as many people are unable to have freedom of seeing loved ones in certain surroundings, the relationships we have with each other should be so special that we can even overlook grievances that kept us apart – to be reconciled with one another just as Paul urges us to be reconciled to God. But, alas, our memories are fleeting as life gets back to some sort of normality our old ways return. I’m too busy for church. I’m too busy to catch up.

 

It seems that it’s only when we cannot do things that we actually value them the most and even fight for them. I mean, all those people that were fighting and arguing that churches should be open – where are they? Sadly as normality returns so does our busyness that puts God on the backburner until we need him or can’t have him. It was a constant problem for Israel. They would worship other gods and then God would punish them by allowing enemies to oppress them – they would cry out to God – he would send a leader to bring them liberty – then they would start worshipping other gods again and the cycle continued over and over again.

 

The reality is, however, that we need God always – in good times and in times of difficulty. In times of plenty and in times of need. That’s why Paul says – NOW is the day of salvation. That’s why Paul urges us - on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. Not just when you need him – but always. But, the reality is – we need God always – it’s just when there are good times that we feel we don’t need him.

 

In this 40 day journey through Lent we are encouraged to focus on our relationship with God. So much of our lives are consumed with focusing on ourselves. As damaging as the restrictions through Covid were on us they did allow us to reflect on what was important in our lives when they were taken away from us. Now that things have sort of returned to normal it is easy to slot back into our regular way of life. So in these 40 days we are invited to journey with Jesus to the cross and examine our relationship with God. To examine what it is that inhibits our reconciliation with God. Because may, whatever is inhibiting our reconciliation with God is preventing us from being reconciled with one another.

 

This is the background for what Jesus says in our gospel reading where the focus of each of the people was on themselves rather than God. So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you – don’t let the focus be on YOU. "And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. The focus was on them rather than God. "And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, so that the focus is on you. Let the focus remain on God. Store up riches in heaven not on earth.

 

As we journey from Covid and still through Covid our Gospel reminds us that our riches on earth are fleeting. We have seen firsthand how earthly things can be whisked away from us in an instant and without any control by ourselves. But our treasures in Heaven cannot be touched. Our treasures in heaven are where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.

When our focus is away from ourselves and what God provides we discover that our lives are filled to the brim and in fact overflowing. As Psalm 23 says - You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. As much as the world can try to take away our riches God always overcomes. As Paul points our: We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see-- we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything. But when our focus is on ourselves – praying to be seen by others – giving so that others see and praise us – fasting and looking somber so people have pity on us – Jesus says you have received your reward and it is a reward that can rust, decay and be stolen from you. But not God’s treasures that he has stored in your heart.

 

So as we journey these 40 days with Jesus may we reflect on our heavenly treasures so we are not overcome by the burdens of our everyday lives because the one who had no sin became our sin so that we could become his righteousness – and there is no greater treasure than being right with God. So let us be reconciled to God now because today is the day of our salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

 

Sermon 27th February 2022, The Transfiguration Text: Luke 9:28-36 – God’s ultimate sequel

 Sermon 27^th February 2022, The Transfiguration

Text: Luke 9:28-36 – God’s ultimate sequel

 

Prequels are a popular style of movie presentation these days. We are familiar with sequels to movies. Sequels happen when a movie has become popular so that they bring out the next episode in the story line – such as –

Rocky, then Rocky, 2, 3, 4 and 5. And then there are spin offs such as the Rocky franchise of Creed, Creed 2 and Creed 3.

But then movie producers realized that not only can we keep going forward with our sequels but we can also go backwards and show previous storylines of how we got to the first one. Such as Godfather 3 – which is the story before the original Godfather movie. But the most famous and successful would probably be Star Wars (although I’ve never seen an episode before. In 1977 they released the original Star Wars movie, then the sequels in 1980 The Empire Strikes Back and then 1983 The Return of the Jedi. But rather than doing another sequel they decided to go back and show how it began with a prequel in 1999 with The Phantom Menace. And it is now recommended that you watch this movie out of chronological order and watch the prequels first even though they were made later.

 

The reason I’m explaining this is because we have a similar situation happening in our Gospel reading with the Transfiguration. Jesus is taking Peter, James and John on a journey with him as he is about to begin the last stage of his journey to the cross. But before he moves into the final sequel of his life journey he gives them a prequel – he shows them his heavenly glory. The heavenly glory that St Paul says – he emptied himself of when he became a human being. Why did he do that for Peter, James and John? The same reason movie producers introduce prequels – so we can understand the full story. If we just look at the final part of Jesus’ life we will not understand what is going on. He will be humiliated, tortured and eventually killed. But so that his disciples understand  what is really happening, Jesus reveals his true self to them and not what they are about to see.

 

While Jesus was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, that is, his death on the cross. Jesus had earlier tried to explain to his disciples the entire process but they didn’t understand. He said that he must go to Jerusalem where he will be handed over, suffer and die – and on the third day rise again. But they focused only on the earlier segment that he must suffer and die. So Jesus brings forward the sequel – and on the third day rise again – and reveals it as a prequel so they can understand.

 

And what is interesting in this transfiguration is that God links it to his Baptism -  Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" The same words from Jesus Baptism. This is my Son whom I love.

And that was no coincidence but intentional because that now becomes for us our prequel in life. As we go through life and face the challenges of suffering and death in life we don’t focus on the here and now but on the reality of being children of God. We go back to our Baptism and the promise God made to us there.We hear those very same words spoken to Peter, James and John – this is my Son whom I love – and we read them into our own Baptism – you are my son – you are my daughter whom I love.

 

If we only focus on the day-to-day events in our lives then we will not understand what is going on; In fact we will come to the wrong conclusion as so many do – how can there be a loving God. How is God all powerful if he cannot control the evil in the world. How can God be all loving if he allows me to suffer. How is God all knowing – otherwise he would stop the evil in the world. God is all powerful in that he defeated death by Jesus rising from the dead. God is all loving in that just as Jesus rose from the dead so shall we. God is all knowing in that his Son experienced all that we experienced to give us hope. And this is the experience that Peter James and John are given so they don’t focus on what is about to happen but what happens next – that on the 3rd day Jesus will rise from the dead.

 

This is also hidden in our text when Moses and Elijah meet with Jesus. Luke says that they meet with him to talk about his “departure”. In the original Greek language it says they spoke to him about his “exodus”. If we link that back to the original exodus, Israel’s departure from Egypt we remember that they left Egypt in order to enter the Promised Land. And this is also the ultimate sequel to our lives as well. As we depart from this life we too enter into our Promised Land – Heaven.

As sad and as difficult as it is to understand death, we understand death in the new reality that Jesus revealed today. That death is our departure – our exodus from this world and entry into Heaven – into the glory that Jesus reveals today.

So the purpose of the Transfiguration for us is to keep focused on the sequel to our life – that God loves the world so much that he sent his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. What we go through in this life is not an indication of the reality of God’s love and power. What we go through in this life is a sad consequence of a broken world which cannot be avoided. Even though Peter wanted to stay in that glory – let me build 3 shelters – one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah, but it was only a glimpse of the true and full glory  that awaited them and us after his departure – his Exodus into the Promise Land.

 

And that is also our glory that awaits as Jesus will tell all the disciples soon before his death when he says – “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; I am going there to prepare a place for you. And I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. That’s the reality – that’s the glory that awaits us in heaven where this reality will go as John says in Revelation – Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

 

The reality we live now is not easy and for some it is extremely difficult – but our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the true glory that awaits. The glory which Peter, James and John saw a brief glimpse of but the glory that we will enter without end.

Sermon 20th February 2022 – 7th Sunday after Epiphany Text: Genesis 45:3-11, 15 – God’s providence

 Sermon 20^th February 2022 – 7^th Sunday after Epiphany

Text: Genesis 45:3-11, 15 – God’s providence

 

I believe that one of the most powerful people in the Bible is Joseph – the firstborn son of Jacob and Rachel even though he was the 2nd last son born to Jacob. As a result, Joseph was favoured by Jacob above his siblings because of his love for Rachel. As a result Joseph’s brothers, born to Jacob but not Rachel, despised him. Joseph would have dreams which foretold that his brothers would one day bow down to him which infuriated them.

 

One day while his brothers were out in the field, Jacob sent Joseph to find them and report back about them. You get this sense that perhaps Joseph would tattle on his brothers when they did wrong. When his brothers saw him coming, they devised a plan to kill him. His oldest brother Rueben, discouraged that and in the end they sold Joseph as a slave to some slave traders who in turn sold him to the Egyptians. Over time it was discovered by the Egyptians that Joseph was blessed by God and as a result rose in the ranks in Egypt to 2nd in charge because of a dream he had foretelling a 7 year famine preceded by 7 years of abundance. Joseph advised Pharoah to store up supplies during the 7 years of abundance to cater for the 7 years of famine. The famine affected the entire world and many would come begging to Joseph for provisions.

 

Eventually this included his brothers except they did not recognize Joseph after so many years. This was Joseph’s opportunity to exact revenge on his brothers. He toys with them for a while but then he reveals himself to them – “I am Joseph”. This was Joseph’s real power. Not the power he had as 2nd in charge in Egypt. Not the power to decide who gets food and who doesn’t. But the power to forgive his brothers. Anyone can take revenge – eye for an eye. Anyone can hit someone back  Anyone can say nasty things in return. Anyone can toot their horn in the car and yell abuse when someone cuts them off – it’s the easiest thing to do. But to forgive. Or to do as Jesus commands – love your enemies. To turn the other cheek – that’s powerful. Maybe not in the eyes of the world – but in the eyes of God. As Jesus says - "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

 

We live in an era where this is sadly missing. We live in an era of revenge – cyber bullying and something we have come to know as “cancel culture”. If you haven’t heard of cancel culture before it’s a process of destroying your enemy so that even if they have repented and apologized you cannot accept it. In this age of social media there are people who are constantly checking the archives of people they do not like to see if they can dig up anything – even if it’s 30 or 40 years ago to destroy their reputation and have them cancelled today. Even if what was said or done 30 years ago was acceptable and part of that day’s culture but not today we judge them by today’s standards even if there was nothing sinister or wrong when it was done back then. Political parties employ people who are experts in creating dirt files to destroy their opposition rather than debating them on issues for the community. It’s much easier to find a comment or photo they posted decades ago to shame them even if that comment was in a particular context of the time that is different to today’s standards. And it is very easy when we are being attacked to respond in kind and hit back – and hit back harder.

 

You may have seen on the news this past week a driver who tried to run over 4 youths riding electric scooters.

He even reversed and tried 3 times to run them over. Why? Because apparently they said something nasty to a pedestrian they had passed and he couldn’t let it go. Jesus offers the way to respond: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; That is not a human instinct. That is the divine instinct that would cry out from the cross – forgive them Father for they know not what they are doing. Jesus could have said – Father, avenge my death.

 

And that’s why I believe Joseph is one of the most powerful characters in the bible. He had the perfect opportunity to exact revenge on his brothers who wanted to kill him and who sold him as a slave. But what was it that changed Joseph’s mindset from revenge to forgiveness? It was because he saw what we call God’s providence in his brother’s actions.

While his brother’s intentions were evil God used that evil to bring about good. And this will come out later when he detects that his brothers are still worried about him taking revenge.

 

When their father dies they believe that Joseph will be free to take his revenge: So, when Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.”  It was a lie but that was not the reason Joseph didn’t avenge their evil. Joseph saw it differently – he saw what happened as all part of God’s providence. You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

 

Providence is divine guidance or care - the power sustaining and guiding human destiny. And so Joseph says to his brothers - So it was not you who sent me here, but God; Providence is NOT God creating evil in order to bring about his good and gracious will. Providence is God using his power to nullify evil that is produced by the world and humanity.

What we have been going through with Covid is shocking. It has devasted families not being able to visit sick family members. It has put our hospitals, aged care and emergency services under enormous strains. It has ruined many businesses. It has seen people lose their jobs. It has divided our communities – the vaccinated and unvaccinated – the boosted and the unboosted.

 

God’s providence is our hope and way forward – in the words of Joseph. What is planned for evil God uses for good.

Even though Joseph’s brother’s intentions were pure evil – firstly to kill him and then to sell him as a slave and tell his father Jacob he was killed by a wild animal. Evil doesn’t care about what others go through as long as I get my way. Joseph’s brothers didn’t care about the grief their father would experience.

 

Joseph saw God’s providence even in this – it wasn’t YOU who sent me here but God. So our response in all this is to continue to trust in God’s providence. To use what we have been going to bring about good. And if that means that we suffer we still trust God, as Jesus say – turn the other cheek – pray for those who bring evil – love our enemies. I don’t know what good God will bring about in this and I don’t know how long it will take before we see it – if at all. It took Joseph possibly up to 20 years to see God’s action of saving the world from starvation. And during that time not only did he end up in slavery but he spent years in prison for a crime he did not commit. He even witnessed to other prisoners. But he never lost faith in God.

 

Who knows, maybe God is saving the world from something much worse than what we have been going through. And sometimes we may not even see the good that comes out of it because it will happen in future generations. This is where trust in God’s providence comes in especially in times of suffering – like Joseph, like Jesus, like Paul and many others in the bible. God’s love and power is not seen in preventing evil but in using evil to bring about good. Remember though – God doesn’t create evil. Evil is the consequence of the Knowledge of Good and Evil – the tree from which our ancestors Adam and Eve disobeyed and ate from. But, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians, God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are.

 

We don’t’ understand – and that’s part of the mystery of God and he will reveal all just as Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. But he didn’t reveal himself immediately but when the time was right. So let us also keep trusting in God’s love and care for us in his guiding providence and when the time is right God will reveal all to us. Maybe we’d like it now but remember – God is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is being patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance and be saved.

Sermon 13th February 2022 - 6th Sunday after Epiphany Text: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 - Not pitied but envied.

 Sermon 13^th February 2022 - 6^th Sunday after Epiphany

Text: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 - Not pitied but envied.

 These 2 years of Covid have been extremely difficult and challenging. I remember through the first wave of lockdowns where we were told – 2 weeks to flatten the curve – and we were okay with that. It got extended and we began to see the extent of the impact. Our lives were impacted in many ways including socially. We couldn’t go out for dinner. We couldn’t go out for drinks. We couldn’t sit with our friends and go out for coffees. And Melbourne being a very cosmopolitan lifestyle it impacted on our social lives. As a result businesses were crippled without patronage.

 

But there was hope that maybe through this we would re-evaluate our lives and what’s important. But we saw that each time as soon as lockdowns and restrictions were lifted the news would film people back out in pubs, clubs, restaurants as if nothing had happened. We had even hoped that maybe it may have spiritually awakened people in their faith in God. But attendances at church suggested otherwise. In fact the Bureau of Statistics reported that only 13% of the population attended worship at Christmas.

 

We spend a lot of time and effort into trying to find out – why aren’t people coming to church. We try to find out the reason and then we try and fix the issue. I don’t like the music – it’s too old. So we modernise our music – and they still don’t come.

Sunday’s my only day off – so churches have tried other times – and they still don’t come. It’s too early on a Sunday morning – I like my sleep in. We have tried later starts, evening services – and still they don’t come. There’s nothing for my children – so we offer Sunday schools, youth programs, holiday programs – and they still don’t come. There’s too much negativity – too much talk about sin – too much “thou shalt not”. So we stop talking about sin – start being more entertaining – and still they don’t come. In fact what happens is that the ones that ARE coming don’t like the changes and we lose them too.

 

Personally, I think we are starting at the wrong end. We spend so much time trying to find out why people AREN’T coming that we can neglect those who ARE coming. Perhaps our starting point should be – why are YOU coming? And that’s what Paul is doing in today’s reading. What is it about Church, or rather, what is it about faith in God that keeps YOU wanting to come to church and being with other Christians and experiencing this time with God?

 

Let me start by affirming – coming to church doesn’t make you a Christian. And not coming to church doesn’t make you a non-Christian. But church attendance, whether it’s weekly, fortnightly, monthly or just Christmas and Easter, or to baptise their child, get married or attend a funeral, it is the only barometer we have to gauge how a person’s spiritual life is going.

So let’s look at what Paul says and often with Paul and other writers they leave the punch line till last. The most important part of what they want to say is the last thing they say so we don’t forget it. And the last thing he says is: But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.

 

This is the reason I believe. This is the reason I have faith in God. And going through these past 2 years – going through life and seeing all the tragedies that life has in store for myself and other people – what a comfort to know that there is something beyond this life. That Jesus has been raised from the dead – but not only Jesus but he is the first fruit of those who have died which means we too will follow Jesus into heaven.. How amazing to have that hope.

 

And even if this life has gifted you with a silver spoon from birth to death – there is still the matter of “what happens when I die”. Which is why Paul says: If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

If this life is all there is then life is futile. If you have changed your life – given up opportunities because you’re a Christian but there is nothing different after you die – that’s why Paul says we should be pitied more than anyone else. Because at least others have done whatever they have wanted to do without considering – “what would Jesus do” in this situation.

Paul points out the meaning of only living for this life. What’s the point of working hard, earning a huge wage, sacrificing yourself and amassing huge assets and then dying and leaving it all behind?

 

This is what Solomon says in Ecclesiastes: “Meaningless! Meaningless!” “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” What do people gain from all their labours at which they toil under the sun? Generations come and generations go, So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.

For some people, perhaps many people, or possible all people, life is not a life of happiness and joy that it is often made out to be by advertisers of people laughing and enjoying themselves socialising out and about. Maybe it’s more like what Solomon said in Ecclesiastes – meaningless – but we’ll put on a brave front so no one finds out. And that what Paul feels sorrow for – for those whose only hope is in this life.

 

But Jesus today brings us a word of hope for what life can really be about for many if not all of us. “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Maybe you haven’t achieved everything in life you wanted or you always seem to be just scraping by while others flourish but there is a greater gift awaiting you – the Kingdom of God.

 

“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Maybe you’ve seen others enjoying life while you’ve barely scraped through. Be assured that you’re invited to the great heavenly feast and it’s totally free because of Jesus.

 

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Maybe your life has been a life of suffering and pain. Maybe you lost a loved one in recent times or you’ve been widowed for many years. St John, In Revelation, saw the new heaven that awaits us where there is no suffering or death.

 

St Paul assures us that our present suffering is not worth comparing with the glory that awaits us. And Paul would know because he was taken up to heaven to see the beauty of paradise and could not put into words what he saw. Christians are not to be pitied but envied because it is not for this life that we live but for the eternal life that Jesus, the first fruits has guaranteed for us. And that’s where I believe we start with in rejuvenating faith and the church. To show the world our joy and our hope and as St Peter says – to always be prepared to give the reason for the hope we have. The hope that has gotten us through these past 2 years and will continue to support us until we are in our heavenly home in the presence of our Lord.