Sermon Christmas Day 2024 – When Creation began again

 Sermon Christmas Day 2024 – When Creation began again

As we gather together on this glorious Christmas Day, our hearts are filled with joy and gratitude. We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the greatest gift ever given. Life changed that day when history began again as we recognise everything before that moment in time as BC – before Christ. Before Christ our world was separated from God. In the Garden of Eden: a world in which humanity lives in perfect harmony with God, Adam and Eve are deceived: They have been told that there is one tree in the Garden of which they cannot eat, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, for if they eat of it, death will enter the world. But then… along comes the serpent.

God knows the reality of evil, and soon, so too will the world. On the day that Adam and Eve ate the fruit, their eyes were opened. At that moment, Adam and Eve began the rebellion against God as evil, from which God had sought to protect them, now enters. At that moment, Adam and Eve rejected God and turned away from him. But on Christmas Day God reversed that by turning to us in his Son. Death, sickness, and evil entered into our world in the fall of Adam and Eve.

But at the birth of Jesus, God revealed that this cosmic battle would come to an end. John 3:16, one of the most beloved verses in the Bible, reveals the essence of God's love for humanity: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  

While we still encounter the effects of the Fall of Adam and Eve in this life, we are assured that it will not be forever. And that’s why we mark human history as “Before Christ” and “In the year of our Lord” as time begins again. Christmas is the assurance of the immeasurable love that God has for us. He did not simply send a gift, but He gave His most precious possession - His Son. Jesus, the embodiment of love, who came to earth to live among us, to teach us, to heal us, and ultimately, to sacrifice His life for our salvation.  

The gift of God's love is not limited to a single day.  It is an eternal gift that continues to flow into our lives every day. Through Jesus Christ, we have access to God's grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Through Jesus we experience true peace, joy, and hope. As we reflect on the gift of God's love, let us also consider how we can share that love with others. We can do this by our words, our actions, and our attitudes. Let us be kind and compassionate, forgiving and understanding in a world that is growingly rejecting those qualities and replacing them with anger, resentment and intolerance. Let us be the source of light and hope in a world that seems dark and troubled.

In the spirit of Christmas, let us extend love and kindness to all, especially those who are struggling or alone.  It is the perfect opportunity to reach out to our neighbors, our friends, and our family members, offering a listening ear, a helping hand, or simply a warm embrace. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, let us renew our commitment to following His example as Jesus once said.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

Let us strive to live a life that is characterized by love, peace, hope and joy.  The candles we lit in Advent as we prepared for Christ’s birth as we now wait for Christ’s return. May the true meaning of Christmas fill our hearts and guide our steps throughout the coming year and always. 

A blessed Christmas to you all and may the love of God shine brightly in your lives.

Sermon - Christmas Eve 2024 When time began again

 Sermon - Christmas Eve 2024 

When time began again

As we gather here tonight, on the eve of Christmas, our hearts are filled with anticipation and joy even if we are well beyond our childhood years.  We come together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, a momentous event that forever changed the course of human history even if our history books have removed BC and AD to Common Era and before Common Era. There is nothing common about the birth of Jesus Christ. 

In the midst of a world often shrouded in darkness, the Christmas story shines like a beacon of hope.  In the quiet town of Bethlehem, a humble birth took place. It would be an event that would shake the foundations of the world. A child, born to a young virgin named Mary, sent to become the Savior of humankind. The Christmas event paints a vivid picture of this extraordinary event. Shepherds, tending their flocks by night, were visited by a heavenly host, heralding the birth of the Messiah. The angelic choir sings with full gusto, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will." 

This message of peace and goodwill is a timeless reminder of God's love for humanity in a time where there is so much anger – so much hatred – so much violence and mistrust.

The birth of Jesus Christ is a promise of God's unwavering and unconditional love for us. As Paul says in Romans - God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. In sending His Son, God demonstrated His desire to heal the brokenness between Himself and humanity. Jesus, the "Light of the world," came to break the darkness of sin and despair and to offer us hope, forgiveness, and eternal life. As we celebrate Christmas, let us reflect on the true meaning of this holy season. It is not merely about exchanging gifts and indulging in festive cheer. It is about remembering the birth of our Savior who came to redeem us from sin and death. It is about embracing the message of peace, love, and compassion that Jesus taught.

In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, let us not lose sight of the true reason for the season. Let us take time to pause and reflect and connect with the deeper meaning of Christmas. Let us strive to live out the teachings of Jesus Christ in our daily lives. As we light the candles of our Advent wreaths – love, joy, hope and peace, let us remember that Jesus is the true Light of the world who embodies all those qualities and more. May His light shine brightly in our hearts, guiding us on our journey of faith. May we be a source of light and hope to others, sharing the love and peace of Christ with all we encounter.

In the words of the loved Christmas carol, "Silent Night, Holy Night," “Christ the saviour is born” - let us cherish the sacred moment of Christ's birth. 

May the peace and joy of Christmas fill our hearts and homes, and may we carry this spirit of love and hope throughout the coming year with all its challenges and uncertainties. A blessed Christmas to you all.

Sermon 22nd December 2024 – 4th Sunday in Advent Text: The Song of Mary Magnificat Luke 1:46-55

 Sermon 22nd December 2024 – 4th Sunday in Advent

Text: The Song of Mary Magnificat Luke 1:46-55

Something you might not know about me is that I don’t like musicals. If I’m watching a movie and they break into song I will fast forward through it. However, having said that, it seems that the natural response in the Bible – Old and New Testament was to break into song. Last week we had the song of Zechariah In recent times we’ve had the song of Hannah at the birth of Samuel and the song of Miriam when Israel escaped from Egypt. King David began the Levitical choir and wrote Psalms many of which are headed with instructions to the director of music. So I don’t know why I don’t like musicals – but I must admit that if I’m driving alone I do like singing along to songs. The bible even encourages us to in Psalm 96 to - Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.

Today we have the Song of Mary or what is commonly known as The Magnificat. This Song of Mary, is a song of praise and thanksgiving that Mary, the mother of Jesus, sang after learning that she would give birth to the Savior of the world. In this prayer, Mary exclaims, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior" – which was what St Paul urged last week – rejoice in the Lord always. Mary's words share her faith and trust in God, despite the challenges and trials she faced.  An unwed young girl – betrothed to a devout man, Joseph, from the line of David, could have been stoned to death for bringing dishonour. But instead she acknowledges that she is a humble servant of the Lord, and she marvels at the greatness of God's mercy and power.

The Magnificat is a powerful reminder of the importance of humility, faith, and trust in God when God might ask of us something that squeezes our shoes or puts us outside of our comfort box.  Mary's words show us that God looks favorably upon the lowly and humble – the ones that sometimes we might cross the street to avoid. She reminds us that God will lift up those who trust in him.  The Magnificat is more than a personal expression of gratitude. It's a prophetic proclamation of God's kingdom breaking into our world. 

Mary sings of a God who exalts the humble, fills the hungry, and scatters the proud.  It's a world turned upside down, where the last shall be first, and the meek shall inherit the earth. It is a promise birthed in the womb of Mary.  Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah, is coming to bring about God's justice and love in humble surroundings – born in a manger – revealed to lowly shepherds.  He will be a light to the nations in darkness, hope for the oppressed, and a saviour for the lost. Through the Magnificat, Mary proclaims the greatness of God's love, mercy, and faithfulness, and she acknowledges that God's promises will be fulfilled even when they seem extreme or impossible.

Mary was greatly troubled at the words of the angel Gabriel –  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end. Not surprisingly Mary asks - How will this be since I am a virgin? To which Gabriel replied - nothing will be impossible with God.”  And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.

So as we reflect on the Magnificat, let us take inspiration from Mary's example of trust and obedience when things seem impossible.  Mary recognizes that she, a lowly servant, has been chosen for a task beyond her comprehension. Her response is not fear or doubt, but a joyful acceptance of God's will. Let us remember that God's promises are true and that he is faithful to fulfill them and, as St Paul said to the Philippians - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Let us have faith in God's plan for our lives, knowing that he is always with us, guiding and protecting us. Let us follow Mary's example of humility, faith, and trust in God even when it seems that the entire world is against us. Let us remember that God is faithful and that he will always fulfill his promises to us and that all things are possible with God, as Jesus once told the disciples: With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

So, let us lift up our voices in praise and sing a new song unto the Lord, as Mary did, magnifying the Lord and rejoicing in his goodness. Like Mary, let us respond to God's grace to us with gratitude and hope and be instruments of God's kingdom, to bring light into the darkness, and to love our neighbours as ourselves. 

Amen.

Sermon15th December 2024 – 3rd Sunday in Advent Text: Philippians 4:4-7 – The Lord is near

 Sermon15th December 2024 – 3rd Sunday in Advent

Text: Philippians 4:4-7 – The Lord is near

Well, here we are, 10 days away from Christmas and no doubt there is panic starting to set in. If you’re hosting Christmas this year you need to have all the food and drinks organized, getting the house tidy – it’s certainly not something you want to be doing in the days leading up to Christmas. Already Wantirna Road is at a standstill with cars banked up trying to get into the carpark at Eastland. I’m sure Knox or whatever shopping centre you use is the same.

Then there are all the cards, presents, breakups and who knows what else you have to keep on top of – and don’t even think about the cost or the cleanup until after Christmas.  And here Paul is telling us to rejoice about the birth of Jesus. And just in case you didn’t hear him – AGAIN I say rejoice.

Paul says that our reason for rejoicing is because “The Lord is near” – and yet this is the very reason many are stressed and can’t wait for Christmas to be over. But there is a difference between Christmas is near and the Lord is near. The Lord is near is what gives us hope. Paul also had stress in his life coping with the persecutions and hardships he was undergoing because of his faith. And it wasn’t because he was hosting Christmas or trying to find a car park:

He said: I’ve been in prison, been flogged, exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.

But it was his last hardship that probably caused more stress than anything else: Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

How did Paul deal with all these stresses? First by remembering that in all these matters – “The Lord is near”. The Lord is near – both in a present sense and in a future sense. The present sense – our Baptismal promise made by Jesus – I am with you always. So Christmas, Christ coming, is not just a one day celebration but a lifetime celebration. So as you pack up Christmas – don’t pack up Jesus. As you clean up the mess – remember, Jesus cleans up the mess in our lives. 

The future sense – the promise that Jesus is returning to bring us home where there will be no more suffering or death. Hence Paul’s encouragement in Romans – I consider that our PRESENT sufferings are not worth comparing to the FUTURE glory that awaits. And how Paul dealt with these stressful situations was through prayer – as he says – and encourages us: The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Prayer is often relegated to the thing we do when everything else has been tried. We tend to bottle up our stress – we bury it deep inside – but it doesn’t go away. Or sometimes prayer is a gesture we make but forget to follow up on – I’ll keep you in my prayers – or “our thoughts and prayers are with you”.

But here Paul brings prayer to the forefront of the Christian life: In EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And Paul assures us that when we understand this and stop worrying about things and let God into our stresses we will experience something extraordinary: The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Keep a listen for this when people quote this text;You’ll often hear them saying – the peace of God that surpasses all “human” understanding’. No!

God’s peace surpasses ALL understanding – not just human. It surpasses even the heavenly realm who must wonder at times why does God persist with us when we constantly rejects and disobeys him. As Psalm 8 asks and is repeated in Hebrews chapter 2 - what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? And that’s why Jesus says in John chapter 14:  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. That’s why Paul rejoices and urges us to rejoice – and again I will say rejoice.

The birth of Jesus as we celebrate Christmas is the most incredible act of love by God for humankind. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him will not perish but receive eternal life. Do not let the commercialism, busyness and earthliness of Christmas remove the joy that Jesus brings to us. As we sing in the Christmas Carol – Joy to the World – the Lord is come. Christmas is the most joyous time of the year and along with Paul I say: Rejoice in the Lord always – again I will say rejoice. And as you do and as you bring all your cares to God you have the assurance that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus

Sermon 8th December 2024 – 2nd Sunday in Advent Text Luke 3:1-6 – preparing the way for Jesus

 Sermon 8th December 2024 – 2nd Sunday in Advent

Text Luke 3:1-6 – preparing the way for Jesus

John the Baptist was a unique and powerful figure in the history of salvation through Jesus Christ. He was chosen by God before he was born to be the forerunner of Jesus. John was chosen by God to prepare the hearts of the people for the coming of the Messiah. John knew the significance of Jesus as he even leapt for joy in his mother’s womb when Mary, pregnant with Jesus, came to visit. John's ministry was a call to repentance and baptism while proclaiming the coming kingdom of God. John is the last of the great prophets who pointed to the Messiah of God who has now come in Jesus.

Prophets weren’t liked very much in the Old Testament because they told it as it is. And that’s because their message was from God and not themselves which made it confronting. There’s an interesting exchange in 1 Kings where the King of Israel is asked by the King of Judah whether there is a prophet they can consult about going to war against Aram. The King of Israel says – there is Micaiah but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad.

Messages from prophets weren’t their opinion but God’s message. And so, many of the Kings would reject their messages because they were messages to discipline them and call them back to God. And therefore many prophets were imprisoned and persecuted as Jesus says: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and stone to death those who are sent to you. Many times I wanted to gather your people as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not let me.

People seem to resist a corrective word from God today. “That’s your opinion”! John would suffer the same fate. John was a man of great courage and conviction fearlessly confronting the religious leaders of his time as they too needed to repent like the Kings of old. He spoke out against injustice and immorality, and he was not afraid to stand up for what was right even though it would ultimately lead to his death. John's message was simple yet profound:  "Repent, for the kingdom of God is near."  Aren’t we told by Mission minded people – you can’t say that!  You’ll turn people away from the church. John was even stronger calling religious leaders – “you brood of vipers” He called people to turn away from sin and turn towards God, to make a conscious decision to change their ways and live a life in accordance with God's will. Aren’t we discouraged from doing that? We’ll lose our young ones if they hear that.

And that is still the message to us today. It was the message Jesus continued – repent – the kingdom of Heaven is near. So how can we say it’s not our message today? To prepare the way of the Lord and make his paths straight. And John will reveal that the way for Jesus to find a straight path into our lives would be through Baptism and repentance to ready us to receive the message of salvation through God’s forgiveness.  So John's ministry was one of pointing people to Jesus and preparing them to receive him. He knew that he was not the Messiah, but rather a servant of the one who was to come and was not even worthy to untie Jesus' sandals. John will point people to Jesus by proclaiming, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!"  He recognized that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah who would bring salvation to all who believe in him.

John's message was not one of comfort or complacency.  He called on people to examine their lives, to confront their sins, and to turn away from their wicked ways. His words were a sharp rebuke to the religious leaders of his time, who had become complacent and self-righteous. He challenged them to live up to their calling and to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. As the body of Christ we too are to continue the Ministry of John the Baptist and his example of courage, conviction, and humility pointing people to Jesus. And sometimes our words do need to point out where we believe people or the church are in error. Where they have wandered off the path. To challenge them to look in their lives and where we can all make straight paths for Jesus to enter. But we also need to look inside ourselves because often we might be the one stopping a clear path for Jesus into people’s lives. Perhaps a word of grace or a word of forgiveness is needed from us.

And that can be challenging to us to recognise that we may in fact be the cause of Jesus not reaching people’s hearts. We might find that word hard as did the Old Testament Kings hearing a corrective word from the prophets.

John's life was marked by humility and selflessness.  He recognized his own limitations and pointed others away from himself and to the One who was greater than himself even admitting “I must decrease so he may increase”. But John also found the life of being Jesus’ disciple difficult when persecuted for his faith as we might. In prison he sent a delegation to Jesus ask – are you the one to come or should we expect someone else. Are people today expecting someone else?

Jesus warned that following his path wouldn’t be easy. It would be symbolised as carrying a cross. He warned You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And his subtle reminder - “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. And that’s because a corrective word is not always an easy word to hear whether it’s by us or to us. But John the Baptist was a humble servant, willing to lay down his life for the sake of the truth. His martyrdom serves as a powerful reminder of the cost of discipleship and the importance of remaining faithful to God's call, even in the face of adversity. But also remember that the word we bring is also a word of hope.

There are so many burdens that people are carrying these days that we can point them to the one who says – come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Let us, like John, strive to point others to Jesus, the Lamb of God who offers forgiveness, grace, and eternal life. Like John the Baptist, let us faithfully proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God and prepare the way for the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sermon – First Sunday in Advent 2024 Text: - Luke 21:25-36 – Waiting

 Sermon – First Sunday in Advent 2024

Text: - Luke 21:25-36 – Waiting

As we gather here today at the beginning of the season of Advent, we enter a time of waiting—a time of anticipation and a longing for the fulfillment of God’s promise that has been in existence from the fall of Adam and Eve. A promise that St Paul says all creation is looking to be fulfilled: With eager hope, creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. Jesus talks about that death and decay in today’s Gospel reading. In fact it sounds quite horrific: There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

But Jesus encourages us to not give up hope but to keep looking for his return. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. And Jesus says what a great day that will be and says that when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. We are not to be discouraged but keep our hope in God’s promise to us. To life our heads high with pride because Jesus is here. And that promise is embraced by God’s love – for God so loved the world that he sent his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Advent is not just a 4 week countdown to Christmas; it is a season that calls us to reflect on the coming of Christ, both in the past as a baby in Bethlehem but also in the future as our King in all his glory to usher in the new creation. It’s a time to examine our hearts and lives as we prepare for His arrival, remembering the love that His coming brings to our world.

Advent is a season of hope, peace, joy, and love. It’s a time to remember that Christ has come, Christ is coming, and Christ will come again. And in this space of waiting, we are invited to be a people who reflect on the true meaning of the coming of Christ, embracing the promise He made to us all as we wait for his 2nd Coming.

Waiting can feel uncomfortable—especially in a world that is always in a hurry.  We don’t like to wait because whether it’s a couple minutes- a couple hours – a couple days, weeks or months – we are not in control when we are waiting. Even if it’s just waiting for the traffic light to turn green – so we rush the amber light. We want things now. If that meal we’ve ordered is a little late or someone coming after us getting served first - we feel an injustice. Instant gratification has become the norm – in fact it’s an expectation. 

And yet, the season of Advent invites us into something altogether different: the discipline of waiting with patience, trust, and anticipation. The prophet Isaiah spoke about waiting for Jesus:"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned" (Isaiah 9:2).  This was a message to the people of Israel who had been waiting for generations for the promised Messiah. Their world was filled with darkness—political oppression, spiritual longing, and a sense of distance from God. Much like today’s generation that is not waiting for a saviour but trying to escape from the hardships as Jesus calls it – dissipation and drunkenness. Dissipation means escaping by carefree lifestyles pretending everything is okay when it’s not.

Yet, in the midst of their waiting, Isaiah declared that the light would come, and that light would be our Savior whom we’ve been waiting for. What helps with our waiting is hope.  We wait with expectation that God fulfils his promises and is coming to us – that he has not forgotten us. So, in Advent, the waiting is always accompanied by hope.  Hope is the assurance that God is faithful to His promises, and His promises are good.  As the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 13:11, "The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." And he also says – our present sufferings are not worth comparting to the glory that awaits us.

The arrival of Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise that God gave to His people.  The child born in Bethlehem brought hope to the hopeless that God has not forgot his promises to us – bringing light to those in darkness, and salvation to those lost in sin.  But Advent also reminds us that this hope is not just about looking back to that first Christmas. 

It is also about looking forward—looking forward to the return of Christ when He will make all things new. Advent hope is found in the birth of Jesus. The angel’s message to Joseph: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 

So, in Jesus, we see the hope of salvation—a hope that transforms lives and brings us back into relationship with God. It is a hope that will one day be fully received when Christ returns to establish His eternal kingdom. Advent is not just about waiting and hoping; it is about receiving the promises of God with faith. It is a season in which we acknowledge that God has made promises to us—and He will keep them. God promised a Savior, and He sent Jesus to fulfill that promise. God promises to be with us in our waiting, to guide us in our hope, and to bring about His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

The promise of Advent is not just a future promise; it is a present reality. Christ has already come, and through His Holy Spirit, He continues to dwell with us. 

Advent calls us to be people who are not just remembering the birth of Christ but are also living His promise because Christ is present with us now. So we live in the hope of Jesus return by how we live our lives today. As we wait with hope and trust in God’s promises, we are also called to live out the light of Christ in a world that desperately needs it.  Advent challenges us to examine our hearts, to remove the distractions that keep us from fully embracing Christ, and to prepare room for Him in our lives. As John the Baptist says – make straight paths for Christ’s coming.

This might mean forgiving someone who has wronged us, reaching out to someone in need, or simply slowing down and making space for God in our hectic lives.  It might mean stepping into the darkness of the world around us with the light of Christ, bringing hope to those who feel hopeless – to those still living in darkness. In this season of Advent, we are invited to wait with expectation, to hope with assurance, and to live with the promise that Christ is coming.  We remember the first coming of Christ as a baby in Bethlehem, and we look forward to His return in glory to bring us home to our Heavenly Father. 

As we journey through this season together, let us do so with hearts open to His presence, lives transformed by His grace, and hands ready to serve as His hand of hope and light to the world. Let us be a people who wait and live in the fullness of God’s promises.  And may we be ready to receive our King who is coming, our King who is already here, and the King who will reign forever.

Sermon 24th November 2024 – Last Sunday of Church Year Text - John 18:33-37

 Sermon 24th November 2024 – Last Sunday of Church Year

Text - John 18:33-37

Today, the last day of the Church year, we prepare for Advent and Christmas with the coming of Jesus as God’s gift to the world and we come together to celebrate Christ the King Sunday. This day reminds us that Jesus Christ is the ultimate ruler and authority in our lives and of the world even if the world doesn’t know it. He is the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings. Not just Lord of the Church or King of the world.

Lord of Lords – King of Kings.

Our reading from Revelation says that even though most of the world doesn’t recognise Jesus as King there will be a day when all will fulfil what Paul says in Philippians chapter 2 – that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. The day when, as our Gospel says - the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live - when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.

John saw that day in his Revelation when he says – “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords, deserving of our full allegiance and worship. So why doesn’t the world recognise Jesus’ kingship and authority? Perhaps it’s because we live in a world that seeks power and control, but Christ the King teaches us a new way.  He does not rule with force or manipulation, but rather with love, compassion, and self-sacrifice which are often seen as weakness rather than power. As Jesus once said to his disciples who were arguing amongst themselves who would be the greatest in Jesus Kingdom –  You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Jesus when speaking with Pilate who questioned his Jesus’ kingship, replied to Pilate – my kingdom is not of this world. Jesus kingdom is a heavenly kingdom that does not rule in the same way that earthly kingdoms rule, but rather a kingdom of justice, peace, and mercy. Christ the King is an example of humility and service.  Despite his divine nature didn’t take advantage of it but humbled himself to take on human form and to serve others.  Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, healed the sick, and fed the hungry.  He showed us that true leadership is about caring for others and putting their needs above our own. Authority is shown by turning the other cheek – forgiving others as Jesus did on the cross to those nailing him to the cross to his death – forgive them Father for they know not what they are doing. Who brought comfort to the dying criminal beside him – that no one else would have considered being worthy of Heaven – today you will be with me in paradise.

So Christ the King challenges us to examine our own lives and the ways in which we may be seeking power and control in ways that don’t reflect God’s ways.  Do we seek to dominate others, or do we seek to serve them?  Do we use our influence for our own gain, or do we use it to bring glory to God? As Jesus said - let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

As we celebrate Christ the King, let us remember that Jesus kingdom is one of love and compassion and as we pray in the Lord’s prayer – your Kingdom come – your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. Let us show Jesus kingdom here on earth by serving others with humility and grace.  And by doing so acknowledge that Jesus is the true King of Kings. Let us always look to Christ the King as the source of our strength and guidance and remember that Jesus is the one true King, deserving of our full devotion and allegiance. And may we always seek to bring his kingdom of love and peace to all those we encounter.

Sermon 17th November 2024 – 26th Sunday after Pentecost Text: Mark 13:1-8 – the beginning of the end

 Sermon 17th November 2024 – 26th Sunday after Pentecost

Text: Mark 13:1-8 – the beginning of the end

As we near the end of the Church year we discover that the Bible readings tend to focus on end time prophecies. Over the years, many people have speculated about the end of the world and the end of time.  The Jehovah’s Witnesses did it on 3 occasions and we are still here. Questions arise about - Will there be a great holy war in Armageddon? Will there be a sudden rapture where faithful Christians suddenly vanish as some denominations and doomsday cults predict?  It produced a series of books and movies called Left Behind. Many predicted the end would come in 2012 when the Mayan calendar ran out. Global alarmists predicted some years ago that the world only had 12 years of sustainability left. With the rise in tensions in the middle east and the Holy Land, end time prophecies have increased. End times has been a curiosity that has spellbound many Christians and filled shelves in Christian bookstores. They have created a proverbial rabbit hole to fall into on the internet.

Even Jesus’ first disciples were curious about end times and God’s judgment.  One day as they were leaving the temple, one of the disciples remarked on the great stones of the temple buildings.  The original temple built by King Solomon had been destroyed centuries ago.  A second temple had been re-built which Herod expanded to the temple Jesus had just left. It was massive, but Jesus replied, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”  That was enough to arouse the curiosity of Peter, James, John, and Andrew. When will this be and what will be the sign?

Jesus says there will be wars, rumours of war, earthquakes, false prophets, false messiahs — but he said that all these things are only birth pains -  the beginning of the end. Later on Jesus will go on to say 2 things that are extremely important which appear later in the chapter but not in our bible reading: First - Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. And secondly, about about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 

Jesus is concerned that it is our curiosity that will distract us and make us vulnerable to be led astray. But Jesus did say that there will be a day of reckoning – a day of Judgment. And until that day there is only one foundation to keep ourselves firmly secure – Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. People have always felt that we are living in the end times. Somehow it excites them – to some it even gives them hope.

But the reality is that from the first day Adam and Eve disobeyed God we have been in the last days. Despite climate alarmists saying that what we are experiencing is unprecedented we have always had earthquakes and catastrophic weather events. Remember Elijah when he was summoned to hear the word of God – The Lord said to Elijah, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 1After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

Christians faced much persecution after Jesus’ death but the greatest attack that his disciples had to understand was that the temple was destroyed – in 70AD - just as Jesus had predicted. As Jews, the temple was seen as their home for God. It was a devastating loss for the people, and for many it must have seemed like the end of the world. The temple gave them hope of God’s presence being with them. But Jesus reminds them that their hope of God’s presence is not in the physical: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away,” 

The temple may have been destroyed but God was not. So Jesus kept his disciples focusing on the solid foundation – God’s Word - like the wise and foolish builders: Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” So Jesus warns: “Beware that no one leads you astray” from my Word. 

Today, we’re still waiting.  There has been endless speculation and searching for signs.  People still seem to be asking, “Are we there yet?”  Sadly, many have given up waiting and left the church. We blame the church for having become irrelevant to the world and being the reason church attendance has dropped.

Many are looking at ways to make the church more relevant and are being distracted away from God’s word. But the reality is that it is not the church that has become irrelevant but people’s desire for Christ to return has become irrelevant to them. If a person truly believed in a coming Judgment Day and that Jesus was returning then the church would never become irrelevant while it focused on God’s word.

The coming day of the Lord is a call to keep alert.  There may be those who doubt that Jesus is coming again.  He did not come at the many other times throughout history that his arrival has been predicted. So some may wonder, will he ever come?  Will the world just keep on keeping on as it has for centuries?  Why keep waiting when nothing seems to be happening? That’s the biggest concern.

On the night of his arrest, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, and asked Peter, James, and John to remain alert and keep awake,”  Three times he returned to them and found them sleeping. Perhaps it was the lateness of the hour, or sheer fatigue from the events of the day — whatever the reason, they could not keep awake. Today, there are many things that bring complacency and distract us. Just as Jesus’ first disciples had trouble staying awake physically, we too may have trouble staying awake in a spiritual sense.  The Lord is coming, and we live in expectation of that day. We are urged to focus on things that matter and let go of the rest.

Judgment Day is not a fearful thing for those who know Jesus is returning and have a personal relationship with him. So we are urged to reach out to those who have found church irrelevant in their lives and remind them that Jesus will one day return, as our reading in Hebrews reminds us: Let us provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. That Day could come when we least expect it. James 5:7-8 said: Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord.  St Peter says - But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.

So, we are called to strengthen our hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. As we wait for the coming of the Lord we need to be patient, to wait, to place our confidence in God.  We’re not there yet, but the Day is coming and we know that God goes before us and will sustain us to the end.

Sermon 3rd November 2024 – All Saints Day Text Revelation 21:1-6a

 

Sermon 3rd November 2024 – All Saints Day

Text Revelation 21:1-6a

Today we gather together to celebrate All Saints Day. A day set aside to remember the lives of the saints who have gone before us. Those who have fought the good fight – who have run the race and received the crown of glory. As Christians these are much more positive and appropriate terms to use as they reflect our reality. “Died” :death” seems so negative – so final and sterile. Even “passing away” a term used to try and make death feel a bit softer – doesn’t really reflect what we believe. Jesus and Paul even use the term “sleeping” which then suggests that we will one day awaken. The saints are our spiritual ancestors, our brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone before us and have left us a legacy of faith and holiness.  The book of Hebrews refers to that legacy of faith when it says that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. They were ordinary people, just like you and me. They faced trials and tribulations, just as we do, and yet they remained faithful to God through it all.The saints remind us that holiness is the calling of every Christian. 

Each of us is called to be a saint in this lifetime, living a life of holiness and virtue, to imitate Christ in all we do. 

In fact St Paul when writing to the churches writes “to the saints” – these aren’t those who are in heaven but who remain alive on earth: For example, Ephesians begins - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: 

As we commemorate the lives of the saints today, the book of Hebrews encourages us by their example and to strive to follow in their footsteps.  With examples like Abraham, Moses, Isaac, andJacob. Like the disciples who underwent great persecution – we are encouraged to look to them as examples of faith under great times of suffering because they knew the great reward waiting for them. And as we reflect we are reminded that whatever difficulties we are going through in this life that our true life is waiting and yet to be revealed. That’s what Paul says in Colossians 3 - 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.

It’s interesting that Paul talks about Christians having already died and that we are simply waiting to be called home to Heaven. Paul sees that death coming to us in our Baptism where our new life begins – Which is why Paul says in Romans 6: Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. And when we are called home to Heaven Paul says our glory will be revealed and understood. We have that glory now but it’s just that our present life with all its suffering and difficulty hides it because of sin. Which is why Paul says in Romans -  I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 

See with Paul, glory is not something waiting for us in Heaven but something we have now that is hidden and will be revealed. And what will that glory be? What do you think heaven will be like? Some think the main blessing of heaven will be the end of suffering and death. While that is certainly true and something to look forward to – as our bible reading said - there will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 

But there is something even more wonderful about what is waiting for us which John revealed – I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “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. Being in the presence of God is what Heaven and glory is all about. It is what we lost when sin broke that relation. When Adam and Eve broke the command to not eat from the forbidden fruit their immediate reaction was to hide from God when he came to visit them. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and THEY hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” Notice that comforting word from God – 

Adam and Eve removed themselves from God but God did not remove himself from them. Where are you.

God is always looking for us.

Our Baptism restores that separation as our old self is put to death and a new self arises. But because sin is still present that restoration is hidden until it is revealed when God calls us home to live with him forever. And Jesus assures us that God is with us now and continually looking for those who have drifted away – where are you? And that’s why Jesus made that solemn promise in our Baptism – I am with you ALWAYS till the end of the age. Notice Jesus doesn’t say I am with you always until you die – because death has been defeated. So for you who are grieving, let us grieve but not as those who have no hope. Our hope is in Jesus Christ our Lord who is the resurrection and life and whoever believes in him shall never die – because we have already died through our baptism, waiting to be called home.

So be encouraged that one day we join all the saints in the heavenly kingdom to dwell in the presence of God where we will be his people forever.

Sermon 27th October 2024 – The Reformation Text: John 8:31-36 – Set free

 Sermon 27th October 2024 – The Reformation

Text: John 8:31-36 – Set free

Today, we gather to reflect upon the great movement in the church known as the Reformation. The Reformation was a period of profound change and transformation within the Church, led by a courageous and visionary monk known as Martin Luther. Luther sought to cleanse the Church of what he called abuses in the church and restore it to its true biblical roots – the Gospel. Salvation by grace through faith for Christ’s sake. 

But Luther couldn’t find that comfort from what his church was teaching. Much like St Paul in Romans 7 where he says - I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! That is THE GOSPEL - Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

And so the Reformation was born out of Luther’s deep desire for spiritual renewal and a return to the authority of Scripture. That would also deliver his body of death through Jesus Christ his Lord.  Luther challenged the practices and teachings of the Church of his day, calling for a more personal relationship with God with Christ at the centre. That salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. The cry of the Reformation was sola scriptura – Scripture alone for all faith and doctrine. The reformers believed that the Word of God was the ultimate authority in matters of teaching, doctrine and practice. The Reformers encouraged Christians to read and study the Bible for themselves as Christians had become quite illiterate regarding what the Bible actually said. They relied on their priests and authorities coming from the Pope who exploited the people through fear to give money in exchange for what were known as Indulgences – certificates assuring the fearful people of forgiveness and time out of purgatory – a place that had no biblical teaching. Purgatory was a place where people’s sins were purged after death before entering eternal life in Heaven.

The Reformation also removed many of the unnecessary rituals in worship emphasising in the worship service the importance of preaching the Word and the right administration of the sacraments. Getting back to what was central to salvation and comfort of the soul. But the Reformation was not just a historical event but a continual reflection that continues to shape the Church today as the church easily falls back into error – which is where the Latin term originates - Ecclesia semper reformanda est (Latin for "the Church must always be reformed". It reminds us of the importance of remaining faithful to the truth of God’s Word, and of standing up against false teachings and practices.  It challenges us to be constantly reforming and renewing our faith, seeking to grow closer to God and more fully live out our Christian calling.

Reforming the church doesn’t mean changing the church or modernising the church but returning the church back to the true Gospel – saved by grace through faith for Christ’s sake.

The Reformation is about returning to the Truth and allowing the Truth to set us free. And, as Jesus reminds us, he is the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through him. And that’s what the Reformation focused on – coming to God only through Jesus Christ. The church had lost its way like the Jews that Jesus had spoken to.

Their way was “We are descendants of Abraham” which was the way back to slavery even though they felt they had never been slaves to anyone. Likewise, we don’t realise how much of a slave to sin we are until we have tasted the sweet Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The way of the Jews was not the road to freedom. Jesus was - if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. Jesus is the only way because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; But the good news is that we are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, That’s the Good News – that the Reformation focus.

As we reflect on the Reformation, let us be inspired by the courage and conviction of the reformers through the centuries and be reminded of the power of God’s Word to transform lives and bring about renewal and revival of faith through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

And let us commit ourselves to continue the work of reformation in our own faith, our churches, and our communities by returning to God’s Word and what it teaches about God’s grace. May we be faithful stewards of the rich legacy of the Reformation, and be bold and uncompromising in our witness to the truth of the gospel.  And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Amen.

Sermon 20th October 2024 – 22nd Sunday after Pentecost Text: Mark 10:35-45 – Trusting in God

 Sermon 20^th October 2024 – 22^nd Sunday after Pentecost

Text: Mark 10:35-45 – Trusting in God

 

I don’t know about you but I get annoyed when I’m asked an open question like – what are you doing tomorrow? Or, are you free on Friday? The problem is, yes I might be free on Friday but I might not want to commit to something you’re going to ask me to do. Yes, I’m free on Friday – “Good, can you drive me to the airport”. It’s hard to say NO if I’ve said I’m free on Friday. It would be better to lead with your request – “Could you drive me to the airport on Friday” which then gives me an opportunity to consider the request.

 

I wonder if Jesus felt that pressure when James and John come up to him and say: Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you. What’s Jesus supposed to say? If it were me I would respond by saying – ‘well, it depends on what you ask”. But Jesus, ever confident of his ability to read the hearts and minds of people isn’t afraid to reply - What is it you want me to do for you? And then their request comes. They want positions of power in Jesus’ kingdom. We want to sit – one on your left and one on your right when you come into your glory. Jesus is so much more patient that I am but I guess that’s what St Paul discovered in 1 Corinthians 13 – love is patient and kind.

 

It was not that long ago when Jesus caught them arguing amongst themselves who was going to be the greatest. On that occasion Jesus instructs them - “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all. And now he has to go through it all again - whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. And this was the problem of the rich young man last week who came up to Jesus with concerns about his salvation and asks: What must I do to inherit eternal life. I’ve tried everything – I’ve kept the commandments since my youth. But notice which commandments he had been keeping:  ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother. These are what we call the 2nd Table of the Commandments. The commandments on how I love my neighbour.

 

Jesus, again, knowing the hearts and minds of those who come to him knew that he had missed the greatest of  commandments- to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, This young man had loved his wealth because it was what he relied on to give him comfort and assurance. And, as Luther explained in the Large Catechism on the First Commandment: Anything you set your heart on and rely on is really your god. As a result the rich young man could find no comfort and assurance when it came to eternal life because it is a gift of God that is received. That’s why his question was wrong – what must I do.

 

But what does trust in God and reliance on him look like? What does “loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength” look like? It looks like Job and his suffering which we have in first reading. Job is a sad story. Job is a person who loves God with all his heart but Satan is convinced that Job only does so because God is good to him. God says to Satan: “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”  Satan replied.  “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” When Job loses everything he still loves God with all his heart - Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” So Satan makes it personal - “Skin for skin!”  Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.” Job is afflicted with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

His wife even tells him to curse God and die. To which he replies - You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?

 

That’s what it means to trust and rely on God – in the good times and in the difficult times – in times of comfort and times of suffering. Job’s friends try to get to the bottom of his suffering telling him to dig deeper and deeper – surely bad things don’t happen to good people.

And after all their ponderings God answers with today’s reading: Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?

 

Trust and relying on God is knowing that God is our creator and that he loves and cares for us. We need never doubt God’s love for us even in times of great suffering, like Job. And that’s because we remember that God’s greatest expression of love has come to us when he sent Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Who came to die for us to remove any doubt of our assurance of eternal life.So there is nothing we DO to inherit eternal life – we receive as children of God. And so it doesn’t matter whether we are sitting at Jesus’ left or right – because God’s love for us is complete in Jesus wherever we are. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

 

And as we heard last week in our Hebrews reading, Jesus is our great High Priest who empathises with our suffering because he has gone through all that we have but without sin. And as we hear today, it was through his suffering that he learned obedience and by that he received the greatest of honours.  The name above all names at which everyone must confess him as Lord and bow the knee. And that’s what we need to trust – that when we love God with all our heart that we trust him with everything that goes on – even if we don’t understand it. And being a Christian means that we have to drink the cup of suffering which is not easy – even Jesus acknowledged that in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.” It will mean being baptised with the Baptism Jesus underwent who was then thrown into the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan. But, as Hebrews reminds us – he was tempted but did not sin which means we can approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

 

Whatever your time of need is there is comfort available to you not through what the world might deem as success and achievement but by placing yourself under Christ and trusting him. Peter couldn’t accept that path of suffering and was rebuked by Jesus – get behind me Satan. 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.

And Jesus continues to offer up prayers and petitions for you. So keep trusting in him whatever your time of need is and know that you are always under his care.

Sermon 13th October 2024 Text Hebrews 4:12-16 – Holding to our confession

 Sermon 13th October 2024

Text Hebrews 4:12-16 – Holding to our confession

Last Saturday was not an easy day for our church. For many on both sides of the question of ordination it felt like a “double edged sword” split us apart. It feels like that sword of Solomon has come down and divided that living baby we know as the LCA and created 2 dead halves. We wonder why? Why can’t the other person accept my position on this issue?

We heard many arguments for inclusion, diversity, acceptance – and none of them were dismissed because they were that person’s confession and conviction. So why did this cause division?

We’ve changed other things in church. Some churches have sold their buildings and moved to new locations. Some churches have had to enter into parish arrangements which sees their pastor’s time divided. Some churches have voted to close. We’ve sold the Australian Lutheran College – and as much as that has caused anger and hurt it did not threaten to divide our church.

But on this one issue which we have been debating for decades – which we have voted on 6 times at Synods – this one decision has to potential to cut our church in two.

Those who were at the Synod worship last Sunday or who watched online would have heard the President of the Canadian Lutheran Church – Timothy Teuscher – a guest of Synod along with the President of the Lutheran Church of PNG, who was asked to bring a word of greeting from his church – a church in which we have been in altar and pulpit fellowship for a very long time – 30 years.

What he said left many, including Bishops with their mouths gaping as he declared that that 2 edged sword had come down and severed a long standing relationship between the LCA and LCC which are now no longer in fellowship because of this decision. Why? Why this one decision?

Because, as we hear the writer to the Hebrews exhort us today – “let us hold fast to our confession”.

So those who are upset, on both sides of the debate, are upset – not because they didn’t get their way – or because they can’t understand why they can’t see our hurts over this – but because they, we, believe that this matter goes to the heart of our confession of faith.

Confession is what forms our beliefs.

That’s why we refer to our articles of faith in the Augsburg Confession and the Book of Concord as “The Lutheran Confessions”. The confession of ordination are for many people of our church no different to our confession on Baptism, or Holy Communion or The Trinity – Confessions we would NEVER consider debating or changing. In the Roman Catholic Church ordination is one of their 7 sacraments.

Confessions of faith are not rules like sport or businesses. People complain about the AFL always changing the rules and umpires being inconsistent in applying the rules of the game. This is our confession of faith and when the confession of your faith is challenged then it challenges the very fabric of what you believe which is why the debate has been so robust.

Our confession of faith is not a tradition but a confession of faith in which we receive the comfort and assurance of our salvation. And that is why for many – this is an article of salvation – on both sides of the debate.

We have heard people say that this is NOT a central article of salvation but for many it is. Why? Because it goes to what they confess as their faith.

When St Paul was explaining to the Corinthians about their understanding of Holy Communion, he didn’t give them his opinion but what the Lord Jesus had taught him. For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread – from this we receive the teaching of The Lord’s Supper directly from Jesus himself.

From this we gain our liturgy for Holy Communion and consecration. Words taken directly from St Paul who received them from Jesus. Which is why we take reception of Holy Communion so serious. Paul says - whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.

When explaining salvation he also teaches only what Christ taught him: 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.

So, who can consecrate and preach the Gospel is central to salvation – for both sides of the debate on ordination. And that’s why this has been such a divisive issue.

So where do we go from here?

What we don’t do is “judge”. Because if we judge another person’s position on this then we judge their faith – and no one has the right to do that. No, as Hebrews says – we hold on to OUR confession. But likewise we need to understand that some are going to find this extremely difficult and we may not see them again. We might see people come to worship but refuse to receive Holy Communion. Why? Because as St Paul says in First Corinthians - Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf. People see that Holy Communion states that we have a communion of confession.

Some people might leave altogether as many have already done because of the result of the previous 5 voting decisions. We should not judge them but find ways to uphold and support them. Some were critical of the new body – LM-A – Lutheran Mission Australia especially because they did it before Synod. But we must not judge them because they are doing this not like the new gym that just opened up in Ringwood – next to an existing gym to be competition. No, they formed because rather than people leaving and losing communion that they have somewhere to go for comfort and hope. So we should not judge.

So what do we do in this time of hurt – this time of upheaval – this time of discerning? We listen to the writer of Hebrews:

Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Dear friends, this is a time of need – a time of upheaval where our only hope is in Jesus, the Son of God. It has affected me personally as I relinquish many of my roles other than serving you as your shepherd – so I can serve you as Shepherd.  You are my first love so I have had to let go of anything that might make me question that including my District appointments. I’m not doing that because I’m spitting the dummy or taking my bat and ball and going home – but because of my love for the sheep of which God has made me overseer – which is my ordination and installation vow which includes my vow to uphold the teaching and practice of the church. I take my vows seriously. I made a vow when I married Sharon 38 years ago. A vow I/we have returned to many times when facing difficulty. And my  ordination and installation vow I will uphold until you or the Bishop tells me I can no longer do so.

But while I am serving you with Word and Sacrament you can be assured that you are approaching the throne of grace with boldness, so that you/we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. I hope you can understand the hurt of many people in our Lutheran Church of Australia just as we/they have understood the hurt in the past decisions of Synod as we remain faithful to and uphold our confession of faith.

It may feel like a two edged sword has divided us but like a surgeon’s scalpel cuts in order to bring healing so too we can find healing as we come to the great physician, our Lord Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest.

Sermon 22nd September 2024 – 18th Sunday after Pentecost Text: Mark 9:30-37 – Welcoming the child

 Sermon 22^nd September 2024 – 18^th Sunday after Pentecost

Text: Mark 9:30-37 – Welcoming the child

 

We live in a society that places a lot of importance on our position and status in life. And sadly we often compare ourselves to others hoping that they will fail so we can feel better about ourselves. Value can be assigned to various things - an individual’s possessions, career, even the suburb they lived in. In my previous parish you thought twice about wandering through Frankston North but if you lived in Frankston South you were highly respected. The value of one’s social location often determines whether a person is considered acceptable or not. Even today people make judgments when they hear about crimes and violence in “the western suburbs” and take that as something natural. But when it happens in the eastern suburbs we are shocked – that sort of thing doesn’t happen here.

 

St Paul in Philippians urges us as Christians to have a different mindset. Paul says: be like-minded as Christ, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, That’s very different to how value is placed in today’s society.

 

In looking at today’s Gospel lesson from Mark, we are confronted with the story of Jesus’ disciples grappling with the question of greatness.  Having just heard Jesus speak about his upcoming death they now hear Jesus speak about it again – The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.”  That didn’t sound very great. But, like the first time they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. This was not what they were expecting from a leader who was supposed to lead them into their understanding of greatness. They are, no doubt, afraid of the implications of his impending death.  Were they frightened that they too would have to go along this path? Certainly after Jesus’ death this was high on their minds – when they were locked away for fear of the Jews.

 

Had they followed Jesus originally for different reasons – for social acceptance? Was it considered the in thing to do – to follow this new leader who had come onto the scene and was creating waves. So, they begin to talk about greatness among themselves.”  However, Jesus is teaching an alternative standard for measuring greatness.  The Gospel tells us, “He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’” This is similar to what Paul said in Philippians when he said: That Jesus did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,

 

So this was greatness but not by what they achieved but by what God gave. There are many ways we serve God and the church.  But, what does being a servant of all look like?  How do we embody being “last of all and servant of all?”  Jesus gives us an education. He calls on them to place themselves in the situation of a child. He took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’” This went against how the disciples saw the value of children.

When people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Have you ever heard or used the term – our children are the future of the church? I know what that means but sometime we forget that our children are the present church as much as we are. They might not be able to vote – or sit on committees or receive Holy Communion – but they are not less members of the body of Christ because of that.

 

In defining greatness through this living example of a child, Jesus is providing the disciples with valuable lesson about greatness.  And this is about welcoming a child. This is different to the example of having faith as a child – it is about welcoming a child. The disciples pushed the children away because they didn’t seem important. What value could they add to Jesus’ ministry? And yet, they embody Jesus’ ministry.

 

So many times Jesus welcomed people who seemingly added nothing to his ministry and from the outset could seem to hinder it. Like Zacchaeus whom people despised and yet Jesus welcomed him and went to his house to eat. Jesus welcomed a woman caught in adultery that the Pharisees wanted to be rid of. He welcomed the leper whom society had cast out. He welcomed a woman of ill-repute who washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair, much to the disgust of his host, Simon the Pharisee for welcoming such a woman. If Jesus were a true prophet he would know what sort of woman she was – he is, and he did! He welcomed another woman of questionable morals and from a tribe shunned by Jews – when he drank with the Samaritan woman. None of these added to Jesus’ earthly greatness but allowed him to embody how God receives us.

 

If I were God I would question his decision to welcome me – and yet he does. And he welcomes me because I am a child of God through my Baptism not because of anything I have achieved or contributed. In this example Jesus holds us a young child — powerless, vulnerable, unable to defend themselves. And this is who Jesus tells the disciples to welcome: the powerless, the vulnerable, the ones whose voices are ignored in the world. What does the world say – children should be seen and not heard. Jesus says that by welcoming people like that, the ones who can’t influence society and don’t strive to be in charge, they welcome Jesus. Not only do they welcome him, they welcome God who sent him.  Welcoming the powerless is a far cry from arguing over who is the greatest! Compare that to what James says about human values: Earthly, unspiritual, devilish.  And where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. Human ambition that seeks worldly greatness: You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder.  And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts.

 

Being vulnerable, being a servant, being like a child, is what Jesus tells his disciples he’s come to do when he predicts his death and resurrection for a second time. This humility promotes behaviour that is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy, says James.  And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.

Jesus did not come to take over the Roman empire and restore the worldly nation of Israel, as they expected. He’s come to do something so revolutionary the disciples can’t imagine it: defeat death itself. Death will not be defeated with a sword. Death will be defeated with a cross, with Jesus’ cross and with unconditional love And it was defeated in his rising again — just like he told the disciples it would be, even if they didn’t understand him.

 

So we too are challenged to example the same humility by submitting to God. And by doing that we don’t need to worry what the world thinks about us. Whether we are successful, rich, have a multitude of possessions. We have something that is priceless. We are children of God welcomed by our heavenly Father and loved by him unconditionally.

Sermon 15th September 2024 – 17th Sunday after Pentecost Text: Mark 8:27-38 – Who do YOU say that I am?

 Sermon 15^th September 2024 – 17^th Sunday after Pentecost

Text: Mark 8:27-38 – Who do YOU say that I am?

 

Fairly soon VCE students are going to prepare for their final exams.  It will be a stressful time knowing that their year’s work, and in fact the past 12 years work comes to a head. Likewise, the disciples are about to begin an intensive examination on discipleship.  It was time to study up for the final exam. Perhaps Jesus feels a sense of urgency running out of time before he hands over the reins to the twelve disciples.  The students will become the teachers.

 

But before that happens he needs to know what they understood and what they didn’t. Were they able to see what was hidden in the signs that he had performed to see the deeper, richer message?  When he healed the physically blind did they realize he was also healing spiritual blindness?  Did they understand that they are sometimes blind – as we will seen in Peter’s later response to Jesus?  Jesus began by asking a fairly passive question.  “Who do people say that I am?” They answered that some are still a bit confused – their eyes are not quite opened from their spiritual blindness. Some thought he was John the Baptist; others, that he was Elijah. Others thought that he was one of the other prophets of old.

 

But now the examination gets personal. And there are no multiple-choice answers“ Which of these do you think I am – a,b or c. No. It was personal. Who do YOU say that I am?” Peter answered as he has in the past on their behalf - that Jesus is the Messiah. Interestingly Jesus then ordered them to tell no one. Maybe because they would not be able to understand while they were still spiritually immature.

 

Now Jesus takes them to the next level of their learning. Jesus first asks “Who do you say that I am?”  Peter answered correctly. But what Peter didn’t understand was what being the Messiah of God really meant. He held the common belief that the Messiah would be king over Israel and lead a revolt against their oppressors. But Jesus talked of a whole different understanding of what would be the Messiah’s life and ministry when he spoke of suffering and being killed, and after three days rising from the dead. And this is when Peter’s spiritual blindness crept back in. He took Jesus aside and tried to re-educate Jesus.  But Peter’s mind was not on divine things, heavenly things, kingdom things;  He was instead looking at the meaning of Messiah from a purely human point of view.  Peter meant well. He didn’t want his beloved teacher to suffer and die.  But Peter was putting his own feelings and fears ahead of the mission of God.

 

And this is where Satan enters – which is why Jesus’ rebuke names Satan. Satan was focusing Peter’s mind on the suffering and death and tempting him to divert his thinking away from Jesus – like when he walked on the water and panicked causing him to sink.Satan tried the same temptation on Jesus – focus on your hunger and turn rocks into bread. That’s why Paul says in Colossians 3 – keep your mind focused on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God and not on earthly things. Peter missed the heavenly things – rising on the 3rd day - while focusing on the earthly things – arrested, suffered, died.And now it’s time to educate all the disciples and the crowds following him about what it exactly means to confess Jesus Christ as Lord – as YOUR Lord.

 

Jesus called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” And this is also OUR education: These are hard and challenging words for us to hear. Deny yourself.  Take up your cross. To save your life you must lose it.  And if we are ashamed of him and of his words Jesus will be ashamed of us when he returns. I can see the look on the faces of the disciples and the crowd. And the look is probably not much different to our own.

 

Those wanting to continue following Jesus had some decisions to make.  The people in the crowd had to ask themselves if continuing to follow Jesus was worth it and if they were willing to sacrifice it all to continue on this path. As we heard a few weeks ago, some did find it difficult and made the decision to stop following him.

When the 12 disciples were given the option to leave too, Peter, again, spoke on their behalf. Lord to whom shall we go – you have the words of eternal life. You have heard the words of Jesus just like the disciples and the crowd did. We too are daily faced with that decision – to keep following Jesus or to give up. Satan will tempt us to look at the state of world and question whether God really loves the world – whether God really can save the world. Satan will have you think of yourself – like he did with Peter – like he did with Adam and Eve. But ask yourself, what are you giving up. Jesus is NOT John the Baptist – Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the Prophets. He is the Messiah, the son of the living God.

 

And what does that mean? Well, it’s that last part of his educating that we must take serious: When he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. And when Christ is revealed in his glory so too will you. Jesus himself says that following him is not an easy journey but the reward makes the journey worth it. To be there when Jesus returns and have him proud to bring us home and not ashamed of us. So the question Jesus asked his disciples is the question Jesus continues to ask us today: Who do you say that I am. And the reason he asks that is because that is the question that will be asked of us when Jesus returns in his glory. Who do you say that I am. You are our Lord Jesus – and all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.

 

 

Sermon 8th September 2024 – 16th Sunday after Pentecost Text: James 2:1-17 – Caring for creation through Hope

 Sermon 8^th September 2024 – 16^th Sunday after Pentecost

Text: James 2:1-17 – Caring for creation through Hope

 

The theme of our Creation Sunday service is to hope and to act. Hope is an interesting word depending on the context that we use it. We hope our footy team is going to win the Grand Final. We hope that the weather is going to be fine this weekend. We hope that interest rates will come down soon. In this context Hope is uncertain. It may or may not happen.

 

In the Christian context Hope is different. St Paul talks about hope many times – Christian Hope – and in particular he says: We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. Christian hope, as Paul says, will not disappoint us. And that’s because Christian hope is not uncertain.

 

Yet we live in a world where many look to the first type of hope. We hope that if we do things we will achieve a certain outcome but we can never be sure if it will work. When we act without God, in anything we do, hope becomes uncertain. As we focus on Creation today we see this uncertain hope at play in the world. If we reduce our carbon footprint – if we reduce our pollution – if we cease fossil fuels and switch to renewables – we hope that by a certain year in the future we will reduce our temperature and repair our climate. But we have no assurance of that – we hope to be able to achieve that. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do things to reduce pollution such as recycling as much as we can and reducing waste. But we should not think we don’t need hope in God to achieve our care for the world.

 

So, as Christians, we also include our love and care for the planet in our prayers as we pray to the one whom the wind and the waves must obey. The one who was able to end famine with his Word. But God also ended famine in practical ways when he had Joseph acted by storing food for 7 years to provide for 7 years of famine in Egypt.

So there are practical things we can do with God’s help and guidance. And our motivation is not because we believe WE can save the planet but because of our love for one another. God is the creator so we must always look to him.

The world without hope says there are only certain amount of years left because of humans.

But, remember what Jesus says about the end of the world- no one knows the day nor the hour – it will come as a thief in the night. So our motivation is our love for our neighbour and our hope in God. We see that in James today: If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So, we don’t just hope that our neighbour is able to find the necessities of life but we act. And we know – if we feed him that will attend to his hunger.

 

What James describes is how we see a lot of our world responding to the problems in God’s creation. We see people rallying – they hold up traffic – they disrupt businesses – they vandalise property that they disagree with.

They sit at home on their phones or computer and use social media to attack others. Many of the things they are fighting for – world hunger – homelessness – pollution – could be solved if we could act by loving another as James asks us to. You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.

 

Change in the world does not come by pointing out what others are doing wrong but by setting an example of loving one another. As Jesus once said in a parable: For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. And this action came so naturally that the people being thanked had no idea they were doing it.

 

When we love one another it’s not a chore. We will act out of faith as care for one another. The righteous answered, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

 

At present, to many people, the future of our creation looks hopeless. The comforting thing about Christian hope is that it thrives on hopelessness. Remember what Paul said – we rejoice in our suffering which produces hope. Or look at the woman in our Gospel reading. Her situation seemed hopeless. Her daughter was in a terrible situation and the one that she had hoped would be able to heal her said “NO”. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” But she never gave up hope: She answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

 

Or the man in the next miracle story whose plight seemed hopeless: They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; They were astounded beyond measure, saying about Jesus,  “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.

 

Or when Jesus opened the eyes of a blind man. The blind man says to Jesus’ critics:   Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. Jesus brought hope where there was no hope. So where will we put our hope for the future of Creation? In the hands of humans or in the Creator? God purposely created us in his image so we could care for his creation as his representative and he has called on us to act as his representative:

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” And let us remember that ruling means caring – not dominating. Subduing means protecting not oppressing.

 

God loves this world so much that he sent Jesus – not to condemn the but to save the world through him. And it is this act love of God and neighbour that will protect God’s beautiful creation.