Sermon 30th June 2024 – 6th Sunday after Pentecost Text Mark 5:21-43 – Holy disruptions

 Sermon 30^th June 2024 – 6^th Sunday after Pentecost

Text Mark 5:21-43 – Holy disruptions

 

A couple years ago while I was driving home from Pastors’ Conference in Adelaide, I hit a pot hole that took out my front wheel and tyre. In the pouring rain on the Western Highway I dodged cars and B-Double trucks trying to change with the spare after having to remove all my luggage from the boot. Finally I got it on and it was one of those smaller wheels so I had to drive slower which I didn’t mind being pouring rain outside. At least I was mobile. Until I hit another pot hole 10 minutes later that took out the spare and the rear wheel. I was now stranded 5 kms from the nearest town. I drove on the rims and waited 4 hours for the RACV to get me home. I contemplated “why”? I had left the conference early to get a head start and get home early.

 

I pondered and thought to myself that perhaps God had made this detour for a reason. Did I perhaps avoid a more tragic accident. I’ll never know. But sometimes God interrupts our plans with detours. And we’ll never know why or what may have happened if that distraction had not happened. Have you tried to make sense of a disruption in your life? Maybe disruptions should be part of our thanksgiving for who knows what work God has done through them.

 

In our Gospel reading today there are 2 disruptions to Jesus’ plans. After having his sleep disrupted by a storm that was bashing against he boat he was in he finally gets to the other side and returns. And no sooner has he got out of the boat when he is confronted by Jairus – his first disruption. When Jairus saw Jesus he fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.”  So Jesus went with him. On his way he is disrupted again. This time by a woman who has had a bleeding condition for 12 years. But she knows Jesus is busy so she sneaks up on him not wanting to disrupt him. She thought to herself – I don’t need to interrupt this busy man. If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well. And she did – and her bleeding stopped.

 

But, just as she felt the power of Jesus enter her – he felt the power leave him. So, despite his busyness and urgency to save Jairus’s daughter – he stops. He wants to find out why this disruption happened. I can imagine Jairus standing there thinking – come on Jesus. She’s been waiting 12 years – what’s another day. Come and heal my daughter before it’s too late. And that’s exactly what happens. While Jesus was speaking to the woman some people came from Jairus’s house to say, It’s too late -  “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further? What good came out of this disruption?

Jairus’s daughter died. However, despite the grief and sadness, Jesus sees this disruption as an opportunity to show the power and authority that he has – not just over the wind and the waves – but over life and death. A power and authority that will be fully revealed at his own death through resurrection.

 

Paul also sees that hidden behind disruptions and adversity is thanksgiving to God. He says: For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. As Paul says in Philippians – Christ emptied himself. The disciples would become perplexed – forlorn – despondent when they witness the heinous brutality against Jesus. Like the 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus – faces downcast – “we had hoped”. But, by Jesus’ poverty we have become rich beyond measure. By his death we have received eternal life. The disciples didn’t understand this disruption. They thought Jesus was on a different sort of mission. Peter objected when he heard of death disrupting his mission – NEVER Lord – this will NEVER happen to you.

 

It is easy to become despondent at the way life journeys take us. It is easy to feel that there is nothing to be thankful for when things don’t work out our way. But here we see that sometimes disruptions will come for a couple reasons. First – to redirect us where we are needed. Jesus original plans were interrupted by Jairus. But his daughter needed healing. And while Jesus was on the way there he experiences another disruption with the bleeding woman. Had Jesus not been disrupted by Jairus would the bleeding woman have come across him? We don’t know. Was she the intended target of Jesus’ healing? We’ll never know but it doesn’t matter.

 

But, secondly, sometimes a disruption may be a guardian angel in disguise. Like my flat tyres that kept me off the road for almost 5 hours. Did that keep me from something that I’ll never know about? Likewise, had the bleeding woman not have disrupted Jesus would he have gotten to Jairus’s daughter in time and performed just another healing miracle that the people had witnessed before? But because of the bleeding woman, Jesus’ delay meant Jairus’s daughter died. While on the surface no one could possible see any good out of this – BUT – through this disruption and subsequent death – Jesus is able to show his power and authority over life AND death.

 

Very similar to Lazarus. Jesus there creates his own disruption to Mary and Martha’s plans to have Jesus come immediately – but he delays. So the message for us is – there are many things for us to give thanks for – even if we don’t see them. Even if on the surface we feel, not only is there nothing to give thanks for – but we have grievance with God – we need to trust God in what we call – his providence. Providence is probably not a word we use too often. Providence means the guardianship and care provided by God.  And sometimes that care is hidden and we don’t understand it. We don’t always understand God’s ways but we know that he is our loving heavenly Father who is always looking out for us.

 

God doesn’t always create interruptions but God can certainly always use them to bring about good – as Joseph discovered. Joseph understood that it was not God’s intention for his brothers to sell him as a slave to Egypt but through those evil actions of his brothers he was able to save the world from starvation and bring his family to a rich land. As he says to his brothers - Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. It is easy to feel that there is nothing to be thankful for – especially when disruptions to our lives come. Disruptions that inconvenience us. It is easy then to become like the Israelites – who despite all that God has done for them forget his love and mercy the first time a disruption comes. There’s no water – there’s no food –  They miss God’s blessings – we hate this detestable manna.

 

But God’s blessings are always there. We need to trust God that sometimes he disrupts our lives for a reason. Or if there’s something outside of God that disrupts our lives, like Joseph, that God will use it for your good. So gives thanks to the Lord always for his love for you endures forever.

Sermon 23rd June 2024 – 5th Sunday after Pentecost Text: 1 Samuel 17: (1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49 – Facing our Goliaths

 Sermon 23^rd June 2024 – 5^th Sunday after Pentecost

Text: 1 Samuel 17: (1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49 – Facing our Goliaths

 

The story of David and Goliath is a story that has given hope to people facing massive challenges in life.

Against all the odds this young shepherd boy with no military experience takes on a giant – a literal giant – just short of 10 feet tall. He refuses to take with him the armour of war – shields, swords, spears. Instead he relies on the armour of God:

Goliath said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the field.” But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down.

 

And so the story of David and Goliath is one of - where do we go when we are faced with problems that are too big for us to handle. King Saul didn’t understand about God fighting for him. He and his men were petrified as they looked at the size of this giant. When David arrived on the scene Saul looks at Goliath and he looks at David: “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth. David explains the fights he has had with bears and lions protecting his sheep. He says to Saul: The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine. So David didn’t look at the massive challenge ahead of him but kept his faith in God.

 

But it’s easy to let fear take control. Like when Peter, walking on the water, took his eyes of Jesus and focused on the storm ahead of him and began to sink. Or like the disciples today in a very similar situation. They are in a boat. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. They cry out in fear: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?

 

Like David, Jesus wasn’t concerned about the challenge confronting him. The same wind and waves that were beating against the boat causing the disciples to fear that they were going to die - couldn’t even wake Jesus from his sleep.

Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. He gets up and like David doesn’t worry about the size of his challenger but looks directly at the wind and waves and says –  “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. Every day we have the possibility of a challenging situation confronting us and we wonder how am I going to get through this

Things might start off well, like the disciples getting into a boat to sail across the sea. Something they have done many times before especially for those who were fishermen. Even David had no idea how his day would turn out. David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took provisions, and went to see his brothers as his father Jesse had commanded him to.

 

But then something happens and our natural instinct is to panic. How am I going to handle this. Our lives are not guaranteed to be spared stress and storm as our lives are tossed about by the waves of economic uncertainty and change, war, family issues, sickness, and death. Hardly a week goes by that we do not face the fearsome realities of these events, either impacting us personally or our neighbors or our friends in the church, and nightly the troublesome images of television news intrude into our homes from the larger world. Maybe we have prayed that night like the disciples “Lord, do you not care that we are perishing?

 

I look at all the reports on the rising levels of depression and anxiety that are hitting our young people who feel the world is on a collision course with destruction. It’s interesting that amount of fear that has gripped our world. Why is that? Perhaps the answer is seen in Jesus’ response to the disciples: “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” Our Gospel reading shows the link between faith and fear. Is there a connection between church decline and fear increase? The opposite of faith is not doubt or unbelief;  No, the opposite of faith seems to be fear. That’s the difference between King Saul and the soon to be King David. Saul feared because he didn’t have faith in God. David had faith in God so he didn’t have any fear.

 

We fear when we are not in control. The book of Hebrews says - faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Without faith, the things that we do not see frighten us. The unknown frightens us. But with Jesus by our side there is nothing that need frighten us. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will not be afraid for you are with me.

 

And that’s the surprising thing about the disciples’ fear. Jesus was with them. They mistook his sleep as lack of care when in fact his sleep meant his lack of fear. The worst that the storm could dish up - A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped – couldn’t even wake Jesus up. Do you see the irony? Do you see the sarcasm of Jesus against the worst the world could dish up. And that’s the same for us. What is the worst the world can do to you? Even if it takes away your life we have eternal life in heaven – as Paul reminds us: See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! On that very first resurrection day the disciples were still living in fear. Their fear had locked the doors to the outside world. But Jesus came in despite the locked doors and spoke those same words he spoke to the wind and the waves. Peace be with you. Jesus peace can drive out all our fear.

 

And Paul lists some of the fears confronting him: Afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; And Jesus’ peace replaced them with: Purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God. Not by his own strength but with the same strength David discovered against Goliath: With the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute.

 

So each day, be intentional in putting on the armour of God: With the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace with the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Because remember, as Paul said when speaking about the armour of God:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. But with the full armor of God, you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. And it’s why Jesus can with confidence say - “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

Sermon 16th June 2024 – 4th Sunday after Pentecost Text: 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13 – looks can be deceiving

 Sermon 16^th June 2024 – 4^th Sunday after Pentecost

Text: 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13 – looks can be deceiving

 

Most of us would be aware of the saying – don’t judge a book by its cover. The meaning of this being that sometimes the true beauty of something is hidden from plain sight. And yet this is something that does not come naturally to us. We don’t really have the ability to see inside something so our initial thoughts on something is what we can see. We judge people by what we see on the outside. We judge by the clothes they are wearing. We judge by the way they keep themselves – their hair, their smell, their grooming. One of the first questions we might ask is – what work do you do.

 

St James warns against that in the church when he says: My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Whether it’s a car, a house, clothes, hygiene, or any item – first appearances create immediate impressions. How many people have bought a 2nd hand car because it looked great on the outside – great paint job – not dents or scratches, low mileage – only to find out it’s a lemon. But it’s our natural instinct.

 

It was also the instinct that Samuel was tempted with today when he was told by God that he was going to replace King Saul with a new King. He would be one of the sons of Jesse. So he goes to the house of Jesse and, as was custom, the first born was presented before Samuel. And Samuel was mesmerised:

When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.” And that’s when we hear the nature of God revealed: “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. We don’t know what God saw in the heart of Eliab but we do know is that God sees through all the surface things that we might look at when we are making judgments.

 

All of Jesse’s sons were presented and none were chosen by God. Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?”  Well, there is the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep. It’s easy to fall into the same error as Samuel – to look at the outer and miss the true inner beauty of things and people. It makes you wonder just how much of God’s amazing creation we miss because we look so shallow. The sacraments are a perfect example.

 

We look at a few splashes of water and wonder what difference that can make against all the evil and violence in the world that we see. But it is as Paul said in our 2nd reading about the comfort that comes from being a Child of God: We are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord-- for we walk by faith, not by sight. So even though, as Paul said, we are “away from the Lord”, the Lord Jesus is not away from us. He made that promise in our Baptism – I am with you always. What we SEE brings us despair, fear, a sense of hopelessness. But what our faith brings us is HOPE – and hope never disappoints us.

 

The same comfort comes in Holy Communion. What do we see? A piece of bread? A sip of wine?

What are these compared to all the things being thrown at me – the climate crisis, the economic crisis, the war crisis, my health crisis drugs crisis, crime crisis, pandemic crisis. Well, again, the comfort is hidden behind the surface – the body and blood of Christ, in, with and under the bread and wine – to again give us assurance that while we are away from the Lord, the Lord is not away from us: This IS my body – this IS my blood.

 

That’s why Luther, when explaining the sacraments said: How can water do such great things? It is not the water that does these things, but the Word of God which is in and with the water, and faith which trusts this Word of God in the water. And the same with Holy Communion: How can eating and drinking do such great things? It is not just eating and drinking that do these things, but the words written here: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” These words, along with the bodily eating and drinking, are the main thing in the Sacrament. Whoever believes these words has exactly what they say: “forgiveness of sins.”

 

So, we don’t judge a book by its cover. And we don’t judge God’s beautiful creation by what we see but by what God has promised. And perhaps when you look in the mirror you don’t see what God sees. Maybe you don’t see a person loved by God. A person worthy of God’s love and forgiveness. Israel were reminded of this when Moses pondered why God would choose them out of all the mighty nations in the world he could have chosen. This stiff neck people who grumbled every time things didn’t go their way – who kept wanting to go back to Egypt – who replaced God at first opportunity with a Golden Calf.

Moses tells Israel as they are about to enter the promised land: The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you.

 

God knows exactly what he chose when he chose you –  As St Paul says in Romans 5 –  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. God always surprises us by his grace. It is only we who put conditions on God’s love on us and others. God surprises us, as Jesus says in today’s parable: The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.

 

So if you undervalue yourself or others then you are undervaluing God. If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! And, as St Paul says in Ephesians 2 - we are God’s masterpiece created anew in Christ Jesus to do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Sermon 9th June 2024 – 3rd Sunday after Pentecost Text: 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 – Freedom of speech

 Sermon 9^th June 2024 – 3^rd Sunday after Pentecost

Text: 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 – Freedom of speech

Freedom of speech is a topic that has been greatly debated in recent times especially with all the conflict going on around the world. People are being harassed and even stopped by police for supporting their beliefs if it goes against the popular opinion. On Australia Day we have seen people stopped by police because they are holding Australian flags because it might cause incitement against those who are gathering to protest against it. We’ve seen the same with recent conflicts of the Israel/Palestinian conflicts and the Russian and Ukraine conflicts. And so the question often arises about what if my Christian values go against the popular opinion. Should I keep my views to myself?

It’s a difficult situation because we should not purposely say things publicly to incite argument but we should be able to defend our beliefs if they come under attack. We’ve seen it in sport where some Muslim and Christian footballers refuse to wear sporting gear during Pride games. Some are criticized for their stance – others are praised for standing up for their beliefs. And once you make your beliefs public you can make yourself vulnerable. We’ve seen examples of shop fronts, politicians’ offices and places of worship vandalized and smothered with graffiti because of their public stand on an issue.

There may come a time when you are in a situation where people are mocking Jesus – mocking the church – maybe even mocking you. To defend your faith may in fact make you vulnerable. St Paul had that same risk when he converted to Christianity. He was of a sect that despised Christians. He was, in fact, appointed to go to Damascus and arrest anyone who proclaimed to be a Christians. And on the way he is met by Jesus from Heaven. He falls to his knees and is converted. He is baptized and then sent to be a missionary for Jesus. But that meant he was now going to be at odds with the sect he had previously belonged to. What should he do?

Well he says in our reading today: Just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—“I believed, and so I spoke” —we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence.

Paul said - I believed, and so I spoke. Yes it meant he was now vulnerable but he saw the importance of sharing the good news greater than the consequence. He said - everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. And even though he faced enormous persecution for his witness he realized that he had to keep going. He said - So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

And so elsewhere he said –

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. And again, elsewhere, Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.

Even Jesus found rejection by his own people and family as we heard in our Gospel reading: When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind. Maybe some of your friends and family feel “you’re out of your mind” for believing what many believe is a lie or fairy tale. And sometimes we may even lose family and friends over it as Jesus pointed out today:

They came and said to Jesus: Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

But, Jesus says elsewhere, there are blessings for those who suffer for their faith – Truly I tell you, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.

So Jesus recognizes that persecution may indeed come our way – but along with that eternal life, as Paul also said today: For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Speaking up is not easy as it makes you vulnerable. Some people find it easy but having said that we also need to be mindful that our first call as Christians is to example the Christian faith through love as Jesus says – love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Our calling is not to attack and retaliate. In fact James say our call is to stand firm on our faith when he says: Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. And Peter says the same when he says: But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

So if you’ve missed an opportunity to stand up for your faith, don’t worry, there’ll be other opportunities. And when the time is right you’ll know it, which is what Jesus also said elsewhere: They will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. And so you will bear testimony to me. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

In fact Jesus said that this may even be to those closest to us, like in today’s Gospel: You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. Stand firm, and you will win life.

So, as Paul says – don’t lose heart.  The Christian faith is witnessed often just by the way we live. As the saying goes – actions speak louder than words.

Remember what Jesus said – love one another as I have loved you and by this everyone will know that you are my disciples. And even if you are rejected, remember what Paul said: We know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.