Author Archives: Stephen Sizer

How to Receive Communion Faithfully

Seven Habits of Fully Devoted Followers of Jesus:
Receiving Communion Faithfully (1 Corinthians 11:17-34)

Hands up if you were here last Sunday at 11.00am. Good. I think we have some unfinished business from last week. Our Spring sermon series is entitled what? Seven Habits of Fully Devoted Followers of Jesus. Remember the theme last week? “The Joy of Serving”. Now judging by some of your faces, and the number of response forms you gave Lesley, it seems some of you have yet to experience the joy of serving. Do you remember the difference between the wise and foolish builder in Jesus’ other parable? I wasn’t as direct in the application as I should have been. I don’t want to deprive you of the joy of the Lord.
He expects each and every one of us not only to hear him but also… put into practice what he says. He wants us all to serve him in and through his church. Now if you are not yet a believer, I’m not talking to you. If you are just passing through, I’m not talking to you either – at least not yet. But if you consider yourself a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ (or you want to be) and you consider yourself a member of Christ Church, please hear me. God is speaking to you right now. Don’t be like the foolish builder or like the lawyer who wanted to debate with Jesus. He heard lots of sermons but he didn’t what? Put them into practice. Right. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to build wisely – to serve joyfully. I don’t want you to miss out on the joy of serving. I know you took the serving leaflet home.

I know you filled it in, or at least you thought about it, you planned to, but you forgot. You just forgot to return it. That’s OK. We all do it. We live busy stressful lives all week and when we come to church we switch off… But I don’t any more sleepless nights worrying about you missing out on the joy of serving for one more week. So, help me get to sleep tonight. Take time over coffee to fill in one of those little biddy serving leaflets and slip it into Lesley’s hand and make her day. Or if you feel embarrassed, just slip it onto her desk while she’s not looking. Then you too can experience the joy of serving on one or more of our teams.

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OS SIONISTAS CRISTÃOS : Christian Zionism in Portuguese

OS SIONISTAS CRISTÃOS:

Na rota para o Armagedóm

As raízes históricas, a base
teológica e as consequências
políticas do envolvimento
cristão no conflito
árabe-israelense

I am grateful to Jair de Souza in Sao Paula, Brazil, for working on a Portuguese translation of my book Christian Zionism. You can download part of the introduction here

If you wish to receive a copy please email me

The Joy of Serving: Matthew 25

The Joy of Serving: Matthew 25 from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Do you know why dogs and cats are so different? A dog looks at you with those big brown eyes, cocks its head to one side and says to itself, “You love me, you feed me, you care for me, you take me for walks… you must be God”. A cat looks at you with those piercing green eyes and thinks to itself “You love me, you feed me, you care for me, you stroke me … I must be God”.

There are cat people and there are dog people. There are tennis people and there are golf people. Some people like to sleep with the windows open and some people prefer to sleep with the windows closed – and they are usually married to each other. Some people keep a pen and notepad by the telephone while other people just have children. There are breakfast people and there are people who don’t remember what breakfast is. There are A type people and there are the rest of you. There are Tigger people and there are Eyore people. There are blue sky optimist people and there are chicken little – sky falling in people. And every team has at least one of each. When it comes to finances, some are cheque book people and some are cash people. There are Harrods people and there are T.K. Maxx people. There are Waitrose shoppers and Aldi shoppers. There are carefully balanced every month cheque book people and there are shut the cheque account down every two years and start over people. There are people with stock brokers and there are people perfectly capable of going broke without them. And you know who you are. Jesus says that ultimately, there are only two kinds of people – the sheep people and the goat people. Do you know which you are?

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.” (Matthew 25:31-33)

Lets find out how Jesus distinguishes one from the other. And lets make sure we know which we are and which we want to be. We can make five simple observations from this passage:

Read more here cc-vw.org/sermons/matthew25.htm

With God on our Side: UK Film Launch

With God on our Side: Film Launch on Sunday 28th February, Christ Church, Virginia Water, GU25 4PT, 2:30pm

“With God On Our Side takes a look at the theology of Christian Zionism, which teaches that because the Jews are God’s chosen people, they have a divine right to the land of Israel. Aspects of this belief system lead some Christians in the West to give uncritical support to Israeli government policies, even those that privilege Jews at the expense of Palestinians, leading to great suffering among Muslim and Christian Palestinians alike and threatening Israel’s security as a whole.

This film demonstrates that there is a biblical alternative for Christians who want to love and support the people of Israel, a theology that doesn’t favor one people group over another but instead promotes peace and reconciliation for both Jews and Palestinians.”

Middle Eastern Perceptions of Western Christians

Issue of “Balance” When Sharing the Palestinian Narrative

Gary Burge on the Biblical View of Justice & the Middle East

The title for our film, “With God on Our Side” was inspired by the verse:

…while Joshua was there near Jericho: He looked up and saw right in front of him a man standing, holding his drawn sword. Joshua stepped up to him and said, “Whose side are you on—ours or our enemies’?” He said, “Neither. I’m commander of God’s army. Joshua 5:13-14a (The Message)

We believe this verse is still true today, that God does not take sides with certain people groups, nations or agendas. Rather He is for all people. Throughout history, those who have claimed God was on their side have used it to justify atrocities done in the name of Jesus. We believe once again certain Christians are approaching the people in the Middle East claiming God is on their side in a way that disregards human rights and gives unilateral support to a secular State, elevates one people group over another while using the Bible as justification. We believe there is a better way, a way of justice, peace and love for Jews and Palestinians. One that is inclusive, not exclusive. That is the heart of God.

See http://www.withgodonourside.com

Murchison Falls

Murchison Falls from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

In between the two Christianity Explored conferences in Kiwoko and Bweyale, the team spent 24 hours at the Paraa Safari Lodge near Murchison Falls. Here are two really short videos to wet your appetite…

Murchison Falls Safari Park from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Christianity Explored Swahili Launch: Bishop Stanley Ntagali

Bishop Stanley Ntagali Launches Christianity Explored in Swahili from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Bishop Stanley Ntagali of Masindi, Uganda, speaks at the launch of the Swahili translation of Christianity Explored in Bweyale, in January 2010.

A high proportion of the residents in the area are refugees and live in resettlement camps. The hope is that those trained will help resource other churches to use CE Swahili into Sudan and Congo as well as Tanzania and Kenya.

Uganda is a country of striking beauty with a bright future but with momentous demographic and economic challenges ahead. With God’s help, The Church of Uganda, with its schools and hospitals, as in Kiwoko and Bweyale, will help its people realise their full potential, to the glory of God and the extension of his kingdom.

You can view photographs taken last year here:

Kiwoko Hospital
Kiwoko Christianity Explored
Kiwoko

Bweyale
Bweyale Christianity Explored

Luweero
Children
Black Africa
On the Road
Kampala

Professor Scott Elias: Global warming – more than just an Inconvenient Truth

Next Sunday, 7th February, we are hosting a seminar at Christ Church on Climate Change with Professor Scott Elias of Royal Holloway, University of London from 3:00-5:00pm. All welcome.

Professor Scott Elias will give us the latest evidence for climate change. You will not want to miss this event. Do invite your friends.

“Since the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made its last assessment of global warming in 2007, new data have emerged that point ever more clearly to the growing threat of climate change, and mankind’s role in creating these problems. It is now clear that human-induced climate change is already affecting both the physical environment (e.g., rising temperatures, melting sea ice, etc.) and the biological world (e.g., changes in ecosystems, threats to the habitats of many species). Global precipitation trends have also been linked to human induced global warming.

These changes include increased precipitation in Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes, drier Northern Hemisphere tropics and subtropics, and wetter Southern Hemisphere tropics. The magnitude of these changes is greater than what has been predicted in previous climate models, and may already be affecting ecosystems, agriculture, and human health in some regions.

The world’s oceans are becoming acidified as more CO2 gas is dissolved in ocean waters. Ocean acidification threatens the world’s coral reefs, shellfish, and marine ecosystems generally. The latest estimates now predict that global sea level will rise between ½ and 2 meters by the end of this century, as much as four times the estimate made by IPCC in its 2007 report.

The situation is grim, but because it is human-caused, there is much we can do to remedy the situation. The whole world must take this problem seriously. Governments as well as individuals must act quickly.”

There is no Planet B.

“O Jerusalem”: Jesus and the Temple (Mark 11:1-25)

O Jerusalem: Jesus and the Temple (Mark 11:1-25) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

The Road from Jericho to Jerusalem is just 14 miles. A half-day’s journey, uphill all the way. Bethany is just on the other side of the Mount of Olives. A natural place to stop and rest before the final ascent and panoramic view of all Jerusalem. But it is not the road that should capture our attention. Dusty roads through dramatic scenery were as common then as now, indeed little has changed. Israeli checkpoints, barbed wire, military settlements and the Separation Barrier have replaced the Roman garrisons but it is still Occupied Territory. It is ironic that if Jesus were born in Blackpool he would have no problem getting from Jericho to Jerusalem today. But because he was born in Bethlehem he would not be able to make the journey to the Mount of Olives, let alone join the Palm Sunday procession into the Old City. Like thousands of West Bank Christians he would be unable to visit Jerusalem today. He would be turned back at a military checkpoint – because he was born in Bethlehem. Pray for your brothers and sisters today in the Holy Land who are denied the most basic of human rights – freedom of movement, freedom to worship, freedom to live in the land of their birth. In March, Bethlehem Bible College is hosting an international conference called “Christ at the Checkpoint” with Lynn Hybels, Tony Campolo and many other evangelicals. Come and meet Christ’s family living at the checkpoints.

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Richard Bewes on Mission and Revival

Richard Bewes speaks on Mission (Acts 17:16-23) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Richard Bewes, former Rector of All Soul’s, Langham Place, London, spoke at Christ Church, Virginia Water on Mission Sunday, 10th January 2010. In this sermon he draws out four principles of mission from the Apostle Paul’s encounter in Athens recorded in Acts 17.
In this sermon, he considers the mission lessons learnt from the story of Caleb in Joshua, and in particular, Caleb’s drive and energy, even as an 85 year old, to claim the promises of God.