Category Archives: Sermons

Christmas Eve: The Purpose of Christmas

The Purpose of Christmas from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Trains were humming, loudspeakers blaring, porters rushing about shouting at one another, and altogether there was so much noise that Mr Brown, who saw him first, had to tell his wife several times before she understood. ‘A bear? On Paddington station?’ Mrs Brown looked at her husband in amazement. ‘Don’t be silly, Henry. There can’t be!” “Seeing that something was expected of it the bear stood up and politely raised its hat, revealing two black ears. ‘Good afternoon,’ it said, in a small clear voice … The bear puffed out its chest. ‘I’m a very rare sort of bear,’ he replied importantly. ‘There aren’t many of us left where I come from.’ ‘And where is that?’ asked Mrs Brown. The bear looked round carefully before replying. ‘Darkest Peru. I’m not really supposed to be here at all. I’m a stowaway.'”[1]

Michael Bond’s marmalade sandwich-loving Peruvian bear first appeared in 1958’s A Bear Called Paddington. Now the star of his very own film, Paddington, is a charming and funny adventure about a very polite and friendly orphan bear who yearns for adoption and new home in London.

At the Carol Services, we realised that we are all a little like Paddington, orphaned, lost, vulnerable, in need of adoption. But tonight, because the children should all be fast asleep by now, I want us to consider “Paddington Bear for Grownups”. Michael Bond, Paddington’s creator, says the inspiration came from seeing Jewish evacuee children pass through Reading railway station from London during the Kindertransport of the late 1930s. “They all had a label round their neck with their name and address on, and a little case or package containing all their treasured possessions. So Paddington, in a sense, was a refugee, and I do think that there’s no sadder sight than refugees.”[2]

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On Active Service: Three Priorities in War and Peace

“High Noon” released in 1952, starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly, is one of my favourite films. Gary Cooper was the sheriff of a small western town. Earlier a gang of four outlaw brothers had terrorized the town. The sheriff had brought them to justice and sent them to prison. 

In prison they vowed that when they got out they would kill the sheriff. The movie focuses on one particular day. The sheriff has just married Grace Kelly. She happens to be a devout Quaker utterly opposed to all violence. The sheriff resigns from law enforcement and the couple are to leave town on their honeymoon. He is going to start a new life as a rancher. Suddenly word comes that the outlaw brothers have been released from prison and are due to arrive that very day on the noon train. Everybody urges the couple to get out of town quickly. They ride away, but the sheriff is troubled. Finally, he turns the wagon around and heads back to town, much to the consternation of his bride.

He cannot stand to run away from his old enemies. He pins the badge back on his shirt. Quickly he tries to round up a posse. It’s a Sunday morning. Lots of people are in church. The sheriff interrupts the service, explains the emergency, and asks the men of the congregation to help him form a posse. Several people stand up and respond. One of them says, “We’d like to help you, Sheriff, but we’re not trained gunmen. That’s what we hire sheriffs for.” Then another says, “You know, Sheriff, we Christians don’t believe in violence.” Still another says, “Sheriff, you’re a brave man but it would probably have been wiser if you had not come back to town.”

The Sheriff turns and walks out in disgust. In the background you hear Tex Ritter singing the theme song-“I do not know what fate awaits me; I only know I must be brave, and I must face the man who hates me, or lie a coward, a craven coward, or lie a coward in my grave.”

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Praise my soul the King of Heaven

139834321The “Pillars of Hercules,” which flank the entrance to the Straits of Gibraltar between Africa and Europe were from Roman times associated with the Latin phrase ne plus ultra, meaning “No More Beyond.” Certainly no one dared question the prevailing belief that there was nothing beyond the horizon. That was until 1492 when Christopher Columbus boldly sailed westward and discovered the New World. On his return, Spain celebrated with a new national logo. Coins were struck with two words: plus ultra meaning “More Beyond”. We are here tonight for this special remembrance service because ‘out of sight’ does not mean ‘out of mind’. But is there more beyond? More than simply the act of remembering the past? The Christian hope is that there is a new world beyond our horizon. Our Psalm this evening teaches us to look beyond our limited horizon, beyond what we can see, feel or touch. Psalm 103 inspires us to feel the heart beat of God’s love and realise there is indeed yet ‘more beyond’ our horizon to discover. More of God’s character to understand. More of his purposes to discover.

More of his love to experience. More of his commission to fulfil. More of his justice to proclaim. More of his love to share. More of his glory to praise. Psalm 103 inspired Henry Francis Lyte to write one of the most opopular hymns in the English language “Praise my soul the King of heaven”. No wonder. We have here in Psalm 103 the authentic utterance of a redeemed child of God, who piles up words to express his gratitude to the God of grace. There are three sections to the Psalm.

God’s personal blessings (Psalm 103:1-5).
God’s Covenant Mercy (Psalm 103:8-18).
God’s Universal Dominion (Psalm 103:19-22).

Let us consider them in turn and discern whether there is indeed “more beyond”  Continue reading →

The Pentecostal Spirit for Power Evangelism

Scientists have proven that birthdays are good for you, the more you have, the longer you live. Norman Wisdom once said, “As you get older, three things happen: The first is your memory goes, and I can’t remember the other two.” Inside every older person is a younger person, wondering what on earth happened.  In a couple of weeks we will celebrate the 176th birthday of Christ Church. Today we remember the birthday of the Church under three headings: the context, the message and the experience of Pentecost. Please turn with me to Acts 2.

  1. The Context of Pentecost

To make sense of Pentecost we must see it within its biblical and historical context. The most obvious is:

1.1 The Confusion of Languages at the Tower of Babel

There is clearly an obvious parallel with the Tower of Babel. In Genesis when people tried to make a name for themselves and build a tower reaching to heaven, God cursed them by confusing their languages and scattering them across the earth (Genesis 11:1-9). On the Day of Pentecost people “from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5) came together in Jerusalem and were able to hear the same good news of “the wonderful works of God” in their own languages (Acts 2:11). At the cross of Jesus, the curse of the Tower of Babel had been removed. The good news of Jesus is for all peoples. He is building a church of all nations. The Tower of Babel. Continue reading →

Harvest Festival

Why do we celebrate Harvest Festival? The Bible mentions Harvest a lot! Lets consider Harvest past, present and future.

Harvest Past – When did Harvest Begin?

Do you know when the first Harvest Festival took place?

“In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.” (Genesis 4:3-4)

From the very beginning and right through history, people have given back to God some of what he has given them. Harvest Festival began as a way of saying “thank you”.

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Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath

unnamedRemember when you were at school and you were told that science and religion were incompatible?  You were told to choose between scientific facts and religious faith? Well, not any more! “Scientists turn to God to save the planet” was the headline in the Independent on Friday.

“Two of the world’s leading scientists have made an unprecedented call on religious leaders to spark a “massive mobilisation of public opinion”, insisting that only through God can we save the environment.

Writing in the journal Science, Cambridge University’s Partha Dasgupta and Veerabhadran Ramanathan, of the University of California, have made an impassioned plea for help in curbing the “potentially catastrophic” effects of what they call “the ongoing abuse of the planet’s natural resources”.

Naomi Oreskes, professor of history of science at Harvard University, said the call was a remarkable development in the world of climate science.

“This is a watershed moment. For 20 years, scientists have been reluctant to speak out on the need to change business as usual for fear of being labelled ‘political’ and reluctant to address the moral dimensions of climate change for fear of being labelled ‘unscientific’,” she said… “I think a lot of people see the religious contribution as a cosy topic which we should only discuss on Sunday mornings, but it could prove decisive.”[1]

I think you will agree that so far, this sermon series on Jesus and Creation has been far from a ‘cosy topic’ only for ‘Sunday mornings’. Some of us have been troubled and disturbed as we have considered the devastating consequences of climate change globally, especially on the poor and vulnerable. From the scriptures we have been reminded that Jesus is Lord of Creation, and that we are responsible to him to be good stewards of the earth entrusted to us. Jesus is also Lord of the covenant God has made with the earth. All of creation is connected, all of creation is significant and all of creation is to be cherished.

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Howard Snyder says:

“Here is the biblical basis for a theology of creation care. In the biblical view, earth’s creatures and species are to be “stewarded” for four key reasons: God created them; God delights in them; we depend on them; they are part of God’s larger plan…. [because] Salvation Means Creation Healed.” Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath rest too.  Continue reading →

The Acts of the Apostles: An Introduction

The Acts of the Apostles: An Introduction from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

We are going on a journey this term.[1] A journey back to the first few years of the life of the early church, from its small beginnings in Jerusalem to the day the gospel finally reached the centre of the known world, Rome. We will be discovering how the Holy Spirit inspired and energised the followers of Jesus to fulfil the Great Commission to proclaim the gospel and make disciples of all nations. Standing between the Gospels and the Epistles, the Book of Acts is a bridge between the life of Jesus and the ministry of the Apostles. As such, it provides invaluable insights into the Missionary strategy and methodology of the early Church. In this introduction we want to consider the authorship, the purpose, the themes, and an outline of the Book of Acts.

The Title of Acts

The title of Acts is somewhat misleading, for only a few of the apostles of Jesus are mentioned in the book. In reality, Acts relates primarily to the missionary journeys of Peter and Paul, and involves a time-span of about 32 years– from the Ascension of Jesus (about A. D. 30) to Paul’s imprisonment in Rome (about A. D. 62).

It could however just as easily be titled “The Acts of the Lord Jesus” or more accurately “The Continuing Acts of the Lord Jesus” for Acts 1:1 reads,

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Jesus is Lord of the Covenant: Genesis 9

Global sea levels rose about 17 centimeters (6.7 inches) in the last century. The rate in the last decade, however, is nearly double that of the last century. But that is only one indicator of global warming. CO2 levels reached record levels in 2013, according to new figures published by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). They show that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased last year at the fastest rate for nearly 30 years, and currently 142% higher than levels in 1750, before the start of the industrial revolution. Michel Jarraud, secretary general of the WMO said, “We must reverse this trend by cutting emissions … We are running out of time.” Atmospheric CO2 is resulting in the increased acidification of the seas. Every day, the oceans take up about 4kg of CO2 per person. Globally that equates to 24 billion kilos daily. Based on ice samples taken from deep under the Antarctic surface, the current rate of acidification is unprecedented in over 300 million years. What is the effect of all this? The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2014 report insists that, at our present trajectory, we could see a devastating 5C or even 6C of warming by 2100.[1]

Want to know what 5C would look like? Not for the faint hearted.

Such a rise … would have cataclysmic and irreversible consequences for the Earth, making large parts of the planet uninhabitable and threatening the basis of human civilisation… It would cause a mass extinction of almost all life and probably reduce humanity to a few struggling groups of embattled survivors clinging to life near the poles… Very few species could adapt in time… With the tropics too hot to grow crops, and the sub-tropics too dry, billions of people would find themselves in areas of the planet which are essentially uninhabitable… Hundreds of millions will also be forced to move inland due to rapidly-rising seas. As world food supplies crash, the higher mid-latitude and sub-polar regions would become fiercely-contested refuges. The British Isles, indeed, might become one of the most desirable pieces of real estate on the planet. But, with a couple of billion people knocking on our door, things might quickly turn rather ugly.”[3]

To avoid this, we need a dramatic reduction in fossil fuel use replaced by the use of renewable energy. Jarraud says, “We have the knowledge and the tools … to try keep temperature increases within 2C to give our planet a chance and to give our children and grandchildren a future. Pleading ignorance can no longer be an excuse for not acting.”[4]

Last week, we began this short series of studies on “Jesus, Creation and Climate Change”. We read Psalm 24 and discovered “Jesus is Lord of all Creation”.

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Psalm 24: Jesus is Lord of all Creation

Global sea level rose about 17 centimeters (6.7 inches) in the last century. The rate in the last decade, however, is nearly double that of the last century. All three major global surface temperature reconstructions show that Earth has warmed since 1880… the 20 warmest years having occurred since 1981 and all 10 of the warmest years occurred in the past 12 years. Glaciers are retreating almost everywhere — including in the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska and Africa. NASA data show Greenland is losing between 150 to 250 cubic kilometers (36 to 60 cubic miles) of ice every year. Antarctica is losing another 152 cubic kilometers (36 cubic miles) of ice per year.[1] The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change or IPCC (2,500 of the world’s top climate scientists) predicts temperature rises of between 1.5°C and 4.8°C by the end of this century. If global warming of more than 2°C is not avoided, impacts from extreme weather will lead to significant food shortages, large-scale migration and inevitable wars and conflict.[2]

But not everyone is convinced. Dave Bookless in Planetwise writes,

“Many people say climate change is the biggest threat our world faces today. I beg to differ. Its not that I doubt the scientific consensus on the threats posed by melting ice-caps, changing weather systems and warming oceans. Nor am I blind to the terrible effects these … are already having, on wildlife, the poor, and ultimately all of us. The reason is this: Climate change is a symptom of a far bigger problem. Imagine if… science had discovered a ‘cure’ for climate change: a magical solution to absorb all the excess greenhouse gases. Imagine that the … clock was turned back … 200 years of industrial pollution were no longer going to cause ice-caps to melt, oceans to expand, forests and coral reefs to die and hundreds of millions of people to be forced to migrate. Would we then have a perfect world with no environmental problems? Sadly… ‘no’. Forests would still be destroyed, oceans over-fished, resources over-exploited… Dangerous pesticides and chemicals would still be causing huge problems to ecosystems and human health. People in rich nations would still be consuming enormous amounts of the earth’s resources and living energy-hungry lifestyles, while those in poor countries would struggle just as hard to find food and water… Climate change is simply the most obvious symptom of a much, much deeper sickness… we have got our relationship with the planet all wrong… we have been living in a way that simply cannot continue. We cannot solve this problem simply by better technology and a few hard political choices. It goes deeper than that, right to the heart of who we are. We need to rethink not just how we treat the planet and its creatures, but who on earth we think we are as human beings.”[3]

Last week, US Secretary of State John Kerry said it was our biblical “duty” to confront climate change.

“Our faiths are inextricably linked on the environment. For many of us, respect for God’s creation also translates into a duty to protect and sustain his first creation, Earth, the planet. Confronting climate change is, in the long run, one of the greatest challenges that we face, and you can see this duty or responsibility laid out in Scriptures clearly, beginning in Genesis. And Muslim-majority countries are among the most vulnerable. Our response to this challenge ought to be rooted in a sense of stewardship of Earth, and for me and for many of us here today, that responsibility comes from God”.[4]

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