Category Archives: Sermons

How Can I Serve with Full Devotion?

Please make yourself comfortable.  Now please cross your arms. Not hard was it? Glance down and notice the position of your hands and arms.  O.K. Relax, unfold your arms. Now I’d like you to do it again. But this time, put the arm that was underneath on top and the arm that was on top underneath. In other words, reverse your arms. Got it? I can see some of you are having difficulty. It wasn’t as easy to do this time, was it? Did it feel awkward? Uncomfortable? You really had to think about it. The first time it was natural, it didn’t require any thought, because that’s your preferred way of doing it.  We each cross our arms in a certain way, and no arm crossing technique is right or wrong, good or bad. They are just different.  And arm crossing is typical of just about everything we think and do.  That is my first point.

1. Recognise our Unique God-given Personalities

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.” (10:38-39)

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Serving: What has love got to do with it?

What has love got to do with it? from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Yesterday our daughter, Louise was married to Hillman here at Christ Church. They are beginning a new life together in Hong Kong. It must surely be rare for parents with three beautiful daughters, to have them all get married in the same year.  I was in South Sudan recently. My hosts were in awe at how wealthy I must surely have become as a result. In Dinka culture the father of the bride receives many cattle in exchange for each daughter. I had to explain that our society was not as enlightened and that I would probably have to wait until Michael gets married before starting my herd.

Our reading today is 1 Corinthians 13, the famous “love” chapter. It is probably most widely read at weddings. True, it is indeed the most beautiful description of love in the Bible – yet the context of the passage is not about marriage. The context is clear – I Corinthians 13 is sandwiched between teaching about spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 and chapter 14. Why is that? Because, like marriage, Christian ministry is not primarily about gifts and talents, its about serving in love.

These three chapters explain the relationship between the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit. In this series on service and on Pledge Sunday, I want us to consider our motivation for all that we do. What is driving us – really driving us? What is our motivation in giving? In serving? I have three headings:

Love is Essential in Service (12:31-13:3)
Love is Expressed in Relationship (13:4-8)
Love is Evidence of Maturity (13:8-13)

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Unarmed but Dangerous: Spiritual Gifts Today

“It wasn’t too long after creation that the animals got together to form a school. They wanted the best school possible; one that offered each student a well-rounded curriculum of swimming, running, climbing and flying. In order to graduate the animals agreed that they would each have to take all the courses. The duck was excellent at swimming. In fact, he was better than his instructor, but he was only making passing grades at climbing and was getting a very poor grade in running. The duck was so slow in running that he had to stay after school every day to practice. Even with that, there was little improvement. His webbed feet got badly worn from running and with such worn feet he would then only be able to get half his grade in swimming. Now average was quite acceptable to everyone else, so no one worried much about it except the duck. Now the rabbit was top of her class in running, but after a while she developed a twitch in her leg from all the time she spent in the water trying to improve her swimming.

The squirrel was a natural in climbing, but was constantly frustrated in flying class. His body became so bruised from all the hard landings that he didn’t do too well in climbing and ended up being pretty poor in running. The eagle was a continual problem student. She was disciplined for being nonconformist. For example, in climbing class she would always beat everyone else to the top of the tree, but insisted on using her own way to get there. Each of the animals had a particular area of expertise. When they did what they were designed to do they excelled. When they tried to operate outside their area of expertise, they were frustrated and ineffective. Can ducks run? Of course they can. Is that what they do best? Definitely not!

Just as every animal has been designed uniquely for survival, so every Christian has been given unique gifts and talents to grow the Church, the Body of Christ.[i] We were planned for God’s pleasure. This is our deepest need, our first and most fundamental purpose in life. To know God and enjoy him forever. Our second purpose in life is to discover we were formed for God’s family. In his family we find a place to belong., a place to serve and be fruitful, a place to grow.

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Why are we wired so differently?

Why are we wired so differently? (1 Corinthians 12) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

What was your worst life experience ever? Do you ever reflect back on the trauma and with the passage of time, now see the hand of God at work, even in your darkest moment?  A while back I spent an eventful night visiting various local emergency health centres after three different antibiotics had failed to deal with an infection. A subsequent enforced stay in hospital left me physically drained but curiously refreshed and deeply aware about what matters most to me in life. I can’t say I found spending a wakeful night in pain lying on a 2.6 wide trolley in Accident & Emergency exactly heaven. Or indeed the next few days in a ward at St Peters.

I did however meet many angels from a wide range of countries serving in the NHS.  In the space of 72 hours, as I observed the world going by my temporary home on wheels, in my enforced child-like dependence, I realised that a hospital is far more than just a loose collection of doctors and nurses. It is a highly disciplined, multi-dimensional 24 x 7 operation including paramedics and ambulance crews, receptionists and porters, nursing staff, auxiliary’s, ward sisters, surgeons, anaesthetists, junior doctors, consultants, pharmacists, technicians, lab assistants, cleaners, chefs and a hospital chaplaincy team. These highly qualified and deeply motivated guardian angels, used their skills and talents with one objective in mind – to help me get well again. Each has been trained, equipped and recruited for a specific role within that organisation. Each knows their job description, what is expected of them and to whom they are accountable. Despite their different uniforms, positions and titles, most have one thing in common – the desire to serve, to heal the sick, listen to the troubled, counsel the confused and comfort the dying, with patience, grace and humour. Continue reading →

What are you really passionate about?

What are you passionate about? I mean really passionate about? Or put another way, What do you care about most?  It may be a burden we carry, a call we’ve received, a dream we have, or a vision we’ve glimpsed. Whatever you call it, passion is the God-given desire to make a difference somewhere. What you are passionate about? We are all passionate about someone or something.

It might be your wife or your husband, a girlfriend or a boyfriend, maybe its your children, your grandchildren, your family, a hobby, some cause, a sport or maybe the armed forces. Today we are remembering with gratitude those who gave their lives in the service of their country. Passionate about defending our country. Passionate about protecting our democracy. Passionate enough to give their lives. You may not be called to give your life up but if you are a Christian you have been called to invest your life in His majesty’s service. What are you passionate about?  Others can easily tell even if you can’t. When someone asks you about your passion, you come alive, your eyes open wide, your pupils dilate, you raise your voice, you become animated, your skin has more colour, you can’t stop talking about it, you feel energized. What are you passionate about? In John’s gospel we find Jesus encouraging us to be passionate about three things. To develop a passion for God, a passion for the Church and a passion for the lost.

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Does God have a Purpose for my Life?

Does God have a Purpose for my Life? from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Over the next few weeks we are going to discover God’s plan for his Church and your place within it.

Each week we will ask one question. As we begin the series today, the question I want us to answer is this, “Does God have a purpose for my life?” Yes he does. In fact the Bible tells us that God has at least five purposes for our lives.

  1. We were planned for God’s pleasure – to know him and love him (John 17:3).
  2. We were formed for God’s family – to find a spiritual home and family (Acts 2:42).
  3. We were created to become like Christ – revealing his character (Galatians 5:22-23).
  4. We were shaped for serving God – with a unique mix of talents, skills and passion for serving in the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12).
  5. We were made for a mission – to introduce other people to God’s five purposes for them too – to win, build and send (Matthew 28:18-20).

Without knowing our God-given purpose we can so easily become driven by destructive influences. Here are three of the most common that drive people.

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Jesus the True Emancipator

Nadim Nasser : Jesus is the True Emancipator 1 from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

The Revd Nadim Nasser, Director of the Awareness Foundation, preached at Christ Church on the story of the life changing encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman in the Gospel of John chapter 4. Nadim is the only Syrian priest serving in the Anglican Church.

His second sermon at Christ Church was a little different so here it is:

Jesus the True Emancipator 2 from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Christianity in the Middle East: Living Faith or Museum Piece?

There will be a special public lecture by The Revd Nadim Nassar, Director of the Awareness Foundation, at Southwark Cathedral on Tuesday 23rd October 2012.

Doors open at 6.30 pm, and the lecture starts at 6.45 pm. After the lecture, there will be time for questions.

Tickets are £10 each (£5 each for Friends of the Awareness Foundation). Tickets are available from the Awareness Foundation or telephone 020 7730 8830.

The Awareness Foundation is an educational, ecumenical and international charity, founded in 2003 in response to the disturbing increase in religious conflict and violence around the world. Our Patron is the Archbishop of Canterbury.

We work to help Christians make sense of their faith and culture in the 21st century, and to increase their awareness of their neighbours’ faiths and cultures, so that they can live in a diverse society without fear and without compromising their beliefs. We believe that greater understanding among religions and among peoples will ultimately defeat extremism, and help nurture an environment where people can live together in peace.

You can learn more about us by clicking here.

Click here to meet our staff..

 

 

 

Jesus is the Bridegroom

Jesus is the Bridegroom from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

The prosecuting lawyer calls his first witness to the stand in a trial—a grandmotherly, elderly woman with white hair. He approaches her and asks, “Mrs. Jones, do you know me?” “Why, yes” she responds, “I do know you Mr. Williams. I’ve known you since you were a young boy. And frankly, you’ve been a big disappointment to me. You lie; you cheat on your wife. You manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you are a rising big shot when you have not the brains to realize you never will amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you.” The lawyer is stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he points across the room and asks, “Mrs. Williams, do you know the defence lawyer?” “Why, yes I do too,” she replies, “I’ve known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, like you. I used to baby sit him for his parents. And he, too, has been a real disappointment to me. He is lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. The man cannot build a normal relationship with anyone and his law firm is one of the most dubious in the entire county. Yes, I know him.” At this point, the judge raps his gavel and calls the courtroom to order. Asking both lawyers to approach the bench he whispers with menace, “If either of you asks her if she knows me, you’ll be jailed for contempt!”[1]  Three preliminary observations. Continue reading →

Jesus is the Lamb of God

A Highland farmer was overseeing his animals in a remote mountainous pasture when suddenly a brand-new BMW coupe appeared out of a dust cloud towards him. The driver, a young man in a white Armani suit, Ray Ban sunglasses, YSL tie, and Mediterranean tan, leans out the window and asks in a perfect Oxbridge accent, “If I tell you exactly how many cows and calves you have in your herd, Will you give me a calf?”

The farmer looks at the man, obviously a yuppie, then looks at his peacefully grazing flock and calmly answers, “Sure, why not?” The yuppie parks his car, whips out his Mac Book Air, links by wifi to his iPhone 5. He turns on his Garmin Nuvi sat nav to get an exact fix on his location, uploads his location to a NATO satellite which then creates a series of ultra-high-resolution images of the hillsides around him. Downloading the photos via a real time image enhancing facility in Hamburg, Germany, within seconds, he prints out the full-colour, 150 page report on his portable LaserJet printer. Taking off his Ray Bans, the young man unbuttons his Armani jacket and smiles to reveal two rows of perfect ultra-white teeth. Turning to the farmer he says, “You have 1,586 cows and calves.” “That’s right. Well then, I guess you can take one of my ‘calves’,” says the farmer. He watches the young man select one of the animals.

He looks on amused as the young man stuffs it into the trunk of his car. Then the farmer says to the young man, “Now, if I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me back my calf and your sunglasses?” The young man thinks about it for a second and then says, “Okay, why not?” The farmer looks up, scratches his stubble, leans on his stick and says, “You’re one of those non-elected ‘special advisors’ to the Prime Minister working for one of them publically funded Quangos with offices in Westminster but living tax free in Brussels aren’t you?”, says the farmer. “Wow! That’s correct,” says the yuppie, “but how did you guess all that?” “No guessing was required” answered the farmer. “You showed up here even though nobody called you; you want to get paid for an answer I already knew, to a question I don’t need to ask. And you really don’t know a thing about cows…this is a herd of sheep. Now give me back my sheep dog.”

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