Category Archives: Sermons

Christ in All the Scriptures: Esther – The Providence of God

When I was a child I was encouraged to read the newspaper every day. The most memorable page had the Snoopy cartoon. One of my favourites has Lucy asking Charlie Brown as they walk along: “Why do you think we’re put here on earth?” Charlie Brown answers: “To make others happy.” Lucy stops and reflects: “I don’t think I’m making anyone very happy. Of course nobody’s making me very happy either. Somebody’s not doing his job!” At home she asks her brother Linus, who is busy sucking his thumb and holding his blanket, for his opinion: “Charlie Brown says that we’re put here on earth to make others happy.” The surprised Linus said, “Is that why we’re here? I guess I’d better start doing a better job. I’d hate to be shipped back!’ The exasperated Lucy goes back to Charlie Brown to check if things have changed.  “Charlie Brown. You say we’re put here on earth to make others happy?” Charlie Brown affirms, “That’s right.” Sensing something is wrong, Lucy finally puts the question that is still bothering her: “so, what are others put here for then?”

One life. What’s it all about? In a world of six billion people, it is easy to underestimate the significance of one. It is easy to feel powerless given the overwhelming needs in our world. But the truth is, you are you, and the only you in the world. The power of one.

God has placed you here for a purpose. Edward Everett Hale put it like this:

I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

There is only one you. You are unique. God has wired you differently from every other person on this planet. Your upbringing, your appearance, your voice, your skills, your values and convictions, your personality, your sphere of influence – you are the only one who can fulfil God’s purposes for you. Behind every movement, every political party, every battle, every discovery, every treaty, every declaration and every accomplishment are …. Individuals like you and I.

History is the story of individuals who have made a difference. Scientists, inventors, explorers, musicians, politicians, statesman, teachers, missionaries, theologians. Think of Augustine, Tyndale, Luther, Calvin, Bunyan, Whitefield, Wesley, Edwards, Spurgeon, Moody, Graham, Stott.  Isn’t that what we find in the Bible as well? It is the story of individual men and women used by God to make a difference, to set the pace, to intercede, to be a lone voice, to stand in the gap and as a result, change the course of history. One life – that’s all we get, because that’s all we need. The power of one.

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How to do Right When You’ve Been Done Wrong (Psalm 26)

In the movie “The Interpreter” Sylvia Broom (played by Nicole Kidman) is an interpreter working for the United Nations. She overhears a plot to assassinate the president of an African nation. Coincidentally, she was born there. And the president was responsible for the deaths of her parents when she was an adolescent. When the Secret Service question Sylvia about what she has overheard, they doubt her story and suspect that she is actually the one who is plotting the death of the president. In one particular scene, the Secret Service agent is questioning Sylvia:

“How do you feel about Zuwanie? Never mind ’I don’t care for him.’” “I feel disappointed,” replies Sylvia. “That’s a lover’s word,” Keller responds. “What about rage? Of all the people that I have looked into since this thing started, the one with the darkest Zuwanie history is you. It was his land mines that killed…” “Shhh,” says Sylvia, as she places her fingers over his lips. “We don’t name the dead. Everybody who loses somebody wants revenge on someone. On God if they can’t find anyone else. But in Africa, in Mantobo, the Ku believe that the only way to end grief is to save a life. If someone is murdered, a year of mourning ends with a ritual that we call the drowning-man trial. There’s an all-night party beside the river. At dawn, the killer is put in a boat, he’s taken out in the water, and he’s dropped. He’s bound so that he cannot swim. The family of the dead then has to make a choice. They can let him drown, or they can swim out and save him. The Ku believe that if the family lets the killer drown, they’ll have justice but spend the rest of their lives in mourning. But if they save him, if they admit that life isn’t always just, that very act can take away their sorrow. Vengeance is a lazy form of grief.”

How do you respond when others do you wrong? Remember the last time you felt wronged? Unfairly criticised? Wrongly accused? The subject of gossip or slander?  How did you feel? How did you react? Did you regret it? Did it give you peace of mind? Or compound the grief with guilt?

Just after Christmas a Christian leader wrote to Bishop Christopher about me, accusing me of various things and calling on the Bishop to censure me. That’s fine. I welcome constructive criticism. But the individual went one stage further. He wrote to each of our staff personally highlighting his concerns. Then a week later, a colleague of his wrote to all the staff once more with even more serious complaints calling on Bishop Christopher to sack me. Thankfully, Bishop Christopher did the opposite. He defended me for which I am grateful. If you want to see how I responded, check out my blog.

In Psalm 26, David’s pen pricks our conscience like a needle. His words touch a sensitive nerve. They expose our conditioned reflex when wronged – to retaliate. Common sense whispers: Defend yourself. The media shouts: “Don’t get mad, get even!” Like a rattlesnake, coiled within us, our carnal nature lies ready to strike. Retaliation it seems remains one of our favourite sports. But, as we shall learn in this Psalm, there’s a supernatural alternative to our natural reaction. Please turn with me to Psalm 26. David begins with an emotional plea,

“Vindicate me, LORD, for I have led a blameless life. I have trusted in the LORD and have not faltered.” (Psalm 26:1)

David has suffered some undeserved wrong and it has been painful to endure. But he has refused to retaliate.  Read the verse again slowly.

“Vindicate me, LORD, for I have led a blameless life. I have trusted in the LORD and have not faltered.” (Psalm 26:1)

The word translated “falter” means to slip or slide or totter. How could David say so confidently “I have not faltered”? What kept him upright? What enabled him to do right when he had been done wrong? We can draw out seven reasons from this Psalm. Seven simple steps that will ensure we too can do right when you’ve been done wrong.

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Jesus and the Jewish Temple

‘The Temple Mount is like a smouldering volcano that is bubbling and threatening to erupt – a threat that is liable to endanger Israel’s existence.’ That was the summary of a report handed to the Israeli prime minister a while back. Should he take it seriously?  It was written by the former Israeli secret service chief Carmi Gillon and the former police commissioner Assaf Hefetz. And the tragedy is this – some it seems are longing for it to happen. Many Christians are convinced the Jewish Temple must be rebuilt soon so that animal sacrifices can be offered once again. Then it will be desecrated by the Anti-Christ before Jesus can return and rescue his people.

In fact some churches fund organisations committed to building a Jewish Temple next to or in place of the Muslim Dome of the Rock. The Temple Institute and Temple Mount Faithful, for example, probably have more Christian supporters than Jewish. And this is not a minority issue in Israel either.

A Gallup Poll found that 58% of Israeli’s support the Temple Mount Faithful and the rebuilding of the Temple. You know what makes this poll even more significant? While Israeli society is generally divided on most subjects, this was the largest show of support, any organisation has ever received, on any issue. Rabbi Yisrael Meida explains the significance of the Temple Mount to religious Jews.

“It is all a matter of sovereignty. He who controls the Temple Mount, controls Jerusalem. And he who controls Jerusalem, controls the land of Israel.”!

Hal Lindsey insists:

“Obstacle or no obstacle, it is certain that the Temple will be rebuilt. Prophecy demands it… [is] the most important sign of Jesus Christ’s soon coming is before us… It is like the key piece of a jigsaw puzzle being found… For all those who trust in Jesus Christ, it is a time of electrifying excitement.”

With media speculating about the possibility of military intervention in Syria or a war against Iran, Christians in the Middle East don’t exactly see this as a time of ‘electrifying excitement’. Gershon Salomon, founder of the Temple Mount Faithful nevertheless does. He said this recently,

“The mission of the present generation is to liberate the Temple Mount and to remove – I repeat, to remove – the defiling abomination there … The Jewish people will not be stopped at the gates leading to the Temple Mount … We will fly our Israeli flag over the Temple Mount, which will be minus its Dome of the Rock and its mosques and will have only our Israeli flag and our Temple. This is what our generation must accomplish.”

In an interview with Sam Kiley in the Times newspaper, Salomon insisted,

“The Israeli Government must do it. We must have a war. There will be many nations against us but God will be our general. I am sure this is a test, that God is expecting us to move the Dome with no fear from other nations. The Messiah will not come by himself, we should bring Him by fighting.”

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Christ in all the Scriptures: Jesus, Solomon, Elisha and Elijah

President Obama came out swinging at last year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner. He began:

“What a week. As some of you heard the state of Hawaii released my official long-form birth certificate. Hopefully, this puts all doubts to rest. But just in case they’re any lingering questions, tonight I’m prepared to go a step further. Tonight, for the first time, I am releasing my official birth video.” The screens then played the scene from Disney’s The Lion King when Mufasa, atop a cliff, lifts Simba up as the other animals in the savannah look on. Afterward, Obama said, “I want to make clear to the Fox News table that was a joke. That was not my real birth video. That was a children’s cartoon. Call Disney if you don’t believe me, they have the original long-form version.”

It has been said that Britain and America are two nations divided by a common language, but the reality goes deeper. Way back to the Boston Tea Party and the fateful decision to decline the continued blessings of a British Monarch. The same thing could be said of Europe. A Union of 26 countries divided by a common currency, the Euro, and of course Standard and Poor’s credit ratings. George Osborne, the Chancellor, fired the opening shots of the campaign against Scottish independence on Friday. He warned that Scotland would also risk a euro-style debt crisis if it left the United Kingdom and sterling to join the Euro, and become a Republic. Our choice of government adds diversity to our unity as Western democracies. Some nations have chosen to become a republic with a president. Other nations retain a monarchy …

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Jesus: The Perfect Sacrifice

Was the coming of Jesus the fulfilment or the postponement of the promises God made to Abraham? Does God have one covenant people today or two? Is the Church the Bride of Christ or a parenthesis to God’s continuing relationship with the Jewish people? Does the Temple in Jerusalem still need to be rebuilt before Jesus returns? Hebrews was written in part, to answer these questions. Jewish believers in Jesus living in the First Century were confused on whether they should attend Temple services? Should they continue to keep the Law? Should they celebrate Jewish Festivals? Should they offer animal sacrifices? They were torn between loyalty to their heritage on the one hand and loyalty to their Gentile brothers and sisters.  The on-going conflict between Jews and Palestinians over the Holy Land is a controversial subject. It arouses strong emotions and heated debate among Christians. This too has its theological origins in passages such as the one was are looking at today. It helps us see that Bible study is not theoretical but can have profound ramifications in people’s lives and world affairs. This morning we are going to focus on Hebrews 10:1-18 but you may find this outline helpful, which gives the wider Biblical context to these questions. I hope it will stimulate your thinking and enrich your Bible study.

One of my favourite places to walk is the Pilgrim Way. It follows one of the ancient footpaths from Winchester to Canterbury across the Downs. Now there are many public footpaths in England but this one is unique. As the name suggests, for hundreds of years it has been used by pilgrims. For some it was a way to do penance and earn merit with God. For others it was a special time which they used to concentrate on their relationship with God and deepen their spiritual walk. It was a great experience to walk where so many before us had walked. The trail ends at the Canterbury Cathedral where pilgrims knelt at the spot where Thomas Becket was killed by the knights of Henry II. There is a simple memorial which marks the place of Becket’s martyrdom. For nearly a thousand years, Christians have knelt there to ask God that they, like Becket, might live courageously for him in spite of the powers of the world. Becket was a close friend of King Henry II who appointed him to his court. When the position of Archbishop of Canterbury fell vacant, Henry appointed Thomas Becket in the position thinking he would do his bidding. But something happened to Becket after he was appointed as spiritual leader of England. He stopped being complacent about his faith. He put politics and luxury behind him. He gave up his former wealth and style of life. And to his peril, he began to oppose the king when it came to differences between the church and the government. He paid the ultimate sacrifice. But Becket’s willingness to be a martyr for the faith did not earn him a place in heaven. Neither does a pilgrimage walking to Canterbury or indeed to Jerusalem.
There is only one way our sins can be taken away — only one sacrifice sufficient to atone for our sins.  It is the perfect sacrifice of Christ, and this sacrifice makes all other sacrifices unnecessary. I want us to observe 3 reasons from Hebrews 10.

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Christ in all the Scriptures: The Son and Lord of David

The ultimate test of any civilisation, any culture, any community and indeed any church, must surely be, not how long it has existed, or its size or influence, but rather, the way it treats its most vulnerable members. Whether they are the unborn, the young, the elderly, sick, widowed, orphaned, in prison, on probation, ex-offenders, unemployed, addicts, from an ethnic minority, of another faith, a foreigner, an outsider, a stranger or just a visitor. It doesn’t matter. A society is judged by how it treats its weakest, most powerless, most vulnerable members. As Christians, the quality of our faith will also, says Jesus, be tested by how we treat our weaker sisters and brothers.

“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…. 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.’” (Matthew 25:35-40).

Because ultimately how we treat others is a reflection of how we treat Jesus. Outsiders who look in, will be envious of our love for one another and want to know more about Jesus, the source of our love. Or, they will be repelled by our lack of love and reject Jesus because of us. The prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel, quoted by the Apostle Paul warn:

“God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (Romans 2:24; Isaiah 52:5 (see Septuagint); Ezekiel 36:20,22)

It’s why Jesus insists:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another… everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)

Nothing else really matters. God expects us to treat others the same way he treats us with grace. In Jesus we see the perfect expression of God’s grace. “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19). In September we began a teaching series entitled “Christ in all the Scriptures” based on the classic by A.M. Hodgkin. So far we have discovered Jesus in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges and Ruth. We have encountered the Lord Jesus in the types and images God introduced to prepare his people for the day when he would come in person to rescue them. We have seen the Lord Jesus in the Passover Lamb (Genesis), in the Bronze Snake (Leviticus), in the Day of Atonement (Numbers) in the Prophet Moses promised God would send (Deuteronomy), in the Commander of the army of the Lord (Joshua) and in the wonderful story of Ruth and Boaz, the Kinsman Redeemer (Ruth). Today we come to the two books of Samuel and the story of David the Anointed King. There is much we could discover about Jesus in the person of David. In his selection to replace Saul, his life as a shepherd, his song writing and faith.

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Christmas Peace and where to find it

Well here we are again. Christmas Eve. Another year gone. It hardly seems possible does it? Have you noticed how the pace of life seems to accelerate as we grow older? True, people seem to live life at a much faster pace these days more than ever before. And it is infectious isn’t it? Think about it; how did Kwik-Fit get to be the world’s leading tyre, exhaust and brake specialist?  By promising to fit quickly.  How did Proctor and Gamble become the number one seller of shampoo? One reason – by putting shampoo and conditioner in the same bottle.  Remember all those years when you had to shampoo and then rinse, then condition and rinse. Now it’s just all in one bottle. “Wash and go” is their slogan. Number one.

And if you are old enough to remember, it was 1974 when a new kind of restaurant became very popular in the UK. For the first time in human history a restaurant sold food not on the basis of its quality, nor even on the basis even of its price, but on the speed of service. And we coined a phrase for those kinds of restaurants. We called them “fast food.” Fast food. Not good food, not even cheap food.  Just fast.  But even with fast food restaurants, you still had to park the car and get out and walk all the way inside and order the food and sit down and eat it. And all of that took time. So we invented drive-through lanes, so that families could eat in cars as God intended us to. And the beautiful thing about this is that if you haven’t got time to stop at a fast food restaurant, the children can just scrounge around in the cracks underneath the seats for cold potato chips and lost gummy bears. Continue reading →

Arthur Christmas Meets Jesus

Arthur Christmas Meets Jesus from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

They say there are four phases in life. In the first phase you believe in Father Christmas. In the second phase you don’t believe in Father Christmas. In the third phase you are Father Christmas. In the final phase you just look like Father Christmas. The blockbuster film in the cinema’s this week, from the makers of Wallace and Gromit, is aptly titled “Arthur Christmas”. It includes a grandfather, father and two sons, who embody at least three of these phases in life. The film at last reveals the incredible, never-before seen answer to every child’s question: ‘How does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?’

But after 70 annual deliveries, Father Christmas, whose real name is Malcolm, is nearly ready to hand over the red cloak to his oldest son and heir, Steve. Malcolm is now merely the figurehead of what has become an ultra-high-tech global package-delivering corporation hidden beneath the North Pole.  Steve seeks the glory of the position of Santa Claus, not the joy of bringing happiness to children around the world. He runs Santa’s headquarters like a military command centre, with thousands of commando elves at his disposal, and a goatee cut in the shape of a Christmas tree. Continue reading →

To Us a Child is Born (Isaiah 9:1-7)

If you were the Father Christmas and you happened to visit a few hundred thousand churches today on a pre-Christmas dry run, I suspect you would find a common theme running through many sermons preached this morning. The question is – how to achieve it? Reading the news this week it struck me that the assumption often made is that regime change will lead to peace and prosperity.  The Arab Spring blossoming across much of the Middle East brings the hope of freedom, peace and prosperity through regime change.   And this desire is not limited to countries with despotic rulers. Another eight countries wish to join the European Community in the belief that a regime change from Communism to Capitalism will bring peace and prosperity. But will it? It may bring EC subsidies but, as we have seen this week, it will also bring more centralised financial regulation. But before we think the problem is only in Europe or the Middle East, let’s remember how badly we sometimes long for regime change here in Britain.  Whether from one political party to another, or one leader to another, we are sold the idea that regime change in Parliament will bring lasting peace and prosperity, at least during the election campaigns every four years. And it is not only limited to the political realm. In the City, whenever there is a loss of confidence on the stock market or share dividends, Boardroom changes are inevitable.

The world of sport is the same. A seat in the chairman’s box or the coach’s bench is closely linked to goals, attendances and league performance. I could also mention the Church of England but let’s not get too personal. The desire for regime change affects us at every level of life. The mistake, however, is to imagine that if only we can solve the crisis in Afghanistan,  in Europe, at No 10, in the City, or even in Canterbury, we could then enjoy a peaceful Christmas this year.  The reason we can’t is because the desire for regime change goes much deeper. I suspect many of us have wondered whether regime change closer to home would bring us peace and happiness.  Think about your neighbours, your relatives, your spouse, parents or children. Ever been tempted to think that regime change would solve your problems? It won’t, because the problem doesn’t lie out there, but lies in here. The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart. And nothing we do to change our circumstances, economics, marital status or social life will bring the peace we so badly need. Continue reading →

Christianity Explored: What must I do to inherit eternal life?

A famous professor of surgery died and went to heaven. At the entrance he was asked by the gatekeeper: ‘Have you ever committed a sin you truly regret?’ ‘Yes,’ the professor answered. ‘When I was a young intern at the Hospital of Saint Lucas, we played soccer against another hospital team, and I scored a goal. I was actually off-side but the referee did not see it. The goal won us the match. I regret cheating now.’ ‘Well,’ said the gatekeeper. ‘That is a very minor sin. You may enter.’ ‘Thank you very much, Saint Peter,’ the professor answered. ‘I’m not Saint Peter,’ said the gatekeeper. ‘He is having his lunch break. I am Saint Lucas.’  “If God were to say to you: ‘Why should I let you into heaven? Why should I give you eternal life?’ what would you say?” In Mark 10 we meet someone who really wanted eternal life. I hope you do too.

The Ideal Candidate for Eternal Life: Good

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.  You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honour your father and mother.’” “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him.” (Mark 10:17-20)

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