Category Archives: Sermons

Love and Marriage

Our reading today is from 1 Corinthians 13, the famous “love” chapter. This is probably the most widely read passage at weddings. True, it’s the most beautiful description there is in Scripture about love – yet the context of the passage is not about marriage. It is about giving for that is what marriage is really all about. I’d like us to consider this passage under three headings: The motive for love in marriage is giving. The quality of love in marriage is Divine. The purpose of love in marriage is maturity.

1. The Motive for Love in Marriage is Giving

“And now I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” (1 Corinthians 12:31-13:3)

Do you see how important love is? The gifts of prophecy, knowledge, faith, giving, mentioned here are valuable or worthless depending on one thing: Motive. The question we must ask ourselves therefore in our relationships is this: What is my motive? The motive for love in marriage is giving.

2. The Quality of Love in Marriage is Divine

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Love is probably the most devalued and debased word in the English language. That is why this definition is so important for it defines authentic love.  Several years ago, someone challenged me to replace the word love in this passage with my name. “I did and I became a liar” Stephen is patient. Stephen is kind. Stephen does not envy. Stephen does not boast. Stephen is not proud. Stephen is not rude. It sounds lovely. The only problem is it’s not true – ask Joanna and my children. And for years that was my problem with this paragraph. It set a standard I could not meet. No one can meet it. No one. No one, that is, except Jesus.

For in reality, this quality of love is divine. Insert Christ’s name in place of the word love and see if it rings true. Jesus is patient, Jesus is kind. Jesus does not envy, does not boast, is not proud. Jesus is not rude, is not self-seeking,

is not easily angered, Jesus keeps no record of wrongs. Jesus does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Jesus always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Jesus never fails. “Rather than let this scripture remind us of a love we cannot produce, let it remind us of a love we cannot resist – God’s love. Some of you are so thirsty for this type of love.  Well, God loves you. Personally. Powerfully. Passionately. Others may have promised and failed. But God has promised and succeeded. He loves you with an unfailing love. And his love – if you will let it – can fill you and leave you with a love worth giving. What is done in love lasts. In other words, what is done in Christ will last. When we are serving in the name of Christ, in the power of Christ, we are serv­ing in love. The tasks we do are not as important to God as the heart in which we do them.

The motive for love in marriage is giving. The quality of love in marriage is Divine.

3. The Purpose of Love in Marriage is Maturity

“For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:9-13)

Notice the emphasis of these verses is on growing up – from childhood to maturity. And marriage helps us achieve that like no other institution on earth. In verse 11 Paul describes in the past tense how he has grown then in verse 12 he looks forward to further growth toward maturity.

The reason? God has not finished with us. This life is the practice session. This is the reason why marriage is so important – why you need one another’s gifts and abilities to help you grow together to maturity.

And with God’s help you will. When kindness comes grudgingly, you’ll remember his kindness to you and ask him to make you more kind. When patience is scarce, you’ll thank him for his and ask him to make you more patient.

When it’s hard to forgive, you won’t list all the times you’ve been given grief. Rather, you’ll list all the times you’ve been given grace and pray to become more forgiving. For when you do, you will discover a love worth giving, a love worth sharing, not just today but for ever.

Christ in all the Scriptures: Leviticus and the Day of Atonement

A “lame duck” Prime Minister had just lost a General Election. He was meeting with his successor in No. 10 Downing Street for an informal handover. Near the end of the orientation, he gave the incoming leader three numbered envelopes. He suggested they be opened, in order, on the anniversary of their meeting, or at times of national crisis. After the new Prime Minster had enjoyed his “honeymoon” year with the media and the public, the nation experienced something of an economic downturn. Curious, and beginning to feel lonely and isolated, he opened the first envelope. Inside was a card with two words: “Blame me.” So he did, criticizing the former Prime Minister for the countries woes. By the second anniversary, demonstrations and strikes had brought the country to a standstill. The Prime Minister eagerly opened the second envelope. Inside there were two words on the card: “Blame my administration.” So he did, blaming the unrest on the failed policies of the previous government now in opposition. About a year later, foreign policy blunders were leading to tensions in Europe and the Commonwealth and his popularity in the polls was plummeting. The Prime Minister reached for the third envelope desperate for a solution. Inside, the card read: “Prepare three envelopes.”  Someone once said, “He who smiles in a crisis has found someone to blame.

Some enterprising businessperson will sooner or later register the domain name “Rent-a-Scapegoat.com” with the motto “Mea Culpa.” Here’s what the homepage might offer.

“In today’s society finding a solution to a problem is much less important than finding someone to blame. If you find yourself being blamed by the media, customers or politicians, for something you did not do, or even if you did, that’s where we come in. For a negotiable fee, one of our trained staff can be seconded to your company on a six month contract retrospectively backdated to before the controversy blew up. You mount an investigation, they will accept full responsibility, you fire them and they take the heat. You get a positive media story, and the “scapegoat” walks away. It’s clean, it’s tidy and it’s containable. It’s the new “go-to-fall-guy” concept brought to you by www.rent-a-scapegoat.com ”

Let’s be honest. How many of us would be tempted to use that kind of service, if it existed? Especially, if they did house calls as well as business consulting? But seriously, is it not instinctive? When we come under the spotlight, we look for someone to blame, someone to pass the buck, someone to take the rap, a scapegoat? Where did this idea of the scapegoat come from? The term goes way, way back to Leviticus 16 when God introduced an annual festival called the Day of Atonement. Known as Yom Kippur (in September), it became the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar, a day of national mourning, of humiliation, of fasting, repentance and forgiveness. Yom Kippur is still observed today as a solemn Sabbath, but without the sacrifices because there is no Temple.

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Christ in all the Scriptures: Exodus and the Passover Lamb

As a young Christian, one of the most influential people in my life was the Finnish evangelist Kalevi Lehtinen who died in July aged 75. At several Bible conferences I vividly remember him telling us to keep studying the Bible until you can see the smiling face of Jesus on every page. Keep reading the Bible until you can see the smiling face of Jesus on every page. “Christ in all the Scriptures” That is the theme for our morning sermon series this Autumn. We will only get from Genesis to Ruth, but we will come back and dip into every Old Testament book to discover what it can teach us about the Lord Jesus. We will see that every central character, every major event, every prophecy, every Festival reveals ever more brightly the person and work of the Messiah, God’s anointed Son.  We will see conclusively that the coming of Jesus Christ was no accident but part of God’s redemptive plan from the very beginning and was revealed progressively through history and Scripture. And if you would like to read the book that inspired the series, it is called Christ in all the Scriptures. Written by A. M. Hodgkin in 1909, it has become a classic. Hodgkin observes, in his introduction,

“Abraham rejoiced to see My day.” ”Moses wrote of Me.” ”David called [Me] Lord.” (John 8:56; 5:46; Matthew 22:45). We have in these words of our Saviour abundant authority for seeking Him in the Old Testament … To those of us who believe in Christ as truly God, as well as truly Man, His word on these matters is authoritative.”

As we saw last week, Jesus refers to 20 Old Testament characters and quotes from 17 Old Testament books. In Genesis, for example, Jesus refers to creation, the institution of marriage, Noah, Abraham, Lot, to Sodom and Gomorrah. From Exodus, Jesus speaks of Moses, the burning bush, the Mannah in the wilderness and the Ten Commandments. From Leviticus, the ceremonial and moral law. From Numbers, the bronze serpent. From Deuteronomy, the law of Moses. Jesus refers to David, Solomon, Elijah and Zechariah. He confounds his critics not just by quoting Scripture but by identifying himself as the one the Scriptures are speaking about. In his very first sermon Jesus said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21). To his opponents, Jesus replied.

“You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me.” (John 5:39).

After his resurrection, on the road to Emmaus, to his doubting disciples Jesus said,

“How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself… Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:25-27; 44-45)

May the Lord open our minds too, to understand everything written about Jesus in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms, has indeed been fulfilled and accomplished for us. Continue reading →

Christ in all the Scriptures: Genesis and the Sacrifice of Isaac

Christ in all the Scriptures: Genesis and the Sacrifice of Isaac from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Jesus said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself… Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:25-27; 44-45)

“Christ in all the Scriptures” That is the theme and title for our morning sermon series this Autumn. Please pick up a programme card if you don’t yet have one to see what treasures are in store. This is going to be an exciting and revealing series. We won’t finish it this term – we will only get from Genesis to Ruth. But over the next few years we are going to dip into every book of the Old Testament to see what is said in all the Scriptures concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. We will see that every central character, every key event, every prophecy, every Feast and Festival reveals ever more brightly the person and work of the Messiah, God’s anointed Son.  We will see conclusively that His coming was no accident but part of God’s redemptive plan, revealed from the very beginning and progressively through history and Scripture. And if you would like to read the book that inspired the series, it is appropriately called Christ in all the Scriptures. Written by A. M. Hodgkin, and first published in 1909, it has rightly become a classic. I would also commend Vaughan Robert’s book, God’s Big Picture. We are also commending the Home Group study guide Full of Promise

Hodgkin observes, in his introduction,

“Abraham rejoiced to see My day.” ”Moses wrote of Me.” ”David called [Me] Lord.” (John 8:56; 5:46; Matthew 22:45). We have in these words of our Saviour abundant authority for seeking Him in the Old Testament … To those of us who believe in Christ as truly God, as well as truly Man, His word on these matters is authoritative.”

In the Gospels, Jesus refers to 20 Old Testament characters and quotes from 17 Old Testament books. In Genesis, for example, Jesus refers to creation, the institution of marriage, to Noah, Abraham, Lot, to Sodom and Gomorrah. From Exodus, Jesus speaks of Moses, the burning bush, the Mannah in the wilderness and the Ten Commandments. From Leviticus, the ceremonial and moral law. From Numbers, the bronze serpent. From Deuteronomy, the law of Moses. Then there are references to David, Solomon, Elijah and Zechariah. He confounds his critics not just by quoting Scripture but by identifying himself as the one the Scriptures are speaking about.

“Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21).

“You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me.” (John 5:39).

Finally three of his last seven sentences from the cross are quotations from the Old Testament. Hodgkin says,

“From a careful study of the Gospels, we cannot fail to see that the Old Testament Scriptures were continually upon Christ’s lips, because [they] were always hidden in His heart….”

Let us pray that the Lord will open our minds, as he did the Apostles, to understand how everything written about Jesus in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms has indeed been fulfilled and accomplished for us. Then this good news will not only be hidden in our hearts but always on our lips.

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The Transforming Power of the Gospel in Corinth (Acts 18)

The Transforming Power of the Gospel in Corinth (Acts 18) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Today we are beginning the next stage of an amazing historical journey. Back in January 2010, we began to read the Acts of the Apostles and learn about the birth of the early church to see how it fulfilled the Great Commission given by the Lord Jesus. As we join the journey again this Autumn in acts 18, the gospel has reached as far as Corinth. In the weeks to come, up to half term, we are going to journey with the Apostle Paul and his colleagues to discover some of the principles of ministry that will help us to share in that on-going mission in our generation.

The Purpose of Acts

Why did Luke write Acts? What purpose was the Spirit leading him to fulfil? The years have produced several different answers to those questions. The opening verses of Luke and Acts mention Theophilus as the recipient of Luke’s writings. Many think Theophilus was a Roman dignitary sympathetic to the Christian cause. Perhaps Luke was writing a defence of Christianity for this official during a time of persecution to show him there was nothing subversive or sinister about the followers of Jesus. The geographical framework of Acts, the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome, lends credibility to this idea.

In 1:3 of his Gospel, Luke clearly states he is trying to make “an orderly account” of the events surrounding Jesus’ ministry.

It’s easy to think Luke’s Gospel focuses on Jesus while Acts focuses on the followers of Jesus who continued their Master’s work. But Acts 1:1, says “In my former book … I wrote about all Jesus began to do and teach…” Luke implies that Jesus continued to do and teach more, and that His story was incomplete where the Gospel of Luke ended. A careful reading of Acts makes it clear that Jesus remained the active, living, focus of Luke’s story. In 9:4 (NIV), Jesus spoke directly to Saul and asked, “Why do you persecute me?” Later, in the same chapter, Peter could say directly to Aeneas, “Jesus Christ heals you” (9:34 NIV). In Acts 10, Christ made His will known to Peter concerning a ministry to the Gentiles. These are but three examples of Jesus’ vital involvement in the spread of the gospel in Acts. While Acts begins with the ascension of Jesus, there is no evidence anyone in the early church perceived Him as “gone” from their midst. Jesus healed, spoke, and directed the work of His disciples. Even when they preached, the disciples thought of Jesus as literally present in their preaching. They asked the listeners of those first sermons, not merely to believe facts about Jesus, but to encounter , the One who died, rose again, and lives forever. The ascension marked not Christ’s departure, but a transformation in the way Christ performs His ministry of salvation and grace. Acts is the continuing story of Jesus’ work but no longer bound by the limitations of time and space.

Before Jesus ascended to heaven he said, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8).

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Priscilla: A Model for Ministry (Acts 18:1-4; 18-20; 24-26)

Priscilla: A Model for Ministry (Acts 18) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

I recently heard a story about a guy who drove his car into a ditch accidentally. It was quite an isolated location and there was no mobile phone reception to call the rescue services. Thankfully, a local farmer saw it happen and brought his horse to help pull the car back on to the road. The farmer hitched Buddy up to the car and yelled, “Pull, Nellie, pull!” Buddy didn’t move. Once more the farmer hollered, “Pull, Nellie, pull!” Buddy didn’t respond. Then the farmer nonchalantly said, “Pull, Buddy, pull!” And the horse dragged the car out of the ditch. The motorist was very appreciative but he was also curious. He said  “I am really grateful for your help. I just have one question: Why did you call your horse by the wrong name? The farmer said, “Oh, Buddy is blind – if he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn’t even try.” Like “Buddy” we find motivation difficult if we think we are the only ones pulling. That’s why Jesus sent his disciples out in teams of two by two. It iciples out in teams of two. It’ motivated  the car bacrove his car into a ditch. s so much easier and more fulfilling to serve in teams isn’t it?

In this last sermon in the series, Jesus and Women, we meet Priscilla the wife of Aquila. In Acts 18, we’re introduced to the ultimate ministry team – Priscilla and Aquila. They’re a married couple who are always mentioned together – three times in Acts 18, then in Romans 16, 1 Corinthians 16 and 2 Timothy 4.

The Apostles had wives, and they took them with them when they preached (I Cor. 9:5), but their wives names are never mentioned in Scripture. Aquila’s wife, Priscilla, is.
Significantly their names only ever appear together which suggests they were a team. They were partners in ministry. Indeed Paul commends Aquila and Priscilla as his “fellow workers” who risked their lives for him. Even more significantly, in four of the five places where their names appear together, Priscilla is mentioned first. Let’s find out why. I want to introduce you to Priscilla the disciple, Priscilla the teacher and Priscilla the leader.

1. Priscilla the Disciple

“After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks…  18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. 19 They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.” (Acts 18:1-4, 18-19)

In the year 52 A.D. the Roman emperor Claudius issued an edict expelling all Jews from the city of Rome. Suetonius, the Roman historian, says, some within the Jewish community were persecuting their Christian neighbours and causing considerable disturbance in the city. Claudius cared little about the reason for the trouble, and even less about who the guilty parties were. He knew they were Jews, and that was enough; so all Jews were uprooted from their homes and banished from Rome, the innocent along with the guilty.
This included a Jew named Aquila, who had migrated to Rome from the province of Pontus on the Black Sea, and he decided to migrate to the city of Corinth. By his side was his faithful wife, Priscilla. We do not know for certain whether she was Jewish or Roman, nor are we sure whether or not they were both Christians at the time. God in his providence uses their profession to connect Priscilla and Aquila with Paul. When Paul arrives from Athens, he makes contact with fellow tent makers, possibly to work with them to provide an income for himself as well. Paul worked so that he was not dependent on the churches he founded. Priscilla and Aquila were hospitable and invited Paul into their home and let him stay with them. Paul had confidence in them and invested his life in them. A lasting friendship was born between them. If Priscilla and Aquila did not know the Lord before, Paul’s stay would have left them in no doubt. No one could be anywhere near Paul for very long and not be affected by his passion for Jesus. Paul stayed with them for 18 months, no doubt instructing them in the gospel. Priscilla the disciple.

2. Priscilla the Teacher

“Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervour and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.” (Acts 18:24-26)

Apollos sounds quite an impressive speaker. Aquila and Priscilla were deeply impressed with him, but they detected a serious flaw in his preaching. Tactfully they made no attempt to correct him in front of everyone at the synagogue. Nor did they try and put him straight over coffee after the service. They had a better way. They invited him home for lunch. I remember vividly one of the first evangelistic conversations I had as a young Christian. After it was over my friend, an older Christian, who’d been with me, took me to one side and said, “Well done, but actually the Holy Spirit is a person, not an ‘it’.” I never forgot. Perhaps it was at the kitchen table that Pricilla and Aquila led the conversation round to the mornings sermon, told Apollos what a blessing his ministry had been, asked him how he had become a believer, and then gently introduced the question of baptism.

Gently and lovingly, they explained how the gospel of the Lord Jesus was the fulfilment of the Hebrew scriptures he knew so well; That John’s baptism was a preparation for receiving Christ; and that Christian baptism was a natural consequence of receiving Christ. What Priscilla and Aquila did would not have been possible had they not been discipled by Paul for 18 months. What they learnt from Paul they passed on to Apollos. They multiplied themselves, just as Paul has done. The purpose of discipleship is not the accumulation of knowledge but multiplication. Disciples are meant to become disciplers. We were born to reproduce. That is why our mission comprises three words – win – build – send. We seek to win people to Christ, build them in the faith and send them to do what? Win people to Christ and build them in the faith in order to… It is only because Priscilla was a disciple that she could become a discipler of others. What Priscilla and Aquila did for Apollos is the norm. Every Christian teacher, whether it be the Apostle Paul or one of our pastors here, is accountable to the plain teaching of Scripture. If you are not sure about something you hear in a sermon, don’t just accept it. Check it out from the Word of God, and if you are still not sure, ask the preacher.  The Berean Christians mentioned in Acts give us our model.

“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11)

Priscilla the disciple became Priscilla the teacher. There is one more dimension to her ministry:

3. Priscilla the House Church Leader

“The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house.” (1 Corinthians 16:19)

Given the nature of their trade, Priscilla and Aquila could be flexible where and when they earned their income from making tents. So they left their home in Corinth and followed Paul to Ephesus. He continued travelling while they settled down and opened their home, not only to Apollos but to other believers. In both Corinth and then in Ephesus, their home became a church, a house church. It seems at some point they decided to move back to Rome. Claudius was dead. Once again, their home became a meeting place for Christ followers.

“Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. 5 Greet also the church that meets at their house.” (Romans 16:3-5)

Given the way Paul affirms them by name, and mentions their role “co-workers” and specifically their bravery “they risked their lives for me” we may assume they became leaders within those churches. Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned one more time in the New Testament, in the last chapter of the last book the Apostle Paul wrote.

Their stay in Rome was short, probably because of the gruesome persecution of the Christians under Nero. They returned to Ephesus one final time. It had been sixteen years since Paul first met them at Corinth, and now he was in a Roman prison for the second time. His death at the hands of the emperor Nero was imminent, and he was writing the last paragraph of his long and fruitful life. “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus” (2 Timothy 4:19). Paul is thinking of his dear friends who were then back in Ephesus where Timothy was ministering. It was just a brief and simple greeting. But Paul wanted to be remembered to them in the last hours of his life. Imagine the impression that Priscilla and Aquila left in the mind of the apostle Paul. Their legacy was not the churches they founded in their homes but the model of ministry they demonstrated consistently  – evangelism, discipleship and multiplication – winning, building and sending. We have seen Priscilla and Aquila the disciples, the teachers and the leaders. Tradition has it they eventually died in Ephesus as martyrs like Paul. Their blood was indeed the seed of the church. “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.”

Lets pray.

With thanks to Jeff Strite and Timothy Henning for ideas and inspiration. Read their sermons on Priscilla at www.sermoncentral.com

The Empire Strikes Back: The Jews in Iran – A Pre-emptive Military Strike (Esther 9)

The Empire Strikes Back: The Jews in Iran – A Just and Proportionate Retaliation? (Esther 9) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

This week saw the birth of the newest nation in the world – The Republic of South Sudan. After centuries of slavery and colonialism, 55 years ago, Sudan finally won independence from British rule. But the suffering was only just beginning. In our life time, Sudan has endured two major, protracted, civil wars. Estimates suggest at least two and a half million people died. Quite a price for self determination.

In September, the Palestinian government will also seek UN approval to be recognised as an independent sovereign state, based on the June 1967 borders with Israel.  The aspirations of the Palestinian people go back even further than Sudan, at least to the UN Partition Plan of 1947, 63 years ago, another legacy of failed British imperialism. Unlike South Sudan, however, the United States will veto the declaration in the UN Security Council. Israel is presently buying votes in the UN General Assembly to avoid a 2/3 majority endorsing the declaration.

But will that end Palestinian aspirations for independence? Is the Freedom Flotilla, presently detained by the Greek authorities, a humanitarian attempt to relieve suffering in Gaza or is it an existential threat to Israel’s existence? The Israel ambassador to Spain, Raphael Schutz, said this on Friday. There is “no humanitarian crisis” or shortage of food and medicine in Gaza. The Freedom Flotilla should be seen “for what it is: a propaganda event intended to build solidarity with a terrorist group that wants to wipe Israel off the map and kill the greatest possible number of Jews and Israelis.”

Many Jewish people fear there will be further attempts to annihilate them. Unfortunately there has been plenty of historical precedents. Comparisons between Ahmadinejad and Hitler are common, even among the wiki-leaked US diplomatic cables. So how should we respond?  Clearly anti-Semitism is evil. Racism is unacceptable and must not be tolerated.

But how should we respond to those who threaten Israel’s existence? Pastor John Hagee is the leader of the 20,000 member, Cornerstone Church in San Antonio in Texas.
His views are broadcast weekly to around 100 million homes through TV and radio. He will also be speaking in Birmingham at a Bible Prophecy conference in August unless the Home Secretary banns his visit. He offers one novel solution. He said recently,

“The United States must join Israel in a pre-emptive military strike against Iran to fulfill God’s plan for both Israel and the West… a biblically prophesied end-time confrontation with Iran, which will lead to the Rapture, Tribulation, and Second Coming of Christ.”

So what is the difference between the pre-emptive military strike advocated by Pastor Hagee and the pre-emptive military strike  advocated by Esther 2,500 years ago? Well lets find out. According to the United Nations there are currently over 32 armed conflicts in the world, causing more than 1,000 deaths per year. Although the term ‘ethnic cleansing’ was only coined in 1992, during the Bosnian-Serb civil war, it has clearly been practised for thousands of years. So when we turn to this final episode in the story of Esther, are we not witnessing the same kind of barbaric, tribal, ethnic cleansing we see in places like Iraq, Burma, Ossetia, Kashmir, Indonesia and Botswana?

There is, I think superficially, an element of truth in this. Human nature has not improved over time. I do not imagine the Jews and the Iranians of Esther’s day were anymore righteous than their contemporaries. Certainly we are no more righteous than they. But why does this story of Esther have to end in this way? Why do we recoil from the slaughter? More importantly, why is it recorded here in the Scriptures? We shall find an explanation. It may not be palatable, but it is given. As we reach the penultimate episode in the story of Esther, observe:

The Means of Israel’s Deliverance (Esther 9:1-4)
The Completeness of Israel’s Deliverance (9:5-17)
The Purpose of Israel’s Deliverance (9:18-10:3)

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Tabitha: A women who lived for Jesus (Acts 9:36-42)

Tabitha: A women who lived for Jesus (Acts 9:36-42)

“What do you do for Christ each day?”
a faithful Christian said.
And I replied, “I drive a truck
and fill the stores with bread.”

He said, “I know of your bread route
But that is not the thing.
I mean what do you do each day
For Jesus Christ the King?”

I said, “But I believe a man can
work in such a way
That selling bread is work for Christ
A sacrament each day.”

Once more the man inquired, “But sir,
If this is not unfair
What do you do for Christ each day,
Like witnessing and prayer?”

I said, “Work is my best witness
and selling bread to them
is like a prayer in Jesus’ name.
I drive the truck for Him!”

These Sundays through the Summer we are exploring the relationship between Jesus and Women: Women whose lives were transformed by Jesus. Some are well known by name. Others remain anonymous. Today we come to a lady with two names, Tabitha in Aramaic and Dorcas in Greek. A lady who did not meet Jesus personally but whose life was transformed by Jesus.

I hope you will be inspired and encouraged by her sweet giving spirit. Let’s consider her legacy, her loss and her Lord. Continue reading →

Ultimate Poetic Justice: (and God’s Response to anti-Semitism)

Ultimate Poetic Justice: (and God’s Response to anti-Semitism) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

A reporter was interviewing an elderly gentleman on his 100th birthday. “What are you most proud of?” he asked. “Well, “said the man, “I don’t have an enemy in the world.” “What a beautiful thought! How inspirational!” said the reporter. “Yep,” added the old man, “outlived every last one of them.”

Kevin Higgin’s observes, “Sometimes I think it would be wonderful to live life without any enemies, and then I realize that one day I will when the Lord Jesus returns… But until then we might as well get used to the fact that not everyone is going to like us, and in fact, many will even hate us. We all go through a wide range of emotions when it comes to those who would do us harm or have ill feelings toward us. Nowhere is this range of emotions better expressed than in the Psalms. There were times when David prayed for his enemies. Other times he asked God to destroy them. Sometimes he prayed for wisdom and guidance in the face of his enemies, and that God would keep him in the way of righteousness. Sometimes David asked why he had to suffer when he was in the right? On other occasions, David praised the Lord for victory over them, for his protection from them, for God’s provision when pursued by them. Sometimes David realised God was using his enemies to punish him for his sins. It can be draining coping with someone who seems out to get us. We can easily harbour feelings of hatred or bitterness and anger against people who wrong us, conspire against us or spread lies about us. At times like this we need to remember what Jesus said about loving our enemies. For the truth is, unless we love our enemies, we will sooner or later run out of friends… How do you respond to opposition, strife or hostility?  If you could find a way to overcome those who hate you, use you or abuse you, would you be interested? In today’s episode in the story of how God delivered his people from genocide in Esther 7, I believe the Lord gives us three simple principles that will help us too find victory over evil.

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Jesus and the mother who would not give up

Matthew 15 from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

When you find yourself in deep trouble, when the rubber has hit the fan, it really does not matter whose fault it was does it? When you find yourself broke, bruised or beaten up, you are not desperate for a therapist to find out why are you?  If you’re distressed, depressed or dejected, it’s not that important to understand the causes is it?  All you really want is someone to help, someone to understand, someone to show they care. Someone to hold your hand. You see dying people, broken people, hurt people, used and abused people, don’t need theological explanations, or self-help tutorials, they need practical help, not next month, not next week, but now, today, right this minute. In our series of encounters between Jesus and women, today we meet a mother. A desperate mother.

A mother with a sick child.  Imagine that you’ve carried this baby in your womb for nine long months. You’ve been through the excruciating pain of childbirth. You’ve nursed her, fed her, washed her, changed her. Watched her grow, take her first step, say her first word. You can still remember her first day of school. How pretty she looked in that dress. The first time you let her out of your sight. She’s your little girl.  Your little girl.
And this was her little girl. Maybe she had been sick before.
A cold here. A headache there, maybe even the flu from time to time. But nothing ever like this before.

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