Category Archives: Sermons

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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Sleepless in Susa (Esther 6)

Sleepless in Susa (Esther 6) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Sleepless in Susa : Things are not always as they seem (Esther 6:1-6:14)

Once upon a time a man was shipwrecked on an uninhabited island.  He was the lone survivor.  Over several months, he constructed a shelter from pieces of wood salvaged from the wreck and from whatever he could find on the island.  That little hut was the only protection he had from the elements. It was the only place he cold safeguard his meagre possessions. Upon returning from a lengthy search for food, he was distraught to find the hut engulfed in flames.  He spent that night despondent, sleeping on the sand and feeling like God had completely abandoned him.  He awoke early the next morning to discover a ship anchored off the island.  A crew member stepped ashore and said with a smile, “We saw your smoke signal and came to rescue you.”  What seemed to be destruction turned out to be deliverance.  And such was the case with Mordecai. He had been shipwrecked by an undercurrent of anti-Semitism on an island of injustice. Now he stood in the shadow of death. Every hope that may have sheltered him had gone up in smoke. But, as we shall see, things are not always as they seem.

We’ve been studying the story of Esther the past few weeks. I don’t know about you, but I’m really beginning to see that God is sovereign. His plans are always providential. Throughout the entire story, although His name is never mentioned, the invisible hand of almighty God has been working behind the scenes on behalf of His people. It’s just like the promise found in Romans 8 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). In the story of Esther we see God working out his purposes for the benefit of those who love and follow Him. This evening I want us to discover five little things you should know about a great big God:

1. When all seems lost, it isn’t.
2. When no one seems to notice, God does.
3. When everything seems great, it’s not.
4. When nothing seems just, it is.
5. When God seems absent, he is truly present

(And I am enormously grateful to Charles Swindoll for 4/5s of this outline and the inspiration for much of the content).

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Jesus, Mary and Martha

Jesus, Mary and Martha from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

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 this morning.

1. Recognise in one another 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)

Martha is feeling a little tense. You would too. Thirteen hungry men have just showed up unexpectedly.

Martha was grateful that the Master felt at home with them. It was an honour and privilege to host Jesus and his friends. But Martha was irritated as well. It was not that she did not have enough food, but that her sister was not helping her serve. Mary and Martha had very different personalities. Mary’s tranquil composure vividly contrasting with Martha’s busy fussiness. Mary was totally absorbed as she listened to the Master. She eagerly drank in his every word. The uppermost question in her mind was “How can I enjoy him the most? What can I learn from him today?”

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Jesus and the widow who knew how to handle money

The Widow’s Mite from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

The Butterball Turkey company has a hotline to answer consumer questions about preparing and cooking turkeys. Occasionally they get a rather unusual query. One lady called to inquire about cooking a turkey that had been in her freezer for 23 years. The operator told her it might be safe if the freezer had been kept below 0 degrees the entire time. But the operator warned the woman that, even if it were safe, the flavour had probably deteriorated, and she wouldn’t recommend eating it. The caller replied, “That’s what we thought. We’ll just give it to the church.” Why do we find that story funny? She was consecrating her Turkey to God, wasn’t she? It’s the thought that counts, doesn’t it? This morning, in our series on Jesus and women, we meet the lady who knew how to handle money. I want us to observe how impressed Jesus is with her. We don’t know her name but we do learn:

True Giving is Unpretentious: Observed by God’s Son

True Giving is Sacrificial: Prized in God’s Economy

True Giving is Reckless: Trust in God’s Provision

1. True Giving is Unpretentious: Observed by God’s Son

“Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.” (Mark 12:41-42)

Imagine the scene. Jesus has just had a rather tense confrontation with some of the religious leaders. He heads to the Temple with his disciples. In the temple, there is a section called court of the women which both men and women were allowed to come, and where the temple treasury was located. The Bible says that Jesus sat down on a bench where he could watch the people bring their offerings and put them in one of the thirteen trumpet-shaped collection boxes. Each one had a different purpose. There was a box for contributions to the building fund. One was for the priests’ salary. One was for helping the poor. When people went up to put their tithe and offering into the box they would announce the amount of the gift and its purpose. They might say, “£500 for the building fund, and £200 for the hunger relief fund.” And metal on metal, their gifts made a good deal of noise as they fell into the collection boxes. But not this widow’s contribution. Her two coins were lepta, the smallest coins in circulation. They were worth almost nothing. Amidst the din of the wealthy givers, her contribution would have made no sound at all. And had it not been for Jesus, her visit to the Temple that day would have been unnoticed. But Jesus not only observed her giving. He observed her condition and motivation.

What do you think? Is God observing us in the same way today? Does he read our minds? Does he delight in our motives? Not how much we give but why we give? I believe He does. Giving is an act of worship, our response to God’s revelation of Himself. How much we give will reflect our thankfulness for all that God has given us. How much we give reveals much about how we view all that he has entrusted to us. In giving we are expressing the level of our gratefulness. It is not the amount but the motivation Jesus is looking at. True Giving is Unpretentious: Observed by God’s Son.

2. True Giving is Sacrificial: Prized in God’s Economy

“Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.” (Mark 12:43)

Amongst the noise of the large quantities of coins being tossed into the collection boxes, this woman’s contribution would not have been heard or noticed. But in God’s upside down economy the noise made by her small gift was deafening.

As she leaves, unnoticed in the crowds, Jesus thought her gift so important he draws the attention of his disciples to her and says, “The truth is this widow has given by far the largest offering today, far more than all the other gifts combined.  All these others made offerings that they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all!”

To the Lord, how much she gave was not as important as how much she had left afterwards. God is pleased when someone like her gives unpretentiously, joyfully and sacrificially. It is not the amount given but the motivation of the giver that is prized in God’s economy. Money is of no value to God.

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” (Acts 17:24-25)

God wants us to give, not because he needs our money but because we need to demonstrate that we trust him with his world. The Lord puts it this way in 2 Corinthians:

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

Our generosity is measured not by what others may give but by what we are capable of giving, what we are willing to give.

That is why I hope you will contribute to our ‘Turing Wine into Water’ appeal to provide a well for Nkondo Village and enlarge Goshen Christian School in Uganda in August. I do hope you will come to Stanlake Park for the afternoon on Saturday 16th July. God highly prizes such giving. Mother Teresa once said, “If you give what you do not need, it isn’t giving” Think about that.  “If you give what you do not need, it isn’t giving” True Giving is Unpretentious: Observed by God’s Son. True Giving is Sacrificial: Prized in God’s Economy.

3. True Giving is Reckless: Trusting in God’s Provision

“They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything— all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:44)

What some might regard as foolish recklessness, Jesus praises. Jesus praises her because she had literally given all her worldly wealth to the God she loved. She placed herself entirely in the hands of God. And there is no safer place to be.

She had no one else to provide for her. And in this act of dedication she became totally dependent on God. Have you ever been in such a place? It may be utterly scary but it is totally liberating. I can only remember being in that place once in my life. As a student I went on holiday to Sweden and discovered it was rather more expensive than I had budgeted for. During my last few days and on the ferry home I lived on bread and jam bought with the last of my Kroners. When I arrived at Harwich I was penniless. I remember being accosted by a beggar on the railway station asking me for money and empathising with him as I was broke too. When you have nothing left you become very dependent.

The lady in our story had nowhere to turn but God and his provision. Did he provide for her? We are not. However we do know that God promises to provide for all who trust in Him. Psalm 37 says,

“The blameless spend their days under the LORD’s care, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.” (Psalm 37:18-19)

That is why Jesus insists,

“Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:31-33)

What about you? Do you think God means us to believe these promises apply to us today? Too often, we play it safe don’t we? We play it safe when we give to God with the attitude, “I’ll give this amount, but I’ll hold back the rest just in case God doesn’t come through for me.” We hedge our bets just in case God drops the ball. This applies to more than money. It applies to our time and service for God as volunteers as well. We play it safe. We want to stay in our comfort zone. We doubt that God will help us. We get comfortable in our little corner doing what we’ve always done or giving what we’ve always given. In effect we are saying we believe that we can manage our affairs better than God can. So let me ask you, are you willing to be reckless for God? Extravagant with God? That was why Jesus praises the widow’s giving, because it was unpretentious, it was sacrificial, it was reckless.

Conclusion

A sobbing little girl, Hattie May Wiatt, stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it ’was too crowded.’ “I can’t go to Sunday School,” she sobbed to the preacher as he walked by. The preacher looked on her shabby, unkempt appearance, and guessed the reason – taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday School class. The child was so touched that she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus. About two years later, Hattie died and her parents called for the preacher, Dr. Russell H. Conwell, to handle her final arrangements. They told him that they found a  worn and crumpled purse. Inside were 57 cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting which read, “This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday school.” For two years she had saved for this special offering. He wrote, “After the funeral the mother handed me the little bag with the gathered 57 cents. I took it to the church and stated that we had the first gift toward the new Sunday school building; I then changed all the money into pennies and offered them for sale. I received about $250 for the 57 pennies; and 54 of those cents were returned to me by the people who bought them. I then had them put in a frame where they could be seen and exhibited them, and we received by a sale of the $250 changed into pennies money enough to buy the next house north of the church. I walked over to see Mr. Baird, who lived on the corner and asked him what he wanted for this lot. He said that he wanted $30,000. I told him that we had only 54 cents toward the $30,000, but that we were foolish enough to think that some time we would yet own that lot. Mr. Baird said: ‘I have been thinking this matter over and have made up my mind I will sell you that lot for $25,000, and I will take the 54 cents as the first payment and you may give me a mortgage for the rest at 5%. I went back and so reported to the church, and they said: ‘Well, we can raise more money than 54 cents’, but I went over and left the 54 cents with Mr. Baird and took a receipt for it as a part payment on the lot. Mr. Baird afterwards returned the 54 cents as a gift. Thus we bought the lot, and thus encouraged of God step by step, we went on constructing this church. Then with the 54 cents they began work on Temple University, which over the years has trained thousands of young people in medicine, law and theology. Then they used the 54 cents to build the Samaritan hospital serving over 30,000 people a year. It eventually became Temple University Hospital which still provides free care for those unable to afford payment, regardless of race, nationality or creed. In Baptist Temple Church now in Blue Bell, Pasadena, there is a picture of the Hettie whose 57 cents, so sacrificially saved, made such remarkable history and helped inspire others to build a church, a university and hospital.

Giving which God delights in is unpretentious because it is observed by God’s Son. Giving which God delights in is sacrificial because it is prized in God’s economy. Giving which God delights in is reckless because it demonstrates complete trust in God’s provision. May you find that to be true in your experience today. Lets pray.

With grateful thanks to Joel Santos, Wesley Bishop, Danilo Santiago and Paul Tuck, over on www.sermoncentral.com for their sermons on this passage, together with the commentaries on Mark’s Gospel by Dick France (The People’s Bible Commentary) and J.C. Ryle (Crossway Classic Commentaries).

This Lady is not for Stoning

This Lady is not for Stoning (John 8:1-11) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

As a young kid I used to read the newspaper every day, or at least the cartoon section. The Daily Mail still carries a one line Snoopy cartoon. It became my thought for the day through my teenage years. As I grew up, however, I moved on to more intellectual content like the Far Side cartoons of Gary Larson (I have the two volume definitive collection by the way). One of my other favourite cartoons is Calvin and Hobbes. On one occasion Calvin says, “You know what the problem is with the universe?… There’s no toll-free customer service hot line for complaints! That’s why things don’t get fixed. If the Universe had any decent management, we’d get a full refund if we weren’t completely satisfied!” Hobbes objects: “But hey, the universe is free.” To which Calvin retorts: “See, that’s another thing. They should have a cover charge and keep out all the riffraff.”  If we’re honest, we may wish that the riffraff would indeed just go away ­ or be punished.

For example, you may have been pleased to learn a few weeks ago of the capture and extra-judicial killing of Osama bin Laden. He got what he deserved. You may have expressed quiet satisfaction at the arrest of the head of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, removed unceremoniously from his First Class seat aboard an Air France jet about to leave New York. You may even have smiled gleefully at the exposure of a well-known footballer who took out a High Court injunctions to hide his private life. But he couldn’t suppress Twitter or silence the MP who used Parliamentary Privilege to name him.  Or you may be glad that Ratko Mladic has finally been arrested for war crimes in the former Yugoslavia. You may feel a long drawn out trial in the Hague before the War Crimes Tribunal is too good for him. You may be disappointed that the lawyers seem more concerned about his human rights and his failing health than justice for the 7,500 men and boys he executed following the capture of Srebrenica. We tend to be tough on people when they do things that upset us. We clamour for immediate retribution. We cry to the God of justice to strike them down. But we also know all too well, how desperately we ourselves need God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness.

In our series on Jesus and women, we have come to the controversial story in John 8. So controversial it does not appear in all the early manuscripts. It’s a highly charged story about morality, justice and mercy, law and grace.  The story can be broken into three:

Confrontation: Why Stone Throwing is so Popular (8:1-6a)
Conviction: Why Stone Throwing is so Dangerous (8:6b-9)
Compassion: Why Stone Throwing is so Unnecessary (8:10-11)

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The woman who said ‘yes’ to Jesus

Samaritan from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

A language instructor was explaining to her class that in French, nouns, unlike their English counterparts, are grammatically designated as masculine or feminine. “House,” in French, is feminine = “la maison.” “Pencil,” in French, is masculine = “le crayon.” One puzzled student asked, “What gender is ‘computer’?” The teacher did not know, and the word wasn’t in her French dictionary. So for fun she split the class into two groups by gender, and asked them to decide whether “computer” should be a masculine or feminine noun. They were required to give four reasons. The men’s group decided that computers are definitely of the feminine gender (“la computer”),

  1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic.
  2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;
  3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long-term memory for possible later retrieval; and
  4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your salary on accessories.

The women’s group, however, concluded that computers should be masculine (“le computer”),

  1. In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on;
  2. They can store a lot of data but can’t think for themselves
  3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they are the problem; and
  4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you’d waited a little longer, you could have got a better model.

I remember when Rachel our daughter wanted to play football at school she found it difficult to get picked for the team. The assumption then at least was that boys played football, while girls played net ball. But as you know sexism on the playing field is tame compared to the gender discrimination women face in career opportunities, in promotion prospects, in pay differentials, in the stereotype roles expected of both men and women, even within such a liberated and enlightened society as ours. One women executive said, “To get anywhere in the corporate world a woman has to do the same work a man would do in the same job, but she must do it twice as well.” Then she added wryly, “Fortunately, that is not difficult.” Another woman said, “We deserve more pay than men. After all, anything Fred Astaire could do, Ginger Rogers could do backwards and on high heels.” But that all changed for me when Michael was born, or at least that’s the impression some people gave when they asked how I felt to have a son and heir… My reply to that one was “I already had three heirs but was delighted to have a fourth.”   It even happens in churches.  I sometimes hear a speaker bemoan the fact that women outnumber men in many churches. Usually this is seen as evidence that the church is failing to relate effectively to men.  Sometimes I wonder whether it may actually be an encouraging sign of something very different.  Look at it from the opposite perspective, and ask why women, given a free choice of faiths, are attracted particularly to Christianity? Perhaps women have discovered something men haven’t. How do we follow Jesus without embarrassing God?  By emulating the radical way Jesus Christ treated women and men.  This morning I want us to discover what it means to be created in God’s image, both male and female. And we will find out by seeing how Jesus related to the Samaritan woman in John 4.  Here we discover what Jesus thinks about three issues – Gender Equality, Complementary Roles, and Shared Ministry.

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