Category Archives: Sermons

Living by Faith as Children of Abraham (Genesis 25)

The Children of Abraham (Genesis 25) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Introduction: Sometimes, after a death in the family a lawyer reads a will to the surviving family members. As the will is read, some family members accept their inheritance with humility and gratitude, while others might respond in anger or surprise at their inheritance. In Genesis 25 we see no surprises about the inheritance. Abraham’s sons all know that Isaac will receive the blessing. Later, Isaac’s son, Jacob, is the one chosen to receive the blessing. Abraham left his material inheritance to his family, and he left his spiritual inheritance to all those who believe in Jesus Christ. Abraham left us a clear inheritance of salvation by faith; he trusted the one true and living God.

Chapter Divisions

• Abraham provides for his many sons, but Isaac gets the blessing (Genesis 25: 1-11).

• Ishmael has many sons (Genesis 25: 12-18).

• Isaac’s son Jacob tries to insure his inheritance (Genesis 25:19-34).

1. Abraham provides for his many sons, but Isaac gets the blessing (Gen 25: 1-11).

Explain: Abraham eventually had many sons. His first was Ishmael, then Isaac, then the sons from the wife he took after Sarah’s death. Abraham provided for all of his sons, but Isaac was the one to whom he gave the blessing. “Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east” (vv. 5-6). “After Abraham’ s death, God blessed his son, Isaac …” (v. 11). Abraham faithfully, though not flawlessly, followed God’s plan. He made provision for God’s plan to continue after him. Because Abraham had made his desires known throughout his lifetime, after his death there was no surprise in the distribution of his property. He would follow God’s will, and Isaac would be the one to inherit the blessing, according to what God had told Abraham before Isaac’s birth. Isaac was the one through whom God’s purposes would be worked out.

Illustrate: That’s not fair! We often hear people complaining that something isn’t fair. Why didn’t God allow Abraham to divide his fortune evenly between all his sons? Why did Isaac get all the blessing? Simply put, “Because God said so.” But why was it God’s plan for Isaac to be Abraham’s rightful heir? In this case, God had clearly spoken that the blessing of multiple descendants and possession of land would go to the child born of Abraham and Sarah. As we have seen throughout Scripture, God keeps His word. God also kept His word to Hagar and made Ishmael a father of many nations as well. Abraham was conscientious and gracious toward all his sons, insuring they had gifts before he died.

Apply: What seems unfair in your life? Did God give someone else more gifts, better parents, better children, more opportunities? Sometimes people decide their lives have been unfair, so they become bitter and angry and stop serving the Lord. Perhaps we need to take our eyes off the physical things we’ve inherited and focus on our inheritance in the Lord! We’re all richly blessed in Him with a Savior, with a purposeful life, and with an eternal future with the Lord. Divine sovereignty doesn’t destroy human responsibility. Let’s accept what God has given us with thankful hearts. Because our true inheritance comes from the Lord—not from man.

2. Ishmael has many sons (Gen 25: 12-18).

God heard Hagar’s cries and He promised her He would make her son into a great nation (Genesis 16:10, 17:20-21 and 21:18). Sometimes we forget that God had promises and a plan for Ishmael also. Isaac received Abraham’s blessing, but, as God had promised, Ishmael had 12 sons, who became tribal rulers (Genesis 25:16).

Illustrate: Sometimes people try to get an elderly man or woman to change his/her will and name different heirs. Occasionally the aged person does change the will, but later the rightful heirs have the decision reversed in court. Hagar was despondent about her son and cried out to God, and God gave him a blessing, but He didn’t take away Isaac’s blessing to do it. We cannot determine our own inheritance. Our inheritance depends on the One who gives it.

Apply: From birth we depend on the older generation to take care of us until we can take care of ourselves. We should be grateful for the previous generation’s wisdom, knowledge, and traditions; they’re important for the next generation. Imagine how difficult it would be for each generation to start from scratch. God gave Isaac and Ishmael promises about their lives, and He fulfilled them. God didn’t reverse them—Ishmael’s descendents did become a mighty nation; he was the father of 12 rulers. Ishmael had the same choice as Isaac to come to faith in Abraham’s God or to turn his back on God. Sadly, he made the wrong choice.

The Central Idea? Our true inheritance comes from the Lord—not from man.

3. Isaac’s son Jacob tries to insure his inheritance (Gen 25:19-34).

Again, there should have been no surprise about who was to inherit the blessing from Isaac. After a 20-year wait for their child, Rebekah became pregnant with twins. Rebekah could not understand what was happening to her as her babies were “jostling in the womb,” so she asked God about it. “The Lord said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.’” When the twin boys were born, the older was red and hairy, and they named him Esau. The younger was born grasping his brother’s heel. They named him Jacob. In time, Esau became Isaac’s favorite, and Rebekah favored Jacob. The boys were polar opposites, and their parents’ conduct served to divide them even more. Despite God’s statement to Rebekah that her older son would serve her younger, Genesis 25:29-34 describes how Jacob insured the birthright inheritance by manipulating his older brother. Jacob schemed and took advantage of his brother’s hunger and made Esau swear to sell his birthright for a dish of stew. “So Esau despised his birthright.”

God had promised Rebekah that Jacob would have the inheritance, but Jacob tried to accomplish on his own what God had already promised. In manipulating his brother, it became obvious that Jacob was deceptive, but Esau was impulsive and shortsighted—willing to sell his future for instant gratification. Our motorways are peppered with large bright warning signs. These are “loud” signs that tell us to slow down and approach carefully. But the Lord warns us in a still, small voice: “Careful! Be Patient! Wait on Me!”

Apply: We continue to see these patriarchs causing themselves problems by trying to work out God’s purposes on their own. Abraham and Sarah became impatient, did things their own way, and Ishmael was born. Here, instead of patiently waiting for God to accomplish His own purpose, Jacob tries to speed things up by scheming and by manipulating his brother. In the next chapter we’ll see all the pain Jacob causes with his impatient plans. Now Jacob owns the birthright, but he has to flee; the birthright didn’t bring him any joy. Do we become impatient and manipulate situations and people to try to work out God’s will for Him? Is God telling you to be careful, to be patient, to wait on Him? Jacob didn’t believe God’s promises and inheritance could be his apart from his own sinful manipulation of Esau. Do I do that?

Do I take “shortcuts” instead of waiting and trusting God? Faith and scheming can’t coexist. Because our true inheritance comes from the Lord—not from man. Sometimes, when we read Scripture, we can think God’s plans seem unfair. However, when we look at the results of who God picked to inherit His blessings, we have to conclude that God knew what he was doing. Once upon a time…

Final Illustration: “A certain man had two sons. One was rich and the other was poor. The rich son had no children while the poor son was blessed with many sons and many daughters. In time the father fell ill. He was sure he would not live through the week so on Saturday he called his sons to his side and gave each of them half of the land of their inheritance. Then he died. Before sundown the sons buried their father with respect as custom requires. That night the rich son could not sleep. He said to himself, ‘What my father did was not just. I am rich, my brother is poor. I have bread enough and to spare, while my brother’s children eat one day and trust God for the next. I must move the landmark which our father has set in the middle of the land so that my brother will have the greater share. Ah – but he must not see me. If he sees me he will be shamed. I must arise early in the morning before it is dawn and move the landmark!’ With this he fell asleep and his sleep was secure and peaceful. Meanwhile, the poor brother could not sleep. As he lay restless on his bed he said to himself, ‘What my father did was not just. Here I am surrounded by the joy of many sons and many daughters, while my brother daily faces the shame of having no sons to carry on his name and no daughters to comfort him in his old age. He should have the land of our fathers. Perhaps this will in part compensate him for his indescribable poverty. Ah – but if I give it to him he will be shamed. I must awake early in the morning before it is dawn and move the landmark which our father has set!’  With this he went to sleep and his sleep was secure and peaceful. On the first day of the week – very early in the morning, a long time before it was day, the two brothers met at the ancient land marker. They fell with tears into each other’s arms. And on the spot was built the city of Jerusalem.”

Final Application: Here is the New Testament fulfilment of the promise God gave to Abraham: “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29).

“Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer slaves, but God’s children; and since you are his children, he has made you also heirs… Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.”  (Galatians 4:6-7, 28)

God knows our hearts too. He knows what blessings we’re able to receive while still giving Him the glory. He knows that we all need each other and the blessings and gifts that each person brings to the church (Romans 12). There is no place for jealousy or envy or competition or fear within his family for he longs to bless each one of us. As his adopted children, we’re all valuable to Him.

Adapted from Lesson 17  (Community Bible Study International) Genesis 25 “The Death and Descendants of Abraham”

Following the Example of Christ (John 13)

Follwing the Example of Christ (John 13)

“Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. … When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:35-45)

“Not so among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” Here is the DNA of the Church.

Back in the 1950’s, at the request of the Church Assembly, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York issued “A Short Guide to the Duties of Church Membership”.  A few years ago, we adopted this guide as the basis for our own Membership Covenant. You can pick up a copy from the information desk or website.[i] Between now and Easter we are exploring what it means to be a member of Christ Church. At Easter we will invite you to rededicate yourself to follow Jesus and serve in and through his Church.

churchmembership
Today we begin with the first of nine duties or privileges of church membership: “To follow the example of Christ at home and daily life, and to bear personal witness to him.”  How can we do that?

What does it mean? Please turn with me to John 13.  Chapters 13-17 are known as the Upper Room Discourse. What is surprising is that in the first twelve chapters of John’s Gospel, Agape, God’s love is mentioned 8x. But in chapters 13-17, it is mentioned 31x. I want us to see the connection between love and service by what Jesus knew, what Jesus did and what Jesus taught. Continue reading →

Trusting Jesus in the Storms of Life

Have you ever been in a really bad storm? Howling winds, driving rain, rough waves? How did you feel? Scary wasn’t it? We don’t forget storms easily do we? I’ve only been in one really bad storm at sea. Crossing the English Channel on a ferry to France. Everyone on board was sea sick. It can get really rough on the Sea of Galilee too, very quickly because it has hills on three sides. It did on the night we’ve read about in Matthew 14.

“Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side.” (Matthew 14:22)

Immediately after what? The amazing miracle of the feeding of 5000, it seems Jesus wanted his friends to learn a lesson. To trust him in the storms of life.

“When evening came, he was there alone, [on a mountainside overlooking the lake] but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.” (Matthew 14:22-23)

Jesus sent them on ahead, maybe to think about how on earth he had been able to feed 5000 people with a few rolls and fish. By the middle of the night all their energy was going into staying afloat and not with the fish. Then they got the shock of their life.

“Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (Matthew 14:25-27)

How did Jesus try and get them to trust him? First they saw him. Second they heard him.

“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27)

Jesus wanted them to trust Him. If he could feed 5000 and walk on water Jesus could look after them in any storm. Jesus must have smiled when Peter cried,

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:28-31)

Maybe Peter figured he was safer out of the boat with Jesus than in the boat without him. How did Jesus try and get Peter to trust him? As long as he listened to Jesus and kept his eyes on Jesus he was fine. But when he looked at the waves he was afraid and began to sink. He cried out and Jesus caught him.

“And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshipped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:32-33)

They were beginning to realise that Jesus was the Son of God. Notice what Jesus said to Peter “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31) Peter only had a “little faith”. By now Jesus expected Peter to have more faith. Why? Because of the evidence Jesus had provided. Now it is not about how much faith you have but who you place your faith in. “Faith” is simply another word for “Trust”. Jesus wanted them to trust him more and more, to grow in faith. How? Through what they saw (the miracles), what they heard (his amazing teaching) and what they touched (when he rescued them).
Then they would learn to trust him,

even when they could not see him, hear him, or touch him. Lets do a little experiment in faith building… [see, hear and touch]

Now we can’t see, or hear, or feel Jesus, so how can we trust Jesus in our storms of life?

1. We Hear Jesus through the Bible

God continues to speak to us about his wonderful plans and purposes for our lives through the living Bible.‘People do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ (Matthew 4:4) That is why its important we read the Bible.

2. We See Jesus in the Church

When we first put our trust in Jesus, we are born into a new family of brothers and sisters. “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Cor. 12:27)

We grow to trust Jesus more and more as we see him at work in other another, as we help each other discover his purposes for our lives, just as his first disciples did.

3. We Experience Jesus by His Spirit

Jesus has not left us alone. He sent his Holy Spirit to be with us, to live in us and help us to trust him through the storms of life. Jesus has not left us alone.

“The Spirit of God testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:14-16)

That is why, no matter what storms we may face this week or any time in the future, we can trust Jesus to be with us. For…

“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)

So let me ask you. Like Peter have you ever cried out, “Lord, save me!” Sooner or later we all recognise we need a Saviour. And like the disciples, we need to realise who Jesus is,  worship him, saying “Truly you are the Son of God.” If you haven’t yet, don’t wait for a storm. Jesus wants you to trust him to be your Saviour and friend today and everyday.

And if you have already trusted in Jesus, are you growing in your relationship with him? Are you trusting him a little more and more each day, so when the big storms come you will not be afraid? Get to know him better.

How? Hear Jesus speak to you through his Word. See Jesus at work in and through his Church. And trust Jesus to guide you moment by moment through his Holy Spirit. Lets ask him right now.

(talk given at the annual Virginia Water Cubs and Scouts service and annual Christ Church School Thanksgiving service)

Loving Unbelieving Relatives: or how to handle unbelief in the family (John 7:1-13)

Loving Unbelieving Relatives (John 7:1-13)

It’s Sunday morning. You’re eating breakfast, alone, peacefully. Then the door opens, and in comes… you know who, looking slightly dishevelled and half asleep.  They look at you inquisitively. They look at the clock. They look back at you, sitting there in your Sunday best. There’s a long pause.  And then it begins.  Round 1: Scepticism. “Where are you off to then? All dressed up at this hour of the morning? “I’m going to church. It’s Sunday…”  You want to add something else but you resist the temptation. Silence.  Round 2: Cynicism. “Off to your little holy huddle then. They’re just a bunch of hypocrites,” with an emphasis on the ‘your’ holy huddle. “Well, one more won’t make a difference” you reply, regretting saying it. Silence. Round 3: Sarcasm. “You think you’re better than the rest of us, don’t you?”  “No, I just know I need God’s help to make it through the day” and you feel like adding, “and find the strength to keep loving you.”  Silence. Sound familiar?  Don’t tell me that conversation has never happened to you.

For some of you, coming to church on a Sunday morning is a real sacrifice.  It’s a war zone at home and you tread so carefully to avoid the minefield of unbelief.  Family members can make you feel really guilty being here, and not with them. It only takes one member of the family, a father, a mother, a partner or sibling, ever so sweetly and not so innocently to wind you up and ruin your day even before you get here. And I know it’s even more embarrassing if “you know who” is reluctantly sitting next to you right now. Just don’t look at them…

It’s tempting to wish, if only we had been in Jesus’ family. Listening to his pearls of wisdom at every meal. I can’t imagine his mother or brothers or sisters ever went hungry, ever told him to shut up and go to his room, ever got ill, at least not for long. Headache dear? Period pain? Toothache? Arthritis? Surely no problem living with the Son of God? And mothers, I bet Jesus always put the seat down, washed his hands, brushed his teeth and went to bed when he was told. And he certainly never left his dirty clothes on the floor.  Surely the family of Jesus were the happiest people on earth. But the Scriptures reveal the reality was actually very different.  Surprisingly, Jesus was given a really hard time by his close family. On one occasion :

Continue reading →

The Journey of a Lifetime

The Journey of a Lifetime (Matthew 2:1-12) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

I wonder how long it took you to get here this morning? I wonder who has come the furthest? I wonder who has been on the longest journey this Christmas?

Life is a journey and we are all travelling on that journey. We sometimes use the word to describe the way we come to meet Jesus. Not everyone is brought up in a Christian home. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have been to a Sunday club like ours. You may be here for the first time or perhaps you don’t get to come very regularly. Perhaps you were not involved in the life of Christ Church a year ago, but you’re here now and you want to find out more. Then stick around. No matter where you are in your journey toward God, Jesus welcomes you too and delights in your desire to come and worship him. In our story today we learn about some other wise people looking for Jesus. They traveled a long way searching for Jesus.

We can learn several lessons from their journey of a lifetime that will help us in ours. Three in particular. Continue reading →

The Gospel in the Voyage of the Dawn Treader

There’s a Lion in the Manger from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

“They were in Lucy’s room, sitting on the edge of her bed and looking at a picture on the opposite wall. It was a picture of a ship—a ship sailing straight towards you. Her prow was gilded and shaped like the head of a dragon with a wide-open mouth. She had only one mast and one large, square sail which was a rich purple. The sides of the ship—what you could see of them where the gilded wings of the dragon ended—were green. She had just run up to the top of one glorious blue wave, and the nearer slope of that wave came down towards you, with streaks and bubbles on it.…all three children were staring with open mouths. What they were seeing may be hard to believe when you read it in print, but it was almost as hard to believe when you saw it happening. The things in the picture were moving. It didn’t look at all like a cinema either; the colours were too real and clean and out-of-doors for that. Down went the prow of the ship into the wave and up went a great shock of spray. And then up went the wave behind her, and her stern and her deck became visible for the first time, and then disappeared as the next wave came to meet her and her bows went up again. At the same moment … Lucy felt all her hair whipping round her face as it does on a windy day. And this was a windy day; but the wind was blowing out of the picture towards them. And suddenly with the wind came the noises—the swishing of waves and the slap of water against the ship’s sides and the creaking and the overall high steady roar of air and water. But it was the smell, the wild, briny smell, which really convinced Lucy that she was not dreaming… a great cold, salt splash had broken right out of the frame and they were breathless from the smack of it, besides being wet through…”

So begins The Voyage of the Dawn Treader from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. At face value it is a beautiful children’s story about a sea voyage. But Lewis intends us, young and old, to view it as a parable about life. More especially about discovering the purpose in life. And along the way, understanding the insidious power of evil, learning to resist temptation, and realising that rescue can only come from another realm. The realm of Aslan. Remember the first time you entered the world of Narnia? And came under the mesmerising spell of the evil White Witch who makes it “Always winter, never Christmas”… But the redemption of Narnia and the end of the White Witch’s reign has been prophesied and the arrival of “sons of Adam and daughters of Eve”, is a sign that the coming of Aslan as the rightful King is near. Clearly Aslan is a picture of the Lord Jesus. How do you feel about Jesus portrayed as a lion?

Read more here

A Lion in the Manger

“They were in Lucy’s room, sitting on the edge of her bed and looking at a picture on the opposite wall. It was a picture of a ship—a ship sailing straight towards you. Her prow was gilded and shaped like the head of a dragon with a wide-open mouth. She had only one mast and one large, square sail which was a rich purple. The sides of the ship—what you could see of them where the gilded wings of the dragon ended—were green. She had just run up to the top of one glorious blue wave, and the nearer slope of that wave came down towards you, with streaks and bubbles on it.…all three children were staring with open mouths. What they were seeing may be hard to believe when you read it in print, but it was almost as hard to believe when you saw it happening. The things in the picture were moving. It didn’t look at all like a cinema either; the colours were too real and clean and out-of-doors for that. Down went the prow of the ship into the wave and up went a great shock of spray. And then up went the wave behind her, and her stern and her deck became visible for the first time, and then disappeared as the next wave came to meet her and her bows went up again. At the same moment … Lucy felt all her hair whipping round her face as it does on a windy day. And this was a windy day; but the wind was blowing out of the picture towards them. And suddenly with the wind came the noises—the swishing of waves and the slap of water against the ship’s sides and the creaking and the overall high steady roar of air and water. But it was the smell, the wild, briny smell, which really convinced Lucy that she was not dreaming… a great cold, salt splash had broken right out of the frame and they were breathless from the smack of it, besides being wet through…”

So begins The Voyage of the Dawn Treader from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. At face value it is a beautiful children’s story about a sea voyage. But Lewis intends us, young and old, to view it as a parable about life. More especially about discovering the purpose in life. And along the way, understanding the insidious power of evil, learning to resist temptation, and realising that rescue can only come from another realm. The realm of Aslan. Remember the first time you entered the world of Narnia? And came under the mesmerising spell of the evil White Witch who makes it “Always winter, never Christmas”… But the redemption of Narnia and the end of the White Witch’s reign has been prophesied and the arrival of “sons of Adam and daughters of Eve”, is a sign that the coming of Aslan as the rightful King is near. Clearly Aslan is a picture of the Lord Jesus. How do you feel about Jesus portrayed as a lion? Jesus is actually described as a lion in the first and the last books of the Bible. In Genesis, is this prophecy.

“You’re a lion’s cub, Judah, my son. Look at him, crouched like a lion, king of beasts; who dares mess with him? The sceptre shall not leave Judah; he’ll keep a firm grip on the command staff; Until the ultimate ruler comes and the nations obey him.” (Genesis 49: 9-10)

And in the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John, is told, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.” (Revelation 5:5)

But why the name Aslan? Simple. Aslan is Turkish for ‘lion’. The abiding message of Narnia, so powerfully re-told in the new film, the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, is that God calls us to a grand adventure, an epic journey that will never end to know him and make him known. As Prince Caspian exclaims, “Think of the lost souls we are here to save”.

Continue reading →

I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas: Wentworth Carols by Candlelight

Do you enjoy dreaming? Do you ever remember your dreams? Do they ever reoccur? Have you ever dreamed about dreaming? Have you ever thought about sharing a dream? The film Inception is probably the most complicated, fast paced and dramatic sci-fi thriller I have ever seen. The premise is that professional thieves can invade and share in other people’s dreams to steal information via a drug-induced sleep.

From the ingenious mind of British filmmaker Christopher Nolan, Inception begs the question: what if you could share a dream with someone? Long before Christopher Nolan dreamed up the imaginary world of Inception, the Bible encourages us to dream, to imagine the future and to share the experience.

The Old Testament Prophet Joel predicted, ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” (Acts 2:17; Joel 2:28).

Joel is talking more about ‘day dreaming’ than about night dreaming. You can’t do much about dreams at night but you can during the day. While ‘day dreaming’ is usually a pejorative term, I believe we should consciously and actively cultivate the art of day dreaming. Do you have any hopes or dreams for Christmas? For the New Year? For your family? For our community?

Let me share my dream. Imagine Virginia Water as a village free from crime, free from pollution, free from noise, free from stress, free from fear. Imagine Virginia Water as a place where children are safe walking to school alone. Imagine Virginia Water as a place where you felt completely safe walking alone at night. Imagine our community with no recorded crime. No speeding motorists, no burglaries, no shop lifting, no assaults. Imagine Virginia Water with no alcoholism, no drug abuse, no vandalism and no graffiti. Imagine not having to lock your windows or doors or gates at night. Imagine not needing an intruder alarm, surveillance cameras, high walls or the services of a security firm.

Imagine Virginia Water as a place where marriages last for life, where there is no infidelity, no unwanted pregnancies, no abortions, no child abuse, no adultery, no marital violence, no divorce. Imagine no anti-Semitism, Islamophoba, no racism of any kind, but a tolerant and caring community where minorities feel secure and accepted. Imagine our elderly cared for by neighbours. Imagine no one left alone, no one lonely, no one depressed, no one suicidal,
but everyone valued, affirmed and contributing to the good of the community.
Is such a vision unrealistic or naïve?

At the birth of Jesus, the angels announced to the shepherds, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests” (Luke 1:14). That wasn’t a wish or an aspiration. They were announcing a fact – Shalom – peace – reconciliation with God and one another is promised, nay guaranteed, to those who recognise Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. That is what Jesus came to achieve through his supernatural birth, through his wondrous life, and supremely by his death and resurrection in our place and for us. It’s not a fantasy. It’s not a dream. It’s not make believe. For those with eyes to see, the Bible gives us a vision of what the future will be.

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

This vision of the future has encouraged Christians down through the centuries to pray, as Jesus taught us, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10). And then to give their lives to make it a reality

What 2011 holds for us, we do not know. It is perhaps timely with the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton a few months’ away, to remember something memorable William’s great-grandfather said on Christmas Day 1939. As citizens of the British Empire faced a world war, King George VI resurrected the tradition of delivering an annual Christmas message to all the inhabitants of the Empire. In this excerpt from his speech, the King, not usually a compelling speaker, inspired and reassured his listeners by quoting a poem:

“I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year, ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’ And he replied,’Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be better than light, and safer than a known way.'”

May you place your hand in the hand of God this Christmas. May God give you a vision of his plan for your future that will last all year and beyond. May God give you the wisdom to discover and strength do his perfect will. And may your dreams, so anointed, come true. And in doing so, may God bless you and those you love, this Christmas and forever more.

Delivered at the Wentworth Golf Club Carols by Candlelight Concert, Christmas 2010.

What’s in a Name? (Luke 1:1-25)

What’s in a Name? (Luke 1.1-25) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Do you know what your name means? My name, Stephen, means ‘crown’ or ‘garland’. As a noun Stephen first appears in Homer’s Iliad. So the name has been in use for at least 2,800 years. In the Acts of the Apostles, chapters 6-7, Stephen became the first Christian to give his life as a martyr for Jesus. That is very special to me, although I’m not sure that’s why my parents chose the name.

In many cultures, names are significant. They are chosen with care or handed down from father to son, from mother to daughter through the generations. In the West people often have no idea what their name means, more a novelty than necessity. Children’s names are often chosen for the sound or rhythm. Sometimes children are named after famous personalities.

Currently, the most popular boys name is Jack (third year running) followed by Oliver, Harry and Charlie. The most popular girl’s names are Olivia, Ruby and Grace. Olivia has been in the top three for three years also. Oliver and Olivia both in the top three? Is that due to  the subliminal influence of adverts for a healthy Mediterranean spread? Or the countries favourite pinup – sorry, chef. There may be some truth in that because Jamie’s latest cookbook, 30-Minute Meals, has sold 735,000 copies in the last two months alone- making it the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time, outselling even the Bible.

In biblical times names were of incredible importance. A name carried more than your identity. It said something about who you are, what your God is like, or how you were expected to live. Names were not always given at birth. In fact it was common for a child to go for years without a permanent name. And sometimes God changed people’s names to better define who they are or whom they will become. Abram’s name was changed to Abraham; Jacob’s name became Israel.

On the other hand sometimes, people were given names that were never used. In Joseph’s dream, for example, the angel says Jesus will be given the name “Immanuel” which means “God with us”. This was predicted in Isaiah 7:14. And yet in the New Testament, Jesus is never called by that name. Maybe one day when every knee will bow.

In an hour or so we will have our Nativity Service and re-live the birth of the Lord Jesus. We’re very familiar with the Christmas story of Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus. But we don’t often take time to get to know the people who had a role to play in God’s plan just before Jesus was born. Luke begins his gospel with the coming of the angel Gabriel to Zechariah and the promise that Elisabeth his wife will bear a son and they will name him John. This morning I want us to see how this family are not just the prelude to Christmas but testify by their names and by their actions that God is sovereign. That God is faithful to do what he has promised.

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