sadchristmascracker from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.
The Sad Christmas Cracker made his apearance at the Christmas Day service. The story tells how he became a Happy Purpose Driven Christmas Cracker. To find out how you can too, check out Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life.
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?
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“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”.
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) 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.
1 Corinthians 15.58-16.2 from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.
You could sum up the news headlines this week in one word: ‘exposure’. Exposure to bad weather and travel chaos. Exposure to corruption among FIFA officials. Exposure of false accounting by some MP’s over their expenses. And above all, the exposure of the first few hundred of 250,000 US embassy cables. However we feel about WikiLeaks, Jesus promises there’s lots more exposure to come.
“What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.” (Luke 12:3-8)
The reason exposure has been so painful for some of our politicians, football officials and diplomats this week is because at some critical moment they have lacked integrity. The word comes from the Latin ‘integer’ meaning ‘whole or complete’. It describes an internal consistency between our words and actions, between our private and public lives. Integrity is the opposite of hypocrisy.
Sadly, all the good service these leaders may have given over many years has been forgotten. It was in vain because when it mattered they lacked integrity. Knowing that one day all will be exposed, how can we avoid the same embarrassment?
How to Avoid Flat Tyre Syndrome (Nehemiah 13) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.
Ever had a flat tyre? You know, the kind you are aware of, but you just don’t get round to fixing. You’re too busy and you think you’ll make it to your destination. My most embarrassing flat tyre was late one night, in central London, near Lambeth Palace actually. And I had a sleeping Bishop in the passenger seat. That is until I hit the curb and blew the tyre.
He ended up changing the tyre for me. Very embarrassing. Most flat tyres don’t occur as a result of a blowout. They go flat gradually because air leaks out over time, slowly, imperceptibly until one day you are grounded. Apparently, a tyre can lose one or two pounds of air a month in cool weather, and even more in warm weather. Sometimes you don’t even know you’re going flat until the car becomes difficult to steer, and then it is too late. Spiritual decline is very much like that. Spiritual decline or back-sliding is like a slow flat tyre. We have all been there. We go a week without praying or reading our Bible. We miss a couple of home group meetings. We are so tired by the week or a late night on Saturday and we have a lie in on Sunday morning and before you know it, its lunch time.
As we conclude the story of Nehemiah, we come face-to-face with the reality of what I call ‘flat tyre syndrome’. Now you would think that the last chapter of this great book would contain encouraging and compelling stories of how God’s people, back in the Land, the walls of Jerusalem rebuilt, experiencing God’s blessing. As we left them last week in chapter 12, having rededicated themselves to love and serve the Lord, having signed a solemn covenant to hold each other accountable, you would expect to find God’s people taking their spiritual commitment to the next level. Frankly, this script does not have a happy ending. Between chapter 12 and 13 Gods people had a flat tyre. They backslide as a nation. The verb “backslide” means “To relapse into bad habits, sinful behaviour, or undesirable activities.” Lets find out how it happened, what they did about it and what we can do to avoid a similar flat tyre. Continue reading
Purpose Driven Worship (Nehemiah 12) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.
Today is the anniversary of the first ever manned flight in the history of the world. The journey took place on 21st November 1783 when the French physicist Pilatre de Rozier and the Marquis d’Arlandes lifted off in a hot air balloon from the Bois de Boulogne in Paris. They floated free for 25 minutes, crossing the Seine and landing five miles away. For the first time in history people travelled through the air. In the large audience that day was the American ambassador to France, Benjamin Franklin. When asked by a friend what good a balloon flight would do, Franklin replied, “And what good is a new-born baby?” Franklin had the foresight to realise that there might be a useful purpose in flight. On 21st November 1783 most people hadn’t a clue what the purpose of flight might be. And 227 years on, some people still haven’t worked out what their purpose in life is.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism is considered to be the grandest doctrinal statement to come out of the Reformation. Composed of 107 questions and answers, the most famous of which asks: Q. What is the chief end of man? A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
A rather more contemporary, simplified and popular version was written by Rick Warren and called The Purpose Driven Life. He writes, “If you want to know the purpose of life, you have to either talk to the creator who made you, or look in the owner’s manual. You were made by God and you were made for God. And until you understand that, life isn’t going to make sense.” In The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren says God has five purposes for your life:
1. Worship – We were planned for God’s pleasure
2. Fellowship – We were formed for God’s family
3. Discipleship – We were created to become like Christ
4. Ministry – We were shaped for serving God
5. Evangelism – We were made for a mission
Today, we’re going to look at the first of God’s purposes and see how God’s people discovered them in Nehemiah’s day.
Our first purpose in life is to glorify God. It’s our primary objective. It’s our highest priority. Our number one purpose in life. And we have a fantastic team of musicians and singers at Christ Church who assist us in our praise and worship.But when you hear the word “worship,” what do you think of? What does Nehemiah 12 say? The chapter before us today describes the dedication service for the newly constructed walls. The Levites were brought,
“to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres… I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks.” (Nehemiah 12:27-31).
Three words in verse 27 summarise our primary purposes in worship: Celebration, thanksgiving and dedication take us to the heart of what worship is all about.
How to Love Your Enemies (Matthew 5 43-48) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.
You either love him or loathe him. He is one of the most popular, well known, larger than life faces on TV. Usually Jeremy Clarkson is to be seen extolling the virtues of shiny new cars on BBC2’s Top Gear. But a while back he talked with a passion of something far more fundamental – the often forgotten heroism of men who risked their lives for their country.
Clarkson presented a BBC documentary, “The Victoria Cross: For Valour”, examining the stories of some of our VC heroes, focusing on the one he found so personally inspirational, including his father-in-law he never knew but deeply admired.
The scene was Holland, in mid-September 1944. Airborne forces were attempting to capture a key bridge at Arnhem during the ill-fated Operation Market Garden.
Major Robert Cain commanded a company of the South Staffordshire Regiment. These men landed eight miles from the so-called “Bridge Too Far” where the British were fighting desperately to retain their foothold at the north end. Disaster struck. The Germans sprang an ambush and 300 of our men lost their lives, including two of Robert Cain’s closest friends.
With the remnants of his force retreating, Major Cain and the remainder of the company had a stark choice, to fight or surrender. And fight they did, losing another 40 men before being ordered to the last-stand defence of a village surrounded by 6,000 German troops armed with tanks, rocket launchers and 100 heavy guns. Single-handedly, Cain destroyed three Tiger tanks, standing in the open. He was temporarily blinded but after recovering, he turned the defence into a counter attack with such ferocity that the Germans were eventually forced to withdraw, allowing Cain’s men to escape across the Rhine.
For his courage and leadership, Major Robert Cain received the Victoria Cross, the highest, most prestigious award bestowed for gallantry. It is a sobering to remember that nine out of every 10 recipients died in the action which led to their being honoured. In its 149-year history, only 1,354 have ever been awarded, and as Clarkson discovered, the feats of the men who received it were truly remarkable. Major Robert Cain was one of the few who survived to enjoy the honour of being presented with his VC.
Jeremy Clarkson was clearly moved by the stories he told in the programme, not least that of his own father-in-law. And it prompted him to ponder a simple question which, in this period of remembrance for British soldiers lost in battle… I want us to spend a little while reflecting on this morning… He asked: “How can we call the likes of David Beckham a hero for scoring a goal? I wonder who your heroes are today? And what about your children and grandchildren? Who are the heroes pinned to their bedroom walls? What kind of people do you aspire to be like? What kind of people do we want our children to aspire to be like?
Renewing the Covenant with God (Nehemiah 10) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.
Nehemiah 10 is all about the solemn agreement God’s people made. As we consider it’s significance and relevance, I want us to answer three questions. 1. Why did they make this covenant? 2. Who made the covenant? 3. What did they covenant?
1. Why did they make this covenant?
1.1 Because the Lord had covenanted with their fathers. (9:7-8)
1.2 Because the Lord had protected them. (9:9-15)
1.3 Because the Lord had chastised them. (9:16-37)
1.4 Because they were now determined to change (9:38).
“In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it.” (Nehemiah 9:38)
They meant business. They wanted to begin again.
They wanted to repent of the past. They wanted to start again in the future. I hope you want to today as well. That is why they made this covenant.