Category Archives: Theology

Elizabeth and Jesus (for children and the young at heart)

Elizabeth and Jesus from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Girls, this may seem like a strange question but in your circle of friends, are there any boys? And what about you boys? Do you have any friends who are, you know, girls? It may surprise you to know that although Jesus was a man he had many friends who were women and men.

He didn’t just have men disciples but women disciples too! The grown-ups are learning about some of the women that followed Jesus. And today we are thinking about Elizabeth. She was the mother of John the Baptist who was a kind of cousin of Jesus. There are 3 things we know about Elizabeth from the reading we just heard. Each of them begins with a B.

“Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.” (Luke 1:5-6)

Elizabeth was BLAMELESS

What does that mean? Was she perfect? No, but when she did something wrong, she said sorry and God forgave her. She tried to obey the commands in the Bible.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

If we want to be blameless like Elizabeth we need to read our Bible and do what God says. And if we get angry or impatient, or rude or sulk, we need to say sorry and God will forgive us. She was blameless.

See if you can think of the second ‘B’. Its not so obvious…

“Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth… When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ” (Luke 1:13-14, 39)

Elizabeth was BOUNTIFUL

Not just because she was going to have a baby! But because she was blameless the Holy Spirit filled her to overflowing. She was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Her life showed the fruit of God’s Spirit especially toward Mary – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. You know the Holy Spirit wants to fill us so that we too can be bountiful followers of Jesus like Elizabeth. How can we be filled with the Spirit? Remember the verse we just looked at from 1 John?

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

This is how we become blameless and bountiful. Let me illustrate with this teapot…

We are all like a little teapot. God wants to fill us and use us to help others come to know and love him too….

Confession and Filling is as simple as breathing. Exhale bad air, inhale clean air.

Elizabeth was Blameless and Bountiful.

And because of that… she was…See if you can guess the third ‘B’ from the story.

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:42-43)

Elizabeth was a BLESSING

Elizabeth was blessed by God and was a blessing to Mary and also baby Jesus.

How was she a blessing? She welcomed Mary into her home and looked after her for three whole months. Elizabeth was Blameless, she was Bountiful and she was a Blessing – and we can be too. What must we do? If we confess our sins God will forgive us, he will cleanse us and make us blameless. Then he will fill us with his Spirit to overflowing and make us bountiful, and then we can be a blessing to others.

Proclaiming the Resurrection of Jesus

Paul in Athens from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Proclaiming the Resurrection of Jesus in Athens (Acts 17)

Proclaiming the resurrection may not be as hard as you may think. As Christians gather to celebrate Easter today, a recent national survey revealed that over half of people in Britain believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. New research published by Theos, the public theology think tank found that on the question of Easter’s significance today, 43% of the public believe that the Easter story is about Jesus dying for the sins of the world while only 26% think that the Easter story has no meaning today. 57% of people questioned said they believe that Jesus was executed by crucifixion, buried and rose from the dead, with over half of those (30% of the total sample) accepting the traditional Christian belief in the bodily resurrection of Christ and the rest (27%) believing that Jesus rose in spirit form. This widespread belief clearly informs people’s more general attitude to life after death. Over half of people said they believe in some kind of existence after death, although most of those (44% of the total) believe that ‘your spirit lives on after death’. Only 9% said they believe in a personal physical resurrection. So, while many people remain ignorant of what the Scriptures teach about God’s purposes, a majority of people in Britain do nevertheless believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus and do believe in life after death. Turning that general belief into a saving faith is the challenge before us as a church. The late Noel O. Lyons, for many years director of the Greater Europe Mission, used to say,

“Europe is looked over by millions of visitors and is overlooked by millions of Christians.” Europe needs the Gospel today just as it did in Paul’s day, and we dare not miss our opportunities. Like Paul, we must see with open eyes, pray with broken hearts and act from compassion for those who are lost. In ten days we begin our Summer Thursday Night courses. One of the courses is ‘Becoming a Contagious Christian’. Lets see what we can learn from the Apostle Paul about how to become contagious Christians. This evening, lets consider what Paul saw, how Paul felt, what Paul did and what Paul said. Continue reading →

Jesus and Mary Magdalene (John 20:1-18)

Jesus and Mary Magdalene (John 20:1-18) from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Jesus and Women: The Transforming Power of Redemptive Love. Mary Magdalene (John 20:1-18)

What is the most embarrassing thing that can possibly happen to a man? Getting lost and having to ask a lady for directions? Close. Discovering your wife is a better map reader than you are? Possibly. For me, getting a flat tyre and having to call the AA for help because I couldn’t get the nuts off the wheel. That was pretty embarrassing. And wasn’t even anyone else in the car… It’s at times like that, that you appreciate being a member of the AA or RAC. Everyone wishes they were a member… after a breakdown. When you think of ‘membership’ what comes to mind? It probably depends on how exclusive or expensive the membership is, or how badly we want it. There are arts societies, sport associations, health clubs, university alumni and professional bodies. The list of ‘memberships’ is endless, and your wallet is probably full of plastic to prove it. Some memberships are open to anyone who can pay the fee while others are exclusive and by ‘invitation only’. Locally, there is the Virginia Water Community Association, the Royal British Legion, Savill Gardens and of course Wentworth for those with a passion for golf, tennis or physical fitness. For many people, their membership provides a rich social life in which friendships and common interests can be pursued and shared. What may surprise you, however, is to discover that ‘membership’ is a Christian word. It appears in the Bible to describe how we become members of God’s family.

The apostle Paul writes,“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” (Romans 12:4-5)

Continue reading →

The Cross

The Cross from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

When a hospital consultant reveals a serious medical condition that will probably shorten your life without a major operation, it can be a little unsettling. The imminent risk of a stroke is like a living death sentence. It changes your outlook on life. Your priorities. Then, just as suddenly, to be given the all clear is like being given your life back again. Although from now on, whether due to a mis-diagnosis or a miracle, you are grateful. Life feels good. That is how we should feel because of what happened that first Good Friday.

The Cross. It struck fear in the hearts of the world. It was Rome’s means of control. Excruciating torture. Prolonged agony. Humiliating death. According to Roman custom, the penalty of crucifixion was always preceded by scourging. After this initial punishment, you carried your cross, or at least the transverse beam of it, to the place of execution.
Besides the physical pain there was also the psychological torture. Because crucifixion was a public form of execution.

The crosses were located by the roadside or at a crossroads. There was no hiding. You were exposed to the jibes and insults of the people who passed by. Stripped naked, you were bound to the cross with cords and fastened with nails like these here.
Roman nails, 2000 years old. You can place them in your hands after the service.

Finally, a placard called the titulus bearing your name and your crime, was placed above your head. You would not die of hunger or thirst, but might hang on the cross for several days. To breathe, you must stretch upward and stand to take the weight on your legs and off your arms and chest. So if your legs were broken, death would come mercifully swift with asphyxiation. In this way it was possible to take down the corpse on the very evening of the execution such as a Sabbath. But your corpse could not be taken down, unless specially authorized in the sentence of death. Permission would also be necessary for a burial. It is remarkable that all of this the Bible records with the simple words, “Finally, Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified.” (John 19:16). This morning the children have had their own activities. They were finding out why today is called “Good Friday” Now it is our turn. Lets examine John 19:16-29 and draw out three simple reasons why today is indeed a good day. Continue reading →

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land: 21st-30th October 2011

A comprehensive 10-day Pilgrimage based in Jerusalem and the Galilee in Half Term, 21st-30th October 2011.

In the Middle East, the reality on the ground is often far removed from what we see and read in the news. Places of pilgrimage are open and welcoming visitors. We have planned our programme for late October during the half-term holidays, which is considered to be a lovely time to visit the Holy Land. We will have the opportunity to worship with the local Christian community in Jerusalem on the Sunday morning and on our journey through the Holy Land to seek them out and to offer our support and encouragement.

Visits will include Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Capernaum, the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea and Qumran, as well as allowing free time for relaxation and private exploration. We will walk along the Via Dolorosa, sail on the Sea of Galilee, float on the Dead Sea and ascend the Mount of Masada by cable car. The Holy Land is unique in offering so many highlights and contrasts in such a compact area. Each day of our pilgrimage will be very different from the previous one.

The pilgrimage will include opportunities to meet with the Living Stones, the indigenous Christians of the Holy Land, as well as Jewish and Muslim peacemakers. We hope to meet with ICAHD (Israel Committee Against House Demolitions) or World Vision. We will also encounter the Separation Wall and possibly a Jewish settlement, a Palestinian refugee camp and staff of the Bethlehem Arab Rehabilitation Centre in Beit Jala.

We stay in two family owned and managed hotels. In Jerusalem, the three star Golden Walls Hotel overlooks the Old City walls and is walking distance of the Holy Sepulchre. In Tiberias, we stay at the four star Ron Beach Hotel in a wonderful situation right on the lakeside. The tour is on a half-board basis with buffet breakfast and table d’hote evening meal included daily. Touring is in air-conditioned coaches and we will be accompanied by a local guide who will share leadership responsibilities and look after the formalities of hotel check-ins etc. All entrance fees are included. Flights are with EL AL Israel Airlines between Luton Airport and Tel Aviv and returning from Tel Aviv into London Heathrow.

For more information download the brochure from here If you have any questions please contact Stephen

The Grace of Giving

“Look at your hands. When you were just an infant, you came out with your hands closed. And every time somebody put their little finger in yours, you would wrap your hand around it, hold on tight, and not let go. As a toddler, you started grabbing rattles and little toys. When another child came in your direction and wanted to take one away from you, you said, “Mine,” and held on tight.

When you were in junior school, you hung on tightly to bicycle handlebars and pencils and other things. In senior school you hung on to the hand of Sarah Jane, and you were not about to let that go. In college you hung on to a lot of different stuff—maybe some stuff we don’t even want to talk about here—but when you left, you were clutching a certificate with two hands.

When you started a career, you grabbed the lowest rung on the ladder and you hung on. Then you reached for the second one and you hung on, and then the next one. Since then, you have been climbing ladders, clutching rungs. Someday retirement will come and you’ll hang on to golf clubs or gardening tools, pension funds, and social security. When you get near the end of your life, you’ll start hanging on to canes and zimmer frames.

And then do you know what happens to some people in the final moments of their life? They clutch the edge of a hospital bed. They hang on tightly as if to life itself. And then they die and finally, they relax their grip. By nature, you and I are clutchers. We scrape and we claw and we work and we fret, and if we get ahead just a little bit, we hold on. It doesn’t matter who or what tries to convince us to relax our grip. We have a reflexive response to giving up something that’s dear to us – especially when it comes to our money…For most of us, clutching is like breathing. It just comes naturally.”[1] This morning we are going to learn why we need to loosen our grip on money. We are going to consider an example of another church and how they learnt to give with open hands. Where ever the apostle Paul planted a new church, part of their discipleship training included teaching on stewardship. John Stott observes,

“Paul did not see it as a mundane matter. On the contrary, he saw it as relating to the grace of God, the cross of Christ and the unity of the Spirit. In fact, it is very moving to grasp this combination of profound Trinitarian theology and practical common sense.”[2] Continue reading →

Jesus on Marriage

The secret to newlywed bliss? Irrational optimism about your spouse. If marriage is about compromise, as they say, then happy marriage is about self-delusion. So found scientists at the University of Buffalo, who followed 222 newlyweds through their first three years together. The ones who went into marriage idealizing their partners ended up happier together than those who went in with clearer eyes. …

The study is published in the April issue of Psychological Science, Dr. Sandra Murray, a professor of psychology at the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York recruited 222 couples as they applied for their marriage licenses in Buffalo, N.Y. They were, on average, about 27 years old, with family incomes of about $40,000 to $70,000 a year. One hundred and ninety three couples “finished at least three of the seven waves of evaluation, she said. (Eleven separated or divorced.) Participants completed surveys about themselves, their partners and their marriages every six months for three years.”

A less-than-ideal partner can be seen as a reflection of one’s ideals predicted a certain level of immunity to the caustic effects of time. The couples who initially idealized their partner extremely experienced no declines in satisfaction in their partner. As long as both spouses have a positive attitude about their partner, they have likely to have a successful marriage and be very happy together.” (Source: Contracept.org)

Is there an alternative to irrational optimism and rational cynicism in relationships? I believe there is. In our series on the privileges of church membership the last sentence reads:

“To uphold the standard of marriage entrusted by Christ to his Church and to care that children are brought up to love and serve the Lord.”

Upholding the standard of marriage does not mean wearing rose tinted glasses any more than reinforcing Victorian stereotypes or giving in to more contemporary secular prejudices. When we address such a controversial subject as marriage, we have to acknowledge we bring a certain amount of excess baggage. In any church family there will be singles who are content and those who are not. Some will be happily married and others not. Some may be living together, some will be separated, some divorced and some widowed. We also bring with us the subconscious baggage of our parents marriage, happy or otherwise. And we may already have witnessed in the marriages of our our children or grandchildren, sadness and heartache for the same reasons. We each come to God with different needs, different hopes and longings, for ourselves and for those we love. So let us invite the Holy Spirit to speak to us, to teach us how, whatever our background, whatever our past experience, we can start again and live in right relationships as God intends. Please turn with me to Mark 10:6-9 and lets discover how Jesus speaks into our contemporary debate about marriage.

Jesus on Marriage from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

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How to Receive Communion Faithfully

Receiving Holy Communion Faithfully from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

The Privilege of Church Membership: Receiving Communion Faithfully
(1 Corinthians 11:17-34)

Whenever I travel abroad I empty my wallet of all my extraneous plastic – there’s my Boots Advantage card, my Tesco Club card, Shell garage card and Nectar ‘you deserve it’ loyalty card, my Starbucks card, Costa Coffee Club card, my Caffe Nero card, my Halifax Ultimate Reward Card, Automobile Association card, Dry Cleaners loyalty card and of course, my Wentworth Club card.

Into my wallet depending on who gave me the best flight deal, goes my British Airways Executive Card, my American Airlines, Delta or United Airline card, and of course my Passport.

We are probably all members of one or more club, trade union, professional association, community group, society or charity. Membership is important. It gives a sense of belonging.

What you may not realise however is that ‘Membership’ is actually a Christian word. In Paul’s letter to the Romans he writes, “in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” (Romans 12:5). That means ‘the Church’ is the oldest and largest club in Britain. Continue reading →

Supporting the Church Abroad (Matthew 21:1-17)

Matthew 21 from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

The Road from Jericho to Jerusalem is just 14 miles long. A day’s journey on foot, uphill all the way. Bethany is on one side of the Mount of Olives. A natural place to stop and rest before the final ascent and panoramic view of all Jerusalem. But it is not the road that should capture our attention. Dusty roads through dramatic scenery were as common then as now, indeed little has changed. Israeli checkpoints, barbed wire, military settlements and the Separation Wall have replaced the Roman garrisons but it is still Occupied Territory. It is ironic that if Jesus were born in Binfield he would have no problem getting from Jericho to Jerusalem today. But because he was born in Bethlehem he would not be able to make the journey to Jerusalem. Like thousands of West Bank Christians he would be turned back at any one of the 400 military checkpoints that clog Palestine. Each one acts like plaque narrowing the arteries – constricting the flow of Palestinian life.

The Right Revd Suheil Dawani is the Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem. He was born in Nablus but serves at the Cathedral in Jerusalem. At least he did so until this week. He too has just had his Jerusalem residence permit revoked. Under international law he has every right to live and work in his own country but the Israeli government is seeking to empty East Jerusalem of Palestinians and so under it is illegal for the Bishop to visit his Cathedral in Jerusalem. Pray for your brothers and sisters today in the Holy Land who are denied the most basic of human rights – freedom of movement, freedom to worship, freedom to live in the land of their birth. Sadly they are haemorrhaging, as they are in Iraq and other Middle East countries.

Last week, for example, the most prominent Christian in Pakistan was murdered. Shahbaz Bhatti, 42, was shot outside his mother’s home in Islamabad Wednesday morning. He was the only Christian serving in Pakistan’s government. As Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs, Shahbaz was well known for campaigning against the nation’s strict blasphemy law and lobbying for the rights of religious minorities. Last year Shahbaz made a video to be released in the event of his death. You can view it on my blog and also Christianity Today. We need to do more than pray and give financially to mission.

That is why I travelled 7,000 miles to speak at Taylor University in Upland and Indiana University in Fort Wayne earlier this week. If we want to break the log jam in the Middle East we need to challenge the mindset in Middle America. Taylor maybe a small Christian University of only 3,500 students but everyone is challenged to go on mission trips, and boy were they fired up about the Middle East. So, on Tuesday night, when the University had invited Alvin Plantinga, described by Time magazine as the “leading philosopher of God,” to give a prestigious lecture, the students themselves organised a viewing of With God on our Side and at least 250 students showed up. We hope to have a recording of the Q&A online soon. On Thursday just before I flew home, I gave a 50 minute lecture on the Middle East to students at Indiana State University, that was also broadcast live by the local TV station. Continue reading →

How to Read the Bible Carefully (2 Timothy 3:14-17)

How to Read the Bible Carefully from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.

Do you remember your very first Bible? Mine was a gift from my grandfather. I must have been six or seven years old. It had a hard red cover. It was small, had very thin pages and tiny script. But that didn’t matter because it was unreadable anyway. On the occasions I tried, I had absolutely no idea what I was reading. It was a closed book. King James could keep his Bible. At senior school, I encountered the Revised Standard Version (RSV) in RE lessons, but I was more interested in the line drawings and maps than the text itself.

At University, when I became a Christian, the Bible really came to life. And I wanted a copy just like the guy who led me to Christ. It didn’t do much for my spelling because it was the New American Standard Bible (NASB) but at least it had a readable font, the sentences went right across the page like a real book and it had cross references that kept me occupied for hours. This was around the time of Woodstock and the fashion in Christian circles was to cut off the hard cover of your Bible and glue on a piece of off cut leather. So we could walk around campus, bare foot, carrying the kind of Bible John the Baptist must have had. I thought it would be cool to underline passages that spoke to me and I also used a highlight pen. The only problem was it bled through to the other side and pretty soon I was underlining most of the text.

Then I discovered my pastor had a wide margin, loose leaf Bible, so he could add his notes and make it look like he was preaching straight from the Bible. So I wanted one too. I bought my very own loose leaf Bible and added my notes in the margins and on extra pages. But I gave up because my writing wasn’t that good and there wasn’t enough room anyway.

Eventually I upgraded to an all leather New International Study Bible (NIV) and decided not to write anything in it. And that’s been my companion for the last 25 years. If you don’t own a Study Bible and you are serious about growing in Christ, I recommend you invest in one. I’d go for the TNIV or the ESV Study Bible. The Life Application Study Bible is also good. And if you want a Bible for daily devotions, go for the One Year Bible which provides you with an OT, NT, Psalm and Proverb for each day, and you can read the whole Bible in a year.

In this series on the Privileges of Church Membership, today we are thinking about how to read the Bible carefully. This morning I want us to answer 3 questions:

1. Why should I read the Bible carefully?

2. How can I read the Bible carefully?

3. What will reading the Bible carefully achieve?

[You can download a study outline here]

Continue reading →