Next Sunday, 7th February, we are hosting a seminar at Christ Church on Climate Change with Professor Scott Elias of Royal Holloway, University of London from 3:00-5:00pm. All welcome.
Professor Scott Elias will give us the latest evidence for climate change. You will not want to miss this event. Do invite your friends.
“Since the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made its last assessment of global warming in 2007, new data have emerged that point ever more clearly to the growing threat of climate change, and mankind’s role in creating these problems. It is now clear that human-induced climate change is already affecting both the physical environment (e.g., rising temperatures, melting sea ice, etc.) and the biological world (e.g., changes in ecosystems, threats to the habitats of many species). Global precipitation trends have also been linked to human induced global warming.
These changes include increased precipitation in Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes, drier Northern Hemisphere tropics and subtropics, and wetter Southern Hemisphere tropics. The magnitude of these changes is greater than what has been predicted in previous climate models, and may already be affecting ecosystems, agriculture, and human health in some regions.
The world’s oceans are becoming acidified as more CO2 gas is dissolved in ocean waters. Ocean acidification threatens the world’s coral reefs, shellfish, and marine ecosystems generally. The latest estimates now predict that global sea level will rise between ½ and 2 meters by the end of this century, as much as four times the estimate made by IPCC in its 2007 report.
The situation is grim, but because it is human-caused, there is much we can do to remedy the situation. The whole world must take this problem seriously. Governments as well as individuals must act quickly.”
The Road from Jericho to Jerusalem is just 14 miles. A half-day’s journey, uphill all the way. Bethany is just on the other 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 Barrier have replaced the Roman garrisons but it is still Occupied Territory. It is ironic that if Jesus were born in Blackpool 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 the Mount of Olives, let alone join the Palm Sunday procession into the Old City. Like thousands of West Bank Christians he would be unable to visit Jerusalem today. He would be turned back at a military checkpoint – because he was born in Bethlehem. 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. In March, Bethlehem Bible College is hosting an international conference called “Christ at the Checkpoint” with Lynn Hybels, Tony Campolo and many other evangelicals. Come and meet Christ’s family living at the checkpoints.
Richard Bewes, former Rector of All Soul’s, Langham Place, London, spoke at Christ Church, Virginia Water on Mission Sunday, 10th January 2010. In this sermon he draws out four principles of mission from the Apostle Paul’s encounter in Athens recorded in Acts 17.
In this sermon, he considers the mission lessons learnt from the story of Caleb in Joshua, and in particular, Caleb’s drive and energy, even as an 85 year old, to claim the promises of God.
I wonder whether you saw the New Year in at a party? When people have had a glass or two you often find out what they really think. I heard of a guest at a rather noisy party, who approached his hostess to complain, “I find the whole situation absurd,” he shouted rather loudly over the din, “no-one here seems to realise how silly they look all dressed up, how pathetic their little lives really are, their behaviour is so grotesque…their small talk is so…so superficial…” “Ah,” said the hostess, smiling sweetly, “you must join the sociologists in the far corner. The rest of us realised all that a long time ago but we decided to ignore it and just enjoy the party….” Ecclesiastes was written by a man who decided not to ignore reality any longer but joined the deviants in the corner who are confronting the absurdity of life. And he invites us to listen in on their conversation. The first verse suggests this is the work of King Solomon but most commentators doubt it. The writer gives himself the name qoheleth which is translated teacher (TNIV) or preacher (ESV). For convenience, I am going to assume it is Solomon. What matters is that we read this as an autobiographical journey by someone in search of meaning in life. In the opening chapter, Solomon introduces us to three people, a scientist, an historian and a philosopher, who each help him to answer the ultimate question, “Is life worth living?”
And Solomon gives us his answer in verse 2, even before asking the question. “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” (Eccl.1:2)
This is like a detective novel in which the writer begins by telling you who did it then proceeds to reveal how they did it and how the clues fit together. While popular in fiction, few people are really comfortable with this “Sherlock Holmes” style of ruthless elementary deduction when applied to real life.
During the Spring when we explore Ecclesiastes together, we are going to unmask some of our fantasies and take off our rose tinted spectacles. Ecclesiastes does not allow us to escape back into our Disney make-believe world where the blood is only tomato ketchup, and everyone rides off into the sunset, living happily ever after.
A hard look at life can be very disconcerting. Have you noticed the way the TV news typically ends? The news will move from a story about army casualties through a road side bomb in Afghanistan, to a suicide bombing of a mosque in Pakistan, to the latest revelations of Iran’s clandestine nuclear programme to a devastating cyclone in the Philippines, then, almost without a pause, we move to the latest cricket and rugby scores, and then with a smile and a shuffle of papers we end “on a lighter note” with a trivial or eccentric story with a happy ending… and in a millisecond it’s straight into the make-believe world of the adverts. T.S. Eliot rightly warned that “humankind cannot bear very much reality.”
But bear it we must if people are to realise that the message of Jesus Christ is good news. You cannot save a drowning man if he does not realise his predicament. Francis Schaeffer, the most influential 20th Century Christian philosopher, once wrote,
“There is a time, and ours is such a time, when a negative message is needed before anything positive can begin…People often say to me, “What would you do if you met a really modern man on a train and you had just an hour to talk to him about the gospel?” I would spend forty-five or fifty minutes on the negative, to show him his real dilemma-to show him that he is more dead than even he thinks he is…Then I would take ten or fifteen minutes to tell him the gospel…Unless he understands what is wrong, he will not be ready to listen, and understand the positive.”
This is the stance that Ecclesiastes takes. Solomon drags us through the pointlessness of life without God, often with great humour. We greatly misunderstand this book if we imagine that Solomon is merely a cynic. He never lets us forget that the posture he is taking is not a divine viewpoint. Rather it is the rationale of a secular person looking at the world with all its problems, horizontally. Or, as Solomon puts it 27x from “under the sun.” He does not accept these secular assumptions. He is deliberately putting on the mantle of the secular mind to force us to think the way the world thinks, and takes us to the logical end of such a world view.
It may be uncomfortable, even disconcerting, to deliberately try and imagine the world without God, but this we need to do if we are to identify with our family and friends who avoid God.
Who think the Church irrelevant. We are going to find that Ecclesiastes will help us a great deal to get into the mind of the unchurched Harry and Mary. There are some amazing similarities between cultures separated by thousands of years and thousands of miles. Human nature does not change with the colour of the skin. Solomon, would have concurred with the view of Black Elk, the great Sioux religious leader, “Everything an Indian does is in a circle”,
he said, “Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood.” For centuries, wise people in different cultures have been pondering the mysteries of the “circles” of human life. Whenever you use phrases like “life cycle“, or “the wheel of fortune,” or “come full circle,” you are taking a cyclical view of life and nature. If life is only part of a great cycle over which we have no control, what’s the point? Why carry on? “Eat, drink and be merry…” (Eccl. 8:15). While much of the world, for most of the time ignores such questions, pretending life is one long party, lets return to the corner of the room and overhear the conversation between Solomon and his friends, a scientist, an historian and a philosopher, debating the ultimate question. Solomon looked at the cycle of life “under the sun” and he came to three bleak conclusions.
From the view point of the scientist, nothing in life is changed (1:4-7); in the opinion of the historian nothing is new (1:8-11), and in the experience of the philosopher, nothing is understood (1:12-18).
What do you do for an encore on the Day After Tomorrow? As a follow-up to Doomsday, Armageddon or Independence Day? If your name is Roland Emmerich then it had to be producing the apotheosis of all disaster movies, 2012. To be more precise, the 21st December 2012, i.e, tomorrow, in two years time. Because that’s the day the Mayan “Long Count” calendar ends. On that day, in the film at least, a solar storm results in changes in the Earth’s core, triggering gigantic earthquakes, super-volcanoes, and truly apocalyptic disasters. I confess – I enjoyed the film – if you can ever ‘enjoy’ a portrayal of the end of the world. The wide screen set pieces are literally jaw-dropping. The heroes race through a disintegrating landscape, literally riding a rolling cataclysm consuming the earth directly under their wheels. Crumbling skyscrapers, tumbling vehicles and heaving shelves of rock, slide whole cities into the abyss or beneath the waves. The other memorable scene occurs when a crack runs the length of the Sistine Chapel ceiling—directly between the adjacent fingers of God and Adam. Outside, a crowd of thousands keep vigil in St. Peter’s Square. They hold candles, while the pope looks down from his balcony and a group of cardinals pray within the basilica. But St. Peter’s, along with the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio, go the way of all landmarks in an Roland Emmerich film.
Is he making a religious statement? Well, probably, for, without giving too much away, the concluding scene resembles another well known story from Genesis. My worry is that the film typifies the “apocalyptic subculture” fuelled by books, websites, YouTube videos and movies at a time of heightened fear—about terrorism, al Qaeda, Iran, nuclear weapons and religious fundamentalism. Add to that climate change, global warming, natural disasters, disease pandemics, AIDS, the economic meltdown, the debt burden, diminishing fuel reserves and food shortages, and we are at the mercy of ‘chick-little’ gloom and doom prophets who predict the end of the world. Sadly some popular Christian writers seem just as determined to stir the pot and bring on death and destruction to our world. One day God will indeed wrap up history as we know. But that shouldn’t paralyze us. It should energise us. God doesn’t want to destroy this world. He wants to deliver us.
“God is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11)
God is not mad with you. He is mad about you! That is the message of Christmas. You may have good reason for feeling uneasy or lonely or even depressed at Christmas. Maybe relationships are strained or uncomfortable. Maybe you will be alone this Christmas. Maybe you’re just exhausted, worn out from all that’s happened in your life this year. This Christmas, please know that God cares deeply about you. His purpose for Christmas really is the best news on earth. Beneath all the trappings of the Festive season there are some simple truths that will transform your life for the better now, and forever in eternity. Right now there’s nothing more important for you to understand than the purpose of Christmas. It is no accident that you are here. God planned your birth, and before you were even born, he knew this moment was coming. It may well be that all your life up to this moment has been preparing you to receive God’s Christmas gift. On the first Christmas night, the angels announced three purposes behind the birth of Jesus.
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” (Luke 2:8-14)
Christmas is a time for celebration, a time for salvation and a time for reconciliation. Tonight we will dwell on the first. On Christmas Eve we will consider the other two. We have here an indication of the importance of this message in the number of angels who brought the announcement.
“A great company of the heavenly host appeared”. The words used to describe the number of angels indicates that there were thousands upon thousands of angels. For all we know there may have been millions. What does this tell us? It tells us of a God who is excited beyond our wildest imagination about coming to be with us, to be one of us, to rescue us, to save us, to restore us to a right relationship with him. The first purpose of Christmas therefore is celebration! That is why we say “Merry Christmas” Christmas is a celebration. Why? Because God had wonderful news to share: We learn this from the angel’s opening statement. “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (Luke 2:10). Observe first that it is personal: “I bring you.” Not only that but it is positive: “good news of great joy.” Good news. Positive, personal. And notice also it is universal: “for all the people.” For all the people, not just some people, not just good people, not just young people, beautiful people, articulate people, intelligent people, or religious people, but all people. So it doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve done, where you’ve been, or where you’re headed — this news is for you. Its personal, its positive and its profligate. The angel brought the best news in the whole wide world for the whole wide world. The message of the angels is worth celebrating because it is greatest news ever told.
And what specifically is that good news? The good news of Christmas is three things. When God sent Jesus Christ to earth, He was saying three things. One, God loves us. Two, God is with us. Three, God is for us. Reason enough for mulled wine and mince pies tonight.
1. God loves us
The angels said “Do not be afraid”. Many people are afraid of God because of what they have done or because of what they have been taught. But that is not the message of Christmas. The most famous verse in the whole Bible is Jesus’ explanation of Christmas – why God sent him to earth.”God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) We are celebrating Christmas because of the love of God. God loves you so much that he came to earth that first Christmas as a human so you could get to know him and love him back.
God created us in his image, which includes the ability to enjoy a personal relationship with him. He took the initiative to send Jesus so we could experience his love. So that we could be restored to a right relationship with him. Of course, we know a little about God by simply observing his creation. For instance, by looking at nature we know that our Creator loves variety:
He created an incredibly diverse universe. Think of the limitless array of plants, animals, rock formations, snowflakes, and people. No two human beings, even twins, are exactly alike. God doesn’t make clones or copies. Every one of us is an original. After you were born, God broke the mold. By surveying nature, we also know that God is powerful and organized, and that he loves beauty. God must enjoy watching us enjoy what he’s created. Otherwise, why would he give us so many ways to enjoy it? He gave us taste buds, then filled the world with incredible flavours like chocolate and cinnamon and all the other spices. He gave us eyes to perceive colour and then filled the world with a rainbow of shades. He gave us sensitive ears and then filled the world with rhythms and music. Your capacity for enjoyment is evidence of God’s love for you. He could have made the world tasteless, colorless, and silent. The Bible says that God “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” He didn’t have to do it, but he did, because he loves us. But until Jesus came, our understanding of God’s love was limited. So God invaded planet earth to save us. God could have chosen many other ways to communicate with us, but since he designed us, he knew the best way would be face-to-face. The Bible tells us that God is love. It doesn’t say God has love, but “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Love is the essence of God’s character. It is his very nature.
The reason that everything in the universe exists is because God wanted to love it. “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” (Psalm 145:9). Think about this. Everything you see, and the trillions of things you can’t, were made by God for his enjoyment. He loves it all, even when we mess it up by our sin. Every star, every planet, every plant, every animal, every cell, and, most of all, every human being was created out of God’s compassion. You were created as an object of God’s love. He made you in order to love you! His love is the reason you’re alive and breathing and here tonight. Every time your heart beats and every time you take a breath, God is saying, “I love you.” You would not exist if God had not wanted you. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. Did you know that God was thinking of you even before he made the world? (Psalm 139:16). In fact, it is why he created it. He designed this planet’s environment with just the right characteristics so human beings could live on it. “God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most important of all the things he made.” (James 1:18). We matter to God more than anything else he has made. Because God’s love for you is unconditional, he loves you on your bad days as much as on your good days. He loves you when you don’t feel his love as much as when you do.
He loves you regardless of your performance, your moods, your actions, or your thoughts. His love for you is unchanging. Everything else will change during your lifetime, but God’s love for you is constant, steady, and continuous. It’s the foundation for unshakable confidence. There is nothing you can do that will make God stop loving you. You could try, but you’d fail — because God’s love for you is based on his character, not your conduct. It’s based on who he is, not what you’ve done. The Bible says, “Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love.” (Ephesians 3:19). Christ’s love was supremely expressed when he paid for every sin we commit by dying on a cross in our place. This is the Good News. When the Romans nailed Jesus to a cross, they stretched his arms as wide as they could. With his arms wide open, Jesus was physically demonstrating, “I love you this much! I’d rather die than live without you!” The next time you see a picture or statue of Jesus on the cross, remember, he is saying, “I love you this much” This is the 1st reason to celebrate at Christmas – God loves us. Here’s the 2nd reason to celebrate Christmas:
2. God is with us
Sometimes we give babies names to honour their relatives. God gave Jesus several names to explain his purpose for coming to earth. Matthew’s gospel, quotes one of those names,
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” which means “God with us”. (Matt 1:23; Isa 7:14)
In Jesus Christ, God has made himself known fully and finally. He is now with us. God came to earth at Christmas in Jesus Christ to be with you. To be with you, not just for Christmas but forever. God’s presence in your life has nothing to do with your feelings. Your emotional state can be the result of memories, hormones, medicines, food, lack of sleep, tension or fears. The Bible says “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7). Space and time are irrelevant to God. God is always everywhere at the same time. No wonder the angels told the shepherds “Do not be afraid”.
C.S. Lewis put it, “We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God. The world is crowded with him.” That’s a fact whether you feel it or not. You may have been abandoned in life – by a spouse, by your parents, by your children, or by people you thought were your friends. We have all experienced the pain and heartache of rejection in some way or another. You may have experienced the sting of racial or ethnic prejudice, gender bigotry, or religious intolerance. But God will not abandon you if you trust in Him. He never will. In the Bible, God says, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5). Whatever difficulty you are facing or where the heat is on in your life, God knows about it, cares about it, understands it and is with you. You are not alone. God loves us. God is with us.
3. God is for us
“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (Luke 2:10). He’s not only loving you, and He’s not only with you, but the Bible says God is for you. He’s on your side. He wants you to win. He wants you to succeed. He wants you to live. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). Not just with us but for us. So many people are afraid of God. They feel that God is just waiting to catch them in something bad, so he can pounce on them and punish them. Maybe you get nervous when people start talking about God. You know why? It’s called guilt. Guilt separates us from God. You may think, “If I get close to God, He’s going to scold me. He’s going to remind me of all the things I’ve done wrong. He’s going to tell me the bad stuff.”
But the Bible says Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world. He came to save it. The Bible says – “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.” (John 3:17).
He didn’t come to scold you. He came to save you. That’s the good news. And if God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). No wonder the angel said “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (Luke 2:10). Good news of great joy that God loves you, God is with you. God is for you. These are the reasons Christmas is meant to be a celebration. On Christmas Eve we will consider the other two purposes, salvation and reconciliation. For now, remember, Jesus came to save you, not to scare you. That’s why the very first words of the angel were, “Don’t be afraid.” There are actually 365 “fear not’s” in the Bible. That’s one for every day of the year. God is saying, “Get the message” You don’t need to be afraid. Because, “I love you, I’m with you, and I’m for you.” That’s good news. And that’s what we are celebrating tonight. Lets pray.
Dear God, thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, so I could get to know you. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for being with me all my life even when I didn’t know it. I realize I need a saviour to set me free from sin, from myself, and from all the habits, hurts, and hang-ups that mess up my life. I ask you to forgive me for my sins. I want to repent and live the way you created me to live. Be the Lord of my life, and save me by your grace. Save me from my sins, and save me for your purpose. I want to learn to love you, trust you, and become what you made me to be. Thank you for creating me and choosing me to be part of your family. Right now, by faith, I accept the Christmas gift of your Son. Fill me with your Holy Spirit to give me your peace and assurance so I can be a peacemaker, and help me share this message of peace with others. In your name I pray, Amen.
This sermon and prayer is adapted with sincere thanks from Rick Warren’s The Purpose of Christmas (Howard Books, 2008)
Coming 2010: withgodonourside.com “With God On Our Side takes a look at the theology of Christian Zionism, which teaches that because the Jews are God’s chosen people, they have a divine right to the land of Israel. Aspects of this belief system lead some Christians in the West to give uncritical support to Israeli government policies, even those that privilege Jews at the expense of Palestinians, leading to great suffering among Muslim and Christian Palestinians alike and threatening Israel’s security as a whole. This film demonstrates that there is a biblical alternative for Christians who want to love and support the people of Israel, a theology that doesn’t favor one people group over another but instead promotes peace and reconciliation for both Jews and Palestinians.”
I think we would all agree that the £850 billion the government has pledged to bale out UK Banks is a lot of money. It’s the equivalent of £40,000 for every household. A great deal of money. We might disagree, though on whether some of those billions should be paid out in bonuses this Christmas. On Thursday the RBS Board threatened to resign en masse if the government blocked its pledge to pay bonuses. Whether you agree or not might depend on whether you are a potential beneficiary. Today is our Pledge Sunday.
Today we are asking you to make a pledge. To indicate in writing, up front, what the Lord has laid upon your heart to give back to him in 2010. Today we are asking you to be a wise and generous investor. We are asking you to indicate your pledge to the Lord’s work in and through Christ Church in 2010. As a sign of your thankfulness. As a sign of your trust. As a sign of your obedience. None of us know what lies ahead. So your pledge is not binding. Your income may go up in 2010. It may very well go down. All God expects is that we tithe in proportion to our income. So please make your pledge today.
Knowing what income we may expect helps our Church Council to budget prudently. You may wish to base your pledge on your income this year. You may wish to base it on your anticipated income next year. It is your choice. But please pledge.
Pledge Joyfully. Pledge willingly, secretly, sacrificially and in proportion to your income. Becoming a generous investor is much more than simply putting money in the collection. Its even more than filling in a bankers standing order (although we do like you to give in this way).
As you consider your pledge, let us take a few moments to consider the meaning and application of this parable of Jesus.
We shall see that by our attitude to money, how we invest our assets, we are shaping our legacy, indeed, our eternal destiny. Through this simple story, Jesus shows that we have a choice. We are either becoming a success or a failure, and the way we handle money will make it obvious which.
Jesus is teaching the crowds when he is interrupted by a man who asks Jesus to solve a family dispute. ‘Teacher, tell my wretched brother to divide the inheritance with me.’” By the way it doesn’t say the word ‘wretched’, I put that in, I think that’s what he means. You know what they say, don’t you, where there’s a will there’s a family. That’s what’s going on here, isn’t it? Two brothers falling out for good over money.
Like many today, their relationship is coming to an end over who’s going to get Granny’s sideboard and clock. Rabbis were expected to help settle such legal matters, but Jesus refuses to get involved. Why? Because He is being asked to side with one brother against another. He knew that neither recognised their real problem. The real problem for both was covetousness. (The “you” in Luke 12:14 is plural.) As long as both were greedy, no settlement would be satisfactory to either. Their greatest need was a change of heart. Like many today, they wanted Jesus to serve them but not to save them. Jesus tells this story because he wants to save them and us. He tells this story to help us distinguish success from failure. To discern the difference between wisdom and foolishness.
By the world’s standards this individual was very successful. Very wealthy. He had it made. He could retire early and quit the rat race. And yet God says ‘you are a complete and utter failure’. Quite shocking really isn’t it? Why? Because we are about to see Jesus defines failure. Failure is being successful in things that really don’t matter. People who are satisfied only with the things that money can buy are in mortal danger of losing the things that money cannot buy.
1. The Fool’s Dilemma
“The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ (Luke 12:16-17)
Rico Tice speculates, “So this guy knows exactly how to work the EU subsidies. And the stables have been converted into garages and there are four family cars. And in city terms I guess you’d see him commuting in from Sunningdale every morning, …. his wife shops at Harrod’s and Harvey Nicks.
He’d have a house next to Ernie Ells on the Wentworth Estate, wouldn’t he? He’d be playing golf there, loves to play the West course every Saturday morning. And the kids, well the boys would be at Harrow or Eton, the girl would be at Downe House. He drives an Aston Martin. That’s his life, and if you saw him commuting in you’d nudge your friends as you walk past First Class. You’d say, ‘look at him, he’s made a fortune you know. Take his advice. He’s no fool. Amazing guy.’ … a partner at Goldman Sachs, and he is the guy that actually saved Goldman Sachs billions of pounds. You know they ended up with 8 billion on the sub-prime mortgages, but…. He’s the one who got them out. He’s a very bright guy… a bright guy, he knows how to do it, take his advice, he’s no fool.”
How would you respond to the wealthy man’s dilemma? Here was a man who had a problem with too much wealth! You may be thinking – I wish I had that kind of problem. If you inherited a fortune this week, you would no doubt ask the same question as he did, “What shall I do?” It was a good question to ask. What made him a fool was the way he answered it. The Fool’s Dilemma.
2. The Fool’s Decision ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ (Luke 12:18-19)
Here’s Rico again, “So you see he gets a better harvest than expected but there’s no panic, there’s no waste, he’s not going to flood the market. He gets out his calculator, he does his sums, he does his work, he sees it’s definitely worth paying for a massive grain storage mountain. Bigger profit than normal this year, there’s no point in letting Gordon Brown get his hands on it, so he calls in his accountant and he works out how to invest it. … it’s amazing because he’s eventually able to arrive at, being able to say to himself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” So he retires early at 47. It’s just absolutely fantastic, he’s done it. Left school aged 18 and said, ‘I want to retire by my mid-forties,’ and he’s done it. He’s retired early.
And doubtlessly the Sunday Times colour supplement would run an article on him entitled, “The Man Who Knew When To Stop.” And those people slogging it out, commuting into the city, they’d read it and they’d say, ‘Very wise, very wise.’ And … he’s now trying to get his handicap down to single figures, he wants to get down to single figures on the West course at Wentworth, now that’s a battle. So he’s going to try and shoot under eighty every time as he goes out. And … down in Sandwich he’s built the most fantastic holiday home, wonderful, overlooking the bay.”
‘Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry’ Isn’t that the motivation behind many a pension plan or saving scheme? Isn’t that the assumption behind the glossy holiday supplements that intentionally fall out of your Sunday paper so you have to pick them up? People say that money does not satisfy, but it does satisfy ifyouwanta particular lifestyle. The Fool’s Dilemma, the Fool’s Decision.
3. The Fool’s Destiny Rico once more, “The retirement party has come and gone, it’s a lovely Sunday afternoon in the summer at Sandwich. The sun’s sort of bouncing off the water, it’s a beautiful day. His wife is with the staff clearing up in the kitchen. He’s got a long cool glass of orange … in his hand. He’s standing on the veranda looking out over the bay. The congratulations from his friends are ringing in his ears, they’re saying, ‘we saw the article; I don’t know how you did it. We’re going to have to go on working for years, you’ve made it.’ And he looks down and there are holiday brochures on the little side table behind him. There are safaris, there’s skiing, he doesn’t know, … Aspen, Verbier, Val d’Isere, but he’s going to buy a chalet because he doesn’t want to be mucking around with time shares, not with global warming. You’ve got to go when the snow’s good. So he says to himself as he looks down and he sees the safaris and the skiing, and he looks out and he sees his boat, and he looks behind him and he sees the wonderful house he’s built, and he looks across, he can see Sandwich and the golf course, and he says to himself, “You’ve done it! You’ve made it! You’ve retired early. You’ve plenty laid up for years and years and years. Take life easy: eat, drink and….” and suddenly, there is a searing pain in his chest and he is dead before they get him into intensive care.
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:20-21)
‘This is failure’ says Jesus. To be successful in the things in life that really don’t matter. I have yet to meet anyone who sets out to be a failure. I think we would all really like to succeed.
But Jesus says he was a failure. He was a failure because he was not rich toward God. Rico points out, “we don’t know much about this guy, we don’t know if he was a good husband or a philanderer, we don’t know if he was a good father or he beat his children. All we know is that at the end of the passage…he was not rich towards God. it’s very striking how self-centred he is, …I, me or my come eleven times. “He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself.’” He thought he was self-sufficient actually he was thoroughly self-centred.”
The greatest tragedy is not what the man left behind but what lay before him: eternity without God. The man lived without God and died without God, and his wealth was of no good to him. God is not impressed with our money. We cannot buy our way into heaven. Wealth cannot keep us alive when our time comes to die, nor can it buy back the opportunities we missed. Jesus exposes the utter folly of investing in the wrong things, in things that ultimately don’t matter. What then is the right approach to wealth and possessions?
How to Become a Wise Investor
Jesus said, “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:21) Here is the answer. God does want us to be rich. “Rich toward God.” Notice Jesus is not criticizing saving. He is not condemning storing up. Just the reverse. Saving is warmly commended in Scripture.
“The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.” (Proverbs 21:20)
“Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer.” (Proverbs 30:24-25)
“One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” (Proverbs 11:24-25)
So Jesus is not criticizing saving or storing up for the future. The contrast Jesus makes here is between storing up for ‘myself’ and storing up for ‘God’. The question then is this:
In what am I investing? Whose money is it?
Who am I working for? Jesus does not want us to be a failure. That is why he explains that to be “rich toward God” means:
Rich in Thankfulness
“Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes… consider the ravens… yet God feeds them” (Luke 12:22-24)
If we would have a proper attitude to possessions then we must first acknowledge, like the birds, that all things come from God. We will be grateful, thankful stewards of God’s good creation. Pledging is a way of saying “thank you”. Rich in thankfulness.
Rich in Simplicity
“Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith..” (Luke 12:27-28)
The fool’s motive was “more is better”. Jesus says “Less is more. Learn to live simply so that others can simply live”.
Even designer clothes cannot match the beauty of God’s creation and that includes you. Rich in thankfulness, rich in simplicity.
Rich in Generosity
“But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well… Sell your possessions and give to the poor.
Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”(Luke 12:31-34)
Wealth can be enjoyed and employed at the same time if we are rich – if we are generous toward God.
A month ago we launched our 2020 Vision and Five Year Plan. We believe these reflect God’s priorities for us as a church.
That is why we are now asking you to pledge.
To pledge your financial contribution so that we may accomplish our mission. Is this not a legacy worth investing in? Please make your pledge today. It will help you shape your legacy and help us as a church fulfill our destiny. Lets pray.
On Monday I gave a presentation on the Cross of Christ in Isaiah 53 to the Royal Holloway University Christian Union as part of their evangelistic training course. Here is the text:
Isaiah 53: Cross Shaped Evangelism
Written around 700 years before Christ, the Book of Isaiah is quoted more times in the New Testament than any other book of the Hebrew Scriptures. 754 of its 1292 verses are predictive = 59% prophecy. And you know what? Isaiah chapter 53 is quoted more times in the NT than any other chapter in the OT. It contains 11 direct prophecies concerning Jesus and it is cited or alluded to in at least 50 NT passages. Why? Lets find out. With the eyes of faith we see Isaiah 53 so explicitly refers to the Lord Jesus it doesn’t need much by way of explanation. Indeed it became so obvious that Isaiah was referring to Jesus after he was crucified and rose again from the dead, that, as the Church separated from the Synagogue, Isaiah 53 was no longer read as part of the Jewish lectionary. There are five stanzas to this passage, each of three verses, and it begins in chapter 52:13. (Remember the chapter divisions and verse numbering was added in Medieval times and are not there in the original).
1. The Predicted Saviour: The Servant’s Role (52:13-15)
2. The Rejected Saviour: The Servant’s Life (53:1-3)
3. The Representative Saviour: The Servant’s Suffering (53:4-6)
4. The Crucified Saviour: The Servant’s Death (53:7-9)
5. The Glorious Saviour: The Servant’s Resurrection (53:10-12)
1. The Predicted Saviour: The Servant’s Role
“See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at him his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness—so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.” (Isaiah 52:13-15)
This 1st Stanza contains the words of God as He makes a divine proclamation. He says, “See my servant” The AV uses the word “Behold” The word means ‘To fix the eyes upon’ or ‘to observe with care.’ John said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Notice Jesus would be God’s servant. God’s servant, and our Saviour. So God speaks “See, My Servant”
I invite you to do just that this morning. I invite you to behold Jesus. I invite you to fix your eyes upon Him. I invite you to see Him in ways that you have never seen Him before. God tells us, through Isaiah, that His Servant will be raised and lifted up. He will be highly exalted, even though his suffering was truly appalling. This was fulfilled when Jesus was lifted up on the cross, then in his resurrection and ascension. God then tells us that His Servant will “sprinkle many nations”. At first this phrase may seem strange.
The word used here means to sprinkle as in to declare clean from disease. Leviticus 14 describes the process whereby one who had been healed from leprosy or some other disease that was considered contagious could be declared clean by the priests.
Through his death Jesus would provide for our cleansing from a disease far worse than leprosy that disease is sin.
The Predicted Saviour: The Servants Role.
2. The Rejected Saviour: The Servant’s Life
“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (Isaiah 53:1-3)
These verses speak of the ministry of Jesus and the growing incredulity found in the gospels when it became plain that Jesus was not going to fulfil the role of the warrior king and defeat Israel’s enemies. On Good Friday, the Jewish authorities rejected their Saviour. Even the disciples failed to see in Jesus their Saviour. The reference to the ‘arm of the Lord’ refers to His power to save His people. The Cross is where God’s power resides. The Cross the power of God for salvation. Foolishness to the world, but the wisdom and power of God. The Predicted Saviour: The Servants Role. The Rejected Saviour: The Servant’s Life.
3. The Representative Saviour: The Servant’s Suffering
“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6)
This is the heart of Isaiah 53 and takes us to the core of why Jesus came. Notice that it was not his sin but ours that he took the cross.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
Paul captures the essence of this in his second letter to the Corinthians. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God,” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Verse 6 probably derives its imagery from the ritual which took place on the Day of Atonement. In Leviticus 16:21-22 we see how the high priest acts as God’s agent and symbolically transfers the sins of the people to a goat, known as the ‘scapegoat’ by laying his hands on its head. Then the scapegoat was driven out into the desert to die; even as Christ, the Lamb of God, was crucified outside the city.
The Predicted Saviour: The Servants Role.
The Rejected Saviour: The Servant’s Life.
The Representative Saviour: The Servant’s Suffering.
4. The Crucified Saviour: The Servant’s Death
“He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7-9)
Here we see a description of the Suffering Servant’s death – so completely fulfilled in Jesus. His trial, illegally held at night, was a mockery of justice – it was oppressive. His assigned grave was to have been with the two thieves with whom he was crucified. But a rich Pharisee and secret follower petitioned Pilate for the body to bury him in his own tomb. An exact fulfilment of Isaiah’s prediction 700 years after it was made.
As the split between Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity widened, Jewish rabbi’s increasingly taught that Israel was the ‘Servant’ in Isaiah 53. But sinful Israel could never atone for others. “for the transgression of my people he was stricken”. It is the singular servant – “he” who dies for the transgression of the people, so the people would not have to. The apostle John understood, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2).
The Predicted Saviour: The Servants Role.
The Rejected Saviour: The Servant’s Life.
The Representative Saviour: The Servant’s Suffering.
The Crucified Saviour: The Servant’s Death
5. The Glorious Saviour: The Servant’s Resurrection
“Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:10-12)
These verses point most emphatically to the resurrection. Having “poured out his life unto death” (53:12), he would nevertheless, verse 11, “After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied.” (53:11). He would indeed “prolong his days” (53:10). Christ’s work is presented as a victory over spiritual foes, resulting in a distribution of spoils to those made strong in him.
This is precisely the imagery Paul uses in Ephesians 4 & 6 (see Ephesians 4:8; 6:10-17); Christ the victor grants salvation and spiritual gifts to his people. And Matthew 19:28-30 declares that Jesus the great King, when he returns to reign “at the renewal of all things,” will even grant to his faithful followers a right to share in that reign.” Jesus shall indeed come again, crowned with glory and honour, power and majesty! Now do you see how the good news of Jesus was indeed revealed centuries before he came? Revealed by a loving God who wanted people to recognise His son when he came. Before he came to seek and save the lost.
The Predicted Saviour: The Servants Role.
The Rejected Saviour: The Servant’s Life.
The Representative Saviour: The Servant’s Suffering.
The Crucified Saviour: The Servant’s Death.
The Glorious Saviour: The Servant’s Resurrection.
The prophecy of Isaiah 53, so graphically fulfilled in the last 12 hours of Jesus earthly life can be summed up in one simple word – ‘love’. And one verse. One verse epitomises the NT response to the predictions of Isaiah 53. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). Lets pray.
Do you remember the day you left home? The day you said ‘goodbye’ to your parents? The day you packed your bags and moved out? The first night you slept in another bed? The first day you began to fly solo? How did you feel? Was the parting with your parents amicable? Were they supportive? Did they help you move? Or was the parting painful? They did not want to see you go but you could not get away fast enough? Or perhaps you didn’t want to leave but you needed a push? Or maybe were you kicked out and abandoned. I left home when I had just turned 18. I went to work in East London for the Department for Health and Social Security. I had only visited London maybe half a dozen times before. And with the new job came the need to find a flat to rent, cook for myself, wash and iron my own clothes, get myself up in the mornings and get to work on time. I lodged with a no-nonsense, down to earth, working class family on the Dagenham Estate near the massive Ford car factory. I remember on more than one occasion getting well and truly lost on my way home. All the roads looked the same. More than once I wished to be back with my parents. Can you identify with the younger brother?
But perhaps you have not left home. Your brother or sister may have left but for whatever reason you are still at home. Are you content or is it stressful? The transition from being a young person living at home to being an adult living at home is not always smooth. Our relationship with parents changes. From being told when you have to be home at night to negotiating when they will be home at night…. As you grow older, the dependency switches from you on them to them on you. If that is you, perhaps you can identify more with the older brother.
The parable today is actually the third in a series about ‘lostness’; the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son. There is a rising level of intensity and emotion from the lost sheep (1 in a 100) to the lost coin (1 in 10) to the lost son (1 in 2). Keddie notes, “The Lord’s presentation of the profound pathos of human lostness, and the joyous jubilation when the lost are found, comes to a mighty crescendo in the return [and reconciliation] of the lost son.” Perhaps this is why the story is known as “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” But the title is not particularly helpful. It draws attention to the younger son.
It would be more accurate to call this the “Parable of the Lost Sons”, plural, because both were estranged from their father, both disrespectful, both rebelling. They were both using their father to get what they wanted – their inheritance. One, by being very, very bad and the other by being very, very good. Timothy Keller says, “There are two kinds of lostness… You can escape God as much through mortality and religion as you can escape God through immorality and irreligion.” And yet to focus on the two sons misses the point. What is common to all three parables? Who is the central character in all three?
Keller helpfully names this the parable of the Prodigal God. The word ‘prodigal’ is an old English word meaning ‘recklessly extravagant’ and ‘having spent everything’. Do you see?
This is not primarily a story about a recklessly extravagant man who spent everything. It is about a recklessly extravagant God who gave everything in Jesus. This parable has been described as ‘the pearl and crown of all the parables’ or the gospel within the gospel. It portrays both the desolation felt by the lost sinner and the matchless love of God as he welcomes the repentant sinner.[i] And herein lies the challenge to us today. Do we understand the extravagance of the Father’s love for us and for others, or are we like one or other son? We can just as easily lose sight of our purpose living at home as by running away.
By being compliant or defiant. We can be just as lost thinking there is no hope, no way home as by thinking we can earn God’s love or deserve our place in heaven. We can be just as lost attending a Church as attending a mosque, a synagogue or a Temple to mammon.
As a church we hold to ten distinctive values which shape our 2020 Vision. They drive our mission agenda and determine the way we seek to fulfil our goals as a church. The second distinctive value says “lost people matter to God and therefore ought to matter to the Church”. In this powerful story Jesus answers three essential questions that should shape all we do as a church. Here they are:
1. Do lost people really matter to God?
2. If lost people really matter to God why do they not seem to matter to the Church?
3. If lost people matter to God, how can we ensure they also matter to us?
1. Do lost people really matter to God?
“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Then Jesus told them this parable” (Luke 15:3)
The religious leaders found it incomprehensible that Jesus would want to spend time with ‘sinners’. Professing faith, they did not know God or his compassion for the lost. Jesus makes this explicit at the end of each of these three parables.
Each ends with an act of joyful celebration.
“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” (Luke15:7)
“In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10)
“But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ” (Luke 15:32)
In clear and unequivocal terms Jesus associates his mission with seeking and saving and celebrating: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:10).
The Apostle John writes of this extravagant love of God,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Not just loved but “so loved”. And the Apostle Peter insists,
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
The Bible leaves us in no doubt. Lost people matter to God. He created them. They belong to him. He loves them. The Lord Jesus Christ came to seek, to find and save them.Do lost people really matter to God? Unequivocally. Yes.
2. If lost people really matter to God why do they not seem to matter to the Church?
God’s passion is about providing a home for the lost.
The passion of some churches today seems to be about providing a home for the found. Why this disconnect?
Why are many Christians it seems not particularly interested in lost people? Is it because they have forgotten what it feels like?
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ (Luke 15:28-30)
The critical attitude of the older son resonates with some people I meet today. They have never wandered away. They stay home, they comply, they are very good. But they complain when you try and adapt the church to meet the needs of those on the outside. They imply that the church belongs to them. Elder brothers obey to get things from God, and if they don’t get their own way, they get very angry…Here are some reasons:
Lost people are hard work
They can ask awkward questions. About what we believe and why. Church used to be so uncomplicated before they started to attend.
Lost people can force unwelcome changes
Like having to change the church layout to fit them all in. Having to hold two Sunday morning services instead of one. The church was fine until they started to come.
Lost people sometimes don’t know how to behave
They take photographs at baptisms. Their children are noisy. They talk through the service. They don’t dress properly. Church services used to be so dignified until those people started to attend.
Lost people are sometimes very inconvenient
Whether it’stheir behaviour, their language or culture, they are different. Faced with an increasingly secular society the temptation is to retreat into a ghetto and circle the wagons. And say, ‘this is our church… become like us’ Without the transforming power of God’s word to shape our priorities, some Christians, like the elder brother, equate the mission of the church with their favourite hymns, their services, with particular instruments, with robes and customs and a whole host of other things that have absolutely nothing what so ever to do with God’s mission. God’s passion, as we see in this story, is to bring his children home. Lost people matter to God and therefore they should matter to us. We exist as a church for the benefit of our non-members.
3. If lost people matter to God, how can we ensure they also matter to us?
We need to regularly ask ourselves, how far our activities reflect God’s passion? Is evangelism an optional activity or is making Christ known central to all we do? How many of our activities are designed to draw people into a right relationship with God? Do our services have the seeker in mind?
Are we addressing the questions seekers are asking?
What barriers have we erected which make it harder for seekers to come home? We must be very intentional about this.
A couple of years ago I came across a simple mathematical formula to help understand how to become more contagious and ensure that lost people matter to us as much as they do to the Lord. CP + HP + CC = MI
MI = Maximum Impact
Jesus uses these dramatic stories to describe the maximum impact God wants his Church to have. We are in the business of raising the dead. Turning enemies into family, rebels into servants, pagans into missionaries. That is why our mission statement is ‘To know Jesus and make Jesus known”. To assist irreligious people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.’ That is why our mission field is the world, not just Virginia Water. Maximum Impact. If that’s the answer, if that is our goal, lets look at the front half of the formula.
CP = Close Proximity (Luke 15:20)
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20)
Feedback shows that 4 out of every 5 people become Christians through a relative or friend. Why? You are probably here today because you came into close proximity with a Christian friend. God used them to soften your heart. Before I became a pastor I was an evangelist. For 4 years, on a daily basis, I spoke to strangers about Jesus. And in four years I can count on one hand the number of people who professed Christ. Yes, there is a place for door to door evangelism, but how much more fruitful Christian witness is among those we know. Among our relatives, our friends, our neighbours and work colleagues. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. And people are more open and receptive at Christmas than at any other time in the year. They are more likely to respond favourably to an invitation to come with you to a Christmas event than any other time in the year. That is why we went for this particular Christmas logo this year. High potency. Close proximity.
HP = High Potency(Luke 15:24-25)
“So they began to celebrate. Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.” (Luke 15:24-25).
The celebration could be heard from the fields. Do our activities appear so enticing to those outside? What words do you associate with church? Would celebration be high on your list? Party? Music? Dancing? The Christian life is intended to be one long celebration. One long shout for joy at the prodigal, extravagant, richness of God’s grace revealed in Jesus.
In verses 17-19, it says the son came to his senses. He realized that he was better off as a servant in his father’s house than someone enslaved to his own desires.
Memories of his father’s love were highly potent. Put simply, thoughts of his father’s house beat the competition. We are in competition today. We are in competition with all the secular alternatives: Sunday shopping, entertainment, recreation, sport. We have a message that beats the competition hands down. That is why we aspire to excellence in all we do. This is the way to achieving high potency.
There is no agency on earth to match a group of fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. MI = CP + HP +
CC = Clear Communication (Luke 15:23-24)
“Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” (Luke 15:23-24)
Its not enough to be of close proximity and high potency. Unless we tell people what God has done for us through Jesus Christ, people may feel they will never be good enough. Becoming a Christian is not about being good. Its about raising the dead. Without Christ we are dead. When we receive Christ we are born again. Our message must be about Jesus Christ and what he has accomplished for us all. Jesus is saying,
“I have a deep passion for people outside my Father’s family. Lost people matter to me, and I am deeply concerned about how you relate to them. ”
Why? Because the most compelling argument for salvation He can present to the outsider is a close-up view of a transformed life of one of his family. That’s you and me. Nothing packs the punch of a life being transformed. Does Christ’s love compel you? Reflect on the extravagance of God’s love for you.
He turned you from being an enemy into his family, his adopted child. Live with profound thankfulness for God’s love for you. Demonstrate his love for others. When we do it takes very little effort or motivation to reach out to lost people and say, “You really need to come and see how wonderful my God is.” This kind of evangelism is exceedingly effective. When a believer looks an unbeliever in the eye and says, “Taste and see how extravagant our God is, the Lord is good” it is compelling. These words have a way of striking a responsive chord in the lives of people who are lost, confused, or beaten up by the world. This Christmas, contemplate Christ’s love for you and let your love for Him overflow and become contagious. Who will you invite this Christmas? People who are a pain to live with? Or people for whom Christ died? People who are just a prayer away from an eternity?
At Christmas we celebrate the birth of our Saviour. Let us pray that we celebrate the new birth of some brothers and sisters as well. Meditate on the love of Christ for you and it will change the way you view other people. Realise that if lost people matter to God so much that he sent his one and only son from heaven to earth to die for them, then perhaps they should matter to us also. Matter enough to pray for them. Matter enough to invite them to meet their Saviour. There is no greater thrill than having a person look you in the eye and say, “I needed someone to listen. I needed someone whose life matched his message, and you were that person for me. Thank you for reaching out to me. Thanks for answering my questions. Thanks for putting up with me. Thanks for loving me when I wasn’t particularly loveable. Jesus saved me but you led me to the cross where I found grace.”
When you realise God has used you to help one of his children find their way home, you will never be the same. You will sense in some small way what your Father in heaven feels every time one sinner repents. The passion to reach out will grow when you experience the joy of seeing lost people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Lost people matter to God. The Church is the only hope of the world. You are plan ‘A’. God has no plan ‘B’. Lost people matter to God and because they matter to God, they matter to us. Lets covenant in the year ahead to become a Prodigal Church in 2010. A Prodigal Church, that is recklessly, extravagantly, enthusiastically, contagiously and passionately, committed to knowing Jesus and making Jesus known. Lets pray.
Forgive us dear Lord for not always caring for lost people in the same way you do. Thank you for being a prodigal God, extravagant with your love, your grace and mercy. Give us your heart of compassion for those we know, like the younger son who are lost and know it, as well as for those who like the older son are lost and do not know it. As we approach Christmas, please give us a love that overflows for those who do not yet know you as their Lord and Saviour. As we celebrate the birth of you dear Son, at Christmas, may we see many brothers and sisters come to new birth and join your family. We ask this in Jesus name and for your glory. Amen.
On Monday I gave a presentation on the Cross of Christ in Isaiah 53 to the Royal Holloway University Christian Union as part of their evangelistic training course. Here is the text: