I'm Not Perfect, Just Forgiven

There was once a good-living preacher named Simon. He did all the things that good people were supposed to do. Everyone in his community knew him as a righteous man – he was respected and admired by all. He did not hang around “bad” people. He did not want his reputation tarnished. He was offended by their lifestyle, their many sins.

One day, an influential young preacher was passing through the area. Simon naturally invites him over for tea, as well as all his good-living pals. The religious elite of the town gather together to hobnob with this preacher who everyone in the region has been talking about – a man with unique authority, insight and power that crowds clamour to see.

Somehow during the meal an infamous woman slipped in to the gathering. She was a woman who was despised by all the good people as a notorious sinner. She walks to where the young preacher is reclining at the table (in those days people did not sit on chairs, they reclined on cushions). Tears are running down her face, and they spill on to the preacher’s feet. She uses her tears to wash his dusty feet, and then rubs them dry with her long hair. Freaky!! Then she kisses them and pours some perfume on them. Simon is outraged. How dare this evil woman touch his guest in this way! And as for the young preacher, shouldn’t he know what sort of person she is? How can he stand her presence, let alone her touch?

The young preacher – whose name was Jesus – turns to Simon and tells him this story…

 “Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii (about $50,000), and the other fifty (about $5,000). Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon answers “I guess the one who owed the most money”. “You’re right” says Jesus. The Bible says that we all have a debt that we owe God. No-one likes getting bills, and sometimes its easier to ignore them, which is what many people do with God. They deny His existence or the existence of any debt. “I’ve lived a good life”, they say with Simon, “if there is a God He will probably say I’ve done OK”.

Jesus pointed out to Simon that it doesn’t matter whether you are an obvious “sinner”, or someone with just a few “little” sins to their name, you still have a debt to God. God loves to forgive the big debts and the little ones. The “sinful” woman showed great love to Jesus in faith that He would accept her instead of rejecting her like others had. Jesus rewarded her faith by forgiving her sins.

Don’t ever think that God is not interested in people like you. He loves all people equally, and wants everyone to be a part of His family both in this life and the life to come. Being in that family does not depend on how good you are, it depends on how good God is. God wants to forgive you. Will you acknowledge your need of forgiveness, and accept God’s gift?

Sermon - Work and the Christian

Living to Please God pt 4 -

Work and the Christian

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

27/05/07

audio

The Thessalonian Christians were very much looking forward to the return of Jesus Christ, as all Christians should. The problem in Thessalonica was that these Christians assumed that the return of Christ must be very near, and that assumption caused them some problems. First, some of them gave up their jobs and gave away their possessions expecting that these things would not be needed. Since these people were not busy looking after their usual affairs they tended to become idle busybodies, who did not actually give a good model of what the Christian life looks like. Secondly, some of them were worried that if anyone died before Christ returned, that person would miss out on God’s Kingdom. Paul addresses both these issues in the next few passages.

Today’s passage deals with the first of these issues – Work and the Christian.

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

^11 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, ^12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

There are 3 things that the Thessalonians are being told to strive for: to lead a quiet life, mind their own business, and to work with their hands. As we will see this morning, all three commands are wrapped up in our understanding of the work that God has called us to. What are we meant to be doing in our time on Earth? The Bible says that God has good works planned in advance for us to do, so what is the work that we should be busy with, and how does it affect our daily lives?

The online dictionary at Princeton University contains 34 different definitions for work – it is a word that is used in a lot of ways in the English language. Similarly, the Greek word used in the original manuscripts can be applied in a number of ways also.

The definition which best fits this context is this:

“to exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity”

To work is to strive, to labour, to exert yourself physically or mentally or both in order to achieve something.

The real question for Christians is, what is our work? The Thessalonians were having some problems on this point. Paul writes to them again concerning this…

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15

^6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching ^you received from us. ^7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, ^8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, labouring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. ^9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. ^10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”

^11 We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. ^12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. ^13 And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.

^14 If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. ^15 Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

The Bible describes 2 kinds of work for Christians:

1. Work in order to satisfy earthly needs
2. Work for the sake of God's Kingdom

(nb: these are not meant to be mutually exclusive, they often go hand-in-hand)

Paul in his second letter to the Thessalonians describes how he and his companions faithfully toiled in that second category. They had been called by God to preach and teach and establish churches, and they worked hard at that for the benefit of the Thessalonians among others. As such, they had a right to expect some help in return in the first category. They could expect that the Thessalonians would provide them with some benefit from their work, which was primarily in order to meet earthly needs. On another occasion Paul wrote to Timothy “The worker deserves his wages”, saying that Elders in the church who are called to the work of preaching and teaching ought to receive financial sustenance from the church. Again in 1 Corinthians 9 this issue is addressed.

However even while Paul and his team were committed to working in the ministry to which God had called them, they also committed themselves to working hard to provide for their own earthly needs. Paul worked at his trade of tent-making. Others may have assisted him or plied their own trades. They did this to show that both forms of work were necessary and valuable.

What matters most for the Christian is what type of work God has called you to.

Ephesians 2:10

^10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

No matter who you are or what circumstances you are in, God has good works planned for you to do. And there is not just one kind of work that you are called to do. For example God has called me to be a preacher and teacher, a husband and father, a leader, a friend and a son among other things. My work as a preacher is not more important than my work as a husband or my work as a father or my work as a leader or my work as a friend or my work as a son and so on. I am responsible to work at being the preacher that God wants me to be. I need to work at being the husband God has called me to be and so on. None of that stuff comes easy. It takes work.

Some of these Thessalonians had given up on the concept of work. They thought that Jesus was the ticket to an easy life. Just sit tight for a while and Jesus will come and take you to heaven. Just let some of these nice richer Christians look after you in the meantime.

Because these people were idle, they became busybodies. Instead of working hard at what God had called them to do, they had nothing better to do than meddle in the affairs of others.

Paul is saying to the church in verse 11 “Don’t live like that, focus on your own life and what God wants you to do, stop being so concerned with other people and things that don’t really concern you.” Why? Verse 12 goes on to say “so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

When I look at someone who works hard, I find myself naturally respecting that person. If I see a man or woman who makes time for his/her children and is conscientious in bringing them up, I respect that man as a father and woman as a mother. If I see a worker who is thorough and conscientious, I respect that person. If I see a student who studies hard, I respect them. If I see a sportsman who gives every effort for the team, I respect that person as an athlete. I think you would all agree that we naturally respect hard work.

One thing that most people do not respect is a bludger. Someone who lives off the hard work of others. The sort of person who makes no effort to get a job or support others. The sort of person who expects to be waited on. The sort of person who feels entitled to things they do not work for. The sort of person who seems to think that life owes them something.

Paul says that we should endeavour to work in order to not be dependent on anybody. I want to stress a point that is sometimes misunderstood: there is nothing wrong with needing or accepting help. What is wrong is depending on others to meet your needs without any effort on your part to work to have your needs met.

Giving and accepting charity is important. We should give, because Jesus Himself said “It is more blessed to give than receive”. Giving to others produces blessing for the giver. Giving to others expresses our love for them. In a similar way accepting charity from others is important sometimes too. Our pride often gets in the way of that. We want to be independent. But doing so denies others the blessing of giving to us, and blocks one way they can show their love to us. It says that we consider ourselves superior to others, because we are happy to give help to them but not accept help from them.

In 2 Thessalonians 3, Paul says that Church should not support people among them who will not work for themselves. Paul himself had no problems paying the way for other Christians – in Acts 20 he says that his work often provided for the needs of his companions. But the rule was this – “If a man will not work, he shall not eat”.

As we have talked about today, work includes more than just paid work. The principle of giving and receiving applies to more than just material gifts.

So in a nutshell, this passage is saying to us “Don’t be bludgers. Don’t be busybodies. Understand the work that God has called you to do, and do it diligently.” Colossians chapter 3:23 adds this: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…”.

What is the work God has called you to do?

Are you making it your ambition to devote yourself to that work? It is easy to be sidetracked by affairs that are not your business. It is easy to be held back by your own laziness. Let’s be people who strive to do the good works that we have been created to do in Christ Jesus.

New Home Page

I've been messing about in Frontpage creating a new Home Page for myself. Trying to get my RSS feed working properly so the blog automatically updates on the home page has been a chore, since I'm no programmer. Anyway, I'm hoping that this post will show up next time I log on -to see for yourself whether it has worked, try going to:
http://www.members.westnet.com.au/m.c.birch/mikeshome.htm

What an answer to prayer!

Does God answer prayer?
On Sunday we got into groups and prayed for rain. God knew ahead of time what we would be doing, and I believe He had an answer timed to be a great encouragement to us all. There was a little bit of rain forecast for the next few days, but not to bother turning your windscreen wipers on for! I thought that perhaps God might send some rain with the next system through maybe in a week or two's time. Here's what happened that night (click on image to see a larger version)...


God sent rain straight inland to us - nice steady rain that covered our district in a blanket of blessing! We continue to depend on God for follow-up rains, sunshine, protection from frosts & pests & diseases etc., but what an encouragement to recieve rain so quickly when our whole region was at a point of real anxiety because of the drought.

I've already posted the article I wrote for our local newspaper, which talks a bit about this event. On a personal level, God has really been challenging our family about our prayer life, and I'm looking at the whole issue of fasting at the moment. I am not attracted to fasting at all, but I think if we want to see God really work in our region we will need to humble ourselves and make prayer a priority. We've already upped the ante this year by starting a Wednesday morning prayer group, and I think the journey is just beginning!

Praying for Rain

On Sunday morning we concluded our church service by getting into groups and praying for rain. How awesome to hear that rain arrive and settle in to give us about ¾ of an inch (in my backyard anyway)! For many people, the timing of the rain was just coincidence, but I have noticed that coincidences happen more often when I pray! It needs to be said, however, that many Christians have prayed many times for rain but have seen seasons wiped out by drought. “What’s with that?” you might ask. Is God random in how He answers prayer, or is He simply uninvolved and it just comes down to fate or chance?

God Cares

The first thing to emphasise about this is that God does in fact care about you and what you are going through in life. It doesn’t matter who you are or what your circumstances are, God cares about that, and is available to help. The thing is that He doesn’t always help in the way we want Him to. We often want a vending-machine type of God. You put the money (or the prayer) in and you get what you want. God isn’t like that. He has His own priorities and purposes. He cares for you, but is not controlled by you. God knows that very often it is the hard things in life which teach us the most important lessons, that make us mature as people and equips us to be able to help others. Leaning on God and learning from Him during tough times is one of the most difficult lessons in life, but one of the most important.

What Do We Really Want?

Many of us would love God to give us the winning Lotto ticket or some other way in to “the good life”. But when we really think about it, that’s not what we really want. We want good relationships. We want to feel a sense of pride and self-worth. We want to make a difference in the world. We want to enjoy life and take it easy, but that’s not all we want. At least not if we are wise.

Jesus claimed to come “that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10).

When Christians pray for rain or anything else that involves a material blessing, we are asking because God has told us to! We want God to provide for our us and bless our work. Even more than that we want God to bless others, especially to ease the stresses that people are under. In doing so we also recognise that God may have other plans. He might achieve greater good by withholding material blessings. Having life to the full is much more than just having our material needs met. It involves having a joy and peace even in the toughest of circumstances. It involves learning to care for the problems of others instead of being all wrapped up in your own. Most significantly of all, it involves having a personal relationship with God that transforms this life and prepares you for the next. We wouldn’t swap our relationship with God for any amount of money, rain or anything else.

So we are going to continue to pray for rain, and for sunshine, and for protection from frosts and pests and diseases; but most of all, we will pray for people to discover the “full life” that Jesus promised. Have you discovered the abundant life that Jesus offers?

The Story of Elijah in Our Time

The Story of Elijah in Our Time

1 Kings 18

27/05/07

audio

Introduction

The Bible is full of really interesting stories. Stories that have important lessons to teach us.

Have you ever read a story from the Bible and wondered what it might look like if that story were to happen today?

Today we are going to take a story from the Old Testament of the Bible and see whether or not it is possible to translate that into our time and place. What would it mean for you and I? What would it mean for our church, our towns and our region?

The Story of Elijah on Mt Carmel

Elijah has been hiding out for 3 years. He is a wanted man, because he told the King of Israel that God was going to stop all rain and dew from falling on the ground until Elijah said differently. With that, he disappears, and sure enough, the land has been in drought for the next 3 years. King Ahab has been searching for him frantically. Finally, Elijah appears to Ahab and orders him to gather the people together, bring all the prophets of the false gods that the nation has been worshipping, and go to Mt Carmel where Elijah will be waiting.

Would the king do as Elijah commanded, or would he kill him on the spot? Would the people turn up? Would the prophets of the false gods come?

3 years earlier Ahab probably would have killed Elijah on the spot. 3 years ago the people would not have bothered to travel to an isolated mountain because some prophet said so. But the king and the people were desperate. They were an agricultural society. They depended on rain and dew to grow their crops. They were facing starvation.

So they come, and Elijah is ready to confront them. We take up the story in 1 Kings 18:21 (o/h)

^21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”

But the people said nothing.

The people of Israel had a choice to make. They were Israelites in name – God’s chosen people. Yet their lifestyle said “We follow other gods”. Their main gods were Baal – god of fire, and Asherah, goddess of fertility. Asherah had already been shown up by the true God. The land was not fertile, it was barren because God said it would be. Now Elijah proposes a test for the so-called god of fire.

^22 Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. ^23 Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. ^24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”

Then all the people said, “What you say is good.”

The people of Israel have been calling on these false gods for more than 3 years. In fact, the whole reason the drought exists is because God is punishing them for their idolatry. Yet Elijah dares them one last time – “call on your gods, let’s see if it does you any good. I will call on my God, and we will see what the outcome is”. Elijah is being very clear here. He is placing the whole nation in the “other gods” camp. Even though the nation seems to be wavering between different gods, Elijah puts them all on the other team. You can’t claim to be a follower of the true God if you are also seeking other gods. It’s all or nothing here. So since you are wavering, you belong over there with those prophets of Baal and Asherah.

So the test gets underway. The prophets of Baal lead the nation in calling out to their “god”, asking him to send fire on their sacrifice. This goes on for some time. The prophets are becoming increasingly anxious. They feel that they are losing their followers. Their own faith, if it was ever genuine, is failing. In their desperation they start yelling and chanting louder and louder, dancing with all their might around their altar. They start slashing their bodies, trying to move their god to action. Hour after hour this continues, until finally in the evening Elijah calls to the disillusioned followers of Baal. “Leave your false prophets and your false god, come over here to me.”

He finds 12 large stones and rebuilds an altar to the Lord. He digs a trench around it. He stacks some wood on it. He cuts a bull into pieces and arranges those on top of the wood. Then he tells the people to get water and drench the altar with it. Then he tells them to do it again. And again. Finally, the trench around the altar is full of water. We continue reading in verse 36…

^36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. ^37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

^38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

^39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

The end result of the story is that the people rejected their false gods and got rid of the false prophets. God then brought heavy rain upon the land that was parched and thirsty, and it was refreshed.

Let’s now translate the story into our time and place…

Are we as a nation or as a region experiencing God’s discipline?

Our story today started with a nation being disciplined by God. That discipline was consistent with a covenantal relationship that the nation of Israel had with God. Right back in the time of Moses God had told them what the consequences of idolatry would be, and now they were experiencing those consequences.

Our nation does not have the same type of covenant with God. However that does not mean that God does not discipline us in a similar way. We read in the books of the prophets in the Old Testament particularly that God also disciplined the nations around Israel on occasion. However while God promises to discipline his own people – the Church – when we need it, there is no promise to discipline nations in a similar type of way. It’s possible, but not promised.

So if you were to ask me whether the drought we have experienced so far this year is a discipline from God, the answer would be “possibly, but not definitely.” Remember discipline is not punishment, but correction. It might include punishment, but the goal is to correct something that is wrong or lacking in us. I would say “not definitely” because God has not stated that He would do it. I would say “possibly” because it could very well have the effect of correcting our independence from God and our dependence on other things.

Are we as a region guilty of idolatry?

Of course we are! The majority of people in our area call themselves Christians – or at least by some denominational title. Yet like the Israelites, their lifestyles say that they are independent of the true God but following after other gods. You and I are not immune from that. How much do we really depend on God in our day to day lives? Does He have exclusive ownership of us, or are our loyalties divided?

What is it that people depend on in order to have their desires met? The Israelites tried worshipping the gods of their neighbours, Asherah and Baal. What or who are we looking to for satisfaction?

Things like drugs or false religions are obviously wrong, but there are other things which are also harmful for us when they are out of balance:

• alcohol
• better technology & strategies
• relationships
• positive thinking
• sport
• advice

Any of those things are fine so long as they come under the sovereignty of God in our lives. If they are not under God’s authority, however, they can begin to become gods in their own right – they start controlling our affections and behaviours.

As I look around our community I see people turning to these and other things to have their needs met. Sometimes it takes something like a drought to shake us up to the fact that these things all fall short. Our gods aren’t good enough to meet our real needs. I believe the worst fate that people can have is to go through life satisfied with what they have without God. Many people go through life never knowing how rich and meaningful life could be and should be. Sometimes God needs to work on needs people are aware of before He can work on needs they’re not aware of.

Does God want our region to put Him to the test?

Of course! Elijah said to the people – have another go at worshipping your gods, and then watch me worship mine. If you see that my God is real, then get rid of those other things and come follow God.

Jesus said it like this in Matthew chapter 5

^13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

^14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ^15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ^16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Now, Elijah was not about to be a lamp hidden under a bowl. He’d been hiding for over 3 years, and so had many other prophets of God. But now he puts himself up on a stand so to speak, and says, “Come and watch me worship my God, and see what He does for me. You have danced and shouted and wept and wailed to your gods to no avail. Now I will ask my God for help.”

Many times we Christians are like the prophets hiding in caves that we read about earlier in 1 Kings 18. We are called to be lights on a stand. Not everyone likes the light. The gospel of John says that men love darkness, because of our wicked deeds. We don’t like to be exposed. We don’t like to be confronted with our guilt. But we need to be.

If we as a region turn back to God, will He send rain?

Let me first say this, if we as a region turn back to God, the lack of rain won’t be such a problem for us anyway! If we see people seriously seeking God we will see so many wonderful consequences in our region that rain or no rain, we will feel blessed out of our socks! We will see reductions in crime, in alcohol and drug abuse, in domestic violence. We will see lives being healed from all sorts of wounds. We will see relationships being mended. We will experience unity in our community like never before. We will experience the joy of worshipping God together. We will experience the peace of God together. That’s what I really look forward to – do you believe it can happen?

But on the subject of rain, I believe that God will bless us in that area too. God has a way of showing His pleasure in those sorts of ways. Throughout history national and regional revivals have very often been followed by great blessing on the land and in society. God promised this to the nation of Israel, and He has a pattern of doing this for other nations also.

What must I do to see God bless my region?

First you must seek God yourself. Every story of revival starts with fervent, painful prayer. People who devote themselves to hours of prayer in paddocks, sheds, forests, swamps, houses, churches, parks, schools and wherever else possible. People who come together for prayer when it is easier to stay at home. Is God really the One we depend on? Is He really the One who we live for?

We also need to be open to be Elijah’s for our generation. Will we challenge people about the inadequacy of their gods? Will we invite people to witness our worship? On Wednesday night I challenged people to invite their neighbours around to pray for rain. I mentioned the fact that this must also include a call for repentance, just like it did in our story today. That’s risky. It takes the faith and courage of an Elijah.

In what ways will people see our God answer our pleas for help? Do we jump straight in and ask for rain? Do we ask for some other sign? Do we ask for God’s grace to help us endure? Do we ask for God’s grace to help us bless others?

That’s up to you to answer as God directs you.

Let’s not be like the Israelites with a foot in each camp. Let’s make it very clear who we worship, and who we depend on. Let’s get serious about really seeking God and crying out for His help. Do we need rain? Of course we do, so let’s ask for it. Do we need revival – much more than we need rain! Let’s ask for it. Not just once or twice a week. Let’s get serious about this. Don’t just feel a little convicted and then lose it in the busyness of your week. Plan now what you will do to come together and beg God to work in our region. Take the first step today.

Book Review - Special Assignments

I was a bit nervous about reading this book, as it was my selection for our book club. Would my first turn at choosing a book turn out to be a disaster? I've never really been into crime novels, and I'd never come across the author - Boris Akunin - before, either.

"Special Assignments - the further adventures of Erast Fandorin" is set in Moscow during the late 1800's. Fandorin is a quite a fascinating, but aloof, character: a creative yet methodical thinker with a flair for the dramatic. Perhaps his greatest asset is the way he utilises intuition and psychology to get into the mind of his quarry and predict their future moves.

The two novellas that make up the book are quite different in nature. The first, "The Jack of Spades" is an almost light-hearted contest between the notorious conman Momos and Erast. The second story has a much darker plot, as Erast and his assistant Anisii Tulipov race the clock to stop a series of gruesome murders.

I won't give any of the story away, so I'll simply say that I enjoyed the book. It was good to have the different "flavours" of stories together in the one book, as it probably would have been either too heavy or too light if the stories were separate. I found the characters fairly engaging, more particularly that of Anisii Tulipov. We learnt much more about him as a person and in terms of having a window into his thoughts and perspectives and also his life story. Erast remains something of an enigma. While most readers probably admired Erast, they would care more about Anisii.

The insights into the criminal minds in both stories could probably lead to some interesting discussions about human nature and what it is that makes us who we are. We might go a little way down that track at book club!

God on My Side

On Monday night the ABC aired Andrew Denton’s documentary from the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Dallas, Texas last year. As a Christian, I found myself strongly identifying with what some of the interviewees said, but at other times I felt myself grimacing uncomfortably at some of the stuff that goes on under the banner of Christianity. If you didn’t see it, it’s well worth a look.

One of the key themes that Andrew brought out was the importance of the Bible as the source of truth for Christians. Christians believe that the Bible is inspired by God and therefore infallible. In other words, it was God Himself who inspired the Biblical authors with the words to write, and so what they wrote down is a reliable and trustworthy guide for us. The Bible therefore influences us (or at least it should!) in every area of life.

The issue that Andrew probed toward the end of the documentary was: What about the Muslims? Don’t they have just as much right to believe that their book is the truth? The response he received was “No, it’s a lie”. That seems like a very bigoted and arrogant view!

In actual fact, it’s the only view that it is possible to hold if you believe the Bible is true. They can’t both be! Either you accept that they are both less than what they claim to be, or that one is right and the other is wrong. So how do you decide?

I have volumes on my bookshelf full of information about the reliability of the Bible. There is some really mind-blowing evidence to support it’s divine origin, but it wouldn’t be fair for me to give just one side of the argument. One thing the Bible does say, though, is that the truth becomes clear to those who are willing to receive it. I give this challenge: get hold of a Bible and a copy of the Qu’ran, and read both. Ask God (if He exists!) to reveal Himself through what you read. Either you will conclude that they are both bogus, or one of them will strike you as the truth.

10 Reasons Not to Wash

Some people think washing is important, but here are some reasons one person gave to justify his decision to give up on washing:

1. I was forced to as a child.
2. People who make soap are only after your money.
3. I wash on special occasions like Christmas and Easter.
4. People who wash are hypocrites—they think they are cleaner than everyone else.
5. There are so many different kinds of soap, I can't decide which one is best.
6. I used to wash. It got boring, though, so I stopped.
7. None of my friends wash.
8. The bathroom is never warm enough in the winter or cool enough in the summer.
9. I'll start washing when I get older and dirtier.
10. I can't spare the time.

OK, so these excuses are all pretty lame. We all know that getting cleaned up is important and none of these excuses cut it as reasons to avoid washing. These excuses aren’t really about giving up on washing though, they are about giving up on Church.

Just as washing is important for the body, being part of a church family is important for the soul. It helps us to discover and live the full life that Jesus came to give us. There are a number of Christian Churches in the Narembeen Shire and they are each quite different from one another. Why don’t you check out the back page of the Fencepost for details of what’s happening, and then go check it out? I think you’ll find that deciding to get involved in Church is a great decision to make. If you are someone who has been turned off Church or turned off God for whatever reason, I am always happy to talk to you about that. Give me a buzz on 9064 7210 or drop me a line at m.c.birch@narembeen.com.

Does Belief Make a Difference?

If you say that you care about the environment, but you don’t bother to recycle or you regularly throw rubbish out of your car window, then you obviously don’t really care about the environment. If you say that you care about people who are suffering but you don’t do anything to relieve that suffering, then you obviously don’t really care. If you say you care about your kids but you don’t spend time listening to them, enjoying them and training them for life then you don’t really care that much. If you say that your marriage is important but you don’t do anything to keep the romance alive and the commitment strong, then you don’t actually care that much about it.

According to the Australian Community Survey (1998), 74% of Australians believe in God. More recently in the U.S., a survey of over one thousand doctors found that 76% believe in God. Another recent survey of 1600 young people born between 1976 and 1990, conducted by Monash University and the Australian Catholic University, claims that 48 per cent believe in God, while 20 per cent do not, and 32 per cent are unsure about the existence of God. According to the National Census in 2001, about 80% of people in the Narembeen Shire say that they belong to a specific religious group.

But saying or thinking that you believe in God is one thing. What difference does it make to what you do?

I have found that when I have put my faith in God into action, it has made an incredible difference in my life. The Bible says that faith without action is dead – it’s good for nothing- but faith that moves us to action can change the world.

Sermon - About Brotherly Love

Living to Please God pt 3

About Brotherly Love

1 Thessalonians 4:9&10

20/05/07

audio

Introduction

I want to read you some crime statistics for last year from the U.S. city of Philadelphia.

Last year in Philadelphia there were reported:

406 Murders; 10,546 counts of Aggravated Assault; 10,971 Robberies; 11,542 Burglaries; 39,413 cases of theft. (A robbery is taking by force, burglary is unlawful entry to commit a theft, theft is stealing without the use of force against the person.) There were also 11,655 Motor Vehicle Thefts.

“Now, what is so strange about that?” you might ask.

Just this - that if the citizens of Philadelphia lived up to the name of their city, there would not be a single crime reported. There would be no murders, assaults or stealing of any kind. There would be no dishonesty, no taking advantage of others, no abuse in any form.

The name Philadelphia means “City of Brotherly Love”.

What a noble idea! But the behaviour of its people does not always live up to the title they own.

Today we are continuing to allow the Bible to speak to us about how we live. Today it is talking to us on the theme which gives Philadelphia its name – the theme of brotherly love. The Bible says that we will be known as Christians – followers of Jesus – because of how we demonstrate love. The title cannot be separated from the behaviour.

Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10

^9 Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. ^10 And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.

Pray

Last week, Paul gave some direct and specific commands to the Thessalonians regarding the rights and wrongs of sexuality. This week, he moves on to the subject of brotherly love. What teaching or instruction does he give on this subject?

The answer? None! He doesn’t need to! He says “We don’t need to write to you about this because God has already taught you to love each other. You are already doing it, so keep up the good work and do it even more!”

You know what? The exact same thing can be said to our church family today. We don’t need someone to teach us about brotherly love – God has already done that. We are loving our fellow Christians, but we also have plenty of room to do it more and more.

There are a number of questions that statement brings up for us…

1) What is “Brotherly Love”?

Today we are talking about the brotherly love that exists between Christians. This does not in any way say that we should not love those who are not Christians, but it recognises that there are different types of love.

A little earlier in the letter, in chapter 3 verse 12, Paul prayed that their love would overflow for each other and for everyone else. A Christian should have overflowing love for all people, but the nature of that love changes as the nature of the relationship changes.

It is the same in all our everyday relationships. Love for a friend looks different to love for a parent or child. They both look different to our love for a spouse. Love for God is different again.

There is a special bond of love that exists between Christians. Paul observes that the Thessalonians loved “all the brothers (Christians) in all Macedonia”. That is, they loved all of the Christians within their area of contact. It didn’t matter about what level of society or what local fellowship a person belonged to, simply being a fellow Christian ensured a loving bond. There was a real sense of family. There’s no “Church of Christ”, “Baptist”, “Anglican”, “Catholic” or any other labels to get in the way. Just being a Christian is enough.

The “Brotherly Love” we are talking about today is the familial love that is not just felt but expressed to fellow Christians. Learning to love one another provides the practice we need to teaches us to love others outside the family of God. It strengthens the Church so that it is able to complete its mission in the world. (restate)!

2) Have I been taught by God to love my Christian family?

I guess the simple answer to this is “Are you a Christian?” The answer to both questions is the same. Anyone who says “Yes, I am a Christian”, also must say “Yes, God has shown me how I should love my Christian family.”

1 John 3:16 says this:

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”

If you are a Christian you must know about Jesus Christ, and what He has done to bring you into God’s family. And knowing how you were brought in to God’s family is enough to teach you how to love God’s family – you are to lay down your life. In the big things and in the small, Jesus demonstrated this for His original disciples. Jesus literally gave His life to save us from sin and death, but He laid down his life in small ways before then. In surrendering His own rights and preferences for the sake of others, He showed us how we should live.

One example was an event that took place only hours before His arrest. At such a time He could be excused for being preoccupied with His own problems, and expect to be treated as He deserved by those closest to Him. Instead, He takes upon Himself the role of a servant and washes His followers’ smelly, grubby feet. Afterward He says to His disciples: “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” – John 13:15

If you know anything about the life and death of Jesus, then you know how to love your Christian family.

3) Am I loving all of my Christian family within my sphere of contact?

I cannot answer that question for you, but like Paul did for the Thessalonians, I can answer on behalf of the group. Again, the answer is “Yes”.

In the life of our church I regularly see evidence of this practical love. I see people providing prayer support for each other. I see people showing genuine interest in each other and concern for each other. I see people giving practical help to each other. I see people giving emotional support. I see people giving financial support. I see people enjoying one another. I see people working together. I see people serving. I see this not only within our local church family but between Christians of different churches and different areas.

Yet, like the Thessalonians we still have plenty of room to grow in our love. We don’t always express a fervent love for each other. Sometimes it can even seem as though we are disinterested in our church family. Sometimes we don’t allow others the opportunity to love us – we keep people at a distance. Sometimes we act as though other people’s shortcomings excuse us from our responsibility to love them.

Today you have an opportunity to let the Holy Spirit show you how you need to grow in love for your Christian family. Sincerely ask God to show you how you can “do so more and more”.

4) What if I have trouble loving some people?

What if there are people who you just can’t seem to bring yourself to love? People who seem to irritate you? People that have hurt you? People that you don’t find at all interesting or desirable?

The answer to this question is found as you answer this question: “Where does love come from?”

In chapter 3 of this letter, Paul asked God to make the love of the Thessalonians overflow. In these verses, He says that it is God who taught them to love each other.

1 John 4:7&8 puts it like this:

^7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ^8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

Loving people does not depend on them or us or what has happened between us, it depends on how much we are allowing God to do His work in us. As God works in us we become more like He is. Just as His nature is love, so our nature is becoming love.

However, there are some situations in which God needs to do a lot of work before we are ready to love the people involved. This is the case when we have been deeply hurt by others. There is a healing process involved, and the ability to love those who hurt us lies toward the end of that process. Don’t feel guilty about not being at the end of that road yet, but don’t refuse to travel that road either. Until you have been freed to love that person or people, you cannot be the person that God wants you to be.

To refuse to love others, or to move along the path to being able to love others, is to reject God. That’s a serious issue.

Conclusion

When I look at Philadelphia I see a city that does not live up to it’s name. What do people see when they look at us? Do we live up to our name? Do we have some growing to do?

Sermon - God and Sex

Living to Please God pt 2 -

God and Sex

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

13/05/07

audio

Earlier this year the Washington Post conducted a very interesting experiment. Three days after world-renowned violinist Joshua Bell had sold out Boston Symphony Hall, with ordinary seats going for $100, they had him do some street busking near a Washington D.C. train station.

He played the same beautiful music, on the same rare Stradivarius violin. How would it be received in such a different environment?

Over the next 45 minutes over a thousand people streamed past. 27 of them thought that the music was beautiful enough to warrant a donation, contributing a total of $32.

In an environment where people were not expecting such beauty, and were too busy to really stop and listen, the quality of the music was almost wasted. In an environment where people were really paying attention and were eager to listen, the quality was very much appreciated.

The same music, but a different environment.

That is a key idea for us to keep in mind as we continue our exploration of the book of 1 Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

^3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; ^4 that each of you should learn to control his own body^ in a way that is holy and honorable, ^5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; ^6 and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. ^7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. ^8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

Is it O.K. to talk about sex in Church?

Yes, because the Bible talks about sex! The letters of the New Testament were intended to be read aloud in churches, so of course it must be O.K. to talk about publicly.

In 1 Corinthians 12:23 Paul is talking about the human body, and he says: “And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty”. The same principle applies to sex. As we will see a bit later, sex is meant to be a private affair between a husband and wife, and it deserves to be treated with special modesty. That does not mean that it should be ignored, it means that it should be treated respectfully.

An article in “The Age” newspaper last year[1] reported that many teenagers and professionals are unhappy with the inadequacy of sex education within schools, which often only looks at the biological issues and does not address many of the important issues and questions surrounding sex. A survey of 830 girls from the ages of 13-15 by author Kaz Cooke asked where girls got their information about sex from. 49% got their information from friends, 46% got it from schools, 21% from magazines and 19% from home. A New Zealand study has shown that teenage boys get most of their information about sex from pornographic websites. That’s not very healthy!

The Church has a responsibility to provide good information about sex. If God has taken the trouble of providing that information for us in the Bible, why wouldn’t we pass it on to people who need to hear it?

Our passage today talks about the importance of avoiding sexual immorality. In other words, there is a morality to sex. There is a right and a wrong to it. We are being told to avoid wrong sexuality. Well, who decides what is right and wrong about sex? There are lots of people with lots of different opinions about that. Christians believe that only God has the right to set moral boundaries. It is God who determines right and wrong. So…

What does God think about sex?

Sexuality was created by God, therefore it must be good!

The only sexual relationship God intended was the exclusive, lifelong, loving commitment between a man and a woman. In this context, sex retains all of it’s inherent goodness.
(Note – all of those ingredients are important!) – Whiteboard – good!

Any sexual relationship outside God’s intention falls short of that goodness.

Because we are all corrupted by sin, we are all tempted to stray outside the boundaries God has established for sex.

What did most people think about sex back then?

Jews had clear rules from God about keeping sex pure.

Romans had very relaxed laws about sex except for in certain situations, but they didn’t like to talk about it! They didn’t really care what you did as long as you did it privately.

The main issue with Romans was whether or not a person was preoccupied with sex. This was seen to be a moral flaw. Men who were seen to be too concerned with sex were labelled as effeminate, which was the greatest possible insult to a Roman. In fact, one of their greatest generals, Pompeii, was labelled as “effeminate” because he was apparently too much in love with his own wife!

For the Roman, sexuality was just about satisfying animal urges, nothing more. So sleeping with a person was less significant socially than having dinner with them, as long as you were discreet.

Greeks operated under the same laws, but were much more sexually overt.

Gnostic teaching
Gnosticism is a term used to describe a number of philosophies and religious ideas that were becoming popular at this time in history and are still influential today. The Bible clearly condemns these ideas, one of which is that the body and soul are separate. According to Gnosticism, the body is evil, the soul is divine. This leads to…

2 extremes:

Deny bodily pleasures
We need to be freed from the physical world and it’s pleasures, so we will deny all physical urges and pleasures in an effort to release the mind from physical gratification. In extreme forms, this took the shape of self harm in an effort to punish the evil body and free the mind from it’s sensations.

Indulge bodily pleasures
If the body is evil anyway, why not do with it whatever you like? It doesn’t matter, only the mind matters.

Now that we understand the bigger picture of what God thinks about sex and what the common views were at that time, we are ready to step through our passage to see what it has to teach us.

^3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified:

That is, God does not want us to simply follow the values and lifestyles of the people around us. We are to be different. We are set apart as God’s people, and so we must care about what God wants for us and what will bring Him the honour that He deserves.

that you should avoid sexual immorality;

So it’s in the area of sexual right and wrong that God wants us to demonstrate our “different-ness”.

(Remember, God’s view of sex is pretty different to the accepted views of the day)

^4 that each of you should learn to control his own body^ in a way that is holy and honourable,

First of all, we need to learn to control our own sexuality. Studies have shown that as children are reaching puberty earlier, the rates of sexual activity among children in their early teens is rising dramatically. We all naturally have sexual urges, we need to learn to control our own bodies in a way that is holy and honourable.

^5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;

Does this mean that we should not be passionate lovers? This is where unfortunately the Church has been influenced by the world’s view of sex. Just like the Romans, some early Christian leaders and writers viewed sex as an animal passion that did not fit with a life of holiness. It should only be tolerated for the purposes of reproduction. In fact it became quite popular to make sexual intercourse between a man and wife as unstimulating as possible in order to avoid the trap of being overly passionate. Some Christian teachers thought like the Gnostics that the body was evil, and nowhere is that more evident than in the area of sexuality. In fact, the female body – sensual as it is and tempting to men – was seen as being particularly evil. Women in general became a temptation and a snare to men.

Nowhere does the Bible encourage this sort of attitude. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 7 Paul encourages a healthy sex life between husbands and wives as the best deterrent of sexual immorality.

This verse says that we should not cast of self-restraint and just do whatever our urges demand. Sure, if you don’t know God and you can get away with it, why not? But if you do know God, you know that this is not how you should live. Boundaries are there for a reason. They protect what is good, and they protect us from what is not good. Don’t act as if you don’t know God or the boundaries He has established.

^6 and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.

Straying outside the boundaries has a number of consequences. First of all, it robs us of the goodness of sticking with God’s plan. Sex outside God’s intention will not be the blessing to us that sex inside God’s intention is. Regardless of what our physical urges, society’s values or the clever marketing of porn peddlers, God’s plan is always best. These verses contain 2 more important reasons to stay within the boundaries.

First, having sex with someone other than your husband or wife is to rob someone else. It robs your current or future spouse of their sole ownership of you, and it robs the other person’s current or future spouse of their sole ownership of that person. The Bible says that if God’s plan for us includes marriage, then our bodies belong to our spouse, whether we are married to them yet or not. Sexual experimentation or sampling before marriage does not make us a better lover in marriage, it steals from our future lover. It diminishes the precious gift of your body that you give to a person in marriage.

Secondly, God says that a time is coming when sins will be judged. In Greek and Roman society there was very little in the way of sexual accountability. In Judaism there were strict rules, but frequently people escaped punishment for a variety of reasons. Even in clearly proven cases, the penalty of death could not legally be carried out because they were under Roman rule. Paul says that God is going to judge all sin one day.

^7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. ^8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

As in every other area of life, there is forgiveness and restoration when we fall short of God’s standards. God can heal us in the area of our sexuality, just as He can heal us in other areas of life where we have been damaged by sin.

But where we have a choice to make about what we will do, our responsibility is to choose to live a holy life. The Apostle Paul makes it clear that he is not imposing his standards on people, he is emphasising God’s standards. He reminds us that God gives us the Holy Spirit who reminds us of God’s commands and prompts us to obey them. To reject this teaching is to reject God.

Conclusion

Today we have stuck to the big picture in talking about God and Sex. It really is a huge topic, but we have pretty much stuck to the basics. Sex within God’s boundaries is healthy and good. Outside the boundaries, sex is degraded and there are unpleasant consequences to our actions.

Further Study

To learn more about good sex as God intended, there are plenty of good books and courses on offer. Make the effort to invest in your marriage!

There is no subject that Mike is not happy to discuss from a biblical point of view – just ask!

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[1] http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/think-sex/2006/05/28/1148754861223.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap3

Sermon - Living to Please God pt 1

Living to Please God pt 1 -

Who Has the Right to Tell You What To Do?

1 Thessalonians 4:1-2

6/5/07

audio

Introduction

“You can’t tell me what to do!”

Have you ever said or thought that? I have!

Most people are very sensitive about who has the right to order them about. Just recently an adult told Tim to do something, to which he replied: “You’re not my dad!”

In Tim’s mind, I have the right to tell him what to do, even though he doesn’t always like it when that happens. On this occasion, he didn’t feel that other person had the same right. I remember feeling resentment as a teenager at times when some adults felt they could order me about

Who has the right to tell you what to do?

For many people, once they leave home or even beforehand, the answer is “No-one”!

Many of us will allow some people to boss us around to a certain degree. The boss at work has the right to tell us what to do as long as he or she does it in the right way. A spouse can get away with it sometimes. Even our kids can get away with it sometimes.

But if you were to ask “Who has the right to tell you what to do at any time and any place for any reason?” The answer would nearly always be “Nobody”.

Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2

Paul says to the Thessalonian Christians “We instructed you how to live”. That’s more than saying “We taught you about Jesus” or “We gave you spiritual advice about how you should live”. Paul says “We told you what you should be doing. We instructed you how to live. We did this by the authority of Jesus Christ.”

Paul not only expects that they are following those instructions – he has heard that they are – but he even urges them to keep doing it more and more.

Just these 2 verses bring up some important questions for us:

1. Does Jesus have the right to tell us what to do?
2. Who is delegated the authority to speak on Jesus’ behalf?
3. How good is good enough?

Let’s start with number one:

1) Does Jesus have the right to tell us what to do?

Do you want the short answer or the long one?

The short answer is “Yes, He does!”

The long answer spells out the reasons that He has that right. Let me sum up just some of those reasons as they are found in Colossians 1:15-20:

^15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ^16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. ^17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ^18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ^19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ^20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

A) Because He Is Who He Is

Jesus is God, we are not. The very nature of existence is that God has the right to be God. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. He is God and we are not, that is the order of things.

B) Because He Made Us

Jesus created all things and all things were created for Him. He owns us! However, humanity was given the opportunity to reject His rule, and we did. Does He still own us?

C) Because He Holds the Universe Together

Without Jesus, there would be no universe. In Him all things hold together (v.18)

D) Because He Bought Us with His Blood

The death of Jesus was the price needed to reconcile us to God, and His resurrection demonstrates the power of God to bring that reconciliation into effect.

OK, so if Jesus has the right to tell us what to do, how does that authority actually get used? Who or what has the right to speak on Jesus’ behalf?

2) Who is delegated the authority to speak on Jesus’ behalf?

A) The Holy Spirit has the right to speak to us on Jesus’ behalf

John 14:23-25

²³Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. ²⁴ He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

²⁵ “All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

B) The Bible has the right to speak to us on Jesus’ behalf

2 Timothy 3:16-17

¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

C) The Church has the right to speak to us on Jesus’ behalf

This is evident because it is what is happening in our passage in 1 Thessalonians. Paul relates how he, as a member of the Church, has been entrusted with the authority to pass on the instructions of Jesus. We can read through the book of Acts for many more examples, as well as through all of the letters from Paul, Peter, John, James and Jude to see that this is what is happening. Paul said to Titus in Titus 3:15 “Encourage and rebuke with all authority”. But is it only certain people within the Church who have this right?

Leaders

Hebrews 13:17

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Everyone

Colossians 3:16a

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom

Different types of churches tend to emphasise one direction or the other – hierarchy or equality. The fact is that both are true and both are needed.

CAUTION – PROCEED WITH CARE!

Remember that Jesus reserved His harshest criticisms for those who presumed to speak for God, but in fact were out of touch with Him.

There have been countless examples in churches, communities and families where those who have claimed to speak for God have actually been way out of line. There has been abuse caused by wrong teachings, by disregarding right teachings or by legalistically applying teachings.

Ephesians 4:15 gives us the alternative to these errors:

“^ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”

If we are to claim to speak on behalf of Jesus, we must first of all speak the truth. That is, what we say must line up with Jesus’ words and actions. We have been given the Bible to help us measure what we or anybody else says in order to check whether it is the truth or not.

Secondly, we must speak in love. If our motive is not love, we have no right to speak. Only truth delivered in love can build others up.

Let me give you an example of how this works. As a parent, I have the responsibility of disciplining my children. I can discipline in anger, or discipline in love. Often the punishments I may apply will not change, but the manner in which I apply them will be different.

I have noticed that punishing in anger tends to produce fear in my children. This may help them stop the offending behaviour, but it does nothing for our relationship. In fact, I have noticed that there is commonly resentment that follows, which then gives me something more to discipline.

On the contrary, when I first deal with my anger and discipline my children in love, I have noticed that not only is the discipline still effective in changing behaviour, but it is also effective in keeping our relationship strong. Tim has often spontaneously apologised to me or gone and apologised to Carolyn and sought to make things right. Angry discipline tends to produce more rebellion, loving discipline tends to produce repentance.

That is the sort of effect we are supposed to have on one another. Instead of causing resentment through what we say, we should be producing repentance and good deeds. We should be encouraging one another and spurring each other on.

But whether it is discipline or direction, people can still reject even the most loving attempts to provide any sort of guidance or correction. It seems that adults find this a lot harder than children, no matter how it is applied.

The result is an environment where often people are too afraid to address issues with one another. We might feel concerned for a Christian brother or sister and the choices they are making, but we never go as far as actually talking to them about it. Instead, we talk to others in the hope that someone else will do it!

Being free to share and receive the truth in love is something that we all need to work on.

1 Peter 5:5 says:

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud

but gives grace to the humble.” ^

This means that we shouldn’t be too quick to speak, but we should be quick to really listen.

Conclusion

We discover in these few verses that Paul wasn’t an academic sort of teacher. He wasn’t just interested in imparting knowledge. He was interesting in imparting faith which produced changed lives.

He didn’t just instruct people in what to think. He told them what they must do.

Many of us are happy to hear teaching. Many of us will even listen to examples of how that teaching might be applied. Some people will accept being told what they must do. Not many people will tolerate being checked up on to see if they are actually doing it. We seem to have an idea that that is just between us and God. It’s not. It never has been.

If we really care about each other, we will take notice of each other’s lives. We will seek to meet each other’s needs. We will be available to speak the truth to one another in love, seeking to draw each other ever closer into relationship with Jesus Christ. As God’s Word dwells in us richly we will be qualified to teach and admonish each other with all wisdom. As we are clothed with the humility of Jesus, we will receive the truth and let it bear fruit in our lives.

That’s how it works in the Church.

Is that how it works for you?