Lejla Allison's Testimony - Operation Christmas Child - Video Edition

I just came across this video by Jeff Douglas of Lejla's story and some follow-up content. I think it's a great promotion of what Operation Christmas Child is about, which is acting on God's heart of compassion for the poor and downtrodden in order to bring about hope and healing.

My advice (unless you've got a nice speedy connection) is to press play, then pause it and wait for it to buffer a decent chunk so that you can watch it without it pausing on you all the time.


The Lejla Allison Story from Jeff Douglas on Vimeo.

5th Sunday Service in Narembeen August 31

Lejla Allison's Testimony - Operation Christmas Child

This is a very powerful story of a young girl in war-torn Sarajevo whose life was transformed through the gift of a Christmas Shoebox. Worth sharing with friends!
Lejla's Story

Church website updated

I've been busily learning a few more tricks with Javascript, and the last few weeks' sermons have been added to the website to take advantage of some new functionality.

The new stuff is designed to make it easier to switch between audio & video sections and look at scripture passages and other resources without interrupting streaming media. Let me know if you have any problems!

http://www.birchfamily.org/church

Mike's Creamy Coconut Chicken Curry!

A bit of experimentation for last night's dinner, but it worked out pretty nicely - give this one a try if you like a mild chicken curry:

500g skinless diced chicken breast
1 can of creamy coconut milk
sprinkle of paprika
as much peas and corn as you like
1 small can of champignons, sliced & diced (easier for the kids to handle!)
1 tspn (not tbspn!) of curry powder
250ml cream (I use lactose free)

They're listed in the order that I added them to the pan, and the final product was served with steamed rice.
A true cook might shudder, but it went down pretty well with the family!

Maybe the best part about it is that Tim has been learning his alphabet this year, so we gave "Curly C" a real workout with our creamy coconut chicken curry!

Sermon - Light and Darkness pt 3

As we explore together what it means to follow Jesus - turning from darkness into light - we need to face the reality that not all Christians agree on the specifics of what that looks like. This message deals with the situation of not being able to agree on a specific course of action in a specific circumstance, using the example of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15. My plan is to follow this up with a message that deals with disagreements on general standards of belief and conduct.

Sermon video and audio are available on the church website, together with Scripture links, or you can simply view below.

Book review - "Breath " by Tim Winton

This is the first Tim Winton novel I have read, and what struck me most was his skill at drawing the reader into the world of the story. Breath is the story of a young man known as Pikelet, through his experiences of friendship, competition, love of surfing, hero worship, disillusionment, sexual discovery and experimentation and again, disillusionment.

Much of the story unfolds in an intense natural environment – cold rivers, imposing forest or powerful ocean. The descriptions are so vivid that your imagination has all the information it needs to really take you there.

It opens with a glimpse of Pikelet as an adult – complex and seemingly disconnected – and then leaps back in time to take us through his journey from childhood through adolescence. The opening chapter is also seemingly disconnected from the subsequent story, and the closer you get to the end the more you wonder how the two stories are going to be brought together. Suddenly, almost jarringly so, it happens, and the opening all makes sense. We see how the story has in fact been progressing, and we see implications to events that are in some cases very common as children walk the path toward adulthood.

We held our book club meeting last week, and it was amazing how many topics came up in our review of the book. Yet I think we had only just begun to scratch the surface!

There is much to be explored in terms of the significance of our families of origin – Pikelet and best mate Loonie came from incredibly different home environments – one characterised by stability, predictability and understated affection; the other which offered freedom but lacked intimacy, security and stability.

Another key theme was the role that peers, adults and our hero’s play in the formation of character and identity. So much to explore on this subject, especially when it comes to the impact that adults have on children who are in the process of becoming adults. It’s also very interesting to explore the way that the novel hints at the emotional/psychological impact that children have on adults. Pikelet and Loonie worship their surfie guru Sando, but what was it that motivated his involvement with them – what did he get out of it? What were the longings of Pikelet’s parents – particularly his dad – and how did they react to the disappointment of those longings being unmet as Pikelet became more autonomous and disinterested in them?

There are lots more themes to explore, but the big one for me is the search for satisfaction in life. Many people are apparently satisfied with the ordinary, but the core characters in this story are intoxicated by the extraordinary – or is it more the idea of the extraordinary? They have tasted the thrills of giant and sometimes ugly waves, surfing in a white pointer’s backyard, and soaring high over snowfields, and they can never again be satisfied with ordinary life. They need the rush.

When denied the rush on the snowfield or ocean, they find it in other ways. The closing stages of Pikelet’s childhood story detail how he was drawn into sexual experimentation with an older woman. The adventure starts out as every young man’s fantasy, but ends up as something of a nightmare – yet an addictive one. Returning to Pikelet’s adult life, we discover how far-reaching the ramifications of that journey have been. We see a man disconnected from his own family, a man haunted by the images of his past, who has struggled to find joy and meaning in the ordinary things of life. A man whose only experience of beauty and freedom seem to come when surfing or blowing the didjeridu.

Sometimes our fantasies aren’t all that they’re cracked up to be! Each of the main characters in the story had the chance to experience things that most ordinary people don’t, yet satisfaction and real joy seemed elusive.

How do you balance the search for the rush of the extraordinary with satisfaction with the ordinary? Is that what separates “achievers” from the plebs – they are never satisfied and so are always chasing more?

For me as a Christian, the answer is found in Hebrews 12:1-3 (among other places), which tells me to fix my eyes on Jesus and run the race that He has marked out for me. Real joy, satisfaction and just the right measure of adventure and stability will be found on that pathway, because His ways are perfect. If I refuse to follow Him in some areas because I want to stay safe and secure, the result will be that I will miss enormous blessing. If I refuse to follow Him because I want to chase after things that I think will bring greater thrills etc, I will discover that they end in disappointment or disaster. Only Jesus is the way to abundant life (John 10:10).

The Apostle Paul did this, and he discovered that it was in fact the secret of contentment. No matter what his circumstances were, his purpose, meaning and joy in life was wrapped up in Jesus.

I don’t want to live a bland, boring life. I also don’t want to be endlessly pursuing satisfaction which seems to be permanently elusive. I don’t want to get caught up in other people’s addictions or desperate searches. I have found what I’m looking for. It’s Jesus. Now I need to journey onwards in what it means to discover abundant life in Him.

Latest batch of photo's posted on the Gallery

A new batch of photo's have just been posted to our media gallery!
They feature Tim helping Grandad with some paving, Alyssa cooking up a storm and Josiah getting cuddles!

Sermon - Light and Darkness pt 2

We are called to follow Jesus not only as individuals but as communities of believers. In both the Old and New Testaments, God's people were warned to be careful about situations where people within the group had their hearts turned away from the worship of the one true God. Such people would cause the whole community to be led astray and defiled. We look at the importance of maintaining a culture of following Jesus which identifies and deals with these threats as they emerge.

The audio for the second sermon in the series on light and darkness can be found at the church site:
http://www.birchfamily.org/church


You can also read the Scriptures used in the message using the links provided.

New Feature - Sermon Video feeds!

Over the last week I've been experimenting with adding sermon video to my website. Originally I hosted it on my own webspace, but I've just changed over to using Google Video. I've made the resolution pretty low (320x240) to save download times and for those people who have stingy download limits. As a result, the video looks pretty poor viewed fullscreen or even at the default size that Google Video displays it if you just navigate directly there. I've embedded it at what I reckon is a good viewing size on the blog and also on my video sermons page. Just go to http://www.birchfamily.org/church & click on video on the menu pane on the left hand side.

Sermon - Light and Darkness pt 1

Scriptures on Light and Darkness:

John 8:12

12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Matthew 6:19-24
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy,
and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and
steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be
full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If
then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or
he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and
Money.
Matthew 6:33
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given
to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry
about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Job 29:2-3
2 “How I long for the months gone by,
for the days when God watched over me,
3 when his lamp shone upon my head
and by his light I walked through darkness!
Romans 8:38-39
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither
the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything
else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ
Jesus our Lord
2 Corinthians 3:18
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed
into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the
Spirit.

Sermon - What's the Big Deal About Baptism?

What’s the Big Deal About Baptism?

13/07/08

(This is not a manuscript, just an outline with the relevant Scripture passages included. To hear the sermon, visit my sermons page)

Baptism is a picture of the central truth of Christianity:

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. ² By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

³ For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures

Why is that truth so important?

1) Because we have all sinned

Romans 3:23

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

2) Because God will one day destroy sin and sinners

Romans 6:23a

²³ For the wages of sin is death….

Romans 14

For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. ¹¹ It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,

‘every knee will bow before me;

every tongue will confess to God.’”

¹² So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Revelation 20

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. ¹⁴ Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. ¹⁵ If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

2 Peter 3:8-15a

⁸ But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

3) Because God has provided a rescue

Romans 6:23

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 3:16-18

¹⁶ “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. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Revelation 21:1-4

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

4) Now you must choose life or death

John 5:24

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

Prayer of faith

Lord Jesus, I believe that you died for my sins. Thankyou for taking the punishment that I deserve. I believe that you rose again. Thankyou that You have also promised me eternal life with You, life free from sin and suffering. Amen

Prayer of dedication

Lord Jesus, thankyou for saving me. Help me to live for you for as long as I am on this earth. Help me to share the good news about you with others. May my life show others that you are good, that you love them and want them to be in your family forever. Help me to reject the evil that surrounds me and stand firm in your truth. Amen.

Sermon - Faith

Faith

06/07/08

What is faith?

The general definition of faith is found in…

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Illustration

The simplest way to illustrate this understanding of faith is to talk about how many of us have exercised faith already this morning. We have stood up to sing some songs, and then most of us sat down without so much as a backward glance. Why on earth would we do that? Because we had faith that the pew that we were sitting on a few minutes earlier was still there, and that it would still bear us! If we were not certain of that, we would have turned around and done a visual check, and perhaps lowered ourselves slowly and carefully until we were sure that the pew was OK to sit on.

The act of sitting down showed that we were sure the pew was still there and certain that it could hold our weight. We demonstrate faith in hundreds of different ways every day of our lives. However not all faith is proved to be well founded.

Carolyn was once in a church service and when she went to sit down she discovered that her chair had been pulled away by a mischievous young man behind her. She came thudding down to earth in a very uncomfortable and embarrassing way! She learned that you should not be so sure that your chair always stays in it’s place!

Faith can be well placed or misplaced.

Many people place their faith in friends, money, their own abilities and resources, family and so on. That’s fine, in fact it’s absolutely necessary. We need to recognise though that sometimes these things will let us down. There is nothing in this world that is worthy of our absolute trust and certainty.

Sometimes people read this definition of faith in Hebrews and slightly miss the point. Faith is not just the ability to be sure and certain in our own minds, it is the ability to hope for something and see someone who is sure and certain. Who or what your faith is in is more important than how strongly you believe.

Some people teach that if your faith is strong enough, you will receive whatever it is that you are believing for. It might be a new job, better health, a better relationship or a winning lotto ticket. If you can just get your mind to a point of being sure of what you hope for, if you can bring yourself to see in your mind with certainty what your natural eyes cannot, then you will receive it.

When the Bible talks about faith, it is talking about faith in God. Faith is absolute trust in who God is, what He has done and what He has said.

This is what 1 Corinthians 5:7 is talking about when it says:

We live by faith, not by sight.

What is “The Faith”?

Jude 3

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.

Jude 20

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith

So if faith is being sure about God, what He has done and what He has said, what is “the faith”? Is there a minimum standard of how much you must know about God in order to have enough faith to be a Christian?

Plenty of people say “I believe in God”. Does that make them Christian?

Colossians 1:21-23

^21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of ^ your evil behaviour. ^22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— ^23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

This passage does indicate that there are certain things you must believe in order to be a Christian. Hebrews 11 talked about being certain of what we hope for, and this passage describes that hope as being what is held out in the gospel. So what is the gospel?

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. ^2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

^3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance^: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ^4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…

Christian faith, saving faith, is described in verses 3 and 4: Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again. He died to be our Saviour. He rose to be our living Lord. This is the foundational truth that defines Christian faith. You cannot have Christian faith without placing your trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Is that all there is to “the faith”? No way – it’s the starting point.

There’s so much to learn and put our trust in about God, what He has done and what He has said.

The Bible talks about a journey of growing in faith. This means that the body of what you know and believe about God should be constantly growing. It is something that we will never come to the end of.

In Hebrews 5:11-14 we read:

^11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. ^12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! ^13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. ^14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Christians should be growing in knowledge, understanding and trust in order to live the lives that God wants us to live.

That’s why in 1 Timothy 3:9 as Paul is describing the characteristics of deacons in the church we read:

They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.

“The Faith” is the whole body of truth that God has revealed to us. This truth is centred on the person and work of Jesus Christ.

That raises the question then…

How do we grow in faith?

Ephesians 4:11-13

^11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, ^12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ^13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Notice that each of those roles: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher; are concerned with passing on the truth so that people might place their faith in Jesus and grow in that faith. God has equipped the Church with people whose particular task it is to help others grow in their faith. Notice also that the point of each of these ministries is to prepare people for action. We are built up only as we all put into action the truths that we are taught.

Titus 1:1-3

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— ^2 a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, ^3 and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Saviour.

However it is up to each one of us to receive that ministry.

Hebrews 4:2

For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.

1 Peter 1:19-21

^19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. ^20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. ^21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 3:15-16

Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. ^16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Growing in faith means never being satisfied with what you know of God, what He has done and what He has said. It involves a constant desire to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:16).

We grow in faith by receiving God’s truth and allowing it to shape our lives.

Story – the tightrope artist over Niagara falls.

Have you ever heard about the guy who walked a tight rope across Niagara Falls? Many people watched him do it. To them he asked, "Do you believe I can walk a tight rope across the Falls?" They all replied, "Yes." They had already seen him do it.

Then he pushed a wheel barrow on a tight rope across Niagara Falls. When he completed the feat, he asked the onlookers, "Do you believe I can walk a tight rope across the Falls pushing a wheel barrow?" To that they replied unanimously, "Yes." Because they saw him do that too.

Finally, a buddy of the tight rope walker climbs into the wheel barrow and the tight rope walker pushes him across the Falls. Wow, what a daring feat! When they finished, the tight rope walker asked the crowd, "Do you believe I can walk a tight rope across the Falls pushing a wheel barrow with a person in it?" To that they exclaimed, "Yes!" For they were now believers in this guy's awesome abilities.

Then he looked at the crowd and asked, "Who's next?"

How does a growing faith affect my life?

Growing in faith will glorify Jesus

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

^11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfil every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. ^12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Growing in faith will bless others

James 2:14-17

^14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ^15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ^16 If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? ^17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Growing in faith involves growing in love

2 Thessalonians 1:3

We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing

Growing in faith involves growing in righteousness

^{1 John 3:3}

^3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

Are you growing in faith?

The God Delusion pt 2

Well it's been nearly a month since I posted pt 1, so I thought I'd better get something down!

I was doing some research on another topic when I came across this review by Stephen Tomkins on the shipoffools website. It expresses a lot of what I want to say after reading the first few chapters of the book. So I won't reinvent the wheel - have a read of what Stephen had to say!

I've been finding the book very interesting, confronting and I empathise with Dawkins' contempt of much that huddles under the umbrella of "religion". However he is incredibly selective in his use of material - he makes no attempt at fairness but seeks to tar all religious thought and practice with the same very ugly brush.

I would treat "The God Delusion" not as an informed critique of religion or of the existence of God (as defined in the opening chapter) but rather an expose of how religion is perceived by Dawkins himself and those who are of similar mind /perspective.

Sermon - Worldly vs Godly Sorrow

Worldy vs Godly Sorrow
Mark 14:12-72, 2 Corinthians 7:10
22/06/08

The story of Peter in Mark 14 is tragic. He begins with such confidences and finishes as completely shattered. What do we do when we get to such a low point emotionally and spiritually?

The full sermon can be heard by accessing the website, but here's some basic notes...

2 Corinthians 7:10

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

Worldly Sorrow:

· Sorrow about ourselves – guilt, shame, remorse, hopelessness, consumed by our own sin.

· Sorrow for ourselves – our own victimhood, anger at others, bitterness, consumed by others’ sin.

Both lead to death. We are trapped in a cycle of thinking, feeling and doing that there is no escape from. The best we can do is live with it by hardening our hearts so we don’t feel it as deeply.

Godly Sorrow:

Instead of seeing things from our own point of view or from Satan’s (who is our accuser and the one who trains us to join him in accusing others), we see things from God’s point of view, and feel things the way God feels things.

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret.

1) It produces a change. Change of mind, change of heart, change of behaviour. We stop being trapped by guilt, shame, bad habits, bitterness toward others or whatever else Satan might use to keep us in that low condition.

2) Which leads to salvation. Paul is not just talking about getting into heaven, he’s talking about being saved in this life. Being saved from being controlled by sin. Being saved to a life of purity. Being saved to unimpaired relationship with God and with others. If we all experienced Godly sorrow there would be no broken relationships in the Church of God. Sadly, many of us indulge in worldly sorrow instead.

3) And leaves no regret. Godly sorrow deals with sin and then leaves it behind.

Psalm 103:8-12

^8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

^9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;

^10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

^11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;

^12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
God did not stew over this injustice of having to deal with our sins. He removed them from us. Hallelujah! In the same way God does not want us to stew over our sins or the sins of others – that would be to undo His marvelous work!

We do not perhaps share God’s ability to separate people from their sins in our minds, but we can do our best and ask Him to help. The Bible gives us practical instruction on how to do this.

Challenge:

If you are feeling at that low point or you know someone who is, let me encourage you to work on changing worldly sorrow into godly sorrow. Worldly sorrow is natural. Godly sorrow comes from God. Worldly sorrow can be identified because it brings only death and division. It produces long term regret and bitterness. It prevents individuals and the church from bringing glory to God. Godly sorrow leads to changed lives which demonstrate God’s blessing and bring Him glory.

Maintenance or Mission?

I am someone who naturally falls into fairly stable rhythms of activity - most of us do that. Not that my life becomes predictable or boring - far from it. Yet I am not someone who actively pursues new dreams.

Part of what's happening for us at the moment is the fact that we believe God has called us to conclude our ministry here in Narembeen at the end of 2009. It's been a pretty big decision to grapple with, and we've only just told the church over the last week. We don't have much of an idea of where God is calling us to go to, but that's not something we need to focus on just yet.

There's lots of reasons why we believe that this is what God is leading us toward, but that doesn't make the decision any easier. We genuinely care about the people in the church and the region. We will miss the people and the place when the time comes to leave. We also genuinely believe in the future of the church here - we don't believe that it is just going down the same track of so many churches in rural areas. There is a huge challenge ahead of us, but God has opened up lot's of wonderful opportunities.

One thing that this deadline has done for me is to help me be much more mission-minded in how I approach my role. This is not a new thing, we've actually been pretty creative and committed to the whole concept of the mission of the church. We've worked on connecting with the community in various different ways, of presenting the message of the gospel in lots of different forums and investing in projects further afield in order to build up the Church.

But I've also allowed certain things to just drift along. I've carried too many responsibilities that should have been delegated to others, but I am not someone who naturally pushes people to get things done. I've also allowed some regular activities to dwindle in effectiveness as they cruised along in a comfortable routine. I've operated within boundaries that needed to be challenged more.

Something I have been excited about over recent weeks is to see how some people are responding to the challenge to step up and do something different because of what they believe. As we do that together it builds a sense of optimism and unity. It also brings a sense of freedom as people are energised to dream new dreams, and are supported in making those dreams a reality. When I talk about dreams I'm talking about the inspiration that comes from the Holy Spirit bringing the Bible to life in our thinking. They are the answers to the question "What will it mean for us to live this out today?"

We have a long way to go. It's going to be a very interesting 18 months or so. I believe though that the church here is entering into a new phase of life and mission. The only ones who can prevent this are ourselves!

Sermon - The Trap of Offence

Mark 14:1-11

14 Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. ^2 “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or the people may riot.”

^3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

^4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? ^5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. (The gospel of John names Judas as one who voiced an objection to Jesus)

^6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ^7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. ^8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. ^9 I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

^10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. ^11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

I didn't write a full manuscript for this sermon, but click here if you would like to listen to the audio - choose the sermon titled "The Trap of Offence" from the list of available messages.

The basic idea is that to take offence with one another is to fall into a dangerous trap that damages both our own lives and the Church. We get locked into a pattern of thinking, feeling and acting toward one another which stifles love, unity and partnership in mission. Offence gives us an excuse for failing to love and support one another. On the contrary it causes us to betray and hate one another.

John Bevere's book on the subject is titled "The Bait of Satan", and that is exactly what offence is. As demonstrated in Mark 14, Satan was powerless against Jesus and His followers. Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:18 that the gates of Hades will not overcome His Church. Yet we hand Satan that power when, like Judas did with Jesus, we betray one another because we have stumbled into the trap of offence.

There's a strong challenge for each of us to examine our own hearts toward one another, to see if we have allowed ourselves to fall into this trap. If so, we need to deal with that offence before it does further damage. There is also a huge amount of practical application of Scripture required to teach us how to think, feel and act toward one another so that offence has no room to operate. Learning to appreciate and utilise each other's strengths instead of being offended by each other's weaknesses is a good place to start.

Photo Gallery Updated

Last night I updated our photo gallery with pics of some of the things we've done around the outside of our home over the last few years. There's also pics of my PNG trip and family pics if you'd like to take a look. Go to http://www.birchfamily.org to have a look! Under the Media Gallery button on the left hand side choose "log in" if you have a username and password, or "browse" if you don't!

Sermon - Being the Church

Being The Church

8/6/08

How will we receive the Word of the Lord Today?

Before we start reading and hearing the Scriptures we really need to consider our attitude toward them.

The Testimony of David

Psalm 119:101-105

^101 I have kept my feet from every evil path

so that I might obey your word.

^102 I have not departed from your laws,

for you yourself have taught me.

^103 How sweet are your words to my taste,

sweeter than honey to my mouth!

^104 I gain understanding from your precepts;

therefore I hate every wrong path.

^105 Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light for my path.

The Witness of Jeremiah

Jeremiah 15:16

“When your words came, I ate them;

they were my joy and my heart’s delight,

for I bear your name,

O Lord God Almighty.”

On the contrary....

The Conclusion of Stephen’s Speech

Acts 7:51-53

^51 “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! ^52 Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— ^53 you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.

Prayer

God may we be open to receive Your truth today. May we follow the example of David and Jeremiah and savour it, digest it and obey it. May we not be like those who Stephen rebuked, who received it but did not obey it. May we not respond to it in defensiveness and stubbornness of heart, but may we experience the joy of the abundant life that comes only through obedience and faith. Amen.

From here on I have included just the Scriptures, not my commentary. I think they speak for themselves! For the commentary feel free to listen to the sermon audio, accessed through www.birchfamily.org/church/sermons.htm (when I get on to uploading it!!)

Mark 13:32-37

³² “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³ Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. ³⁴ It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

³⁵ “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. ³⁶ If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. ³⁷ What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

Galatians 5:13-15

^13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. ^14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ^15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

1 Corinthians 3:1-17

Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. ² I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. ³ You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? ⁴ For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?

⁵ What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶ I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. ⁷ So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸ The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

¹⁰ By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³ his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. ¹⁴ If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

¹⁶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

1 Peter 4:1-11

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. ² As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. ³ For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. ⁴ They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. ⁵ But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

⁷ The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. ⁸ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ⁹ Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Hebrews 10:19-25

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. (Remember what we learned about baptism a little while ago?) ²³ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. ²⁵ Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Colossians 3:12-17

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Romans 15:5-7

⁵ May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, ⁶ so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁷ Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Romans 12:1-13

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. ² Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

³ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. ⁴ Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. ⁷ If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; ⁸ if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Love

⁹ Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

1 Corinthians 12:12 – 13:13

¹² The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

¹⁴ Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But eagerly desire the greater gifts.

Love

And now I will show you the most excellent way.

13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. ¹² Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Challenging stuff hey? If we take these passages seriously and allow them to shape our participation in the Church, just imagine what our local churches would be like! Perhaps like a city on a hill, or a lamp on a stand!

Why Should I Go To Church?

I've started to put together some ideas for this week's sermon, which is from Mark 13:32..36...

³² “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³ Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. ³⁴ It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

³⁵ “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. ³⁶ If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. ³⁷ What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

The part that really stood out to me was in verse 34: "...each with his assigned task..."

There's an accountability that each of us has to be doing our own assigned task as part of the serving team. Sure, we work together and depend on one another in order to get our jobs done, but there is a sense of individual accountability to our Master for our own work. There is a need to be prepared for when He returns.

Paul echoed this idea in 1 Corinthians 3 when he rebuked the Corinthians on getting caught up with personalities and allegiances instead of simply working together for the Master.

As I was browsing the web I came across a number of sites posting reasons why Christians should be committed to attending a local church, and it was pretty much all good stuff. I think the bigger question than "Why should I attend church?" is actually "How can I play my part in being the Church?". Church services are very important, but they are one part of what it means for us to be the church together -to be the community of Christ's servants who are committed to fulfilling their tasks together. Again, as Paul writes in 1 Cor 12 and the New Testament commands all over the place, we can only fulfill our duties by working together and supporting one another.

So going to church is one part of what I do in my quest to be the church.

(God Willing) I'll post more information on how that works when I finish the sermon. The idea that is speaking to me right now though is that as God's people we need to focus less on the event of church services and our opinions of that event, and focus more on the big picture of how we are being the Church, and our personal responsibility (individual accountability to Christ) for how we are doing that.