Book Review - Longitude, by Dava Sobel

I’ve got to confess that I love Maths and Physics as well as a bit of Geography – so this book was always likely to fascinate me. However I’m not that good with mechanics, which turned out to be where I struggled most with the book.

I enjoyed the story of the scientific pursuit and the way that personalities and politics influenced the endeavour. I think you have to admire the dedication and focus of many of these people – some who painstakingly observed the heavens and others who meticulously crafted clocks, taking many years to finish a single model.

After ANZAC day we are particularly aware of the critical importance of being able to determine your position accurately, and we’ve probably forgotten how difficult an art that has been until quite recently.

My main disappointment was the lack of pictures! I would have thought that it was only logical to include the schematics for the various clocks and watches, and maps of some of the locations mentioned. My mind struggled to properly understand the mechanisms and their functions as they were described, since I had nothing to visualise. Because I couldn’t see how they fitted together, I didn’t get a full appreciation for the workings and the skill required to invent and assemble them.

I was grateful for the stories in the book that illustrated the need for the system of determining longitude, as the book would have been pretty dry otherwise. Even so, it’s still probably a book more for the curious tinker or historian than the average person.

A few piccies

Sunset at Roe Dam
We had a great Easter Friday campout at Roe Dam again this year. Tim and I camped overnight, while Mum, Alyssa and Aunty PJ went home to warm and comfy beds.

After a hard morning's play, Tim and Lyssy were ready for a good snooze!

Do I need a licence for this thing!
Tim's first experience of driving a ride-on lawnmower.

This was at the factory & shop for Margaret River Nuts & Cereals, owned by our friends Herman & Gabita. It's near the chocolate factory, and well worth calling in to for a look & taste of a wide range of nuts, cereals, condiments, biscuits etc. I highly recommend Gabby's Muesli for a tasty & filling breakfast!

Holidays in Busselton.
Who's that lazy bloke who won't help his wife carry the children?

Actually, Herman had to get to work before the rest of the group were ready for the photo, so I had to take a separate shot of him and pasted him in to the group photo later on!

We had a great few days staying with Herman, Gabita, Pieter and James in Busselton.

This is me catching a salmon!





Actually, it's me snagged on rocks, but the first story sounds better! Tim didn't care either way.

Getting Ready for Easter

audio

Introduction

Easter is less than a week away. If you’re like me, it feels as though the last few months have just flown by and suddenly Easter is upon us. Are we ready for Easter?

The Easter festival is a time of major significance for Christians around the world. It is the time of year that we most strongly reflect on the events surrounding the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In many Christian traditions, the observance of Lent is an important part of preparing for Easter. So what is Lent, and why have millions of Christians since the early ages of the Church celebrated it?

The word “Lent” is derived from an ancient word for “Spring”, since that is the time of year in which Easter falls in the Northern Hemisphere. It denotes a period of 40 days leading up to Easter. This 40 days reflects the time that Jesus spent in the desert preparing for His earthly ministry, as well as other biblically significant examples of the number 40 (such as the 40 years in the desert for the Israelites). It is a time devoted to fasting, prayer and giving to the poor which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Saturday. It actually covers a period of 46 days, as Sundays are not included in Lent (Sundays were considered to be the time of celebrating Christ’s resurrection and not appropriate for fasting). In some cases it was a time where candidates for baptism would receive instruction in the faith in preparation for baptism on Easter Saturday.

So Lent is essentially a time of preparation. Our church does not have a tradition of celebrating Lent, but we do have other ways of preparing ourselves to worship our Risen Lord and Saviour. Today we are going to be exploring the importance of preparing ourselves well.

Prayer

What are some of the Biblical examples of preparation, and what were people preparing for? There are a lot of examples we could look at, but I’ve selected just 2 key ones for us today:

1. Preparation of the Israelites to Enter the Promised Land

2. Preparation of Jesus to Commence His Ministry

1. Preparation of the Israelites to Enter the Promised Land

You remember the story of the Israelites who were rescued by God from the power of the Egyptians, who had held them in slavery for generations. God brings them out with many demonstrations of His power, and establishes a covenant with them at Mt Sinai. However even while they are camped at Mt Sinai, the people demonstrate that their hearts are not ready to be completely devoted to the Lord. While Moses is up on the mountain, the people revert to the sort of pagan worship that they should have left behind in Egypt. They have left the country of Egypt, but they have brought Egypt with them in their hearts. Not only in worshipping a golden idol, but in the way they grumble and complain and say that they were better off in Egypt. They are on the way to the promised land, a land of blessing and freedom, and yet for some of them the journey is too hard – they want to return to the land of slavery.

Finally they get to the land God has promised them. The scouts check it out and confirm that it is indeed a wonderful land. However instead of being thankful to the Lord and trusting Him to give them the land, they focus on the obstacles ahead of them. They complain again and again say they were better off in Egypt. All of this demonstrates that this group of people were not ready to inherit God’s blessings. They lacked reverence for God. They lacked faith in God.

So what does God do? He sends them back out into the desert for 40 years. Something within the nation of Israel had to die off before they would be ready to receive the promised land. That something was all of the people who had witnessed God’s deliverance from Egypt yet failed to trust Him and submit to Him. From that generation only Caleb and Joshua, who trusted God, would be allowed to inherit the promised land. Why? Because when they left Egypt they left Egypt behind. They left behind idolatry. They left behind rebellion. They left behind complaining and doubt. They were ready to enter the land.

The rest of the nation took 40 years to prepare. During that time there were several occasions where people were disciplined for rebellion. Korah and his followers were swallowed up by the earth. Another group of leaders who complained against Moses and Aaron were consumed by fire. On several occasions the people were struck by plague for disobedience or rebellion. Still another group were killed by venomous snakes for persistent complaining. Finally that disobedient generation had all passed away, and their children had learnt the importance of honouring God as they ought to. For forty years they had experienced God’s sustenance as He cared for their needs, and they had experienced His correction when they strayed from His ways. Now, finally, they were ready to enter the promised land.

2. Preparation of Jesus for Ministry

Read: Matthew 4:1-11

Straight after being baptised by John and being publicly affirmed as God’s son by a voice from heaven, you would think that Jesus would strike while the iron was hot and start straight away the process of selecting disciples and teaching the masses. If He waited too long the buzz about the voice from Heaven would die down and possibly become little more than a rumour. Yet Jesus is led by the Spirit into the desert for a time of solitude and fasting.

What was this time for? It was preparation for ministry. But look at verse 1 again – what was the purpose of Jesus’ time in the desert? He was there to be tempted by the devil. He spent 40 days and nights in preparation for temptation. Did that preparation make it easier or harder to withstand temptation? Verse 2 tells us that after this time he was hungry. That’s the opportunity Satan seizes and dives in with his first temptation.

With each temptation Jesus demonstrates that He is not in this for Himself. His desire is to serve and honour His Father. We talked about this last week. Sometimes we picture Scripture as a sword which we can wield against Satan in order to drive him off. However when the Bible describes how it is used, it is clear that the purpose of Scripture is to be used on ourselves to enable us to stand firm against Satan. It is a sword which is used to cut away anything in us that Satan could use against us. Then we are able to stand firm and resist the devil and he will flee from us.

Jesus uses each of these Scriptures in this manner. When tempted to provide food for Himself, Jesus shows that He believes the Scripture which says: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”. Therefore that temptation has no power over Him.

When tempted to cast Himself off the corner of the temple, Jesus shows that He believes the Scripture which says “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”, and so He would not test the Father by doing what Satan requests.

When tempted to worship Satan in return for power Jesus says “You have no claim on me Satan, for I will obey the Scripture that says ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

It wasn’t the fact that Jesus could quote Scripture that made Satan flee, it was the fact that Jesus showed that He believed and obeyed Scripture that made all of Satan’s attacks futile. As a result it says in Luke 4:13 that Satan left Him until a more opportune time. Was Satan hoping that Jesus would become forgetful of what Scripture says? No. Satan was hoping that at some point Jesus would have a change of heart – that there would be some doubt or desire that Satan could use against Him. It never happened.

It is significant that before Jesus commenced His earthly ministry, God purposed for Him to be first tested by Satan. Was there any doubt in God’s mind about Jesus’ preparedness for ministry? No, but it is a good example for us. We read in 1 Timothy 3:10 that Deacons for example should be tested before being approved to take on that ministry.

Today I want to ask each of us to consider how we are being prepared by God in each area of life.

For example

• How do you prepare yourself to worship God as a family here on Sunday? Do you remind yourself of the purpose of getting together? Do you come seeking to honour God and serve others? Do you have barriers between yourself and others that need to be addressed? Do you have unconfessed sin in your life? Do you allow superficial things to distract you from worshipping God? Do you come eager to learn from God’s Word and eager for the Holy Spirit to refine you to be more like Jesus?

• How do you prepare yourself for each day? Do you start each day with a desire to please God? Do you acknowledge His presence with you at the start of each day? Are you being nourished by reflecting on His Word?

• How do you prepare yourself for an argument? Do you just go in with a determination to get your point across, or do you remind yourself to listen and care for the person you are in a disagreement with? Do you honestly seek God’s perspective, or do you care more about getting your own way?

• How do you prepare yourself for service? Do you remind yourself that you are actually serving God in what you do for others? Do you strive for recognition or reward? Do you take short-cuts or serve begrudgingly?

• How do you prepare yourself to spend time with people who do not know Jesus? Do you pray for opportunities to share? Do you think about ways that you can provide opportunities for others to express an interest or curiosity about what you believe? Do you think about ways that you can show an interest in what they believe or what is happening in their lives?

I’m not sure if you noticed, but every single question I asked springs from Scripture. As we get to know the Scriptures well the Holy Spirit is able to use them to refine us in every single area of life.

You see, even in the midst of worshipping here on Sunday or serving in some ministry during the week, it is possible for Satan to be working away and preventing you from really worshipping or really serving. Just like the Israelites of the Exodus were robbed of receiving the blessing of the promised land because of unprepared hearts, it is possible for us to robbed of the blessings of worship and service because of our unprepared hearts. It is possible for our witness to be tarnished. It is possible for us as a church family to discourage and pull each other down instead of encouraging and spurring each other on. It is possible for us to get caught up in sin.

However when we are giving the Holy Spirit the opportunity to prepare our hearts we guard ourselves against Satan’s attacks and we are able to stand firm.

Going back to the subject of Lent, remember the whole purpose of Lent is to have a season set aside for prayer, fasting, study and service in preparation for Easter. Of course, people can go through the motions of Lent without really doing any of those things, but at least the opportunity is there for those who are willing to take it up. The same can be said of anything that churches do.

You might have heard people speak of giving something up for Lent. This is meant to be a reminder of Jesus’ fasting in the desert.

Today I am going to ask something a little different. I’m going to go further back to the time of the Exodus. Remember a whole part of the Israelite community needed to die off before the nation was ready to enter into the promised land. I want you to ask God if there is something in you that needs to die off completely in order for you to be better prepared to fulfil God’s plan for your life. Not just something to give up for a season, but something that needs to be given up completely.

It might be a grudge that you have held on to. It might be a doubt that keeps nagging at you. It may be a desire for recognition or reward. It might be opinions that you hold strongly. It might be sin that you seem to keep coming back to. It might be habits that get in the way of what you should be doing. It might be ambitions that you have. Whatever it is, is it something that gives Satan a way in to your life – a way to tempt you, to tie you up and stop you from being a fully committed follower of Jesus.

Easter is the time where we particularly remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ – He gave His life that we might live. What will you give up, so that you might really live?

Book Review - The Last King of Scotland

I was looking forward to reading this book, hoping to learn more of the story surrounding the infamous tyrant Idi Amin. As such, I found the first stages of the book a little bit laborious. I enjoyed the descriptions of the African landscape and people, but I didn’t find the character of Nicholas Garrigan very compelling. As the book went on, I felt like I appreciated the complexities of Garrigan’s situation and could empathise with his situation, but I didn’t develop any liking for him as a person.

Idi Amin remains an enigma. There was a fair amount of historically accurate or consistent information about him in the novel, as well as plenty of embellishments (like the comical trapped gasses incident). Do we know him any better after reading this book? Are we any closer to understanding what went on during his reign of terror?

I think it’s important to try and understand characters like Idi Amin. History has been filled with people who have risen to positions of power on the basis of natural charisma and radical ideology. Some of these people achieve genuine greatness and leave humanity richer, some of them leave a trail of destruction and horror.

Thinking of Idi Amin, I am struck by the similarities between him and Adolph Hitler. Both started in humble positions in society, found advancement through their military service, and their natural charisma and passionately held beliefs inspired people to follow them no matter where that led. They were able to tap in to the disillusionment and disempowerment of common people and sell them a dream of a better future. They were adept at bullying and seducing people, often using a mixture of both to bend people to their will.

But what made them this way? What madness inspired their genocide? How did they develop such a skewed morality? Was it simply psychological illness such as megalomania or schizophrenia? Was it just that they were a product of their own beliefs?

If you look at Adolph Hitler, his terrible policies were the natural result of his personal philosophies. One reason that he was a credible leader was that he had solid intellectual backing for his madness. But we’re talking about Idi today!

One of the things that interests me about Idi Amin is his apparent sampling of a range of different religious and cultural ideologies. He worldview is a mishmash of Christianity, socialism and Islam jumbled together with traditional African sorcery and folk wisdom. It’s no wonder he seemed confused at times! He worked on a utilitarian approach where he would use any philosophy that justified his mad impulses or served his purposes. He succeeded in deluding himself first of all, and was so was convinced of his own lies that he considered it only natural for others to agree with him also.

His mind was unable to admit it’s own self-deception, so as reality began to catch up with him he became increasingly erratic and bizarre. His subconscious mind was forced to invent ever more ludicrous scenarios to explain the events around him.

When you read of things he said and did toward the end of his rule, you must conclude that he was insane. I would argue that he had just reached the natural conclusion of his approach to life. It wasn’t a medical issue, it was the mind’s reaction to living by beliefs that don’t fit with the real world.

The issue for us is whether or not we are in danger of being in the same situation. Popular culture is promoting a utilitarian approach to religion and belief which says that it’s OK to believe whatever works for you. It denies that there is such a thing as absolute truth, right and wrong. While most people are never going to go to the same extremes as Idi Amin, many people are actually making what I believe is the same mistake. I believe that truth matters, and finding the truth about life’s big questions is one of the most important issues in life. The fact is that reality will one day catch up with all of us, and no matter what we believe, we will be confronted by what is true. The Bible says that this means that one day all people will bow before Jesus and acknowledge Him as the rightful ruler of the universe. Regardless of what they thought of Him prior to that moment, when they actually see Him in all His glory the truth will become obvious. At that time Jesus will judge every person according to what we have done. For those who have accepted forgiveness for everything they have done that falls short of God’s standards, it will be granted. For those who have not, they will receive justice according to God’s standards, not our own.

But that is what the Bible says. Is it actually true?

I believe it is worth doing all we can to make sure that we have carefully examined the evidence and made an informed decision about this. What’s true is true, regardless of whether we think it’s true or whether we want it to be true. What matters is that what we believe fits with what is true.

Attacks Against Christians

Attacks against Christians – Where do they come from and how do we overcome them?

1 Thessalonians 2:13 – 3:13

25/03/07

audio + powerpoint

Introduction

Have you ever felt like you were under attack? Welcome to normal life as a Christian! One of the least loved promises of the Bible is found in 2 Timothy 3:12 - In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (o/h)

As we journey together through the book of 1 Thessalonians, we come to a section in chapters 2 and 3 which raises the issue of attacks against Christians – where do the come from and how do we overcome them? (o/h)

Read: 1 Thessalonians 2:13 – 3:13

Open in Prayer

Part One – Where do attacks against Christians come from?

Before we answer the question of where do attacks against us come from, we need to quickly identify what they look like (o/h). Attacks against us take 2 basic forms:

1) Opposition (2:14-16)

This type of attack normally comes through people. It might take the form of a rival religious group, or an oppressive government, or harassment in the media, slander and gossip in the community, mischievous lawsuits, underhanded business dealings, discrimination in the workplace and so on. It’s when Christians are being treated badly because of their faith.

Paul says the goal of the Jewish agitators was to try and stop the message about Jesus from being proclaimed to the Gentiles. They were trying to protect the purity of their own religion and also stop a rival religion from being established. You might recall others who stirred up persecution against Christians, such as the metalworkers in Ephesus. Their goal was to protect their income and the status of their goddess, Artemis. Or persecution from the Roman Empire, which was attempting to maintain the unity of the empire by insisting that the emperor must be worshipped along with whatever other gods people chose. Each of these sources of opposition had different motives, but one goal: they wanted to stop the message about Jesus from being shared. As long as Christians were being fairly quiet and keeping to themselves, they were safe. As soon as they started sharing the message publicly and seeing people’s lives changed through accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour, then persecution would inevitably follow. In fact, as Paul pointed out in his letter to Timothy, even living a godly life – which is a witness to Jesus – is enough to make you a target for opposition.

2) Seduction (3:5)

This type of attack is one that seeks to use our own sinfulness against us. Even though Christians are saved from sin, we are not yet completely saved – it is a work in progress that will only finish when Jesus returns in power to destroy sin and death forever. Until then, we are susceptible to making wrong choices that take us away from God’s good plan for our lives. Choices that corrupt our witness and prevent us from living a godly life.

Temptation is the art of making garbage look delicious. It is the ability to tune in to a person’s desires and use them against him or her. Satan tried to discover desires within Jesus that he could manipulate. He tried to find a desire for power, for physical satisfaction, for reassurance and respect. All he found was that Jesus desired to please His Father.

Before receiving Timothy’s report, Paul was worried that Satan had managed to tune in to the desires of the Thessalonian Christians in order to tempt them from the faith. Did some crave wealth? Did some chase respect and the good opinion of others? Did some crave physical pleasures?

This has brought us to the point of answering our main question: Where do attacks against Christians come from? (o/h)

Attacks against Christians stem from Satan (2:17-18)

When Paul describes how his travel plans were thwarted by Satan, he does not go into details about how that occurred. It was through opposition of some sort. It may have been because of the Jewish agitators still present in Thessalonica. It could have been because Jason and others had posted bond, and would lose it if Paul came back – a form of financial opposition. Whatever it looked like, Paul says that it came from Satan.

The Bible portrays Satan as the head of an organisation of angels who rejected God’s authority and are at work in the world to usurp His rule and His plans. For that reason they stand against the church, and seek to destroy the church in any way they can, through opposition and seduction. Satan is not like God – he is not everywhere and doesn’t know everything. However he is the ruler of the spiritual forces that stand opposed to God and God’s people.

As a result, around the world we see all sorts of different strategies being used against the church. In some places it is the fear of litigation for speaking the truth, as has been the case in Australia recently when 2 pastors accurately taught about some of the less well-known teachings within the Qur’an and were charged with religious vilification. In others it take the form of kidnappings, tortures and murders. Sometimes it is being excluded from opportunities in business, sporting or social groups. Sometimes it involves being the target of jokes or offensive behaviour. When things like this happen we tend to look at the people who are doing it as though they are responsible. The Bible never spells out exactly how it is that Satan and his angels exercise their control over the world systems, but it is clear that this world is under Satan’s control, and that the people of this world need to be rescued from the dominion of their hidden master.

Ephesians 6:12 says this (o/h)

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

So if this is the case, what are we to do about it?

The Apostle Peter explains in 1 Peter 5:6-9:

^6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ^7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

^8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ^9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

James the brother of Jesus echoes the same truth in James 4:7:

^7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

So what is the first step. Peter said it was to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand. James said that it was to submit ourselves to God. The same truth in different words. In Ephesians 6:10, Paul starts his discussion of spiritual warfare on exactly the same note.

“be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”

The first lesson in overcoming Satan’s attack is that we are not the point. It’s not about our strength or our desires. People who demand to be in control of their own lives actually belong in Satan’s kingdom. People who think that they can make it on their own belong in Satan’s kingdom. God’s kingdom consists of those who have accepted that Jesus is Saviour and Lord. As our Saviour it is His strength that we need to survive. As our Lord it is His will that we follow. And so instead of trying to be strong in ourselves we submit ourselves to the one who has already overcome Satan.

(o/h) – We must stop focussing on ourselves.

This is easy to say but tough to do. To stop focussing on yourself leaves no room to wallow in self-pity. It leaves no room to do your own thing. It leaves no room for treating others badly, no matter how they might have treated you. On the positive side it leaves no room for wallowing in guilt either, because your failures are no longer the point.

To stop focussing on ourselves protects us from temptation because we are not focussed on our own desires but on pleasing God. It protects us from opposition because it reminds us that God is the only one with the power to affect eternity and our destiny. No matter what Satan throws at us we are safe in God’s hands. The Bible says that God has the power to take Satan’s attacks against us and turn them around so they actually work for our good! The greatest attack Satan ever mounted against God’s kingdom was when He succeeded in having Jesus nailed to a cross. Imagine the victory that Satan thought he had won. The all powerful Creator of the Universe, invulnerable to anything that Satan might concoct, dares to take on human form, and in doing so makes Himself vulnerable. Satan seizes the opportunity and succeeds in having the God-man killed. VICTORY!! THE FORCES OF EVIL HAVE OVERCOME GOD HIMSELF!

But then God the Father raises Jesus from the dead, and in doing so rescues millions upon millions of people from the kingdom of darkness and brings them into the kingdom of light. Satan’s greatest victory is turned into his greatest defeat. That’s the power of God at work! That’s the power that we can access when we stop focussing on ourselves and start focussing on Jesus.

The second part of this lesson is that it means that other people are not the point either (o/h) – we must stop focussing on others. Instead of getting angry and bitter toward people and how they have attacked us or tempted us away from Christ, we begin to see them as victims of a more malicious enemy. It means we can replace anger toward those people with sadness and even mercy. Instead of a desire to retaliate or seek revenge or punishment our desire becomes more to seek their salvation. The story of Paul and Silas with the Philippian Jailer is a good example of this principle. However we don’t just seek salvation for people who don’t have it, but also for those who do. Salvation is something you receive and something you grow in. When Christians sin against us, we must also seek to help them grow in their salvation (eg. 2 Tim 3:16).

So if we must not focus on ourselves or on others, what should we do?

We must stand firm in our faith (o/h)

In other words, as we have already said, we focus on Jesus instead. What did Paul do when he feared for the wellbeing of the Thessalonians? He wasn’t sure if they’d crumbled under opposition or been seduced by temptation.

He sent Timothy to strengthen their faith.

1 Thessalonians 3:2-3

We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker ^ in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, ^3 so that no one would be unsettled by these trials.

In Ephesians, 1 Peter and James the exact same language is used: “Stand firm” “Resist the devil”. It’s referring to a faith which is solid, unmoving. No matter what Satan does to you, no matter what cunning lies he tells you, no matter what tempting enticements he offers you – do not move from what you know is true. Stand firm in your faith. Keep looking at Jesus. Keep remembering what He has done for you. Keep thinking about what He has in store for you. Keep hold of His promises.

Sometimes in life we go through intense trials and temptations that make it really hard to keep our eyes on Jesus. I have gone through such times of discouragement that I have even doubted my own salvation and the work God has called me to. I have been knocked about and Satan at times has seemed to have been on the verge of victory. I have almost given up on the church because in my depressed state of mind it has seemed as though the church is no different to any other club. I have almost given up on preaching because it doesn’t seem to make any difference to how people actually live. I have almost given up on leadership because no matter what I do it seems someone is pulling in the other direction. I have almost given up on visiting because people still seem to think I don’t care. I have almost given up offering biblical counsel because people will always find some reason not to do what the Bible says anyway. I have doubted my salvation because of my despair over sin.

What is it that has kept me safe? The first thing is that my faith is based on the Word of God. No matter what Satan is able to achieve in my circumstances - or even within the church - that creates doubts in my mind; even when I have felt so low that it has been hard to sense the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life; still I have a faith that is grounded in the truth. And so I come, much like King David in the Psalms, with an anguished heart and I meditate on the Scriptures that point me to Jesus. And slowly God heals my wounds, encourages my heart, teaches and grows me and helps me to stand firm.

Finally, we must devote ourselves to prayer (o/h)

It is no coincidence that Paul closes this section of the letter with a prayer for the Thessalonians. Prayer is powerful and effective in the spiritual battle that we are in. 1 Peter 5:7 says: “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

Ephesians 6:18 says:

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

We have already talked about the importance of prayer at the beginning of this series in Thessalonians, so I won’t go over it again. There is also an article in this week’s Friendly Messenger on that topic.

We need to recognise that we are in a spiritual battle. If we really want to stand firm against all kinds of attacks against us, and if we want to see other people coming to faith in Jesus Christ, we have to be people of prayer. Prayer is not something we do at church and Bible study, or even during our daily devotions. Prayer is the constant communion of spirit that we have with God as we recognise His presence in our lives. It is talking with Him as our constant companion. It is allowing Him to exercise His role as our Lord as He is given the opportunity to influence our thinking and behaviour. It is relying on Him as our helper and also the helper of those we pray for.

Do you want to be able to stand firm as a Christian no matter what? Do you want to overcome the attacks of your enemy? Stop focussing on yourself or on others. Focus on Jesus by standing firm in your faith and devoting yourself to prayer.

I want to close by reading Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians in Ephesians 1:15-23:

^15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ^16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. ^17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. ^18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ^19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, ^20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ^21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. ^22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ^23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Jesus can handle whatever it is that you are facing! Trust Him.

Too much responsibility!

Ever felt like you carry too much responisibility? Feel like you've got too many people wanting too many different things from you and you know that you can't possibly keep them all happy?

Sometimes the weight of responsibilities and expectations can be crushing. It's been a bit like that this week. At the moment I feel the weight of the pastoral needs of my church family, the leadership needs, the administration needs, the needs of some community groups I'm involved in have been a huge issue over the last couple of weeks, then there's the needs of my children, my wife, friends... myself. It seems that wherever I look there are problems that demand my attention.

Sometimes the weight of responsibilities and expectations can be debilitating - it can cause you to do less not more. It plays on your mind and disrupts your sleep (at least it does to me!), so that you are less effective and creative because of mental & physical weariness.

It occurred to me last night that all week I'd been running around trying to do all that needed to be done, fixing problems and living up to my "responsibilities". What I'd actually done was neglected the most important things in favour of the noisy and the urgent. There are things that I felt needed to be done early in the week that hadn't been done because "stuff" came up that got in the way. I felt like I didn't have a choice, but I did.

Sometimes we do have to say no to people (including ourselves). We need to set good boundaries so that we are able to stick to our convictions about what God would have us do instead of what our circumstances or other people want us to do. We need to do this lovingly so that people know we genuinely care for them and their needs, but that we are not controlled by them. Ultimately, this allows us to develop healthy lives and ministries; instead of winding up as stressed-out people pleasers - who usually end up bitter & frustrated as well because in the end they couldn't please everyone anyway!

There's a lot more that can be said on this topic, but enough for now - I've got too many other jobs to get on to ;-)

Being a Person God Uses Part 2

How to Be a Person God Uses Pt 2

1 Thessalonians 2:6b-12

18/03/07

Introduction

Last week we started thinking about How we can be the sort of people God uses. In other words, how you and I can be competent servants of God.

Have you ever felt incompetent?

(slideshow + audio)

While some of these clips were pretty amusing, I’m sure we all realise how important it is to be a competent person when you are in charge of a vehicle. When people are incompetent because of a lack of training, poor reflexes, lack of attention, medical conditions or substance abuse; there can be some very serious and tragic consequences. Before anyone takes charge of a vehicle, they should be certain that they are competent to do so.

In the Church a similar principle applies in the area of leadership. In our culture the privilege of driving is subject to a whole series of tests to insure competence. There are also rules of conduct that must be adhered to. If a person is caught breaking those rules then there are penalties that apply. The same is true in terms of leadership within the church. There are standards that determine a person’s eligibility to lead. There are rules that govern how that leadership is exercised, and there are penalties that apply when leaders step outside of what God has set out for them to do.

In 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 the Apostle Paul is briefly outlining some of the characteristics that made Silas, Timothy and himself competent ministers in the Church. Paul and Silas in particular are recognised leaders, and Timothy is in the process of being trained in leadership. This leadership is exercised in teaching, nurturing and ruling over the various churches they establish.

So today we will continue to learn about how we can be competent ministers, regardless of what type of ministry God has called us to; and we will also learn more about the ministry of leadership within the Church.

Pray

There are a number of passages in the Bible which talk about the qualifications necessary for leaders within the Church. Here’s a quick summary:

Characteristic	Reference
Self controlled	1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:8
Hospitable	1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:8
Able to teach	1 Tim 3:2, 5:17; Titus 1:9
Gentle	1 Tim 3:3; Titus 1:7
Not quarrelsome	1 Tim 3:3
Not a lover of money	1 Tim 3:3
Has a good reputation in the community	1 Tim 3:7
Not overbearing	Titus 1:7
Not quick-tempered	Titus 1:7
Loves what is good	Titus 1:8
Upright, holy	Titus 1:8
Disciplined	Titus 1:8
Blameless	1 Tim 3:2,9; Titus 1:6
Faithful in marriage	1 Tim 3:2,12; Titus 1:7
Temperate	1 Tim 3:2,8; Titus 1:7
Respectable	1 Tim 3:2,8
Not given to drunkenness	1 Tim 3:3,8; Titus 1:7
Manages his household well	1 Tim 3:4,12
Respected by his children	1 Tim 3:4-5,12; Titus 1:6
Doesn’t pursue dishonest gain	1 Tim 3:8; Titus 1:7
Keeps hold of the deep truths	1 Tim 3:9; Titus 1:9
Sincere	1 Tim 3:8
Not a recent convert	1 Tim 3:6
Someone who has been tested	1 Tim 3:10

I hope what you will realise as you look at this list is that these are characteristics that we should all aspire to. These qualifications are a way of identifying mature Christians who are ready to accept the responsibility of leadership. Even the ability to teach, which is a requirement of Elders in the Church, does not mean that each Elder must have a gift in teaching, just that they have the spiritual maturity to be able to teach others in what they say and in how they live.

The reason I point this out is that I want all of us to be aware that what we discover today about how Paul approaches his ministry of spiritual leadership is relevant to all of us. It is what we should all be aspiring to. I hope that this will become increasingly clear as we go through our passage.

Read: 1 Thessalonians 2:6b-12

As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, ^7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. ^8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. ^9 Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

^10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. ^11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, ^12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you,

Because of his position of leadership Paul could have exercised his rights and the authority of his position. He could have expected to have his material needs met by the church. He could have expected that people defer to him and show appropriate respect. As he served them in teaching and nurturing he could expect that they would serve him in return in more practical ways.

Have you ever been in a position where you felt entitled to something from others? I know of people who have given generously to a church over many years, who have felt entitled to control what the church does with it’s finances. I know people who have served in leadership, who have felt entitled to the blind trust and obedience of the congregation; without consultation or explanation of decision making. I know of worship leaders who felt entitled to only choose material that suited their own tastes. I know of pastors who expect their congregation to put in volunteer hours to the church, while they stick rigorously to a 40 hour week.

Paul says “We could have felt entitled to something from you. We could have expected something on the basis of our position and authority, but instead….”

but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.

The first thing Paul points out is that he and his companions are not on a power trip. They are not seeking their own advantage, instead they care for the church like a mother cares for her infant children.

Now, Paul is not picturing himself as this sort of mother… (o/h)

Instead, the picture is of a nursing mother – a mother who is still breastfeeding her child. That tenderness that exists between mother and child is the tenderness that Paul felt for the Thessalonians.

Now, we all know that the Church would be a great thing if it weren’t for the people in it! Christians, just like anyone else, can be hard to get along with at times. We hurt each other, we sin against each other. Anyone involved in leadership knows that it can be very painful and frustrating. I believe the same can be true of breastfeeding! However when you think about how a nursing mother treats even the most difficult child, even at great personal cost; that’s the picture that Paul has of leadership. When you think of the bond between mother and child, that’s the relationship between leaders and their congregations that Paul has in mind.

This image is extended in verses 11&12 to include fatherhood.

^11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, ^12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory

I have a picture on my computer which is a great illustration of this (o/h)

You can see by that man’s uniform that he has a certain authority. He has authority as a Policeman and as a father. Yet he uses his position to serve the needs of his son. You can see by his haircut that he needs to wear that policeman’s hat! ( I can identify with that!) But instead he uses it to serve his son. In the same way Paul used his position not for his own purposes but for the purpose of serving those he was responsible to lead.

This is how the Apostle Peter describes this principle of servant leadership in 1 Peter 5:1-6

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: ^2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; ^3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. ^4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

^5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud

but gives grace to the humble.” ^a

^6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

I hope you can see that as Paul reflects on his own conduct with the Thessalonians, he is demonstrating the same leadership principles that Peter taught in his letter.

^8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. ^9 Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

^10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.

In Paul’s time, philosophers and travelling teachers would support themselves in a number of ways. The most desirable method was to be attached to a wealthy patron. This would be of social advantage to the patron and financial advantage to the philosopher. Otherwise, a philosopher might charge a fee for tuition in whatever subjects they had expertise. Some (such as some Cynics) supported themselves by begging. The final method was manual labour. Paul notes in verse 9 that they worked night and day to support themselves. This fits with other historical records which show that artisans such as tentmakers had to work very long hours just to meet their most basic needs. Many of us have a picture of Paul doing a little part-time work while he devoted most of his energy to preaching and teaching. In all likelihood, most of his time was spent teaching in the workshop while he worked! In Ephesians 19 we read that handkerchiefs (ie. sweatbands) and aprons that Paul wore were taken to the sick and the sick were healed. He would have used these things while he worked.

So Paul, one of the most significant leaders in the Church, worked hard in a profession that had very low social status, and paid very poorly; when he could have demanded to have his living expenses met by the churches he served in. He taught that leaders who devote themselves to serving the church should have their needs met, but he did not make use of this right himself.

How does knowing all this help us in our quest to be competent servants of God?

Firstly, a competent minister is a person of integrity - our lives must match what we say. Paul was able to say to the Thessalonians “You are witnesses…”. “You have seen how we lived and you know that our lifestyle backs up our preaching. We don’t just say that God has saved us from sin, we show what it’s like to live free from sin’s control. We don’t just say that God loves you, we show you by loving you ourselves. We don’t just talk about prayer, about humility, about confession, about forgiveness, about acceptance, about encouragement, about sacrifice…. we live it!!”

I don’t care what you sing on Sundays, what you say in Bible study or anywhere else – if you’re lifestyle doesn’t match it, then it’s just hot air. A person who God uses is a person whose walk matches their talk. They are people of integrity.

Secondly, a competent minister is someone who loves intensely. Paul says it was their love for the Thessalonians that caused them to serve in the manner they did. This is in fact the second reason Paul gave, the first (which we looked at last week) was their desire to please God.

Paul wants to be very up front about how much he loves the church family in Thessalonica. Jesus said that this love is a defining characteristic of his people. Do you have that sort of love? As we’ve already pointed out, it isn’t always easy to love people. People can be hurtful, unappreciative, opinionated, selfish and so on. But if Jesus loves you as you are, can you love others as they are too?

Thirdly, a competent minister sacrifices him/herself for the sake of others. This is not saying that they become a doormat. Allowing people to walk all over you is not loving them or you or others around you. However competent ministers are prepared to give up their rights for the sake of serving others. They are able to choose humility and submission. They do not compare themselves to others. They do not focus on their own entitlements. They do not consider their needs more important than others’. This is a particularly difficult thing to do when you are in a position of authority, which is one reason why leadership is the responsibility of the mature. In leadership you need to be constantly testing your own heart to make sure that you are using your authority to serve others and not indulge yourself. You need to guard your heart from bitterness when people don’t submit to your oversight. You need to guard against despondency when people don’t seem to heed your teaching or follow your example. You need to guard against pride that says you are better than or wiser than others. There are a whole lot of other pressures and temptations which can cause you to stop thinking and praying about how you can best serve the people in your care. While this can be particularly acute in leadership, it is true no matter what area you serve in. As ministers our prayer should always be “Lord, help me to serve others in love.”

Conclusion:

From what we’ve been describing today, being a competent minister is hard work! Why bother with that? Why not just accept your free gift of salvation and then just lie low until you die or Jesus returns?

The Bible says that Jesus has given each of us the calling and the gifting to serve in His Kingdom. Our decision is whether or not to be competent servants. Whether or not we will make ourselves available to be used well. You don’t need to do the sort of ministry that Paul did or what I do or anyone else for that matter. God has shaped you for a unique role.

The assurance that Peter gave to Elders who lead well is also an assurance for all of us who serve well in whatever capacity:

1 Peter 5:4

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

Let me close with a challenge that Paul gave to Timothy:

2 Timothy 2:15

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed…

Amen!

Discipline of Journaling? You've got to be joking!

Well, after what felt like a promising start to my blogging career, all that's been happening lately is me posting up copies of my sermon notes! My last journal-type post was a month ago, so it's time for a re-start.

Part of the difficulty for me has been that a lot of the stuff dominating my thoughts & feelings over the last month or so has not been the sort of stuff that I could share online. Some things need to be kept in fairly small circles. Through it all though I have been learning a lot about what we need to be moving towards as communities of Christians (see "Disillusioned with Church").

I'm excited that we have finally (after 3 years of thinking about it) started a midweek prayer group, which includes people who cannot always get to Sunday services. Prayer is really the engine room of church life for a whole stack of reasons. One thing I love about corporate prayer (when it is done well) is that it draws us closer together vertically and horizontally. It brings us closer to God and to each other. It breaks through suspicions and misunderstandings and fosters a geniune sense of teamwork and mutual care. It encourages boldness in prayer and in prayerful action.

Anyhow, let's see how I go at being a bit more regular in jotting down stuff!

Sermon - How to be a person God uses pt 1

How to Be a Person God Uses Pt 1
1 Thessalonians 2:1-6
11/03/07

audio

Introduction

Do you want to be the sort of person who does great things for God? Would you like God to use you to accomplish great things in the lives of people, things that make a difference for eternity? Or does the idea of that sound foolish to you?

I want to read a little blurb that did the rounds on the internet:

Think God Can't Use You? Well, Read On. . .

Noah was a drunkard, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a daydreamer, Jacob was a liar, Leah was ugly, Joseph was abused by his family, sold into slavery and falsely imprisoned, Moses had a stuttering problem, Gideon was afraid, Samson had long hair and was a womanizer, Rahab was a prostitute, Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, David had an affair and was a murderer, Elijah was suicidal, Isaiah preached naked, Jonah ran from God, Naomi was a widow, Job went bankrupt, Peter denied Christ, The Disciples fell asleep while praying, Martha worried about everything, Mary Magdalene was, well you know, the Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once, Zaccheus was too small, Paul was too religious, Timothy had an ulcer . . . AND . . .Lazarus was dead. Now, no more excuses!

The Bible isn’t full of stories about great people – it’s full of stories about a great God who uses all sorts of people – people just like you and me. Today we are going to explore some of the things that get in the way of what God wants to do in and through you, and how we can make sure that those barriers aren’t stopping God from doing great things in our lives in and the lives of those He wants us to touch.

Today we are going to start looking at the ministry of the Apostle Paul in Thessalonica. We have been looking at the Thessalonians themselves and what we can learn from how they responded to the gospel message. Now we want to see what God wants to teach us from how Paul and his companions went about their ministry of sharing the gospel message, because we have been given both those roles to play. We are all people who should be constantly receiving God’s truth and responding to it, and we are also people who possess God’s truth and must share it.

Prayer

Read: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-6a

You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure. ^2 We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. ^3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. ^4 On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. ^5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. ^6 We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.

v. 1: You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure.

We’ve already learned the visit was not a failure because of the work God did in those particular Thessalonians so that the gospel message powerfully changed their lived. Today we will discover that it was not just about what God did in the hearers of the message, but what God did through the messengers that was important.

v. 2a: We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know

If you don’t remember the story, here’s how Luke describes it in Acts 16:

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. ^17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” ^18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

^19 When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. ^20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar ^21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

^22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. ^23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. ^24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

That night God sends a powerful earthquake that rocks the jail, opens the prison doors and loosen everyone’s chains! However instead of running away, Paul & Silas stay and share the gospel message with the jailer and his family, who become Christians also. Later, when the magistrates find out that Paul & Silas are Roman citizens, they realise they have made a bad mistake but they still ask Paul & Silas to leave town.

Now, when most people remember the story of Paul & Silas in Philippi, they remember the miracle and how the jailer and his family became Christians as a result. That’s because it’s always great to hear those stories of God exercising His power. Paul would remember that too, and he would be grateful to God for that. But what does he remember most? The suffering and insults!

You put yourself in Paul’s shoes: First you get harassed day after day by this girl. Finally, you do something about it and the result is that you get your clothes torn off by an angry mob, beaten to a pulp then thrown in jail with your feet clasped in stocks. All of this doesn’t stop them from praying and singing to God, while all the other prisoners listen; but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t a traumatic event.

Now they rock up to another city, knowing that once again there is going to be plenty of hostile people there, and what are they going to be thinking?

“Hey, let’s do what we did in Philippi! Let’s offend the people, get ourselves beaten up and imprisoned and see what God does with that this time!” (NOT!)

So what did they do?

v2b: but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition.

They dared to tell the gospel, despite strong opposition. They knew that it was going to be tough. They had only just come through a tough time. They were scared! Sometimes we have this weird idea of people like Paul that makes out that these people thrive on opposition – they love being called names, beaten up, thrown in prison and so on.

No, Paul says they “dared to tell” the gospel message. Who has ever played a game of dare? I’ve played games like that several times as a younger person. I was never once dared to spend an hour in a spa, or eat a nice meal, or read a good book or anything like that. All the dares I was given were things that could have made me look very silly or were very unpleasant. You don’t dare someone to do something safe or easy. You dare someone to do something that they don’t want to do or something that entails risk.

We read through a list of some famous Bible characters earlier on. Do you think that what they did for God was easy? They took risks! They believed things and did things that weren’t easy or safe. They did things that were beyond their own ability to do! They predicted the future, achieved feats of strength, defeated armies, built a ship, stood up to empires and kings – all because of their faith in God and obedience to Him.

Paul says that this is exactly what he and Silas did in Thessalonica. Verse 3 says “with the help of our God we dared…“

Why? We’ve seen that it was not easy for them to share the gospel in Thessalonica. We know from our background study a few weeks back that they put their lives in danger and had to be smuggled out of town, because exactly the same thing was happening as in Philippi – an angry mob had assembled and was looking for Paul & Silas.

So why did they do it?

Verse 3 tells us what the reasons were not…

 v. 3: For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.

Paul says there is no lying or manipulation or trickery or profiteering going on here. We’re not in this because of some delusion or for our own personal gain. We’re not resorting to dodgy methods in order to win you over. Something else is going on.

v. 4a On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.

First of all, we speak because we have been given the authority by God to do so. We are trustworthy messengers and we have been entrusted with the gospel message – the message that every person needs to hear and have an opportunity to respond to.

At this point in time, the gospel message has been transmitted primarily by word of mouth, so it has been vital that the people who are spreading the message are people who are trustworthy. Paul was taught the gospel by Jesus himself, and was confirmed as an Apostle by James, Peter and the other leaders of the early church in Jerusalem. Silas was originally a member of the Jerusalem church, and was a leader there who had a recognized gift of prophecy. He learned the gospel from the disciples of Jesus, and was trusted by them as a faithful messenger. So Paul and Silas chose to share the gospel because they had the truth that others needed to hear. They were well qualified messengers.

Some people believe that today this sort of condition applies to ministers, priests, evangelists, missionaries and other special classes of Christians. A lot of people lack confidence in their status as being people approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel.

Let me simply say this: “If you have a Bible, then you have been entrusted with the gospel.” God has given the church the means of ensuring that we can speak as people approved to be entrusted with the gospel. We have a way of testing what anyone says that relates to God and His plan of salvation – we use the Bible as our measuring stick. It’s therefore up to each of us to simply make sure that we know it well. That we are confident in what it says. That we are able to share it’s message with others. That is what it means to be entrusted with the gospel. Of course, just like Paul and Silas, we need God’s help to do it, but none of us lack the authority to be a messenger of God.

v. 4b-6: We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. ^{ 5} You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. ^6 We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.

Secondly, if we are going to be faithful messengers of the gospel – if we are going to be available to be used by God to change lives – we have to learn to care more about what God thinks than about what people think.

Does not being controlled by what people think mean that we simply don’t care about other people? Is it a flippant “They can think whatever they like, it doesn’t worry me” sort of attitude. “If they don’t like me or what I believe they can go jump for all I care”!

Not at all. Verse 8 talks about how much Paul & Silas loved the Thessalonians. They cared very much about what the Thessalonians thought & how they responded to them and their message. At other times, such as in his second letter to the Corinthian Christians, Paul works very hard to defend his ministry and his reputation – he doesn’t want people thinking badly of him. He doesn’t want to give anyone an excuse to reject his message.

In his morning devotions at the Urban Neighbours of Hope conference last year, Mick Duncan talked about what is “above the line” and what is “below the line”. Above the line are the people or things that we live for. Below the line are the things that we care for and care about, but they are not the people or things that we live for. The Bible is clear that only one thing belongs above the line, and it’s not a thing, but a person. That’s God’s place. It’s where He belongs. To live for anything or anyone except God is idolatry. That is a really helpful image to explain what is happening here. If we are controlled by other people or what they think of us, we are committing idolatry. If we are controlled by our own self esteem or lack of it, that is idolatry. Paul says, “There is only one who I live to please. It’s not myself. It’s not you or any other human being. I live to please God. That’s why I do what I do.” Does Paul care about what others think and say about him? Does he care about what others do to him? Does he care about the hardships he endures and the risks he takes? Yes, to all of that. But he doesn’t live for any of those things. He lives for God. And because he does not live for any of those things he is not controlled by any of them. Instead he is controlled by the Spirit of God. Not perfectly, but that is what his chosen lifestyle is.

What about you?

Today you have a choice to make about whether you will dare to please God by doing what He has called you to do. Paul wrote that God tests our hearts. What does God find above the line in your heart? What or who are you living for? What or who has the power to control what you do? Is it the approval of others you seek? Is it your own pleasure or security? Is it the stuff that you think you need? If you say that God is number one in your life, will you dare to tell His gospel despite whatever opposition you might face or whatever you risk might need to take?

If the answer is yes, I want you to pray steadfastly that God will help you to see the opportunities and take them up. I want you to think about how well you know the gospel and how you can explain it to others, and to get hold of resources that will be a help to you.

Today in Lifegroup we are going to talk further on the topic of healthy self esteem, and how important that is generally, but particularly in the Christian life. In a nutshell, we will be discovering how healthy self esteem flows from healthy God esteem. You’re welcome to join us!