A Living Hope through the Living Christ

1 Peter 1:1-9

Introduction:

Last Sunday 22^nd January was my 68^th birthday. According to the Lunar Calendar I was born on Chinese New Year’s Eve. So this year my two birthdays fell on the same day!

I have another birthday. In 1958 when I was already 14 years old I believed in Jesus Christ and accepted Him as my Lord and Saviour. Fourteen years earlier I was born of my father and mother’s decision. In surrendering my life to Jesus Christ I became a child of God. I was born again by the power and authority of God through the Holy Spirit. Since then I have lived and grown as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ.

Are you aware that when you become a Christian and follow Jesus Christ, you have been born again! How many of you here have new life in Christ and are born again?

Those of us who are born again have a living hope through the living Christ. Living the Christian life is not easy. The challenges we face indicates we are alive. We are like the salmon swimming against the current. A dead one would drift with the current. The vagaries of life do not deter us as Christians. It is our hope in Christ that helps us steer our course. We are led and directed by the light and life of Christ. What is this hope we are talking about today?

Hope: to wish and expect for the better when confronted with doubts.

We are hoping for some wind and rain to clear the haze.

There is a difference between hope and wish in English usage:

You can wish for impossible things but you hope only when the thing you want is possible.

I wish I were thirty years younger. I hope you get better soon.

Hebrews 11:1

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

Hope can also mean a thing or a person that seems likely to bring success.

Please help me. You are my one and only hope.

O Lord, can you hear me? Help me. You are my one and only hope.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become the high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

(Hebrews 6:19-20)

1. The Reason for the Message of Hope

Our key verse reads: Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3

The title of the message got its idea from this verse. Apostle Peter addressed Christians who were in an area we call Turkey today. There were Jewish converts from Jerusalem. People from different parts of the Roman Empire during the Day of Pentecost had returned to their home country. There were also slaves who found freedom and became Christians. These were the “diaspora,” scattered followers of Christ. He told them that they had been born again into a living hope because they believed in the living Christ.

Why did he have to give them such a hopeful message?

The hint is in verse 6: In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

Peter realized that something very serious was going to happen in the Roman Empire. The Christians needed to be prepared for the change in circumstances. Trials and troubles were coming. The emperor was going to persecute Christians.

Today we may not face persecution but we do “suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” The message is applicable to us because God’s word is contemporary. It speaks to all people in all countries and of all generations.

What grief and sorrow do you carry? Health, relationship, employment, lost or setback? What trials and troubles are met by Christians today here and in other parts of the world? What troubles may be brewing in our country or your home country? Political turmoil have led to insecurity in livelihood, threat to personal life, seizure of property, unlawful detention, anxiety when gathering for worship, lost of rights and privileges, etc.

The apostle Peter was given specific instruction to do his apostolic and pastoral duty to prepare his followers for times of testing and troubles:

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me.” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” John 21:15-17

So Pastors, Elders and leaders, like the apostle we need to prepare our people for hard and troublesome times ahead. Folks from different countries who worship here need to encourage each other as you think of your families and home country. When you should return to where you come from remember to strengthen your brothers.

2. What the Message of Hope Holds

“In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” (v.3)

i. Christians are born again. New birth leads to new life. In the old life under Adam, all are classified as sinners. All sinners die a spiritual and physical death. People are gripped by the fear of death. Note that if you are born once you die twice but born twice you die once!

The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

The message to Christians and to all is that new birth comes by believing and trusting in Jesus Christ to be their Saviour from sin, death, hell and the devil.

For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that who ever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17) Have you been born again?

ii. Christians have a living hope. Those who trust in Jesus, follow His ways and His words, are confident that what Jesus promised is true. What He said he will do. He is the promise keeper. The Christian’s hope is real and alive. We share an inheritance with Christ in heaven. What is this inheritance? It is eternal life and all the blessings that heaven has for all believers. We are heaven-bound and we are going to enjoy eternity in heaven with Christ and other believers.

Do you remember the thief who hung on the cross beside Jesus? He asked not to be forsaken but remembered by Jesus. And our Lord told him he would take him to paradise with him. When our time on earth is over we have a home in heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ. We will never be a lonely wandering homeless spirit. This is one of the fears of the Chinese in their traditional belief during the Seventh Month of the Lunar Year.

This living hope – inheritance – eternal life will not perish! Ask the Christian, “Are you sure of your future? Are you sure of life after death?” His answer is not, “I hope so.”

The Christian’s hope is not the “I hope so,” kind of hope. Look at John 14:

Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (v. 1-3)

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (v. 6)

“Because I live, you also will live.” (v.19) It is the hope that comes from this verse that we sing “Because He lives I can face tomorrow.” The Christian has certainty – “I know whom I have believed.”

iii. Christians have a living Saviour.

The apostle Peter stressed that Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead. This is an essential aspect of our belief in Christ. He is not dead and buried in the ground where his bones remained. No, Jesus Christ conquered the grave. He became alive and came out of the tomb! He has ascended to heaven and is coming back again!

In other words our Lord is unlike any other religious leader who died and was buried. None of them claimed that they would overcome death. Today all other religious movement do not teach that their leader is still alive over the centuries and their followers can overcome death. Jesus Christ is the only one who made this claim. His followers, Christians can share this hope: “Because I live, you also will live!”

Jesus said to her (Martha), “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe in this?”

Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God, who was to come into the world.” (John 11:25-27)

George Beverly Shea, renown for his deep baritone voice could have made a name for himself in Hollywood or made his money by cutting records at Nashville, Tennessee. But he did not. He rather joined Cliff Barrows and sang for the Billy Graham Crusade. His love and commitment to His Saviour was captured in a song written by Rhea Miller:

I rather have Jesus than sliver or gold;

I rather be His than have riches untold;

I rather have Jesus than houses or lands;

I rather be led by His nail-pierced hands.

Than to be a king of a vast domain

Or be held in sin’s dread sway.

I rather have Jesus than anything

This world affords today.

3. Hope in God keeps our Minds under Control (v13, 21)

Therefore, prepare you minds for action, be self-controlled, set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. (v.13)

Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him and so your faith and hope are in God. (v.27)

Christians may not have control over the events and environment around him. But they can have control over their own hearts and minds. They can be prepared for changing circumstances that may disrupt their lives. From what they know and understand about their future they prepare their hearts and minds to meet the challenges.

The worse that can happen is death and the body is destroyed. To the Christian the body is only a shell made of clay. It returns to the ground but his soul and spirit return to God his maker. In the time of Emperor Nero, Christians were cast into amphitheatres to be devoured by lions as entertainment for the Romans. They died praying and singing. Others burned at the stakes for their beliefs were seen to be praising not cursing.

When he comes face to face with challenges in life he is not alone. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ lives in him. His body is the temple or the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. It does not matter whether his mood changes or the environment threatens, God is always with him.

Conclusion

According to apostle Peter Christians must never forget three things about their new life in Christ. They have new birth, a living hope and a living Savior – Jesus Christ who died and is risen from the dead. These three things equip them to face a threatening and dangerous future. It is these three things that make them live differently from non-believers. They are without hope in this life and the next. When they ask for an explanation, the Christian must be ready to explain his hope in Christ to them.

Apostle Peter reminded the Christians that their life was empty just like their forefathers. Jesus made their lives different when he redeemed them with his precious blood. In those days many Roman slaves became Christians. Many slaves had been set free by good men who bought them with money. Then set them free. They understood what it is to be redeemed. Jesus died for them like the lamb that died at the Passover in Egypt. Pharaoh let the Jewish slaves go free. Jews who became Christians can appreciate their past. Thank God for the present and trust Him for the future. Are we appreciative and thankful to God and trusting Him day after day?

We are all like the grass of the field. When grass is fresh and green people like them. They are useful, beautiful and soft to lie on. When they are dry, dead they are discarded and burned. The life span of grass is very short. Our life is like that of grass. We may be appreciated, needed and sort for now but not for very long. Our usefulness and charm have their life span. Soon we will become a discarded item to be ignored. Our glory will fade away.

The difference life will make is whether we have Christ. Where there is Christ there is hope. Where Jesus is, it is heaven there. Make sure our hope is in Christ. May we live a life that shows that we have hope! Perhaps your life can speak about Jesus. Always be ready to say a few good words to people about Jesus: have faith and hope in God through Jesus Christ.

Are you aware that God is watching over you? Be clear in you conviction – you are a born again Christian, you have a living hope and have a living Saviour. Our Lord Jesus Christ is protecting, preserving and providing for each of us. We are kept by the power of God in Christ Jesus!

John 11:1-16

If you follow bicycle racing, you are probably with the Tour de France. For those of you who do not follow bicycle racing, the Tour de France is the most grueling of all bicycle races. The race lasts for three weeks and the competitors must ride more than 2,000 miles, or 3,000 kilometers. Six or seven days of the race are packed with excruciatingly difficult mountain climbs in the Alps and Pyrenees. The winner of the Tour de France is rightly considered the best rider in the world.

Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France seven consecutive times. In the more than 100-year history of the race only a couple other riders won the race five times and never more than that. So it was an incredible feat Armstrong to win it seven times, but it is especially astounding that Lance Armstrong should be the one to do that. For in 1996, at the age of 25 and just as his career was beginning to take off, it came to a screeching halt. Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with cancer. The cancer had spread to several parts of his body, including his brain and lung. It appeared to be the end of his promising racing career, and maybe even the end of his life, as he was given less that a 50% chance of surviving.

Yet amazingly Armstrong beat the cancer and within a couple years was alone at the very top of the bicycle racing profession. And what is even more amazing is that if it were not for the cancer Armstrong perhaps would not have met with such success. For in an interview Armstrong commented on how his training and attitude changed following the cancer treatment. He said:

“When I came back, I said if I ever get a chance to do this, I’m going to give it everything. I’m going to train correctly, eat right. I’m not going to mess up. That why I say all the time that the illness is the best thing that ever happened to me. I would never have won one Tour de France if I hadn’t had it (cancer). No doubt.”

So in a rather paradoxical way the cancer that almost killed Armstrong ultimately helped him to be the best rider in the world.

Sometimes that’s the way life is. What at first seems to be a tragedy in the end leads to a greater victory. Suffering paves the way for renewed strength. Sorrow is turned into joy. As it relates specifically to our spiritual life, we at times have experiences where we wonder where is God. Why has He deserted us? How can He allow us to go through this horrible experience. And yet sometimes it’s those very experiences that God works through to mold us, shape us, and strengthen us so that our faith is deepened and God can use us in more profound ways.

Today we’ll look at an event recorded in the Gospel of John that illustrates this truth. It’s an event in which things certainly were not as they first appeared to be. It is found in Jn. 11:1-16.

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

Then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

“But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?”

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light.”

After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

You may know the rest of the story. Jesus arrived and encountered Martha. Jesus assured her that He is the resurrection and the life, and then He raised Lazarus from the dead.

Let me highlight a few lessons we can learn from this account. First of all, as I have alluded to, things are not always what they seem.

Lazarus was dying. Mary and Martha sent word to their friend Jesus that their brother was sick. But they knew he wasn’t merely sick. He didn’t just have a cold or the flu. He was very sick. They would not have sent for Jesus to come and heal their brother unless he was very sick, for Jesus was several days journey away. Vs. 6 stated that Jesus stayed where he was for two more days before leaving. And when he arrived Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. So Jesus was at least a two-day journey away, maybe more depending on how long after Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus Lazarus actually died.

When the message came that Lazarus was sick, Jesus responded, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Two days later, when Jesus decided to go the Bethany, He told His disciples, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

In both of these verses we see an important principle: as bad as things seemed, God was doing something good. What could be worse than the death of a dear friend. Nothing is as final as that. Sometimes we receive bad news, but we know with the passage of time things will get better. But when someone has died, that’s it! That’s as bad as it gets.

But not so with God. With God things are not always as they appear, and that means there is always hope. Sometimes we can’t see beyond the crushing present circumstances, but all the while God has a higher purpose, a greater good in mind. And in His perfect timing God will bring that about. Consider these examples from Scripture.

Paul writes in Rom. 5:3-5, “We…rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Paul affirmed he rejoiced in his experiences of suffering because his vision was not limited to the present suffering he had to endure. He was able to see beyond it to what would result from it. He saw that suffering produces perseverance and perseverance develops character. In other words, he knew that as a result of his suffering he would be a stronger, more mature person and disciple of Jesus.

So what may appear to be an experience of conflict, suffering, or trials in reality is an opportunity for growth in character. So often when we’re in tough situations like that, our first instinct it to find the nearest exit. We want to get out of the situation as soon as possible, and that’s understandable. But things aren’t always what they appear. Sometimes we need to go through difficult circumstances in order to learn lessons and be changed in terms of our character, and the only way for such transformation to occur is through difficulty. That’s when we are forced to ask questions of ourselves and examine ourselves in ways we would not do if everything was going our way. When we are enduring a serious illness, or we lost our job, or we suffered a broken relationship, that’s when we’re more likely to ask questions of ourselves such as: What direction is my life heading? What is the foundation of my life? What kind of person am I? Do my values and goals make sense when life is so unpredictable? Where am I in in relation to God? When everything is our life is going well we just enjoy the ride and typically don’t ask questions of ourselves that force us to seriously examine our lives. We are much more likely to do that when going through difficulty.

Or consider II Cor. 1:4. “(God) comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” When we are in the midst of troubles, often we can’t get our focus off ourselves. We ask, “Why me? Why do I have to go through this?” Not to make light of whatever troubles we may go through. Sometimes they strike at the core of who we are and the pain of the situation penetrates to the very depths of our being. But things aren’t always what they appear. Sometimes God wants to use such situations to help us help others. Only when we have gone through pain and sorrow can we know what it is like for others to go through pain and sorrow. God promises He will comfort us during those times, and we then are to pass that comfort on to others who are struggling. So what we call a trouble, God calls a chance to develop empathy for others.

Or again from II Cor. 1, this time vs. 8-9: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” Paul doesn’t describe the particular hardships he and his companions were under, but whatever they were they were so severe that they despaired even of life. It was so bad they didn’t want to go on living. It was beyond their ability to endure and they just couldn’t take it any longer. Death would have been easier than going on in their circumstances.

But there was more to what was going on than met the eye. God was using these horrible circumstances to deepen their faith. As Paul said, they were learning to rely on God instead of themselves. That’s a lesson we all need to learn, and the only way we learn is by going through situations for which our own strength and ability is simply inadequate. Only then do we fully rely on God and in the process we learn that God truly is faithful.

In Philippians 1 Paul writes of being in prison. That’s not a pleasant experience. But he also shares how he rejoiced in this because his circumstances really served to advance the gospel, with the result that the whole palace guard and everyone else there had the opportunity to hear the Good News. (vs. 12-14) On the surface, Paul was suffering in prison. At a deeper level he was an evangelist who had the opportunity to share the gospel with those who would not have heard it unless he were there.

There are many examples of this in Scripture. What we need to do is learn to trust God at all times and in all circumstances. For God is faithful, and often He is doing something that cannot be seen at first. But if we are open and yielded during those times, we will see how God is changing us and using us even when things don’t make sense to our understanding.

So it was with Lazarus. He was sick even unto death. On the surface, what could be worse? But God was in control, and He had a purpose in it. As we read later in that chapter, Jesus would raise Lazarus to life, with the result that God would be glorified and the disciples, having witnessed this incredible miracle, would come to believe in a deeper way than before that Jesus really was God the Son.

Secondly, and related to all this, when God makes us wait, it is not meant to discourage us but develop us. It does seem strange to us as we read this account. Jesus hears that a dear friend is sick and needs him desperately. So what does Jesus do? He waits for two days before leaving. And then it takes two days to get there. To us that just doesn’t make sense. If we are desperate and need help right away, we would expect a good friend to come running, not to shrug it off for a few days.

It’s difficult to say the least when we have to wait on God. Sometimes we have to wait for a prayer to be answered. Sometimes we must wait for guidance and direction. Sometimes we wait for a need to be met. During those times it’s easy to get discouraged. We may conclude that our problems are insignificant to God. But if we think that way then we have missed an important truth, and that is that God’s delays are meant to develop us not discourage us. This can have several specific applications.

Sometimes it is out of His mercy that God delays answering us. God wants to do something amazing in our lives, but the timing must be right for that. If Jesus would have been there while Lazarus was still sick, everyone would have pressured Jesus to heal him. And if that would have happened, it would have been just another miracle of healing. But by waiting the disciples and the others witnessed the power and glory of God in a greater way than they could have imagined. Lazarus had been dead four days. His body was decomposing. But the power of God brought him back to life. The disciples knew that Jesus had power to heal the sick, but their faith grew even stronger when they saw he also had power over death. Because Jesus was not there in time to heal Lazarus, the disciples came to believe that Jesus really is the resurrection and the life. Sometimes God doesn’t answer our immediate request because He has something far better in mind, but the timing must be right.

Then there are delays of preparation. Sometimes we ask for things that we are not ready to receive or we ask for the opportunity to do something for which we are not yet prepared. Consider even the life of Jesus. He was here only 33 years, and He did not start His ministry until He was 30. Why so much wasted time? And even when He did start, He spent the first 40 days in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. Forty days is a lot when you have only three years.

Why the delay? We can only assume that Jesus was being prepared for His ministry, and the people were being prepared to receive it. Concerning specifically the 40 days of temptation, Jesus had to meet the devil head on, to face temptation in its cruelest and yet most appealing fashion, and still resist it before launching His ministry. Sometimes we must wait on God because He is still preparing us for what lies ahead.

And sometimes delays are for the purpose of developing our faith. That is why Jesus said we are not simply to ask, but to keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, knock and keep on knocking (Mt. 7:7). Why doesn’t God answer after we have asked just once? It’s not that God is playing games with us. It’s just that faith is strengthened through perseverance, by holding on in times of waiting. God’s delays are meant to develop us not discourage us. It may be that God has something betting for us, or that we need to be prepared for what God wants to give us, or that God wants to strengthen our faith.

The third thing from this passage to make note of is that one of the pitfalls we must avoid when going through difficult or confusing times, or when God doesn’t seem to respond to us in as timely fashion as we desire is that of assuming the worst. This is what we see the disciples, and especially Thomas doing.

After waiting two days, Jesus said to the disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” That is where Lazarus was. But the disciples reminded Jesus, “Rabbi, a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?” We read of that event in the previous chapter – John 10:22f. There Jesus was teaching, and He claimed, “I and the Father are one.” The Jews interpreted that as blasphemy and picked up stones to stone Jesus. But Jesus eluded them.

With that fresh in their minds, there was no way the disciples wanted to go back to that place. That would just be asking for trouble. And when Jesus told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him,” the disciples thought, “Hey, there’s not even a need to go back there.” You know how if you’ve had the flu, by the next day you might be over the flu but you need a day just to sleep and rest to get your strength back. That’s what the disciples were thinking. If Lazarus is just sleeping, he’ll get his strength back shortly and be fine. So Jesus, there is no need to go, especially when there are people there who want to kill you.

So Jesus had to tell them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for you sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Then Thomas said to the other disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Now on the one hand I suppose we should applaud Thomas for his willingness even to die with Christ, although it was probably more just talk than anything else. But the negative side of his statement he didn’t see the possibility of a miracle. He couldn’t see how God could do something great and mighty in this situation. All he could envision was the worst. He knew that the Jews had tried to kill Jesus just a short time before. Jesus was lucky to get away that time. It would be pushing His luck to go again. Surely this time they will kill Jesus. And along with his lack of faith a bit of heroism takes root in him. “Hey, why don’t we all go and we’ll all die together with Jesus. Let’s go out in style!” Thomas assumed the worst – that they would all die.

Are you ever like that – assuming the worst? Especially during the difficult times of life, when there is no immediate answer to your cries, do you assume that the worst is going to happen. The sickness will surely lead to death. The wayward teenager is forever lost. Having lost your job you will never find a decent job again. There is no way the troubled marriage cannot be restored. How easy it is to let the circumstances overpower us, and when that happens we lose sight of God and what He can do.

Jesus returned to Judea and this impossible situation and He did the impossible; He raised Lazarus from the dead. The disciples were just wasting time assuming the worst was going to happen. With God there is always the possibility of a miracle, of something we cannot foresee or bring about in our own ability.

So let me encourage you to remember these things. Things are not always what they appear. When we are going through trials, times of confusion or even suffering, God may have a purpose we just can’t see. So don’t cave into the sometimes dismal appearance of circumstances. Instead anticipate what God will do through those circumstances. Secondly, during those times don’t be discouraged when you have to wait for God to answer. His wisdom is perfect and so is His timing. He sees the whole picture when we see only a bit of it. Trust God that He has a purpose in the delay. And thirdly, don’t be one who always assumes the worst. Instead, try to see the possibility of what God can do, and be ready to embrace it when it comes.

God is in control. He loves us with an infinite, unconditional love. And He never makes a mistake. In short, we can trust God, even when we don’t understand everything.

John 21:15-23

March 27, 1977 marks the day of the worst aviation accident in history. Some of you probably remember it. At Los Rodeos Airport in the Canary Islands two 747’s collided. One 747, operated by Pan Am, had been given instructions to taxi across a particular runway. The crew of the other 747, a KLM plane, believed they had been given takeoff clearance down that same runway. As the KLM plane picked up speed down the runway, the crew realized what had happened and tried to lift off before striking the Pan Am plane. But the plane didn’t have enough speed and distance to clear the Pan Am plane and it sheared the Pan Am plane in two. All 248 people on the KLM plane perished and 335 of the 396 passengers on the Pan Am plane died; only 61 survived.

I have a friend who is a pilot, and he once shared with me an article from one of his aviation magazines. In the article Dr. Daniel Johnson, a psychologist, wrote of his interviews with several survivors. This is an account of his interview with two of them:

“To Mr. and Mrs. Able, both around seventy years of age, the impact did not feel too severe. They remember being thrown against the seats in front, yet right after the impact they remembered ‘columns of fire’ dropping down inside the cabin.

“The Ables had not seen the other plane, nor did they know what had happened. After a moment, Mr. Able got up and started toward the exit. As he left his seat he told his wife, ‘Follow Me!’ At first Mrs. Able sat in her seat doing nothing. She later remembered thinking, ‘This is it.’

“She thought she was going to die but she was not afraid. And though religious, she did not pray. Nor did she have any thought of escaping. She says she was in a daze, but after Mr. Able yelled, ‘Follow me!’ she got out of her seat and moved into the aisle.

“As they headed toward the door they saw most of the other passengers sitting in their seats. Apparently many of the people, at least in this section of the aircraft were behaviorally inactive.

“Dr. Johnson explained, ‘The Ables said that many more people could have survived this accident had they simply moved from their seats and gone to the exits. Mrs. Able felt that she would have died had it not been for her husband telling her to follow.”

Two simple words: Follow me! Mrs. Able heard them as spoken by her husband, heeded them, and it saved her life.

If you have been around the church for any length of time you recognize those two words. Those are the words Jesus used to call His disciples. Those are the words Jesus still uses to call His disciples. And the call to follow Jesus is not something we respond to once and for all; it is a call we must heed daily. We see this in the life of Peter.

In Mark 1:16-18 we read of Peter’s first opportunity to respond to the call of Jesus to follow Him. Peter was fishing with his brother Andrew when Jesus came by and called to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And they left their nets and followed Jesus.

Some time later, after Jesus had just given some especially difficult and challenging teaching, we read in Jn. 6:66-68 that many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Jesus. Jesus than asked the twelve main disciples, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” And Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Jesus didn’t use the words, “Follow Me!” but the idea was the same. As many quit following Jesus, Jesus offered the twelve the chance to quit following Him, go back home and to return to their old ways of living. But Peter responded that having been with Jesus, such a course no longer had any attraction and so he and the others continued to follow Jesus.

Scripture tells of one more instance when Peter had to respond to the words, “Follow me!” We read of this in Jn. 21:15-22. Jesus by this time had been crucified and raised from the dead. He appeared to His disciples by the Sea of Galilee and John writes:

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he turned and said to him, “Follow me!”

Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him.”

Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”

“Follow Me!” That is a costly command. The first time it meant Peter had to give up the life he knew and leave his family to physically follow Jesus. The second time it meant submitting to and following the difficult and challenging teaching of Jesus. The third time it meant committing himself to a way of life for the rest of his life that would ultimately bring about the end of his life. For in commanding Peter to feed His sheep, Jesus was appointing Peter to a role of leadership in the early church, a role that would eventually lead to his martyrdom. That’s what Jesus was referring to when he spoke of someone stretching out Peter’s hands; Peter would be stretched out on a cross just like Jesus was.

It’s a costly command, and it’s a continuous command. Not only do we have these three examples of Jesus calling Peter to follow, but the words “Follow me!” are in the present tense. So in the original Greek language of the New Testament the meaning is, “Follow me, and keep on following.” Everyday Peter, and all of us, must respond to the call of Jesus to follow Him.

Each day we are presented with the opportunity to either follow Jesus or not follow Jesus. Following Jesus begins when we open our hearts to Him for the first time, when we trust Him as our Savior. But just because we became a Christian and decided to follow Jesus 10 or 20 or 50 years ago does not make it automatic that we will follow Jesus today. I’m not talking about losing our salvation but about following Jesus daily. For when Jesus called people he did not say, “Believe in Me, and then go on living as you please,” but rather “Follow Me.” And each day has its own unique opportunities. Consider some examples of how we must choose whether or not to follow Jesus throughout the course of each and everyday.

As we encounter people at work or at school or in our neighborhoods, how do we treat them? Do we just rush right by them, not taking time for them, not showing any interest in them because we are obsessed with and even blinded by our own agenda? Or will we follow Jesus by following His example? As we read through the gospels we notice that Jesus always had time for people. Even when He was tired and wanted to rest, when people came to Him with their needs, He always had time for them. Not that we don’t have important and necessary things we need to do each day, but as we encounter others do we recognize there an opportunity to follow Jesus by showing the same interest, love, and compassion toward them that Jesus showed in His earthly ministry?

Do we take seriously our call to follow Jesus by growing in Christ-like character? We all have areas of our lives that don’t reflect the likeness of Christ. Maybe we are impatient. Perhaps we struggle with selfishness. Maybe our temper has a really short fuse. It could be that we tend to hold grudges against people. We may struggle with lust or greed. It could be any number of things. Do we take some time for a little self-inventory, considering what aspects of our lives are not in keeping with the character of the One we claim to follow, and then with God’s help, committing ourselves to change and grow in those areas? Following Jesus means becoming more like Jesus in terms of our character.

Or consider that God has given each one of us special gifts of the Holy Spirit as well as talents and abilities. Are we regularly using our gifts and abilities in the service of God and of others? Following Jesus means we consciously decide to employ what God has given us in His service.

Are there relationships in our lives that have been fractured or broken? They may be at home, at work, or even here in church. Do we harbor mistrust, anger or resentment toward another person? Scripture tells us that as much as it is within our power we are to live in peace with one another. To follow Jesus means we do what we can to live in right relationship with others.

How about your money? Now there’s a touchy subject, yet Scripture tells us that all we have comes from God and that we are to be good stewards of what He has given us, using a portion of what we have to help others and support the work of the church. Each time we get a paycheck we are presented with an opportunity to follow Jesus or go our own way.

What’s it like in your home? How do you treat your husband or wife, your children or parents? Scripture has a lot to say about family relationships. To follow Jesus means we deliberately try to be the kind of husbands, wives, parents or children that Jesus would have us be.

Following Jesus also relates to our use of time. If we are following Jesus there will be a difference between how we use our time and how those who are not following Jesus use their time – and that difference will extend beyond the hour or two we spend here on Sunday mornings. Do we take time to cultivate our relationship with Jesus, getting to know Him better by spending time in His word, in prayer, reading solid Christian books, being in a small group, and serving in some way. Following Jesus will be evident in our use of time.

There are all kinds of ways in which we have the opportunity to either follow Jesus or not to follow Jesus. For following Jesus, being His disciple, involves more than just what we believe. For to follow implies action, and so following Jesus involves what we do and how we live – everyday.

Well, the list could go on, but maybe that’s enough for now. Maybe for some of us this has been too much. Maybe some of us are thinking, “I don’t want to follow Jesus. It sounds like too much work, too much change, too much sacrifice.” And if you’re thinking that, you’re right. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross to follow Me.” (Mt. 16:24) That means dying to self, laying aside our selfish desires and self-centered interest.

Now the truth is we would like to water this down. It’s so easy to equate being a Christian with just adding a little something to the rest of our lives: go to church some, put a little money in the offering plate, be a nice person when convenient and so on, but basically just go on living as we choose. But that’s not what Jesus had in mind when He called people to follow. Jesus calls us to a whole new way of life that can only begin as we die to the old life where we are in charge and the goal is to fulfill our every desire, whether good or bad.

But here we see the other side of the coin. Yes, to follow Jesus means we must die to ourselves. We must surrender control of our lives to Jesus so that He can rule in our lives. But in doing so we come to experience a quality of life that only Jesus can grant, for He came to give us life in all its fullness. That is His goal for our lives – life in all its fullness. But that can only happen as we die to ourselves to follow Jesus and His ways. So yes, following Jesus means sacrifice and work and change and commitment and death to the old self. But it also means hope and purpose and joy and ultimately life.

Following Jesus gives us hope. You see, we can look at following Jesus as meaning I have to change. I have to become a different kind of person. Or we can see it as meaning I can change. As we surrender to Jesus wholeheartedly, the Holy Spirit has free reign in our lives. And His power is unlimited. He can accomplish in our lives what we never could on our own. And that means we no longer have to be controlled by anger. Resentment and bitterness no longer have to eat away at our insides. We no longer have to alienate people with our lack of patience. Destructive patterns don’t have to rule in our homes for we can become more understanding husbands and wives. We can be more gentle with our children. Following Jesus doesn’t mean so much that we have to change but rather by His grace we can change.

All this doesn’t happen instantly, but as we daily follow Jesus, surrendering to Him and asking Him to mold and transform us, over time we will become more and more like Jesus. We will not only because of His power at work within us but also because we always become like those we follow. Parents don’t want their children to get in with the wrong crowd for in following after that crowd, they fear their children will become like that crowd. We read in Jer. 2:5 of those who followed after worthless idols and became worthless themselves. Stated positively, Prov. 13:20 says, “He who walks with the wise grows wise.” We always become like those we follow. So following Jesus doesn’t so much mean we have to change but rather it offers us hope that we can change, we can be transformed into the kind of people God wants us to be, and which down deep we also want to be but we lack the power on our own to become. Following Jesus gives us hope – hope for our lives and the kind of people we can become.

And following Jesus gives us purpose. Jesus didn’t just beckon the disciples to follow Him and that was the end of it. No, he said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” He had a purpose for them. As they followed Jesus, He changed them and trained them to accomplish far greater things than they would have had they not followed Jesus. And He will do the same with us as we follow Him. We all want our lives to count for something. As we follow Jesus, growing in our relationship with Him and using the gifts and abilities He has given us, He leads us to people and into situations where we can make a difference.

The psychologist who interviewed the crash survivors described those on the plane who were alive and still in their seats as being behaviorally inactive. They were alive physically, but that was all. They weren’t able to think clearly about their circumstances and respond appropriately. Within a few minutes their inactivity caused their deaths for they didn’t get off the plane while there was time.

In a similar way we can be behaviorally inactive. True, we’re alive and our lives may be filled with lots of activity. But sometimes that is all it is – just activity we engage in to keep busy or to amuse ourselves for awhile so we don’t have to face the painful truth that our lives are meaningless and empty. It’s all just spinning our wheels, going through the motions of living. People life like that all the time. And that empty activity can blind us so that we do not see clearly and respond appropriately about what is truly of value and worth giving our lives to. But Jesus offers us the possibility of purposeful activity as we follow Him, obey Him, and commit ourselves to being a part of bringing about His eternal purpose for the world.

And as our lives are changed so we are more like Jesus, as we become the kind of people only God can help us become, and as we see that we really are making a difference in the world, that there is meaningful purpose to our lives, the result is a deep sense of joy and satisfaction. God wants us to be filled with joy. And that happens as we follow Jesus. For Jesus said in Jn. 15 that as we obey Him His joy will be in us and our joy will be complete.

People today will do anything to be happy, to find some sense of joy in their lives. But usually they go about it all wrong by seeking it in some self-centered way. And real joy never comes like that. True joy comes from following Jesus in complete surrender, for only when we do that do we experience the inner transformation we hope for and the purpose we long for.

So following Jesus give us up hope, purpose, joy, and finally, following Jesus leads to life – the fullness of life now and eternal life in the world to come. Just after Jesus said that whoever would come after him must deny himself, pick up his cross and follow, He went on to say (Mt. 16:25), “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.”

Following Jesus is not easy, for it means dying to self and surrendering our rights, our will to the will of God. But it is the only path that leads to life. Just as Mrs. Able’s life was saved as she followed her husband out of that burning aircraft, so we come to truly experience life in its fullness only as we follow Jesus out of our self-centeredness and away from the false gods of this world that cannot deliver.

So whom are you following? We all follow after someone or something. It may be a person, a cause, a dream, a lifestyle. Whom or what are you following? Each day we are presented with opportunities to follow Jesus and experience life in the fullest sense, or to follow someone or something else and thus wind up empty, confused, and disappointed.

By His grace Jesus comes to us, even right now, and says, “I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. Follow me!”

Lk. 15:11-32

Bob Weniger

As human beings it seems that we have this deep desire, almost a need to celebrate. When something good happens we celebrate. It may be over something as trivial as our favorite team winning the Super Bowl or the World Cup. Or it may have to do with something much more important, like the birth of a child or the marriage of a man and woman. We continue to celebrate those events every year on the birthday or anniversary. How dull life would be if we didn’t take time to celebrate!

Of all the things we celebrate, few things lead to more heartfelt celebration than the return of a wayward child. The child may actually have left home to not only live away from their parents but also to live in a way that goes against the values and morals of their parents. Or the child may not have physically left home but still lived in rebellion against their parents and all they stand for. When such a child returns home, returns to the ones who gave him or her life, there can’t help but be a celebration. Perhaps some of us here today have been that child who wandered but then returned home.

Jesus told a parable that probably all of us are familiar with. Perhaps we’re too familiar with it; having heard it so many times it has lost some of its power for us. But it’s a parable we need to hear afresh again and again. It’s the parable of the Prodigal Son.

What makes this parable so profound is that it is really the story of all of us, for we have all wandered from, even rebelled against our Heavenly Father. Some of us went through a period when we lived completely without God and our lifestyle was as ungodly as can be imagined. Then we had a dramatic conversion experience. Others of us perhaps grew up in the church and never strayed far from God and His ways, yet we still struggle with sin. Either way, as Scripture affirms, we all like sheep have gone astray. And we go astray every day. We all choose our own way over God’s. So the Prodigal Son represents all of us. And the father in the parable represents our Heavenly Father who responds to us in the most unexpected way. First, He welcomes us back, and then He throws a party to celebrate. Let’s read this parable from Luke 15:11-32.

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father.

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.

We are at a disadvantage compared to the ones who originally heard Jesus tell this parable. For it must be interpreted in the context of their culture; we must try to hear it as the ones to whom Jesus told it heard it, and there are some things about ancient Middle Eastern culture that probably we are not familiar with. Because of that, we simply do not get the full impact Jesus intended. So let me touch on a few of these cultural differences.

First of all, the younger son’s request to receive his share of the inheritance while his father was still alive revealed not simply his desire for money; it also demonstrated his utter disrespect for his father. In traditional Middle Eastern culture, his words would have been interpreted as meaning, “Father, I am eager for you to die!” And the traditional Middle Eastern father, upon hearing words such as this, would strike his son across the face and throw him out of the house. That is how the original listeners of Jesus would have understood the son’s request, and that is how they would have expected the father to respond. So they would have been surprised to say the least when the father gave the son his share of the inheritance. And they must have wondered, “What kind of father is this that Jesus is describing? That is not how things are done!”

The inheritance the son received would have been quite substantial, for this was a wealthy family that Jesus was describing. They had fields and flocks. They had servants and hired men. As the younger son, he would have received one-third of the estate, with two-thirds going to the older son.

But giving the son his share of the inheritance cost the father far more than simply money or possessions. It also cost the father his honor and respect in the community. You know how it is today when the children make some regrettable choices. It’s talked about by others. It may be in the newspaper. Word spreads fast when children make some bad choices or take part in ill-advised behavior. And it causes great embarrassment to their parents.

So when the father gave his son the inheritance while he was still alive and then the son left his father, it brought public shame to the father. Everyone in the community would have known about this terrible failure within the family. And you can bet that there were all kinds of whispers, accusations, and gossip flourishing behind the father’s back.

The father could have avoided the shame by responding to his son as his culture would have anticipated – by striking his son and casting him out of the home. Then people probably would have talked about that no-good son, but at least the father would have upheld his honor but doing what the culture expected and saw as appropriate. But instead, because the father loved his son so much, he was willing to be the target of shame.

The son soon left home to live the life he thought would bring him joy, excitement, and fulfillment. As he leaves, in the back of his mind was the awareness that no matter what, he had better not lose all his money. Those listening to Jesus tell this parable would have picked up on this immediately, for it was an aspect of their culture.

We know from ancient Jewish writings that at the time of Jesus, the Jews had a way of punishing a Jewish young man who lost his family inheritance to Gentiles. And this son went to the land of the Gentiles, for it says he went to a distant country; he didn’t stay in the land of Israel. Furthermore, when he had lost everything he hired himself out to a citizen of that country to feed pigs. Obviously no Jewish person would own pigs since they considered pigs to be unclean. The son knew in going to a Gentile land that he’d better not lose his inheritance, or he would face severe punishment if he ever returned to his community. And if the son lost everything, what else could he do but return?

This form of punishment had to do with what they called the qetsatsah ceremony. If such a person dared return home after losing his inheritance to the Gentiles, the villagers would fill a large pottery jar with burned nuts and corn, and then they would break it in front of the guilty person. As they were doing this, the people would shout, “So-and-so is cut off from his people.” From that point on the people of the village would have absolutely nothing to do with the person. Even as the pottery jar was broken, so the relationship between the person and the community was broken, and could not be put back together. Of course, in that culture there was a much stronger sense of community than we are used to. It really defined your life.

So as the Prodigal Son leaves home, he knows that no matter what, he must not lose his money to the Gentiles. He’s in enough trouble as it is. But if he were to lose the money, his fate would be sealed for the rest of his life. He would be completely cut off from his family and his community. Then he would truly have nothing – no money, no possessions, no relationships.

Of course, the son does lose everything he had on wild living. He can’t go back home because he knows what he would face. He has no option but to try to find work – first to take care of his immediate needs and secondly, so he can try to replace what he lost so someday he can return home. But the only job he could find, taking care of pigs, did not provide him with anything.

So the son comes up with another idea, although it would require an unusual response from his father. He will go back, acknowledge his wrongdoing, and offer to work for his father. That way not only will he survive, but maybe over time he can earn enough to replace what he lost. Of course, the son is still completely self-centered. He hasn’t repented yet; it’s just that he’s starving. He’s simply reached the bottom of the barrel and he has to do something, so he came up with this plan. He doesn’t consider his father’s broken heart. He doesn’t think for a moment of the agony he caused his father by taking his inheritance early and leaving home or of the shame he brought upon his father in the community. He’s only thinking of himself and how he can get himself out of the mess he created, how he can get some food in his stomach. And he knows that he must reach his father and win his backing without the villagers seeing him or they would perform the qetsatsah ceremony and he would forever be cut off.

The father, of course, knows his son well. He has seen his son’s desire to live for the moment, to enjoy what he can while he can. That’s part of why the son wanted his inheritance early. The father knows his son lacks the discipline to plan ahead and make wise choices. In short, the father knows his son will fail and lose everything, and then will have no choice but to return home.

The father also knows all about the qetsatsah ceremony. He is fully aware that upon seeing his son, the villagers will carry out it, cutting off his son from the community. And once the ceremony was carried out, it could not be reversed. So the father comes up with a plan. He doesn’t know when the son will head back home, but he knows someday he will. And he knows he must reach his son before his son reaches the village. If he is able to do that and reconcile with his son, the qetsatsah ceremony can be avoided.

The question, of course, is why does the father feel compelled to reach his son and be reconciled to him before his son reaches the village, especially after the son showed such utter disrespect to him before. The answer is obvious. The father loves his son in such a deep and profound way that no action by the son can change that. The father loves his son with an unconditional love, with a sacrificial love. For the father has sacrificed his own pride and honor for the sake of his son.

And so the father watches for his son. He’s always on the lookout, knowing that someday he surely will return, having lost everything. Finally one day, while the son is still a long way off, the father sees him. And then the father again breaks the mold for Middle Eastern men. For at that time and in that part of the world it was considered humiliating for a man to run in public. No self-respecting man would do that. But the father doesn’t care about his reputation or what others might think or say about him. He ran to his son, for as it says, “(he) was filled with compassion for him.” The father’s love for his son welled up inside him and he couldn’t help but run to meet his son.

And this is pure, unconditional love. The son has already brought public shame and embarrassment to his father. He has hurt his father deeply, valuing his father’s money more than he valued his father himself. And when the father runs to meet him the son has not yet apologized or owned up to anything he did. But none of that matters to the father. The only thing that matters is having his son back. And the father wants his son to know that he has never stopped loving him.

So the father runs to his son, throws his arms around him and kisses him. When the son starts to apologize the father cuts him off and commands the servants, who must have accompanied the father, to bring the best robe for his son and to immediately start preparations for a feast. “Let’s have a feast and celebrate,” the father said. “For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” And they began to celebrate.

This parable is all about the love of the father. Notice the father did not say his son was lost and came home. He said his son was lost and was found. The son was lost in his selfishness and his misguided search for a meaningful life. But then he was found. The point is not that the son came home. After all, the only reason he returned was that he was starving. No, the point is that the son was found. By whom? By the father. While the son was still a long way off, a long way off in the distance, a long way off in his selfishness and confusion, and a long way off in terms of his relationship with his father, the father found him. The father went out to seek and find him before the villagers found him and cut him off from the community.

That’s the same theme as the other two parables in this chapter. There are three parables in Luke 15 and they are all bunched together because they all have the same theme. Jesus began by telling the parable of the lost sheep. The shepherd didn’t wait for the sheep to come back on its own initiative but goes out to find the sheep that was lost. The woman who lost the coin searched carefully until she found it. And so the father went out everyday to search for his son. In all three parables something of value was lost but then was found by someone who valued it. The main point of this parable is not about the son returning home but rather about the father who loves his son so much he goes out to look for him, and he doesn’t stop until he finds him and restores him as his son, and then celebrates because he has his son back.

Of course, Jesus told this parable to illustrate the love God has for all of us. If we are to understand it in this light, it’s important to note how the chapter begins, for that sets the context for these three parables. The first two verses of this chapter state: “Now the tax collectors (traitors) and ‘sinners’ were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” The Pharisees and religious leaders found the practice of Jesus of welcoming and eating with sinners disgusting. How could He associate with such people? And so through these three parables in essence Jesus said to them, “Yes, I do eat with sinners. But it’s even worse than that. I search for them. I seek them out, and I don’t stop looking until I find them. I run down the road to meet them, and when I find them I shower them with kisses. And then not only do I eat with them but I feast with them. I celebrate because I have found these ones who matter so much to me and that I love so deeply.”

That is the love of God for us. For we are all sinners. We have all broken free from the arms of our Heavenly Father to go our own way. We do it all the time. But because God loves us so He doesn’t dismiss us or write us off as a lost cause. By sending His own son, Jesus Christ, He has found us in our wanderings and through the cross He has restored us to Himself.

And when we are united again with our Heavenly Father, whether that’s after a season of rebellion or simply a brief moment of turning away, there’s a celebration. It’s a celebration of the love of God in forgiving and restoring us as His children. And what’s amazing is that this celebration is initiated by God. It’s not initiated by us but by our Heavenly Father. In the parable it was the father who when he had his son back said, “Let’s have a feast and celebrate.” And later he said to his older son, “We had to celebrate and be glad.”

God’s love for us is so overwhelming, so profound that even though we choose to turn from Him, even though He is the one who finds us, He is the one that says, “We must celebrate, because I have found my wayward child.” That’s God’s love for us.

When we understand God’s love – that in spite of our rebellion against Him He searches for us, and when He finds us He forgives us and restores us, how can we not celebrate? Are you celebrating today and everyday, because of our Heavenly Father’s love for you? Are you celebrating because God values you so much that He searches for you until He finds you?

Of all people, Christians are the ones who should be filled with joy. We are the ones who truly have cause to celebrate. For no matter who we are, no matter our past, no matter our struggles or failures, we have a Heavenly Father who loves us more than we can ever know. When we stray He searches for us until He finds us, and then He restores our relationship with Him. He loves us with a sacrificial love, and with a love that will last throughout all eternity. So join the celebration, as you let the love of God fill your soul and the joy of the Lord fill your heart.

Today we are all doing special things which echo the story of Christmas. We share in the giving of gifts like the wise men, in the action of the Shepherds going to see Jesus, and in the rejoicing of believers then and now receiving the gift of God in Jesus himself.

We may also see ourselves represented in the story by particular people. We may like to be like the wise who still seek Jesus. We may identify with Mary and Joseph coping with a baby. At Christmas many of us also experience the kindness of strangers and the adventures of travel. We may see ourselves a bit like the Shepherds, often taken to represent sinners the marginalized and the smelly, but who are also those overcome by wonder when called into the presence of Christ. We may not realize they also represent the shepherd boy David who became a king, and point to Jesus himself the Good Shepherd. When we talk of pastoral care in any setting we are echoing their place and ours in this story.

But behind the joy of Christmas some will feel the lurking shadow of fears for themselves and for the world. There are fears in the story itself. Joseph had reason to fear Herod. His son was also a dangerous man to be avoided. Jesus’ life included suffering and a violent death before his resurrection and God’s vindication.

Nevertheless Christmas was and is still about rejoicing. None of the tellers of the stories of the first Christmas were blind to other things that were going on, yet the Angel said to the shepherds, as to us, “Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” Despite everything, Christmas is God saying to us in Jesus, “Do not be afraid.” “Rejoice!”

In the long story of salvation in the Scriptures and in the often fraught and sometimes murky history of the church, the word which has come to people caught up in complex and difficult events is a reassurance from God: “Do not be afraid!” ”Rejoice!”

This are words for us when problems must be faced and dangers avoided. Despite appearances God is ultimately in control. Whatever the immediate outcome, and what we have to go through, in the long run things will be resolved in his righteousness.

Such thoughts about fears are not intended to spoil Christmas, but to help us see that the coming of Jesus is about reasons to face whatever lies ahead. To do so it is part of God’s economy that we need days when we can put fears to one side. Christmas is also the gift of such a day. Being prepared for Christmas is being prepared for life.

If we look at how those in the Christmas story dealt with their concerns we see that Joseph and Herod responded differently in the face of their fears. Joseph knew fear, but he also knew what it was to obey God.

Herod did not see his kingly authority as a responsibility to be exercised with justice. He saw his power as a right. He did not fear God, but he was afraid of a baby. He did not rejoice at what God was doing. He used violence, even against innocent children and their parents, to try and keep his position of power. If Herod had been the sort of ruler God wanted him to be, he would have had no need to fear Jesus.

When God sent a word to Joseph, it was not a message saying that your concerns are unreal, it was a message indicating that God was in control. Joseph did not need to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. After Jesus is born there were other fears. He was warned to keep out of Herod’s way and to take his family to Egypt. When the time comes to return, Joseph is warned not to go to an area where Herod’s son was ruling.

There may be fears for this Christmas which easily intrude on the day. Fears for members of our families. Fears for ourselves – fear of loss, of being lost, or of being left out. Fears for the world economy. Fears for the future of the planet. Fears for the church.

How do we rejoice despite these shadows?

One thing we can do is ask “How does God want me to pray?”

For today we may want to do no more than ask God for the grace to let things go for this one day at least, to trust and welcome him at Christmas and focus on the needs of others. Tomorrow may be a better time to think, discuss and pray through, “What things does God want me to face sooner rather than later?” “What things does God actually want me to do something about?” “What things bothering me does God actually want me to leave to Him and to others?

Today is about rejoicing and about strength and space to deal with things in their time.

There are good reasons for saying this. If God took the risk of sharing this fragile and broken yet beautiful world, perhaps surely we can trust him for its future and ours? We can learn too from Jesus’ earthly parents as models of faith and wisdom in the face of threats and uncertainty. They had fears, they worked things through, and they dealt with circumstances in the faith that God would guide them through.

Jesus teaching and example are about life in God’s Kingdom on this earth where he has work for us to do. Yes, our life with him goes beyond death, but in the here and now Jesus is not only the helpless baby of perfection and hope who shares our vulnerability, he is the one sharing our growing up and coming to terms with our fears, and one sharing our adult life and its responsibilities. Jesus is the one calling us in humility and strength “Follow me!” He is the one whose life death and resurrection is the sign of God’s salvation in the present and for the future.

Paul in very dire circumstances, and no doubt addressing himself not just those he was writing to from prison, said “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

What makes this possible is the coming of Jesus we celebrate today.

The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” Luke 2:10-14

John Roxborogh
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St Andrews Presbyterian Church Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 24 December 2011

READINGS : Luke 2:1-7; Matthew 10:40-42

While they were in Bethlehem the time came for Mary to have her baby. She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manager, because there was no room for them to stay in the inn. Luke 2:6

Welcoming Jesus

Welcoming Jesus is both simple and difficult. Simple because we are welcoming Jesus just by being here. Difficult because what Jesus is about touches everything – we know that Jesus’ life became complex as he sought to do God’s will, and so does ours. Despite our common human experiences across the centuries, between Jesus’ lifetime and our own there are differences and complexities which have to be navigated. Difficult too because whatever our good intentions it is not always clear what welcoming Jesus actually means.

The challenge of this is not something to make us feel bad. The coming of Jesus is about God’s grace. Christmas is about finding hope. Welcoming Jesus is about the direction of our loyalties, about living by his values, and seeing his presence in and around our lives. The direction of our loyalty is something we grow into and discover through steps and actions large and small. Faith is a journey, and should also be seen as an adventure – one involving mystery, risk, and discovery and companions on the way.

At any time in history and in any culture welcoming Jesus involves welcoming his values and translating them into our world. We seek to take seriously the people Jesus took seriously –children, the marginalised, people of other cultures. We learn from his attitudes, his willingness to do the right thing in God’s sight, his patience with his followers and with people who did not understand. Jesus’ teaching about forgiveness may not be easy to live by consistently, but it is not difficult to understand. We note his presence with people in good times and bad.

There is also a welcome to Jesus in the prayer attributed to St Patrick of Ireland which invokes Jesus’ presence and protection.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger

We welcome Jesus in our loyalties, in our values, and in his presence as protector. We also welcome Jesus in other people.

Welcoming Friends

Jesus said (John 15:13)  “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.”

The welcome we give to friends and the commitment we have to our friends has a spiritual dimension which is sometimes undiscovered. Like the love of husband and wife, friendship is a gateway to the love of God and the nature of God. Friendship is a way in which others also share with us the love of Christ and give us time and space to grow in God.

There are three people whose writing on friendship can help us see welcoming friends as connecting us to welcoming Jesus, especially across cultures and in the emerging cultures of social media.

The Italian Matteo Ricci was a pioneer Jesuit missionary to China (1552-1610) who was accepted into the Chinese court because of his courtesy, respect for Chinese culture, and his scientific abilities, particularly in astronomy. In 1595 he wrote the first book in Chinese by a Westerner, On Friendship: 100 Maxims for a Chinese Prince.

Two examples:

My friend is not “another person”, my friend is my half, another I. So, I have to regard my friend as myself.

My friend and I, though we have two bodies, the two bodies have only one heart.

Ricci saw friendship as a bridge for the Gospel and a bridge for understanding across cultures. He lived by his own principles and his work stands today as a model of Christian faith, patient witness, and the use of all our talents in the service of Christ and humanity.

Bishop Azariah (1874-1945) was the first Indian Anglican bishop and the one who laid the foundations of the Church in South India and the Church in North India. In 1910, though not yet a bishop, he was invited to the World Missionary Conference held in the Presbyterian General Assembly Hall in Edinburgh, Scotland.

He was one of a handful of Asian delegates and encouraged to speak. It was an era in which a younger and more aristocratic generation of missionaries saw it their duty and burden to rule. They did some things very well, but the encouragement of local leadership was not always one of them. Azariah took used the occasion and its enormous audience to risk criticising missionaries for the lack of the very quality which Ricci had sought to demonstrate, friendship.

At the time his words were criticised, but today they are the most remembered from that conference: “You have given your goods to feed the poor. You have given your bodies to be burned. We also ask for love. Give us friends!”

Christian mission is tested by love, and Christian love both requires and makes possible the gift of friendship.

Lynne Baab is from Seattle and now lives in Dunedin New Zealand. She teaches in the Department of Theology and Religion at the University, and writes on very practical spiritual subjects. She is keen on media and Facebook and has just published Friending which explores friendship and how social media like Facebook makes a difference. She gathered many stories of how Facebook, for all its temptations to timewasting, also makes possible the growth of friendships as a Christian blessing.

Welcoming Strangers

Remember to welcome strangers in your homes. There were some who did that and welcomed angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2

We know that hospitality is a gospel imperative, but it too is not a simple issue. An international congregation faces this challenge, as do many of us personally, whether we are the stranger seeking a welcome, or the welcomer not being sure how to do it. None of us get this right all the time, however great our needs or worthy our intentions. We have needs which are urgent. We have responsibilities in societies where there are laws.

Today national boundaries world-wide are managed strenuously. When fears are exploited and prejudices enflamed the difference between honoured guest and economic or social threat can seem arbitrary. Yet from the oldest stories in the Bible to the present day welcoming strangers has been about compassion and risk and the presence of God in unlikely people.

We should not pretend that answers are obvious, but our attitudes and values may be clear and we should not give up the search for better ways. Sometimes we can acknowledge that we are unhelpful because we are afraid. We are often naïve in our desire to help. Compassion without wisdom may cause harm. If we pray for both wisdom and compassion we are the more likely to be able to do good.

It is like the parable of the talents. To gain life we have to risk loss, not simply for ourselves, but also for others. There are traps, but that is how it is. Being of service to God and to others involves risk.

Perhaps we can learn from God’s welcome to us in Jesus this Christmas. God took a risk with creation, yet humanity began as something good which Jesus came to share.

Jesus risked criticism for making himself at home with unlikely people who welcomed him. Jesus is God’s welcome to us all.

Matthew 2:1-15; 11: 25-29

Christmas Eve is about joy and remembering and anticipation of excitements to come. It can also be a time of questioning. The play the youth brought us (http://roxborogh.com/Articles/QuestionsaboutChristmas.pdf) was about questions people have asked at Christmas, it was also about where to get help. We have questions about where to find answers as well as our questions themselves. We may ask how reliable is the internet for matters of history and faith? What do we learn from science? What is the Bible most concerned to teach us about?

Some of the questions in the play may have been yours, some not. You may have other questions. For many, Christmas is just to be experienced, and that is ok too. We are trusting that the promises which came with the birth of Jesus will be true for us as well. We remember that Jesus commended those, like children, who trusted him readily.

In the Bible truth is often hidden, if not from those who have questions, then at least from those who have all the answers. Yet trusting God and asking questions often go together. The most devout of us is likely to question why God allows some things to happen, but we still trust he is ultimately in control.

Those who ask questions have a place in the Bible, though their motives may be different. In the Christmas story. Joseph and Mary had questions about their relationship and about what God was doing in their lives. The Wise Men asked “Where is the child who has been born, King of the Jews?” Herod asked “Where is the Messiah to be born?”

Who do we trust when it comes to sensing what the answers might be or where to go for help? The Wise Men trusted the science of their day and their reading of signs pointing to what God was doing in the birth of a special child. Despite their very different motives, Herod and the Wise Men both trusted the biblical scholars of the day to tell them what the Word of God in former generations might mean. Later Joseph trusted God’s Spirit guiding him to take Jesus to Egypt and away from danger.

For us people and their opinions may be sources of wisdom we are meant to consult. We learn by comparing sources. What is helpful depends on the question not just the resource. A dictionary, a telephone directory and a poem may all contain information that is true, but it is not true in the same sort of way.

In the play “Wicked Pedia” was helpful for some things, but people were cautious about trusting his information without checking other opinions. This was intended to be a word about the internet generally, including for Christian things. Every opinion you could imagine is at our fingertips through our computers and smart phones and it is not always obvious what is trustworthy.

The play affirmed Science as a reliable source of some types of knowledge, but not all. Science has limits to the categories of truth it can be expected to address. At the same time it provides a method which Christians are not wrong to embrace. When used aright it is a gift helping us to work towards a better world. Scientific methods remind us of the importance of evidence which can be tested. They also remind us to read our Bibles more carefully – even when we believe that the most important truths about life are not limited to the scientific.

The Bible was represented in the play by King James. Its grand “big picture” story is about God’s desire that people of all nations should have a relationship with him. It tells how Jesus came as the key to the working out of that plan. It explains about God’s dealings with people and his coming to share human life for our salvation. The teaching of the New Testament deals with what it means to belong to churches in new cultures where the way of life God required has to be worked out afresh. At Christmas especially we realise that “When it comes to why Jesus came; only the Bible really tells us about that.”

The Bible is our authority, but it is not the only place God wants us to go. In Psalm 36:9 it says “In your light do we see light.” God guides us in evaluating wisdom we find elsewhere – as he did for the Wise Men. In Proverbs it says again and again, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

Since “in its wisdom the world knew not God” we look to God himself for the gift of faith in Christ, but God still expects his people to use the best of the wisdom of our cultures, understand it, assess it, and learn from it. This is also true of scientific knowledge and the vast collections of fact and opinion to be found on the internet.

At Christmas we bring these together under the light of Christ. We learn from song and conversation of the stories of others in their encounters with Jesus. We learn when our own instincts point us to the truth found in the baby Jesus sometimes in ways we cannot explain.

Each year we can expect to grow with new experiences of life and wider perspectives on God’s world. We may better learn where reliable information about God can be found and the times when we need to act on what we know already.

In that I believe we can trust God where we are, with our faith as it is, our questions answered or not, our sense of things like stars pointing us to a way which will change our lives.

Trusting Jesus is always a question for the moment, whether our information is partial or as complete as it is likely to get. The experiences and celebrations of Christmas point us to Jesus, but the experience of putting our trust in Jesus in a personal way is a story we will want to write for ourselves.

Whatever our questions at Christmas, just being here tonight has pointed us in that direction.

Scripture Readings   Luke 1:57-80; 3:3-8, 15-22

2 Peter 1:5b-11

 

Celebrations and Confirmations

Zechariah and Elizabeth celebrated the birth of a baby. Zechariah had not been able to speak since he questioned God’s message to him. Relatives and friends assumed that the baby would be called Zechariah. When Zechariah confirmed he would be called John, God confirmed his word by restoring Zechariah’s speech.

Confirming what has been said is important. In a busy life it helps when we confirm meeting and hospitality arrangements with email and SMS. I don’t know how we did it before hand-phones! Yet for thousands of years God has confirmed his words to people and people have done things to confirm their words to God.

Today we celebrate young people confirming their faith in Jesus Christ. It is a time when we too can confirm our identity as followers of Jesus as a renewal of promises from our past. For others this may be a milestone on a journey you are beginning.

Christians of all denominations bring their children to God. In many Christian churches Christian parents baptize their children claiming “God’s promise is to you and to your children.” Others claim these same promises and bring their children to dedicate themselves as a family to the Lord. We all pray and work for our children to come to an understanding and commitment for themselves. We offer confirmation of their baptism, or baptism itself, to celebrate that decision to follow Christ.

Confirming who we are: our identity as Christians

Confirming who we are in Christ is important to knowing ourselves. Our identity has many dimensions and we have multiple ways of saying who we are. We have a passport, an IC, a cultural identity, an ethnic identity, a family identity. We have an identity in Christ which is expressed through all of these. We also belong to a particular part of the family of God, not because it is the best part of the family of God’s people on earth or even in Kuala Lumpur, but because it is the one where God has placed us at this time.

When a person decides for themselves to follow Jesus Christ they are baptised if they have not been baptised before, or they confirm their baptism if they were previously baptised as infants. This is a way in which we confirm our identity as those who belong to and follow Jesus Christ. There is nothing in heaven or on earth which can take this away. That this is something which is bound in heaven when it is bound, or confirmed, on earth.

God confirms his word

When Zechariah named his son John as he had been told, he got his speech back. When Jesus was baptised, people heard a voice from God and had a vision of the Holy Spirit as a dove resting on him. Jesus told his disciples some of what was going to happen to him, even though they had difficulty accepting it. When it happened, it confirmed his words and they remembered.

We pray about situations and experience things which we see as fulfilling those prayers. Sometimes something happens to us which we had thought about but hardly dared pray about. Often a burden of worry is lifted when a situation is committed to God in prayer. It is God’s confirmation to us that he is ultimately in control.

We may have experiences which are similar to what other people have had in response to the same stories or teachings in the Bible. It does not mean everyone shares the same gift or experience, but the fact that some people do confirms to us that this is one of the ways in which God may work in us.

It is common that we experience a sense of release from guilt and fear when we confess things we have done wrong and when we say we believe in Jesus. God confirms not only what he has done for us through Jesus, but that he accepts us into his family.

I do not believe we should demand confirmations from God, but we should not reject them either. We can expect God to show us his love in all sorts of ways that are appropriate to our needs. While Jesus warned about people seeking proof of God’s power, God often gives signs of his presence to those who need it.

Sometimes we need confirmation from God

We may learn over time that spiritual experiences can be unreliable. If we go looking for them by repeating prayers or the words of songs to try and bring back a good feeling we once had when we used them before we may eventually get the feeling, or we may not – and if we did was it just because we worked ourselves into to? If we repeat prayers and songs it should be because they say what needs to be said. Whether or not God gives us a good spiritual feeling is over to Him, it should not be our aim. Confirmation of our prayers may come, but we are meant to trust God whether proof comes or not. Yet God knows our needs.

John the Baptist sought confirmation from Jesus when he was in prison and began to wonder if he had made a mistake. Jesus sent a gentle message back to him reminding him of the signs that pointed to who he was.

Thomas needed confirmation that Jesus really had come back after he had died, and Jesus did not judge him harshly though John said “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

In times of stress and trial God may come to us in a special way that we cannot prove, but we know is the reassurance of the Holy Spirit.

We confirm our word to God

We practice good spiritual disciplines – sometimes called “the means of grace” which remind us and others that we are committed to Christ and put us in the place where God can more readily work in our life. These things do not earn our salvation, but they help confirm to us that the Holy Spirit is at work. Reading the Bible, prayer, sharing in communion, being part of the life of the Church wherever God has called us are all ways in which we place ourselves where we are more likely to know God’s influence on our life.

There are other things we can do. When others are baptised or confirmed it is a good time to renew our own promises to God. How we live, what we wear, how we talk about others, what we choose to believe about others, are all ways in which we can confirm that we are seeking to be followers of Jesus. Even just talking to someone about issues we face as a Christian is also a way of confirming that you are serious. Of course, some things should be between us and God privately, but sometimes confirmation comes when we are prepared to trust a fellow Christian and request their prayer and wisdom.

Second Peter is a letter which comes near the end of the time of the New Testament. In chapter one verse three it says that “God’s divine power has given us everything we need for a truly religious life, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” And it goes on to talk about how for this very reason, “you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.”

Of course we can see this as a check list to make us try harder. Sometimes we like lists of things we need to fix or we think others need to fix. But it is better if we see these verses as a promise of God’s provision – they are first of all about things that God wants to help us with. He has given us what we need to make this possible.

Confirmation of God’s work in us grows as we trust in him and align ourselves with his way. Faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, love and friendship are things we seek, but they are also gifts we allow to grow.

This is about the journey of life, not the work of an instant. Yet every instance of God’s confirmation, and of ours, is a precious milestone on that way.

John Roxborogh (Guest Preacher)

Reading: Matthew 2:1-12

This morning we have just seen the Sunday School present the story of Jesus birth through the eyes, of the Angel Gabriel’s Star. We have seen how the Star shone on Mary, guided her and Joseph on their journeys, helped the inn-keeper’s wife see their need and no doubt also helped Joseph deliver the baby. The Star also dazzled the Shepherds and guided the Wise Men.

The Star of Christmas remains a sign of other stars and ways God uses to speak to us still – reminders of Christmas, of the wonder of Creation, of God’s ability to shine through people who are not perfect, but who trust in God to guide them and use their life as a witness and encouragement to others.

Stars are first of all the stars we see in the sky at night. We should never underestimate the importance of the sense of wonder just looking at the night sky can bring. God’s vast beautiful universe brings a sense of the wonder and beauty of Creation – even to people who may not yet be believers. This sense of wonder prompts us to worship our Creator God whose love and power comes to us also in the miracle of human life and in the gift of Jesus.

The presentation this morning is a Christmas story like hundreds of others enacted by children in churches and schools around the world at this time of the year. The simple fact of its being a story which someone has written to make Christmas come alive and involve as many people as possible reminds us of the importance of new stories to refresh our experience of the familiar and see it with new eyes.

In this we are using God-given gifts of imagination to create new stories to explain what Christmas means and to help us who are living in different times and places to connect with what happened. They help us learn new things by looking at the Christmas story imaginatively through the eyes of different characters – like a donkey, or of a tree whose wood became a manger and then a cross, and today, the Star that lit the way.

These, like art, and music, add to our sense of wonder, and tell us things that are otherwise difficult to communicate. Of course we need to remind ourselves of the story behind the imaginative interpretations. The songs and stories woven around life in winters in the Northern hemisphere are not historical even if they are still meaningful. We acknowledge that people were thinking about what it would have been like for Jesus to be born in the world they were familiar with at the time of the year, mid-winter, when they chose to celebrate his birth. We can also use our imagination to think what it would be like for Jesus to be born into the worlds we are familiar with today. We read the Scriptures to go back to the original stories God used to explain the coming of Jesus. God uses both sorts of story in their place.

What about stars and signs in the heavens? The Wise Men were people of faith who sought God’s guidance, and God used their understanding of how the world worked to guide them. In ancient days there was little distinction between astronomy and astrology. Today Christians believe it is wrong to follow astrology or horoscopes. It is God who controls our world, not stars or fate. Yet God may still use unusual events to point us to things he wants us to think about. Some things that lead people to Christ are things God wants us to then leave behind. This is not an uncommon Christian experience – for instance there are some things in the Old Testament which were acceptable in their day, but are not how God wants us to live now. Some of those things were things like slavery and polygamy, others were like the sacrificial system developed around the temple which Jesus has replaced.

Christians sometimes get bothered when they discover there is something in the past of Christian practices, including Christmas itself being celebrated on the 25^th of December, which have pre-Christian origins. However if we think of how in the journey of life we learn and grow and leave behind things which are no longer needed or appropriate, perhaps this is part of a pattern in how God often deals with us.

Today the common use of the word star, is of a celebrity. As “stars” celebrities can have an influence for good, but the prominence they are given in our newspapers and magazines comes close to setting some of them up as idols. This may be their own delusions of grandeur, but it may have little to do with the celebrities themselves. They are under huge pressure: from media, from their own sense of power, and the special temptations which come their way.

One of the temptations for both us and for celebrity stars themselves is to think that they can do no wrong. We can then be very disappointed, or even judgmental, when they fail to live up to the standards we have set for them.

There are many ways by which we can be dazzled by sports and pop Stars and lose our sense of reality about what God calls us to do in life. We can see in them the successful people we would like to be, yet take an unhealthy interest in their failings. If a feeling of self-righteousness comes from seeing celebrities fall, it is not of God.

Some Christians also become celebrities. They too can be a blessing and inspire many people. But even Christian stars will fail at some point – we are all sinners and we all need God’s forgiveness and help. We should not create idols out of other people – sooner or later the image they or we have created will crack and break.

God actually wants us to be able to work with other people whether they are perfect or not, including in church. If you got to know them celebrities might turn out to either rather ordinary, or rather busy, or in some cases, not very nice people at all. The Christian stars who inspire me and light the way of Christ for me, are not necessarily perfect, and I don’t expect them to be people I would ever get to know personally, but they are people of faith who go on growing and trusting God as they work through the challenges of life, and they allow God to use their talents and position for the good of others.

So, this Christmas let us thank God for stars in the heavens which are still signs of his glory which lead us to wonder and to worship.

Let us thank God for writers, artists and musicians who use their gifts to share stories which point in fresh ways to what God has done for us.

Let us thank God for Stars in every walk of life who inspire us to discover our gifts and excel in our skills, especially for those who do it so that God’s name will be praised.

Let us remember that Jesus is the one star and guide in our life who will never let us down, even if he will often take us places and lead us in ways we never expected.

John Roxborogh (Guest Preacher)

Readings: Isaiah 40:1-11; Mark 1: 1-8

Christmas brings blessings, challenges and changes. At this time of the year we prepare for Christmas. We look at how God prepared people for the coming of Jesus through ancient prophecies and the preaching of John the Baptist. We remember that Jesus himself taught his followers not only about living as members of the Kingdom of God, but also about being prepared for challenges ahead.

One of the first things I did coming back to KL last week was to visit the Pavilion and look at the Christmas decorations. In retail, preparation for the Christmas season goes a long way back – ordering stock, deciding on designs, scheduling staff and getting ready for customers.

For churches this is also an extraordinarily busy time of the year with lots of preparation. Often when we talk about the true meaning of Christmas I think we are wanting to also remind ourselves that Jesus is the “reason for the season.”

Getting ready for the Christmas season may be a burden , but it is also a way by which we like Isaiah and John the Baptist, “Prepare the way of the Lord!”

There are many “To do” lists to consider: church, family, travel, budget, gifts and shopping, food, work celebrations, cards and emails – though some of us leave these to New Year. One year I had to apologise to our friends for not writing until Chinese New Year, well after Christmas.

We may need to remember that Christmas, like the Sabbath, was made for us, not us for Christmas. It is OK to not try to do everything. Sometimes we honour God by being honest about our limitations and not by pushing ourselves beyond our capabilities. It can be especially important as we get older, but it is part of the image of God in us that we are allowed to make responsible choices about what really matters in circumstances of life we find ourselves in.

We may also need to be prepared to face practical challenges about people, money, or family – how should we pray about these? It is wise to talk about what we do at Christmas, and not feel we have to work it all out in our heads and then tell God and others what we are going to do.

Sometimes it is good to think of this as time in “God’s waiting room” – Christmas is about taking time, time for travel, time for babies to be born, time to thank God and wait for what is next, taking time to grow. It is about delayed gratification, not just gratification.

We might even bless God for interruptions because they can help teach us what really matters. We may have to cope when plans have to be altered, or someone does not appreciate a gift and other acts of love do not lead to appreciation. Perhaps we can learn to let arguments over little things turn to laughter about how we see things differently – God has not made us all the same.

There are also blessings in enjoying what is familiar, but we also can expect changes year by year. We will need to negotiate more with family members as they get older. We may be ready to let some traditions go and be open to new things we want to continue. We can allow another person’s Christmas speak to us about Jesus. We may grow in our appreciation of Christmas as a Malaysian story.

A particular person in the Christmas story may speak to us this year: Joseph and his fears and need for guidance, Mary and her faith and willingness to praise God and do what God wanted. The Wise men who were not only wise about seeking Jesus but also about not listening to Herod. The Shepherds who went to check out what was going on – even if it was scary.

Being prepared for Christmas also takes us back to how God prepared his people for the coming of Jesus. Some were looking out for what God was doing and saw in Jesus God’s chosen one. Others were slow to make the connection. Yet in one of the most popular of the old prophets, the Scroll of The Prophet Isaiah, there are words which now seem to leap off the page to speak to us about Jesus. We hear these words many times over every Christmas, and every year they seem to say a little more.

In 1947 old copies of Isaiah were discovered near the Dead Sea. These scrolls are so old that they were probably copied over 100 years before Jesus. (You can see a digitial version on http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/) The oldest parts of the original writings of Isaiah go back about 700 years before Jesus.

In Isaiah 40: 1-11 there is a vision of the prophet being commissioned by God in meeting of the heavenly council. He gets the message that while before God’s words had been of judgment, but now they were to be of mercy. He is to “speak tenderly” and “lift up his voice” so people can hear God’s message of compassion for his people.

This is not God changing his mind. God’s word in different times and circumstances addresses us in different ways to the same purpose – to bring us back to himself. We experience the just consequences of our decisions; but we also need God’s word of mercy. In both of these God is dealing with us. But even a promise of mercy needs preparation if it is to be received. We ourselves are also called to prepare God’s way.

Like the prophet we may ask “What to say?” “What to do?” Only the Word of the Lord will stand – people are like grass or flowers. Like the prophet we need help in knowing what God wants from us.

The time before Christmas is a time when what we do and what we say helps fulfill the command to prepare a highway for God. Isaiah has a vision of a highway – like the North South Highway except that was through jungle, rock and swamp not a desert. But the idea is the same. A highway involves preparation like leveling hills filling valleys and straightening out curves.

Christmas events and celebrations are “a highway” to help make it possible for God to come to us and for people to come to God (and for us the toll has been paid already).

I encourage you to think of what we are doing in our Christmas activities as one way in which we prepare a highway for our God. This is not to contradict the way in which John the Baptist fulfilled the prophecy when he called people to repent of their sins. That is a Word to us still, and it is still a Word we share.

John the Baptist came from the same area near the Dead Sea which had preserved those old copies of the early Scriptures. He was familiar with Isaiah’s prophecies. He proclaimed a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins to mark our turning to God. He pointed to Jesus as the coming One who would baptize with God’s Holy Spirit – God coming to us.

A John the Baptist figure in the history of Christianity in Malaysia is the Chinese Evangelist John Sung (1901-1944). John Sung had a huge influence in places like Sitiawan, KL, Singapore, Sibu, and Surabaya and elsewhere in Indonesia before the War.

John Sung’s life has been interpreted in different ways – as we might expect with a complex and influential person who touched people differently. He was the uncompromising one who stood against a comprised Christianity. He was the courageous soldier of Christ whose example was important in opposing the threats of the 1950s. He was the suffering servant who burnt himself out and neglected his family. Fundamentally he was the village boy from Fujian who went to America and got a PhD. He was seen as insane and he was certainly intense. He could be difficult, but he lived in pain and discomfort for much of his adult life. He prayed for many and saw many healed but was not cured himself. He used dramatic and emotional teaching to win people to Christ, but was restrained in his healing ministry.

It is difficult to understand Christianity in this part of the world without thinking about John Sung. His sense of the seriousness of sin, the meaninglessness of life without Christ, and the importance of prayer still shapes the assumptions we have of what it means to be Christian. He taught morning, afternoon and evening using dramatic bible stories to convey a deep sense of God’s love and forgiveness and the power of the Cross over sin and death. People cried.

He taught choruses “Come home, come home” singing them over and over – in Sitiawan I was told that the whole town was singing. A town of migrants knew what it was to think of home. John Sung drew a map of China – only God could take them back there, but there was another home which also called them.

He created groups for prayer and witness some of which still meet. Many were converted and re-dedicated to Christ. As war spread in China and then through Malaya and Southeast Asia, it was clear that John Sung had been used by God to prepare people for a terrible crisis to come. Perhaps our Christmas celebrations may also be used by God to prepare people for whatever might lie ahead.

We remember that Jesus also taught his disciples to be prepared for difficult times. It is good to remember not only the teaching about Jesus in the telling of the Christmas story, but also the teaching Jesus gave. Much of that teaching was about how to live as members of God’s kingdom, how to pray, count our blessings, get on with one another, learn how to apply God’s word from the past to the needs of the present. We need that teaching, but he also spoke to his disciples about being prepared. To be prepared to become “fishers of men”, to be prepared for his suffering and for the cost of discipleship – to be prepared to leave things behind in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven and be ready when the master returns.

Who does this story belong to?

Some would tell us that it is a story which belongs fundamentally to another part of the world. We know that is not true. Perhaps John Sung also indirectly reminds us that Christmas actually belongs to us all, whatever language we speak. It is a story for all about God’s mercy. It is a story about preparation for what God was doing then, is doing now, and will be doing in the future, in every land, nation and culture.

Of course it is first of all a story about Jesus. But it is also a story that we are part of – a story for all peoples – an Asian story, an African story, not just a “Western” story. It is a story that we understand more of every year as we grow and ask new questions and see things we missed before. It is a story we tell to our children and that we live with our children. It is also a story that our children tell to us and live for us. It is a story that is always a gift, God’s gift, to us and to all.

AMEN