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Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.
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Bevan shares some of his life experiences and challenges with discipleship.
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Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.
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Have you ever had a moment where you hear God speaking to you? Or you hear a sermon and it dislodges something in your heart? Have you ever got in a fight with someone and found some rage? A moment where you know something needs changing but you don't know how to change it.
Today we are going to look at the biblical pattern Jesus gave us to unpack moments like this, where we become aware of God speaking to us. We're going to look at this out of Ephesians but also from the gospel...
As a prisoner for the Lord, THEREFORE, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received (Ephesians 4:1)
Last week we wen't over the significance of the word THEREFORE. You may have heard this saying: “Whenever you see a therefore in the Bible, you need to stop and see what it is there for”. This word serves as reminder that something significant has just happened - a flashing neon sign – flickering in the text saying PAY ATTENTION! PAY ATTENTION!
Everything said before the THEREFORE (chapters 1-3) shows the truth of God’s character, the way God deals with humans, and the Freedom and Love of Christ - the good news of the gospel. After the THEREFORE usually sits the practical instructions and responses; but if we just look at the practical instructions without the first bit we miss the heart, the revelation of who God is and we can slip into behaving right to in order to earn favour - rather than out of God's truth.
We have moments where we know all the truths from the first three chapters - we are loved, redeemed, forgiven, adopted, chosen, freely given grace etc. - BUT - instead of continuing that with THEREFORE we say "but".
Where there is a 'THEREFORE' moment, a realisation of the call of God, or sense of being asked to step into something. There is a way that steps into our lives, through the pattern of repentance and belief (Mark 1:14-15).
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Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.
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The mystery of the gospel is that while God picked the one group in Genesis 12 – His plan had always been about the many – the many languages, the many skin colours, the huge diversity founded in Genesis 11 at the Tower of Babel. The mystery and surprise of the Gospel is that every single one of them is included together, with Israel as members together of one body, sharing together in the promise in Jesus Christ.
This is the boundless riches of Christ and the administration of this mystery. And the ramification is COSMIC. God’s huge surprise is that the CHURCH is the vehicle by which God’s wisdom is made known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly realms.
The church is the body of spiritual warfare – that we do not battle against flesh and blood but the rulers, principalities and powers of this age. The Church is God’s surprise weapon!
The way God has chosen to reveal His wisdom is through the church.
The call of the church is to be a shining example of a group of people who have worked out how:
What does it take for this to genuinely happen? What does it take for the church to become the body by which the manifold wisdom of God is known to rulers and authorities in heavenly realms?
We have to acknowledge that this is not true in our society and its not true in our own worldviews. We have to be convicted by the mystery of Christ and embrace the discipline of thinking, acting and behaving as if it is true.
This is the call to us – to become ones who embrace those who are different to us so that: Through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly realms.
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Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.
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As we continue to journey through the book of Ephesians the The sentence out of chapter two that captured my attention this week was: "Remember you were separate from Christ - without hope and without God in the world."
Think about how we use the word hope in our world. When I listen to the people around me I hear it used like this: “we hope the All Blacks win”, “we hope we will get a promotion”, “we hope that the money will stretch to pay the power bill”, “we hope we will find the spouse of our dreams”, “we hope our children will go well at school”, “we hope we won’t get cancer” - the definition is “want something to happen or be the case”.
Hope’s definition in this world is - we hope the future will go well but at it’s base it’s an expression of uncertainty...we hope it will work out, but we’re not sure. And that uncertainty causes us to try and build things to pin our hope on...
Things, people, experiences or causes that help us feel like the future will be better. But those fixed points - those stable things are hard to find and even if you do have them - there is little guarantee they’ll stay - Earthquakes wreck houses, humans wreck relationships, jobs are lost, causes move. Hope is hard to hold on to.
Fortunately this isn't where it ends, it goes on to say "BUT now in Christ Jesus - you who were once far away have been brought near". He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near, Grace and Peace to you - Rangimarie, the rightness of heaven resting on you... this peace which gives us a new hope.
Instead of being hopeless we have hope because of our:
ACCESS TO THE FATHER BY THE HOLY SPIRIT and by the Holy Spirit we know the presence of God - as we are BEING BUILT AS A PLACE WHERE GOD DWELLS
Today is Pentecost Sunday - when we remember and celebrate that 50 days after the resurrection, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the believers as they waited in that upper room in Jerusalem. Waited to be clothed with power from on high - waited to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And sometimes I wonder if we don’t fully appreciate what this means for us now or the vital need for us to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who does the work in us to fill us with Hope...
This is a key role of the Holy Spirit and why we need to seek to be filled together - that God might be found here amongst us by those who don’t know Him yet. We need to seek the filling of the HS in order that God might be found here on earth...
Remember what it was like to be separate - without hope or God and then be filled and live, by the power of the Holy Spirit in a way to offer the hope you have to others and to being built with those around you into a place where God can be found.
We are called to remember what it was like and to live empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring hope and the presence of God to a lost and broken world around us.
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Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.
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John brings us an encouragement of the kind and generous nature of God.
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Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.
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Today Murray talks us through Ephesians 2:1-10 and its description of the three kinds of death: physical, spiritual and eternal separation BUT also how God has stepped in and that’s changed everything - not only that - God has raised us to a higher spiritual dimension where we can see the things that he is doing.
This whole passage is about the wonder of Gods grace - God is on the move with His incomparable grace - see Eph. 3:20-21
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Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.
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Today we finish up in chapter one of the book of Ephesians - here we find Paul praying for the people and my hope is that as we explore this today we would be encouraged and empowered to pray for one another in a way that sees the realities of the Grace and Peace of God extended in our hearts, habitats and humanity.
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Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.
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Today we continue to explore the first chapter of Ephesians - looking at Ephesians 1:1-14. My prayer is that as we delve into here the questions we would ask ourselves are: What does it mean to be chosen? How am I part of God’s rescue plan? How am I offering Grace and Peace to those who are a key part of my world?
** Audio can take a minute or two to load, please press play and be patient **
Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.
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Reading through the books written by Paul and I was struck by something. Lets see if you see it too? What do all these books have in common...
Grace and peace... grace and peace... grace and peace...
Now either that’s because it was the formal thing to do. Like our 'To Whom it May Concern'. Maybe, but my sense of it and what I feel God wants to embed in us (individually and as a community) as we work through Ephesians is captured in these two words is a culture and reality we forget easily.
The reality for us is that Grace & Peace are things we can soak in - but all around us are competing options. Consumerism, materialism, selfish ambition, individualism all clamour for our attention and seek to shape the world we see. We are invited to stand under the flow of GRACE & PEACE - I think Paul writes it every time as it is something we easily forget, yet it is crucial to us to live as the people of God if we want to see the Kingdom extended.
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Ephesians deals with topics at the very core of what it means to be a Christian—both in faith and in practice, it invites us to continue our journey of “Shema” - hearing and responding to the invitation and challenges God is placing on our hearts as individuals, households and as a community.
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What was church life when Jesus was a child? How did his community interact with the word of God? It is through this lense James guides us into the start of our series on the book of Ephesians.
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We are in the season of Lent - the six weeks that lead up to Easter - traditionally this is a time of fasting, prayer, repentance - even now the idea of what are you giving up for Lent (chocolate, coffee, tv etc) which reminds us of Jesus in the wilderness for 40 days, fasting despite temptation.
It’s designed as a space where as we focus on the sacrifice of Jesus, we bring our hearts and lives before Jesus to ensure we are following wholeheartedly - it’s a space for a WOF - to check the core parts of our life and faith are aligned. To recognise our human tendency to selfishness and rebellion and to have our hearts ready for the reality of Easter - connecting with both the death and sacrifice of Jesus that we might be ready for the receiving of resurrection power.
In this space leading up to Easter we will explore what that means for us as a community, as a group called to follow Jesus together.
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This week we step into one of the most celebrated on the Christian calendar - known as Holy Week it is both an invitation and a challenge. It’s an invitation to discover what every human has searched for and a challenge to live in the light of that reality. It is both the best news you will ever hear and the biggest adventure you will ever be invited into.
Today we celebrate Palm Sunday - where we remember Jesus entering Jerusalem in the week leading up to the cross. As we explore this today we unpack the theme of sacrifice and how we understand and connect with the cross and its continued impact today.
And as we have been exploring as a community together - the call to intentionally choose to sacrificially love one another and to be built together using our shared gifts, resources and life to love one another and by that transform our community. I believe there are challenges on that for us, for those of us who call CNL our community.
** Audio can take a minute or two to load, please press play and be patient **
We are in the season of Lent - the six weeks that lead up to Easter - traditionally this is a time of fasting, prayer, repentance - even now the idea of what are you giving up for Lent (chocolate, coffee, tv etc) which reminds us of Jesus in the wilderness for 40 days, fasting despite temptation.
It’s designed as a space where as we focus on the sacrifice of Jesus, we bring our hearts and lives before Jesus to ensure we are following wholeheartedly - it’s a space for a WOF - to check the core parts of our life and faith are aligned. To recognise our human tendency to selfishness and rebellion and to have our hearts ready for the reality of Easter - connecting with both the death and sacrifice of Jesus that we might be ready for the receiving of resurrection power.
In this space leading up to Easter we will explore what that means for us as a community, as a group called to follow Jesus together.
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Today we move into the practices and priorities of who and how we build community together.
In the New Testament there are 94 times the phrase “one another” is used and 47 of them are instructions to the followers of Jesus about how to do life together. It is well worth taking these one by one and unpacking them in context but for our purpose today here are some of the interesting groupings/weighting’s. Of these 47 references:
14 are about Unity
That's 30% about maintaining and growing in unit. That unity in diversity is where the power is, what we have to work on and where we experience the blessing of God.
15 are about Love
30% are the call to love - that agape, sacrificial moving towards those who aren’t like us and don’t like us. Love is the glue of community.
7 are about Humility
15% are about the underlying attitude/posture of humility - that our ability to build community relies on us taking the same attitude as Christ in our relationships with one another - humbling ourselves...
and the other 13 apply to different situations
An overriding them of encouraging, building up, stimulating to good deeds, eating with one another
But the reality is we can’t do all of this with everyone - there are overriding principles that apply to how we operate (we have an attitude of humility, we forgive, we speak well of each other).
However, there is are layers within which this community is built. And there are appropriate expectations to have. Sociologists & Jesus recognise this! It is a basic human need to be known. And when we experience that need being met it frees us and empowers us to make our best contribution. Paul talks about this when he speaks of us as ones who are adopted into the family of God, with the immeasurable lavishing of God’s love and grace and freed from the sin and guilt which damages us to live a life of love - where we partner with God to bring the Kingdom here on earth. That we are loved, liked and called on an incredible adventure. Part of this is being placed in and building community.
As we unpack this today I’m hoping for us to see and recognise together what healthy and right expectations of community are. Unmet expectations are one of the most destructive things on the planet - you see this in marriages, businesses, families and churches. When we expect something and it goes unmet we get disappointed, hurt, bitter and grumpy!
Image Credit: 3D Movements LLC
We get into trouble when we define church/community in only one part. We also get into trouble when we expect the wrong thing from the wrong bit. We are called to grow. You can’t now and definitely in the future won’t be able to know and be known by everyone - and we shouldn’t expect too. That would limit what God can do through us. The reality is that as we grow the caring/pastoring and being known happens by the people you do life with - the people you mutually choose to both love and be loved by.
This is the overriding call of the “one anothers” - to build and grow the dearest place on earth requires us to pursue unity, to love sacrificially, to have an attitude of humility, to pray for, bless, encourage and spur one another on.
Jesus loves and likes you and calls you on an incredible journey, and you can’t do it by yourself. What is speaking to you today?
** Audio can take a minute or two to load, please press play and be patient **
We are in the season of Lent - the six weeks that lead up to Easter - traditionally this is a time of fasting, prayer, repentance - even now the idea of what are you giving up for Lent (chocolate, coffee, tv etc) which reminds us of Jesus in the wilderness for 40 days, fasting despite temptation.
It’s designed as a space where as we focus on the sacrifice of Jesus, we bring our hearts and lives before Jesus to ensure we are following wholeheartedly - it’s a space for a WOF - to check the core parts of our life and faith are aligned. To recognise our human tendency to selfishness and rebellion and to have our hearts ready for the reality of Easter - connecting with both the death and sacrifice of Jesus that we might be ready for the receiving of resurrection power.
In this space leading up to Easter we will explore what that means for us as a community, as a group called to follow Jesus together.
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I felt it was a good time to address one of the core cultures - our shared agreement on how we will be with one another that builds good news stories in community. The core strategies Jesus gives to build and maintain unity and empower mission. Let’s read and delve into Matthew 18:15-35 together:
Dealing With Sin in the Church
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
** Audio can take a minute or two to load, please press play and be patient **
We are in the season of Lent - the six weeks that lead up to Easter - traditionally this is a time of fasting, prayer, repentance - even now the idea of what are you giving up for Lent (chocolate, coffee, tv etc) which reminds us of Jesus in the wilderness for 40 days, fasting despite temptation.
It’s designed as a space where as we focus on the sacrifice of Jesus, we bring our hearts and lives before Jesus to ensure we are following wholeheartedly - it’s a space for a WOF - to check the core parts of our life and faith are aligned. To recognise our human tendency to selfishness and rebellion and to have our hearts ready for the reality of Easter - connecting with both the death and sacrifice of Jesus that we might be ready for the receiving of resurrection power.
In this space leading up to Easter we will explore what that means for us as a community, as a group called to follow Jesus together.
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Today we look at the lessons we can learn from the Kuaka about what it means to be part of a community and how together we can achieve amazing feats that seem impossible tasks.
First is collective power of the Kuaka - the Kuaka don’t succeed out of individual success - they are a group of birds, who know their own gifting and uniqueness, yet also know how to work together to achieve a goal.
What are the overarching principles?
1. Kawa - Guiding Philosophy - the collective goal, dream, unifying, light, Northstar, vision. For the Kuaka it’s to migrate - For us this Kawa around community is: As Ephesians tells us “Jesus Christ loved the church and gave his life up for her” - that the collective body of people is God’s plan of transformation for the world. That the cross is not primarily about individual salvation - but about a community of people - the church called to love one another and go on mission together. That the mission is accomplished in and through the collective body. That the counter-cultural call to unity in diversity, to our Common-Union in the cross of Jesus, to sacrificial agape love of one another. To the serving one-another in love even those who we aren’t like, don’t like and won’t like us!! That our being church together is not based on us being alike but on the call to sacrifice and serve one another in love and by this those who don’t know Jesus yet will see our love and be convinced that Jesus is true! We talked around that last week - feel free to listen to the message.
2. Tikanga - supporting practice - collective beliefs & values which inform attitudes and behaviour and support how we operate together. That we contribute our unique skills and gifts within an agreed upon value structure. We work in the same way together for a common goal. Believe the same things and that strengthens us to contribute in an agreed upon way. Within this collective dream there are is agreed upon Tikanga - supporting practice. For the Kuaka this informs their flight - they shape up in a V formation - the Leader bears the brunt, but it receives the uplift of the birds on either side. However, the Kuaka traverses such significant distances, not based on the will, the strength or power of the one - but on the collective strength, will and power of many. As the one leading tires, another comes to take its place. In this Flying V the elder Kuaka take the flanks - to protect & guide the young ones. Each Kuaka is responsible for its own flight - it has to contribute but the journey is possible because of the combined effort.
3. Kaupapa - collective endeavour - utilisation of this collective philosophy and practice to achieve the goal. Every endeavour undertaken must contribute towards the Kawa - the guiding philosophy. In its preparation for the flight each takes a different role based on their strengths - female Kuaka have longer beaks than males - so they can dig deeper in the mudflats and get more food. The older ones fly on the outside of the V to provide protection, guidance and support the lifting air currents...Each Kuaka sacrifices personal preference for the good of the whole. As a church we too have a Kaupapa found in Philippians is this: once again a familiar passage but when read within the context of maturity & mission being accomplished by US takes on a whole new light...Our Kaupapa is: In our relationships with one another have the same mindset as Christ...we are called to collective endeavour with the Kawa - vision of verse 1, the Tikanga - practices of verse 2 - 4 and the Kaupapa of 5 - 11 that collectively in our relationships with one another we choose the mindset of Christ, of the humility of the cross and the sacrifice involved - and as we do that the promise of chapter 1 happens - that God who began a good work in us, brings it to completion - and what is that completion? 2:15 - that as this happens we become a shining star - holding out the word of truth to a lost, dark and broken world. Our mission is accomplished in shared Kawa, Tikanaga & Kaupapa.
In the tedx talk Curtis Browne finishes with this incredible observation - he says while these principles are pulled out and seen, the invisible and unifying factor is the:
4. Wairua-Tapu - these all must work in unison together and the intangible bond that connects them all is Wairua Tapu - the spirituality of our connection - the vital need of the Holy Spirit to bind us together in philosophy, practice and purpose. We can’t do this without the empowering, strengthening and sweetness of the Holy Spirit working in us.
What can we learn?
I believe the Kuaka gives us a powerful picture of how to achieve a mind-boggling mission - that the overarching philosophy is shared, the way to work together is agreed upon, that leadership is shared, Roles are recognised and honoured and woven together, Individual responsibility is taken for the good of the whole, the entire flock is connected by the Wairua Tapu
What is speaking to you?
** Audio can take a minute or two to load, please press play and be patient **
We are in the season of Lent - the six weeks that lead up to Easter - traditionally this is a time of fasting, prayer, repentance - even now the idea of what are you giving up for Lent (chocolate, coffee, tv etc) which reminds us of Jesus in the wilderness for 40 days, fasting despite temptation.
It’s designed as a space where as we focus on the sacrifice of Jesus, we bring our hearts and lives before Jesus to ensure we are following wholeheartedly - it’s a space for a WOF - to check the core parts of our life and faith are aligned. To recognise our human tendency to selfishness and rebellion and to have our hearts ready for the reality of Easter - connecting with both the death and sacrifice of Jesus that we might be ready for the receiving of resurrection power.
In this space leading up to Easter we will explore what that means for us as a community, as a group called to follow Jesus together.
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We start this journey by jumping into the story in John - where Jesus is deeply aware that he is about to go to the cross, and he has gathered together his disciples for the Passover supper - the last time they will be together before he dies - and in this context he gives them new meaning to the supper they are eating, and a new command. John 13:1 says “It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”
Jesus took this diverse group of people, loud mouths, cowards, detail orientated, bold quick movers, jokers, political activists, quiet ones, unknowns and the final and new command he gave them was this: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35
For Jesus AGAPE is not primarily a feeling that happens to you – it is:
• Action - a choice you make to seek the well being of people other than yourself
• Generous - Seeking the well being of people who can’t repay you in return, especially those in difficult situations
• Unconditional - ultimate test is how well you treat the people you can’t stand... your “enemies” - those who will never return it
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** Audio can take a minute or two to load, please press play and be patient **
As we launch into 2018 there is a sense that God is speaking to us that this would be a year where we experience a new level of seeing and operating in the power of the Kingdom. That together we would grow in knowing how to enter the Kingdom, and how to see the power of the Kingdom flow out of us into our world.
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The Old Testament is full of people - real people; whose lives are messy, their families dysfunctional and their obedience not always full or immediate, yet God used them. Our study of their lives is to bring perspective, hope and instruction to ours - to recognise that at times we are tempted to sanitise or selectively interact with their stories and in that way make them heroes. The reality is that their stories are powerful because they are human like us and face the same temptations and frailty that we do - yet God used them.
This talk is called kia whakatomuri te haere whakamua. It means that we walk backwards into our future with our eyes fixed on the past.
As we approach Christmas, it is not only important to tell the story of Jesus’s birth, but its also important to understand the story and context that Jesus was being born into.
Being able to hold Jesus’s birth and everything that Jesus says and does, with the narrative of the old testament in the back of our minds, helps us to remember that Jesus was Jewish and God has always had a dream for our world.
As last talk in our series about the old testament James summarises the entire Old testament to help us all to land Jesus’s birth in the ancient near east in the first century with 4000 years worth of stories, histories, proverbs, poems and prophecies about the relationship between God his people and his creation of which we are a central part.
There are tonnes of themes that run from the start to the end of the bible, temple, trinity, sin, law, salvation, kingdom, holiness, justice, the image of God and thats just to name a few... but in order to summarise the Old Testament, James picks up on a theme that has captured my imagination over the past 6 months which is The Day of the Lord.
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The Old Testament is full of people - real people; whose lives are messy, their families dysfunctional and their obedience not always full or immediate, yet God used them. Our study of their lives is to bring perspective, hope and instruction to ours - to recognise that at times we are tempted to sanitise or selectively interact with their stories and in that way make them heroes. The reality is that their stories are powerful because they are human like us and face the same temptations and frailty that we do - yet God used them.
We are in the season of Advent - Advent is the four-Sunday period before Christmas Day. It marks the start of a new Christian Year and is traditionally used by the Western Church worldwide to reflect on the coming of Christ. Advent - ‘to reach for’, ‘to long for’, ‘to come’ has to do with waiting and hopeful expectation.
Waiting through Advent is far from passive. Our waiting is a discipline. An active preparation of our hearts and desires to celebrate the coming of God among people on earth. Through Advent we take the opportunity to slow ourselves down, to take time to remember the incredible story of God coming to earth as a human, and reflect on our own response to that event.
Often at this time of the year we read the accounts of God, taking on flesh and arriving in our neighbourhood in the form of a baby - Jesus. And I’d love for you to turn with me to Matthew 1:1-17 - the Genealogy, History, Story of the people who came before Jesus.
We don’t see much information in this passage but the key thing to note here is this: All of these people, all of these stories, all of these expressions of faith are crucial pieces in the arrival of Jesus - some of these people we have talked about over the last 6 months - some we haven’t, but the reality is that if we dug into any of these names we would find stories of faith, of hope and people we could learn from as we seek to become more like Jesus. All of their stories find their fulfilment and purpose in Jesus.
The unifying thread is that all of them lived lives of faith - some haphazardly, some consistently, some we recognise the faithfulness of God, some we recognise the brave steps of obedience - there is very little else that clumps them together - the one thing that does is faith...
This morning we unpack a familiar passage that links in here: Hebrews 11 - “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony”
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The Old Testament is full of people - real people; whose lives are messy, their families dysfunctional and their obedience not always full or immediate, yet God used them. Our study of their lives is to bring perspective, hope and instruction to ours - to recognise that at times we are tempted to sanitise or selectively interact with their stories and in that way make them heroes. The reality is that their stories are powerful because they are human like us and face the same temptations and frailty that we do - yet God used them.
Judges 2:7, 10-14
One generation is all it takes to lose the awareness and heart to follow God.
Ehud
Judges 3:12,15, 20-22,30
The hero is a left-handed man - in those days left handed ness was considered a disability...you might have something you or others who regard as a disability...they weren’t expecting it - God can use anyone, don’t write yourself off
Deborah & Jael
Judges 4:1-4, 6-7, 14-15,17-18, 21-22
Many of us don’t appreciate the change the early Church brought to societal structure- in Galatians the coming of Jesus all 3 societal structures turned upside down: slaves led churches, gentiles led Jews and women led in their gifting - gifting not ministry is what defines leadership in the NT culture of Church.
Gideon
Judges 6:1,12-16
Low self image - lowest tribe, and the weakest one of them.
32,000 down to 300 - it’s a picture of what God can do with a small group of committed people.
Samson
Judges 13:1-5,24, 14:1-3
Great weaknesses: weakness for beautiful women, wouldn’t take advice, hothead
Judges 15:9-15
Lone operator - did all the things a leader should not do
Judges 16:1-3
Phenomenal strength - that is the gift of God, morally he loses the plot...that became his undoing
Judges 16:4-6,17,21-23, 28-30
Sad story of what might of been, so much promise of what could be.
Amazingly gifted, great heart, but couldn’t control himself and missed out in the end
The key contrast between GIFT & FRUIT
The gift doesn’t say anything about the recipient- it says something about God
Jesus said, it’s not be your gifts you’ll be known, it’s your fruit...
Gifts given spontaneously/instantaneously by God but fruit takes years to grow and at the end of the day it’s the fruit that counts.
