The South West Newfrontiers churches have just returned from the Together in the South West bible weekend. David Devenish spoke 3 times on The Big Story. He did a supreme job of showing that God’s intention for the world has been consistent from the beginning. To dwell with a holy people who will love and enjoy him in holiness.
Penstowe manor holiday park provided an excellent venue for 450 of us who gathered for the weekend.
The ninth commandment, found in Exodus 20 v 16 states
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
What is immediately interesting is that the command is set in the context of community. Don’t lie about your neighbor, rather than simply ‘Don’t lie’. Are we to believe that lying in other contexts is acceptable? Clearly not!!
There is a principle at work here. Isaiah 30 v 18
For the LORD is a God of justice.
Isaiah knew this fundamental truth about God. Any perversion or distortion of this is to undermine the very character of God.
It is impossible to lie without effecting someone else. Consider this for a moment.
For many telling lies becomes a way of life, simply a way to get out of trouble or prompt action in others. Lies fall into the more general category of unrighteousness, which also flies in the face of God’s revealed righteousness.
Lies are often spoken to hide our sins or mistakes, yet to mask one wrong with another is simply nonsensical.
The enemy is described in John 8 v 44 as ‘the father of lies’. To reject honestly is to embrace not only lies but the one from whom all lies proceed.
Solomon knew the great value of honesty.
A truthful witness gives honest testimony, but a false witness tells lies.
Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth.
An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.
Paul helps us to apply all this into the context of life together.
speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Honesty and love go hand in hand. Together the Kingdom of God advances.
Paul teaches us, as he has in many other places, that the christian life is a battle. The moment a person receives Christ they are pitched into the battle of their lives.
So much contemporary christian teaching not only leaves this out but actually teaches something quite different. If many modern preachers are to be believed becoming a christian is like winning the lottery, all your dreams will now come true!! You’ll be rich and comfortable, successful and popular!!
This was clearly not the case for those early disciples, the first to follow Jesus. In fact their experience was much more as Paul is now describing. Andrew and Peter were first to be called by Jesus.
Their battle started immediately, the cost of following Jesus was high. For them it meant…
1.Leaving family traditions.
2.Leaving financial security.
3.Leaving their family business.
4.Leaving home.
5.Leaving everything that was familiar.
6.Attracting attention of authorities.
7.Being confronted with their own shortcomings.
8.Spending long periods of time not really sure what was happening.
9.Seeing friends mistreated and killed.
10.Crossing impossible cultural boundaries.
11.Being imprisoned.
12.Both killed on crosses.
It is safe to deduce that this is a model for all who would follow in their footsteps, and so it has been down the centuries.
Next time we will begin to look at the armor and equipment God has given us to fight and win.
Church Planting in Zambia from Adrian Warnock on Vimeo.
I had a great opportunity to publicize the Lusaka church planting plans for 2010. If you want to get involved please contact us at admin@tcch.org.uk.
Thanks to http://adrianwarnock.com for the opportunity.
TOAM BRIGHTON 2009
Once again ‘Together on a Mission’ was outstanding! Personally very moved to hear what God is doing around the world. One story that was both inspirational and amazing:
A young girl from Lesotho (Lesotho is one of the poorest nations on earth) who most had ignored was saved and began to feel called to serve God in the UK. She pursued this impression from God and trained as a nurse. As her wages improved she started sending money back to the church in Clarens. When she returned home for holidays she would consistently serve in the church.
She noticed the community in Lesotho had serious transportation problems, even for simple things like getting their weekly shopping so, even though she earned relatively little she has bought a 40 seater bus from Japan (via the internet) and had it exported to Lesotho where it will be used by both church and community.
This is empowerment of the poor!!
So many, many amazing and wonderful stories of God’s love and power. We really can do more together than we can apart.
More soon
The prize jewel at the heart of the gospel is forgiveness.
Our Father in heaven,Forgive us, we are taught to pray in the same way we forgive others.
‘Use the same measure we use, Lord.’ is our plea.
So how much attention do we give to that measure? How committed are we to forgiving others?
There are many Biblical examples of commitment to forgiveness. Our recent studies with Joseph have helped us. Joseph’s brothers had sold him into slavery, they had only stopped short of killing him by God’s intervention.
22 years later the guilty brothers stand before Joseph who now has the power of life and death over them!!
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.
Genesis 45 v 4-5
So thoroughly had Joseph forgiven his brothers he didn’t even want them to feel distressed or angry with themselves!! That is an impressive measure of forgiveness.
Jesus gives us the ultimate example of forgiveness. His crucifixion was winning freedom even for those killing him, even as they killed him. His words
Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.
Luke 23 v 34
Demonstrates to all the centrality and power of forgiveness.
Not, as I think was intended by this video, ‘HOW SMALL ARE YOU?!!” Rather ‘HOW BIG IS GOD?!!”
famine?
Back in January we started a sermon series based on the story of Joseph.
This week, as we near the end of the series, we turn to the famine. Joseph was to provide salvation from the effects of this catastrophe. God had long been preparing Joseph for the moment he would be thrust from the prison into the palace. He goes from prisoner to prime minister in the most dramatic rags to riches story in history.
Joseph, of course, has no idea this is about to happen. As far as he knows there could be many more years of obscurity ahead.
His decision to be faithful in the privacy of his prison cell saved many thousands of lives. He also provided food for his own family and kept God’s people and the promise of a messiah alive.
Decisions made in private can have global effects!!
We have the privilege of having our lives woven into God’s plan to rescue mankind from an eternity without Him. We can feel, like Joseph must have felt at times, abandoned by God and rejected by men. The danger when we feel like that is we can abandon our walk with God and sin, making poor decisions based on bad motivations.
Our government is in the midst of the worst crisis in generations the cause has been bad moral choices made in private. For generations the families of these disgraced MPs will suffer the consequences.
The famine we face is not a lack of food but rather a famine of truth, righteousness and love. God continues to prepare his people to participate in His great rescue mission. Our private decisions continue to have global consequences.
Jenson Button wins in Monaco 2009
This week I had the privilege of addressing our town council. My slot came directly after a presentation to a number of high school students who were being awarded for a variety of achievements.
Having planned to speak on the title of this post I quickly adjusted my introduction.
I recently watched Jenson Button running through the streets of Monaco, celebrating another GP victory. I also witnessed the historic French Open win for Roger Federer. As we get older success becomes harder to measure, I have noticed that people stopped giving me certificates some years ago.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
1 Corinthians 9 v 24-25
The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that Jesus also had a measure of success which lead him all the way to the cross.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12 v 2
So what is this that Paul is encouraging us to strain for and that motivated Jesus?
It is the joy of doing God’s will. This demonstrated most completely by Jesus in the sacrificial service of others.
This then is success.
When motivated by these things I am freed; from the need to please others, from the tyranny of the urgent, from a worldly desire to be noticed or to dominate my peers.
One of my sons, and I’m not telling you which one, struggles with mistakes. He makes as many as anyone else but has difficulty accepting responsibility for them. As we mature in our faith it’s vital we get used to being wrong.
It’s a fundamental of the gospel that we’re wrong and that it’s our responsibility. The wonder is that once we’ve accepted our hopelessness Jesus steps in and redeems us.
This redemption should permeate the church, allowing graciously for mistakes and errors while giving the space for repentance and restoration. This is the rich soil that allows for friendship and spiritual growth.
Trouble comes when we hide our mistakes or worse blame others for them. No-one is really fooled and personal integrity suffers.
1. admit our mistakes
2. freely forgive
3. learn from them
4. grow
AMEN