The Same Jesus Who Changes Everything—28 August - 3 September, Year C, Proper 22

Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever. Look at verse 8 in the Hebrews reading (ch13). I'm not the same as I was yesterday. Neither are you. The Anglican Church isn't. St Barnabas isn't. Jesus is. So what?

We live in a world of change. In fact, we live in a world where the pace of change is growing faster and faster. So fast that if, as someone said, we're not confused, we're not thinking straight. Pastor, preacher and author, James Ryle, describes it as a part of a cycle in our lives: change challenges us. Challenge makes obedient. Obedience makes us healthy. Healthy things grow.

Change challenges us. No kidding. Life is full of it: the full on growth and learning of infancy, childhood and puberty, education, marriage (or not), parenting (or not), career, retirement, old age, death. Same in the church: BCP to BAS, the old organic hymns to contemporary songs of praise. New ideas. Disagreements. Conflict. Remember the story of the old Scottish Presbyterian elder a visitor met while exploring his even older church. "I bet you've seen a lot of change around here," the visitor said. "Aye," the elder replied, "and I've opposed every one of them." How many Anglicans does it take to change a light bulb? two; one to change it and the other to prefer the old one. The only constant in life is change, someone also said. Which is not true. The other and more important constant, the one who doesn't change and yet who changes everything, is Jesus Christ, Risen Lord and Saviour, who meets us here today.

So change challenges us. The next point in Ryle's change-cycle is this: challenge makes us obedient. That's true. Change can be unsettling. The question for me and you is, to what, or whom, will I be obedient? When I'm unsettled, I want to try and regain some sort of equilibrium, I look for something to help. I want some peace—some solid ground—a blankie. All sorts of appetites begin to clamour for attention: eat me, look at me, buy me, wear me, enjoy me, use me, waste me—I'll make you feel better. None of them, of course, can or will bring peace. To obey those calls, insistent as they are, is an obedience in the wrong direction. They are the equivalents of the "cracked cisterns that can hold no water" (Jer 2:13) we read about in Jeremiah. God created and allows life's challenges to urge and point us to The One who doesn't change and who will be our constant, our anchor, as we are tossed about by life's changes. Jesus who is the same yesterday, today and forever, is the only one worthy of our obedience.

Change challenges us, challenge makes us obedient. Next is, obedience makes us healthy. Obey what, in particular? Holy Scripture provides health-giving principles to obey. There are some hints in our readings this morning:

For example, here's a question to ask ourselves from Jeremiah: look at verses 6 and 8: "Where is the LORD?" God was not pleased with the Israelites for not asking that question more often as they faced the changes and chances of their lives. It is a good one for me, too. Where is the LORD to be found in this changing situation? Where is his stability, his constancy? What is the thing I must obey which will make me and keep me healthy? Obedience makes us healthy.

There is also a list of practical actions in Hebrews (ch13) which, if obeyed, will lead to health: love mutually (v1), show hospitality (v2), honour marriage (v4), be content with what you have (v5), worship (v15), do good (v16). Obedience makes us healthy.

Here's the best one.  Look at the first verse of the gospel (Lk 14:1): "they were watching him closely." That's Jesus they were watching, Jesus was challenging them but they weren't interested in obeying him. They were looking for ways to condemn him. It is, however, a good reminder for us, who live in in the midst of life's often confusing and challenging changes and chances. Want to be healthy? As yourself where Jesus is in the situation. Watch Jesus closely. You know the best places for Jesus watching: in the Holy Scriptures, in the worship of the church. Obedience makes us healthy.

Finally, healthy things grow. Live like this and I will grow spiritually. So will you. Live like this and St Barnabas will grow. As we grow, we will change. Change challenges us. Challenge makes us obedient. Obedience makes us healthy in Jesus who is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Living LORDward: a Summertime One-Pager Sermon with reference to Romans 14: 1-12 and Mt 18: 23-35

In a few weeks I still intend, LORD willing, to focus for a while on the work and gifts of the Holy Spirit. But first, on this Ministry Fair and children’s ministry start-up Sunday I want to talk about positioning ourselves for that, to think about which way we’re facing. Am I living to the LORD, as Paul puts it in the reading from Romans? Am I living LORDward and what does that look like?

Romans 14:7–8 (NIV84)
7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, "The essential thing ‘in heaven and earth’ is…that there should be a long obedience in the same direction; there thereby results, and has always resulted in the long run, something which has made life worth living." From this idea came the title for Eugene H. Peterson’s work, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society on the Psalms of Ascent, Psalms 120-134 (I’m quoting from a review of the book by Chartley McMaster Bondurant).

What direction is that? To the LORD. I must live to the LORD. In other words my life must look LORDward. My life must look as if it is to the LORD I’m going. My life must be lived in His direction. Yours, too.

How can I live a life LORDward? To fear, be in reverent awe of, and trust in the LORD as we heard in Ex 14:31 and know what I owe.

Matthew 18:23–25 (NIV84)
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 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.

The king is the LORD. I am the servant (slave). Ten thousand talents is somewhere between twelve million and a billion dollars in today’s money. More than I, too, could ever pay back. What to do?

Matthew 18:26 (NIV84)
26 “The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’

I fall on my knees LORDward. I can’t even say, “Have patience with me,” because I know I simply cannot pay Him back for what he’s done for me. Ever. So I kneel in reverent awe, believe that Jesus is His son who died for me and my sins on the cross and confess my sins—humbly, acknowledging the immensity of my soul’s debt, my moral bankruptness and absolute lack of ability to put anything right without His help. I do this unconditionally knowing that if I don’t I am living, and will die, not to the LORD, but away from Him. Forever.

And then, wonder of wonders, the LORD promises to do what the king did for the slave:

Matthew 18:27 (NIV84)
27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

Pitied, in a good way, debt canceled (forgiven) and let go (released). For what?
To restart or begin my long obedience in the same direction, fearing and trusting in the LORD, living LORDwardly and forgiving from the heart.

There may well be something to help you with your long obedience in the LORDward direction in one of the Ministry Fair opportunities.

What Do I Know! A Summertime One-Pager with reference to Matthew 16:23 and Romans 12:113

In four verses we’ve moved from last Sunday’s Jesus saying to Peter:

Matthew 16:17–18 (NIV) …“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, …I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.

to

Matthew 16:23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” 

Blessed are you to get behind me, Satan! Church foundation stone to stumbling block.
I am capable of just as quick a switch. I can go from the concerns of God (for example, concerned with suffering)to mine! and what I think would be better, in a moment, the twinkling of an appetite or an addiction. So can you.
How can I reduce that tendency?
A few days ago our daughter in law, Kristy Packwood posted on FaceBook that
Levi, our four year old grandson, was explaining to her the different jobs bugs have in their garden. When Kristy asked him how he knew all this his response was: "I'm a knower Mom. I just know things."
The first thing I can do to reduce my tendency to be a stumbling block holding Jesus back from what he wants to do in me and through me is to remember what I know and live as if I know what I know. For example, I know that from cover to cover the Bible tells me Jesus really is who Peter said he is. I know that as a baptized Christian the Holy Spirit is in me leading me there. I know it in my knower even when I have my doubts about whether I’m living up to who I am. In that sense I’m a knower like four year old Levi. So are many of you.
Second, if I do not want to be a speed bump on the narrow road that leads to life Jesus talked about (Mt 7:14) I need to know and act on what he says about how to live. For example, in this morning’s gospel—Mt 16:24, three things:

1. I must deny myself
2. take up the cross Jesus has for me, and 
3. follow Him. 

I don’t particularly like the part about denying myself and a cross. But I know that Jesus said it therefore I must pay attention and obey in practical ways such as how I use my time, the tasks I take on, how I use the money God has given me. Jesus is also saying quite clearly that if I focus on my own concerns and appetites instead of the things of God, I will lose my life. I might gain the whole world and its goodies but my soul would be forfeit. Same for you.
Here’s the third thing from this morning’s readings I know about how not be a stumbling blockhead. Paul in the Epistle: Romans 12:11 (NIV) Never be lacking (do not lag NRSV, do not be slothful ESV) in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor (be ardent NRSV—fervent ESV in the spirit), serving the Lord.
Here’s my challenge as the wonderful, lazy days of summer turn into the brisker more demanding days of fall. I must not let delightful summertime restfulness turn into sloth and a lack of zeal for serving Jesus and His people. None of us should. I need to pray for God’s grace to empower me for that. So do you.
Ministry Fair Sunday is September 11th. Are there ways in which your zeal and fervor for serving the LORD can be rekindled, released and put into action here at St Barnabas? Even more importantly, is the Lord calling you to direct such zeal beyond these walls in some way?

Who Am I?—a Summertime One-Pager with reference to Exodus 1:8-2:10, Romans 12:1-8 and Matthew 16:13-20

Mt 16:15 “But what about you?” Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do you say I am?” And Peter is the first one on earth to confess Jesus as Messiah and Son of the Living God.
Let’s switch sides for a moment and look at the same question from a different angle.
Speaking to the seven Sons of Sceva in Acts 19:15 just before they were beaten soundly (Acts 19:16) the evil spirit they were trying to cast out asks them “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”
Who are you? Good summertime question for me, especially as the fall ministry launch approaches. Considering who Peter says Jesus is, who am I and who are you? Would anyone outside these walls know who you and I are spiritually?
Who am I? If I’m not Moses, set adrift in a papyrus basket, or Paul, knocked to the ground and temporarily blinded on his way to Damascus breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, or Peter, the one upon whom Jesus said He would build His church, then who am I and do I matter?
I am a child of the Living God. And so are you. That means I matter. So do you. Even though we didn’t make it into the Bible.
Although details of my birth and life so far may not have been as dramatic as those we read about in the Bible and even thought they may not be written about and discussed in the future; they are real God ordained details and circumstances and they are part of what God is doing in the world. So are yours.
I am loved. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is very fond of me; He is also very fond of you.
I am a Christian. When I decided to believe that Jesus is who Peter says He is in our gospel reading this morning and to trust in Him, I received the impossibly generous gift of salvation from sin and death. So did you, if you also believe in Jesus.
I am baptized. So are most of you.
After and out of all that comes who I really am. Same for you.
What am I for? Moses was born in Egypt, Paul in Tarsus, Jesus in Bethlehem. I was born in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, on the 25th of February 1947 of Darcy George and Margaret Jean Packwood to give glory and delight to the Living God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and to show and tell who Jesus is in all the circumstances and details of my life. That is also why, when and where you were born.
Because of who I am, a follower and worshipper of Jesus, I also have gifts, as Paul says in our Romans reading (Romans 12:1-8), according to the grace given me. So do you. Grace is God’s empowering presence to make me who He made me to be and to do what he made me to do—grace makes me able to do things I am unable to do on my own.
I have one or some of the gifts Paul lists in our reading from Romans (12:6-8):  prophecy, serving, teaching, encouraging, contributing to the needs of others, leadership, showing mercy. So do you. I don’t have them all. Neither do you. We all have different gifts says Paul in verse 6. There are more. For example, the Hebrew midwives had the gift of courage and Godly resistance. Paul lists other gifts in 1 Cor 12: words of wisdom, words of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, miracles, distinguishing of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues, helps, administration. They are all for the common good and the greater gifts, Paul also says, are to be earnestly desired.
As we exercise the gifts God gave us, others will come to know who we really are and, what is more important, our lives will show and tell who Jesus is.
This is who we are and what we’re for.

Weeds: a Summer One-Pager Sermon with Reference to Gen 28, Rom 8 and Mat 13

Looking at the gospel.

Mt 13:37 He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.

Jesus is the good seed sower.

Mt 13:38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil.

I always know what I am—wheat, of course, other people are the weeds. I’m the son of the kingdom and others are the sons of the evil one. Me wheatily holy and church-going, others weedily un-spiritual. Me wheatily generous, others weedily stingy. Kiwis wheaty, Aussies weedy. Canucks wheaty, Bruins weedy. Conservatives wheaty, liberals weedy. Fill in the blanks. You know how it goes.

Mt 13:28 …“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29 “ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ”

God sure is merciful to be letting all those weeds grow around wheaty me despite their weediness and giving them plenty of time to see the error of their ways before the angels come to pull them up and burn them in the fire. I, of course, will be gathered and brought to the nice cool barn.

And then I catch a glimpse of something unpleasantly green: my own weediness. Sometimes being green is not a good thing.

Ro 8:12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature (flesh), to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die.

I become aware of my own sinful nature; persistent as the dandelions and crab grass in my lawn; choking out my wheatiness.

Gen 28:16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid.  

I realize I’ve become comfortable with my weediness. I’ve been dozing in my sin. I wake up with a pang of fear. God knows there is more than enough thorny weediness in me to merit being pulled out by the roots. I’ve allowed myself to drift from awareness of his presence.

Gen 28:17 Jacob said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” 

And then I come here and am reminded, Sunday by Sunday, that the Owner is here and he loves me and all weedy folk.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. 

If God himself is being so patient with me. I need to be patient with the weedy folk around me.

Mt 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. 

And it’s all because of Jesus.