Christmas Day 2015

Every Christmas I am reminded of why we must not stop remembering and retelling the story of the first Christmas; why we must not stop singing the carols and listening to the readings from the bible which tell us of this wonderful point in history when God came to earth in order to put us right with Him and to teach us how to live. It really is so important because in the past few years I am sure you must have noticed how, increasingly, those who want to live without God and according to their own rules and desires have been trying to take the ‘Christ’ out of ‘Christmas’ and to replace Him with their own ideas. They think that their innovations are their own ideas when actually, if you stop to analyse them, they are just updated forms of the very things that Christianity first put a stop to because those things were so destructive of human nature and of humanity itself.

Jesus described Himself as ‘the Light’; and the darkness, which Jesus came to dispel, has always tried and continues to try its best to overcome the Light - whether by force or, more successfully, by deceiving us that darkness is actually light. We need to insist on retelling the unique story of Christmas: at the same time we must be on our guard against those trying to replace it with something else. So I would like to give you something to take away with you this morning to think about in the days to come about what is truly unique about Christmas and why it is so important  that we don’t let people deceive us and take the ‘Christ’ out of ‘Christmas’.

At Christmas we sing of and listen to readings about God’s ‘gift’ of Jesus to the world; 

His gift of a Saviour to those desperately in need of one – whether they realise this or not, or choose not to do so. And so at Christmas time we give each other gifts as reminders of God’s gift to us. But there are some uniquely special things about this gift of God’s son that are not just comforting but also challenging; challenging to our lives, challenging to how we see ourselves, and challenging to how we see and treat other people.

How many of you have visited Santa’s Grotto this Christmas? Did he ask you a question? When I was young we were always asked whether or not we had been a good; and I was always glad that my mother had to wait outside the grotto!  But when God offers us the gift of His Son, he does not ask us ‘Have you been a good boy or a good girl?’ He asks simply ‘Will you trust in my Son to repair what you have broken and will you welcome Him as your Saviour and Lord of your life?’ God knows that we have not been good, or at least not as good as even we know we ought; but because He loves us and wants Heaven to be full, he offers us a solution to the problem facing each one of us, the problem of ‘how can we possibly be good enough for Heaven?’ He does not look at our track record of behaviour because none of us is good enough. He is not like the Santa of the song who ‘gives his toys only to good girls and boys’. No, He offers the gift of eternal life to any who genuinely believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. The reason for Jesus’ coming, in the line of the carol we have just sung, was ‘to fit us for Heaven to live with you there’. Did you know that Jesus spoke more about Heaven than he did about anything else? He did so because He wanted everyone to be there and to know how to get there; and He taught that whilst He could deal with our sins and take them away, He cannot deal with our pride and our unbelief if we insist on clinging on to them: we have to let go of these if we are to receive His wonderful gift.

Sadly, many people actually prefer the Santa of the song and the idea that God is only interested in the ‘good girls and boys’ - and of course they usually include themselves in that group! But you will find this idea nowhere in the teaching of Jesus because He knows that it would be utterly unfair if heaven were open only to ‘good’ people. The fact is that no one can be so good that they do not need to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour: equally so, no one can be so bad that He will not forgive them and accept them if they truly want to know Him for ever. Entry to Heaven is not by our merit but by His invitation.

The coming of Jesus into the world that first Christmas was a rescue mission so that all, whatever our track records, successes or failures, might be saved through Him. 

This is why we must not stop proclaiming the Christmas message, the Gospel or ‘Good News’ that God loves the undeserving and offers them new life both now and in eternity but only through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the liberating and life-enhancing message of Christmas that must never be lost and must continue to be shared with everyone: it is for everyone regardless; and it is Good News indeed. Why, the best Christmas present we could ever give anyone would be to introduce them to Jesus.

MIDNIGHT SERVICE – CHRISTMAS 2015

I was listening to someone on the radio being asked what he thought Christmas was all about. He paused for a moment and then said,’ Well, you know - ‘Peace on earth; good will towards men’. His interviewer, not wanting to let him off the hook, then asked, ’Which means what exactly?’  There was an embarrassed silence for a moment or two and then the man said, ‘Well, of course it’s just a lot of wishful thinking and pretending, isn’t it: the real world’s not like that.’ And then he added, ‘Shame though.’

‘Shame though.’ It really is, isn’t it, when you think about it: a tragedy really. But the very fact that the man said ‘shame though’ suggests that he is aware that the world ought to be a better place than it is. We ought to be able to live in peace and we ought to be able to act with good will towards each other: but the reality is that we so often don’t; and not just towards those we might consider to be our enemies. If we are honest, there is something inside each one of us that needs curing or healing if ever there is going to be ‘peace on earth; good will towards men’: and not just between countries or classes but within communities and families. Of course it is easy to point to others worse than ourselves or to blame others or circumstances or our genes for our lack of peace or goodwill: but isn’t there something in each one of us we must recognise that is not as we would want it to be? And yet, try as we might to cure it, experience shouts out at us that it is deeply ingrained.                              

It was to solve this ingrained problem that God, in one of His forms of being God, came into the world in human form because at the heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart; a problem neither we nor any psychology nor medicine nor science can solve but only God Himself. The truth is that there never can be peace on earth and there never will be enough good will between people until people first make peace with God and until we begin to see our fellow human beings as, just like us, made in the image of God and in need of peace with Him. But the place to start has to be with ourselves.  Now you can say that that is nonsense or otherworldly naivety. 

How can my getting right with God and looking at my fellow human beings in the same way as I look at myself solve the world’s problems? But look at the alternative. 

Are you going to put your faith, yet again, in worldly institutions and principles that let you down time and time again – unless you happen to be one of the lucky ones who got their money out in the nick of time? I remember talking to someone who lost nearly everything after the last stock market crash. ‘It shouldn’t have happened’, he said; ‘I put my faith in that fund – it was broad based - and I’ve lost everything.’ 

Again, you could say that’s not going to win you the success you want in life, or the big contract and the bigger bonus, or the social acceptance you crave. And you would probably be right: making our peace with God does rather tend to turn a person’s world upside down.        But if we understood what those two phrases actually mean, then they can prompt us to think again about our priorities, our perspectives, and our principles for life. You see, none of those things – success, riches, social status – can we take with us when we die; and even whilst we are alive these things tend, and tend very strongly in my experience, to bring out not the best but actually the worst, not just in us but in those around us. So Jesus comes to make peace between us and God by inviting us to put our faith humbly and genuinely in Him as the one who, in some mysterious yet real and necessary way, pays the sacrifice for the sins and for the pride which create those things we crave and which make us less human, not more. 

Moreover He offers us a new relationship with Him; a relationship that enables us – when we take Him seriously and spend time with Him - to become more like Him, not only for our own benefit but for the benefit of others. He enables us to see how life ought to be led. The phrase ‘Goodwill to men’ is not actually some wishful thinking platitude or comforting pat on the head from a God who turns a blind eye to the sin and the pride and the injustices and the evil we are made increasingly aware of day by day, and in which, sadly, we play our part too. No, the ‘goodwill’ is His offer of mercy, of forgiveness to all who will receive his Son and put their faith in Him; it is His gift of GRACE, of forgiveness to those who do not deserve it yet who can receive it if not too spiritually proud, too blinded, or too deaf to do so. At the end of the day we all of us have to make a choice, a choice that has both present and eternal consequences. ‘God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.’ But it is a gift – not something to be forced upon us; it must be received. The Christmas narrative challenges us deep within our souls and asks us to choose. When you examine the evidence available – I mean look honestly, and with an open mind, and with a humble heart at Jesus - why, frankly, it’s a no-brainer. 

May God graciously grant to you a saving knowledge of His truth and of His love for you this Christmas.

I Thessalonians Chapter 5 verses 16 – 24 Advent 4 2014

I Thessalonians Chapter 5 verses 16 – 24              Advent 4   2014

I love these verses from Paul’s letter to the Christians at Thessalonika; they, like the whole letter, are so encouraging and reflect Paul’s love and concern for the church family there. True, he admonishes them, he begs them to stand firm, he urges them to deepen their faith and to rejoice in it; but his love for them is everywhere apparent. The letter addresses them, yes, as individuals but, much more importantly, as the local church family. He reminds them – as we must keep reminding ourselves here in Brenchley – that the Church is central to the historical saving purposes of God; that we are not here just for own spiritual interest or well-being but for the spiritual interest and well-being of those who are not yet members. Indeed the integrity of the former (our own spiritual state) is wholly dependent upon our genuineness in making the latter (the spiritual state of others) the priority of our church’s life. How different this is from the very worldly attitude that ‘the beliefs of others are no concern of mine!’ Little could be further from Christian truth.

Both of Paul’s letters to the Thessalonian church throw immensely valuable light on the whys and the wherefores of the need for continuous evangelism, for genuine fellowship, for the maintaining of ethical standards, for faithfulness to the Gospel, and for sound and healthful ingredients in public worship. Paul leaves the readers in no doubt that it must be the Gospel that shapes the Church and its life; not the other way round: and it is the Church, we, who are called to spread that Gospel. The three essential ingredients or truths of that Gospel we shall proclaim together a little later on in this service. I won’t be offering any prizes but I would be very much encouraged by anyone who can tell me before they leave what those three essential ingredients are.

We first learned about the Thessalonian Church in Acts 17 when Paul visited them sometime in AD 49 or 50.  Perhaps you remember that eventually Paul had to be smuggled out of the town because he was being faithful to the Gospel and thereby upsetting some of the religious and political leaders. How often has this been the case when the Gospel has been faithfully proclaimed, and still is today, when powerful political, commercial, or religious interests are threatened by it! But the verses we have here in the reading set for this Sunday are actually, in the context of the letter, concerned with public worship, especially worship as practised in the belief and hope of the second coming of Jesus to judge the earth.

These verses do of course apply to us as individuals: but Paul wants us never to forget – indeed the thought would have been quite strange to the first believers! – the corporate nature of the Church, the theological fact that we are to be a family, God’s family, in the place where we are, and primarily for the benefit of others.

Paul issues four instructions here with regard to public worship, which lay down four of worship’s essential ingredients.

The first is this. ‘Rejoice always!’ v 16. Paul is not saying here ‘You must be joyful or feel happy at all times’; nor is he suggesting that our emotional state or our feelings are to be a reliable indicator of our faith or faithfulness. True joy is a gift of God: happiness is ephemeral. What Paul is saying here, commanding in fact, is that our services of worship must be a true and faithful celebration of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ: it is in this that we are always to rejoice. Paul is not at all concerned about the need in public worship to satisfy individuals’ spiritualities or emotional states: trying to engineer these through music or whatever else is divisive since we are all very different. That’s one reason why I pay little if any attention to complaints about the choices of old hymns or new songs. We all of us, no matter our ages or our tastes in these, have a responsibility to lend the hymn or the song in question our best voice. We are to rejoice in word and song in what God has done for us in Jesus Christ: and the person who has not yet attempted to broaden his or her taste in or experience of rejoicing with other members of the Body of Christ badly needs to read this letter and to revisit the Second Commandment. Let me let you into a vital secret for your own spiritual health and well-being. If you decide, before you start praising God, that the hymn or chorus or whatever is not your cup of tea and that you are not going to give it your best shot, then God cannot do a lot for you because it is primarily Him you are offending. If on the other hand you are prepared to broaden your ways and styles of rejoicing in public worship, then not only will God be able to meet with you, He will also be able to bless you and broaden your experience of Him and of His Church. That’s how He works: it is always best to work with Him and not to insist on telling Him or others what kind of music He prefers!

The second essential ingredient of public worship is prayer (‘Pray without ceasing’ verse 17). I trust that all of us would agree with this command. Prayer, especially intercessory prayer (prayer for the needs of others) is commanded of us by Jesus. It is to be one of the most prominent marks of the local church and of the highest priority. 

And it cannot be something that happens only on a Sunday. It is quite obvious from the teaching and example of Jesus that Christians need to meet together at other and regular times to pray for the many, many needs - locally, nationally, internationally, and especially for the spread of the Gospel where there is resistance to it. Whether or not we can understand why we need to pray is not the issue. Whether or not we fully appreciate that prayer is very much about being joined in spiritual war with forces that we do not fully understand is not the issue. Indeed, it is only when the local church really starts to make the effort to pray together at inconvenient and not just convenient times that, to use Jesus’ phrase, the mountains can start to be moved. In addition to Sundays we meet once a month to pray for these needs just for three quarters of an hour on a Monday evening. Our next one is on 5^th January in the New Room, hot drinks provided!

The third ingredient is ‘thankfulness in all circumstances’ (verse 18). It does not matter where we are, what state we are in, what pressures or troubles face us, we are to give thanks. Thankfulness ought always to characterize the people of God as we say to ourselves, to quote Psalm 103, ‘Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.’ Indeed, continually thanking God helps us not only to get a true perspective about our own situation, it also inspires us to trust that, whatever happens, we are eternally safe in God’s hands and, moreover, even able to see pressures and troubles as opportunities to be faithful and to glorify God in order that others may come to a knowledge of His saving truth and love. We may not always feel like praising, praying, or giving God thanks but, as the second half of verse 18 reminds us, ‘it is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you’. What Paul means by this is just what I have explained; that our continual thankfulness of God in all circumstances enables us to get a clearer perspective on life, on our priorities, and on the opportunities life offers us to glorify Him.

And the fourth essential ingredient for healthful public worship is listening to the word of God and the promptings of the Holy Spirit, who always works in tandem with and never against the word of God. This is what verses 19 – 23 are all about. 

When anyone, whether in the congregation or from the pulpit, claims to say anything on behalf of or from God, we need to test it. There is much that could be said about this but what Paul wants his readers to understand is this; that those who ‘prophecy’ – and by this he means those who speak of God and for God - are to be respected and listened to. Of course, what they have to say must be ‘tested’ in order to discern whether or not what they say is true: it must not contradict what God has already revealed about Himself, it must deepen peoples’ knowledge and love of God, making them more faithful and trusting, building up rather than dividing a faithful church.

 And why should we not ‘quench the Spirit’ verse 19? Well, because it is God’s Holy Spirit who works not only in the speaker but also in the hearer. He can be quenched at both ends! It is the Holy Spirit who guides the faithful speaker of God’s word and who works in the heart of the faithful hearer of God’s word. In the local church there is an equal responsibility for the speaker to speak faithfully and for the hearer to listen very carefully, trusting that the Holy Spirit will confirm what is of God and what is not.

Paul now prays for his readers, that they may v23 stay faithful and seek to be the holy people God called them to be – again, like taking the word of God seriously, a reciprocal relationship in which both parties need to play their part. But once again 

Paul reminds them, v24, that God can be trusted completely to keep safe and help grow to Christian maturity those who open themselves to Him, trusting not refusing the authority of His word and the presence and help of His Holy Spirit in their lives.

God is faithful. He loves us and wants us to become more like His Son Jesus Christ; and He has given and will continue to give to humble and willing hearts all that we need, in the family of the local church, to become the people He created us to be so that we may effectively fulfil our calling. How can we not rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, and listen to the word of God, which means in practice to make it our guide for life in order that the Holy Spirit may work in us God’s perfect will. Let us really rejoice then in such love; and may our love of God, 

His word and His Spirit, be something that people always meet and experience here!

Mark 1 verses 1 to 8

Mark 1 verses 1 to 8.

So another Christmas approaches. Another season of goodwill and celebration. 

Lots of preparations. Lots of food to buy, decorations to put up.

Lots of over excited children and perhaps lots of stress for some of you as you try to get everything ready in time.

And then the day itself. Presents everywhere and Christmas lunch. Time with family or perhaps a time when you feel lonely. And then probably too much to eat, repeats on telly and its all over for another year.

And you can be left feeling a bit hollow and disappointed. Was that it?  All that effort and expense - and puff – now it’s over and time rolls on and another New Year approaches.

Perhaps in life generally you see time passing by - and if you’re honest – deep down, you feel a bit empty – and you wonder - is there more to life than this?

Well, if that is how you feel, perhaps this morning’s reading from Mark’s gospel about John the Baptist can offer you a glimmer of hope – and the possibility that there is indeed more to life than just existing.

So firstly, who was John the Baptist? Well, John was a herald. He was the person chosen by God to tell the Jewish people that their Messiah was coming.

The Messiah was the person promised to the Jews by the Old Testament prophets – the one who would be a saviour and liberator of the Jewish people.

The Messiah would be a leader anointed by God, descended from King David, who would usher in a time of freedom and peace.

We need to bear in mind that there hadn’t been a prophet in Israel for 400 years before John the Baptist came on the scene.

So when John appeared in the desert telling the Jewish people that they needed to repent and be baptised because one greater than he was coming, there must have been great excitement and speculation in Israel.

And indeed many people did flock to John to be baptised and to have their sins symbolically washed away in the river Jordan.

But then when Jesus came, many of those who had responded to John’s call to be baptised - failed to recognise their Messiah.

Although he performed miracles and cast out demons and raised the dead, many 

Jewish people remained unconvinced that Jesus was the one they had been waiting for all these years.

Why was this? Well it was because they were expecting a worldly king – a strong warrior like political figure - someone like King David - who would drive out the Romans and make Israel a great nation again.

They were expecting a worldly king who would sit on an earthly throne. They didn’t understand that the Messiah would be a heavenly king who would establish his kingdom in people’s hearts and lives.

And they failed to see that the purpose of John’s the Baptist’s call to repentance and baptism was to prepare people’s hearts to receive Jesus as their heavenly king.

Jesus explained to the Jewish people – my kingdom is not of this world - but the majority failed to understand his meaning.

They were so focussed on this world and the here and now – that they missed the coming of their King.

And thus it is today. Where people are focused very much on this world – on earthly things, their careers and hobbies, on success or status or achievement  – they can remain blind to the significance of Jesus - and blind to the importance of eternal things.

Even though as Jesus said – his kingdom is close at hand – close by – as it is this morning in this church - people can miss out on finding a living relationship with him and the fulfilment and peace that this brings - not to mention the vital importance of finding forgiveness and reconciliation with the God who created them

So, how can we find a living relationship with Jesus and then what things can we do to sustain and develop that relationship and this is what I’d like to look at briefly this morning.

I think the starting point for finding a relationship with God is coming to a realisation that being focused on the world alone doesn’t bring us fulfilment.

That even though we may be fairly comfortable and successful, actually deep down if we’re honest - there’s an emptiness and pointlessness to life without God.

You see although we may not realise it – we were actually created by God to enjoy a relationship with Him and until we find that relationship there will always be a certain emptiness and restlessness within our hearts.

Jesus said that he came to bring life in all its fullness. Life outside a relationship with him is two dimensional. Our bodies and souls will be alive – but spiritually we are dead – and cut off from relationship with God.

Life in relationship with God is 3 dimensional. God brings us spiritually alive and we can start to function as the people He created us to be.

Having acknowledged our spiritual hunger – we then need to look in the right place for that hunger to be filled. There are all sorts of religions and spiritual paths on offer – but Jesus said – no one comes to the father except through me. 

He is the only one through whom we can find a relationship with God.

He is the only one to have carried our sins in his body on the cross and to have died and been punished in our place – so that we could go free.

Jesus also said I am the bread of life. He is the only one who can truly satisfy our spiritual hunger.

We can look in all sorts of places for our spiritual hunger to be satisfied but ultimately only a relationship with Jesus will fulfil us.

I tried a bit of Budddhism at University and quite liked the Bahai faith – but ultimately by God’s grace I came to realise that Jesus really is – again as he claimed to be – the way the truth and the life.

I don’t know where you are on your spiritual journey at the moment. Perhaps you’re just awakening to the spiritual hunger that is in you. Perhaps you’ve tried a few spiritual paths but haven’t yet found what you’re looking for.

My advice is to seek Jesus. Read the gospels and pray. Share your thoughts and share your heart with God. Tell Him how you feel. Tell Him you’re looking for Him. Seek Him.

Remember that Jesus said seek and you will find.

Perhaps some of you here this morning are intellectually convinced by Christianity but somehow your faith seems a bit dry and lifeless.

You hear of having a living relationship with God but that isn’t really your experience.

Well first of all I’d ask do you really want God in your life? Are you really hungry for a relationship with Him?

Or are you a bit wary of what He may ask of you? Are you a bit worried of what others might think if you became a Christian?

You see, God really does want to come and live in your heart and life – because He loves you. You are extremely precious to Him, but He comes to those who truly want to know Him – who are sincere in their desire to find Him.

And this is the essence of repentance. John the Baptist called people to repent – because repentance prepares people’s hearts to receive God.

God can only make his home in a repentant heart – a humble heart that truly acknowledges its need for Him.

And repentance isn’t a feeling. It’s a decision we make. To repent means to change one’s mind.

Lord up to this point I’ve gone my own way in life - but from now on I want you to be the Lord of my life. Forgive me for all that is past. Come into my life and help me to live in a way that is pleasing to you.

And when we truly repent God comes by His Holy Spirit – the spirit of Jesus - to live in our hearts and lives.

I love the Christmas Carol O little town of Bethlehem which describes how God comes into our lives.

O Holy Child of Bethlehem descend to us we pray. Cast out our sin and enter in be born in us today. No ear may hear his coming but in this world of sin – where meek souls will receive him - still the dear Christ enters in.

Now some of you may have truly repented and invited Jesus into your life – but you are disappointed because frankly you don’t really feel any different.

You were expecting spiritual fireworks but nothing much happened and you feel a bit disillusioned.

Well Christianity is fundamentally about a relationship with God – and like any relationship – if it’s going to be a healthy relationship we need to put time and effort into it.

As with human relationships – it’s easy to lose touch with someone and for a relationship to go cold.

And it’s the same with God. We need to put aside time daily to pray and to read our bibles. The bible says come close to God and He will come close to you.

The more time and energy and effort we put into our relationship with God the closer to Him we’ll be.

So Jesus may already be in your life – but perhaps you’re leaving your relationship with him on the back burner – and the knowledge of the kingdom of 

God which has been planted in you isn’t growing and flourishing.

It’s easy to get distracted from our walk with God by worldly concerns and being busy. But there are no shortcuts. Being a disciple of Jesus means being disciplined in our spiritual habits – and feeding and maintaining the relationship we’ve found.

We can choose to feed that relationship or to starve it. And our relationship with God will determine our fruitfulness.

The deeper our relationship – the deeper the soil will be – out of which fruit can grow.

Most importantly once we’ve said yes to a relationship with God - as Campbell said a few weeks ago when he preached on Romans chapter 7 – we need to rely on and be open to the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of Jesus – helping us and filling us day by day.

We can’t live the Christian life unless we are filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Just as a kite can’t fly without wind – we need the Holy Spirit to be continually blowing through our lives – both in order to know God’s presence with us, and to live in a way that is pleasing to God.

If you want more of God in your life – if you want to be more aware of His presence with you and more fruitful, ask God to fill you with his Holy Spirit.

Campbell or I would be very happy to pray for you – or you may prefer to pray to God yourself.

And of course each day we can say little arrow prayers to God asking Him to help us or strengthen us or guide us as we journey through life.

So another Christmas approaches and no doubt we will all be getting various gifts from loved ones. Some of these may be what we really wanted and some not – although of course even if we don’t really like them we’ll still probably say something like - thank you so much – it’s just what I needed.

But the greatest gift of all awaits those who genuinely seek it – the gift of eternal life, the gift of salvation and forgiveness and a relationship with the living God.

Just as Jesus was born in humble circumstances 2000 years ago – so today He longs to be born in our lives if only we will humble ourselves before him and confess our need for him.

Why not this Christmas use the words from O Little Town of Bethlehem and turn them into your own personal prayer.

O Holy Child of Bethlehem descend to me I pray. Cast out my sin and enter in be born in me today.

And if we’ve already invited Jesus into our lives then we must put time and effort into our relationship with Him and ask to be filled with his Holy Spirit – the spirit who makes our faith real and alive and who brings the life and power of heaven into our hearts.

May the living God bless you and your loved ones this Christmas. Amen.