I think there is a link between
today’s readings - and I think the link is about God wanting to share his
abundant life with us – and for us then to share that abundant life with us
others.
In his letter to the Ephesians Paul prays
that the Ephesian church may be strengthened in their inner beings by God’s
spirit.
His prayer is essentially that they
may know and be filled with God’s abundant life and love – to be filled with
all the fullness of God – as he puts it.
And in today’s gospel reading we see
Jesus the creator of the world, who is filled with the abundant life of
God – sharing that life and abundance.
Through the life of God that is in
him - he creates abundant food to feed the crowd. We see him multiplying 5
loaves and two fish into many thousands of loaves and fish. And after everyone
has eaten their fill there are still 12 baskets of leftovers.
And when Jesus created the world - abundant
life and creation sprang forth from him. And we see this abundant life in the
world around us.
It is estimated that there are over 8
million plant and animal species. And look at the night sky – which is absolutely
full of a vast array of planets and stars.
God is full of abundant life. He is
bursting with life and love and creativity. And he wants to share that life
with us.
This is why Jesus said “I have come
in order that you might have life - life in all its fullness.”
At its core, Christianity is very
simple. God wants his life and his love to live in us abundantly and to flow
out of us – and for us then to share that life and love with others.
This is what Jesus was talking about
when he said - Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living
water will flow from within them."
Of course this life is in the Holy
Spirit which he gives to us – and to be filled with his spirit means being
filled with his life and love.
And this is the only way we can live
the Christian life. If we try and live as Christians relying on our own
strength we will fail. But the more filled we are with God’s spirit – his life
– the more we will be able to love those around us and to live in a way that is
pleasing to God.
Essentially as Christians - God wants
us to know his love, to be filled with his love, and then to share that love
with others. And we are to do this not just with words, but also, when
appropriate, using God’s power.
As Paul says in his first letter to
the Corinthians – “the kingdom of God isn't just talk, but also power.”
As well as telling others about Jesus,
we should also demonstrate his power – the power of the spirit of God who lives
in us – just as Jesus did.
So as Christians we should be open to
the possibility of praying for people around us to be healed and blessed. And
we should be open to using the authority he has given us to pray for people to
be delivered from the powers of darkness that oppress them and mess up their
lives.
There is a move of God going on at
the moment around the world – where the Holy Spirit is sending Christians out
onto the streets and into shopping centres to pray for people to be healed – and
to share and demonstrate God’s love for people.
Really it’s harking back to what
Jesus did when he sent out his own disciples to do this. He said “heal the
sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely
you have received; freely give.”
It’s pointless being filled with
God’s abundant life and love and power if it doesn’t flow out of us and touch the
lives of the people around us.
Now of course it’s all very well for
me to talk like this about God’s abundant life and sharing it – but actually
living like this is very difficult.
I’ve been a Christian for years - and
much of the time I’ve completely failed to live in the abundance of what God
offers – or to share it very effectively.
But I know that ideally this is how
God wants me to live. I know that as a Christian He wants me to be a life
bearer – to share the life that he has put in me.
So why as Christians do we find it so
hard to share God’s love and power – and miss out so often on the abundant life
that God wants us to experience?
I think there are a number of reasons
for this. Of course there are the weeds and thorns mentioned in the Parable of
the Sower - the pressures and strains and distractions of everyday living which
bog us down and divert us from even thinking about God sometimes.
There is the struggle with sin and
temptation and the world; the lure of money and ambition and worldly
distractions and worries – which all smother and restrict the life of God in
us.
And of course the devil does all he
can to stop us living in the fullness of life Jesus came to give us.
Interestingly when Jesus said “I have
come that you might have life in all its fullness” - he prefixed this by saying
“the thief comes only to steal kill and destroy.”
The devil can’t steal our salvation
but he will try and steal our love and our peace and our joy. And he will encourage
us to focus on anything negative in our lives – to discourage and distract us
from bearing fruit.
In particular he wants to rob us of
the confidence to step out in faith – and to believe that God would never work
through us - let alone do anything miraculous.
And many Christians believe the devil’s
lies. What me lay hands on someone and offer to pray for them to be healed? You
must be joking.
What me use the authority God has
given me to rebuke evil spirits who are oppressing people? You’re not serious.
But what we fail to realise is that in
order to do these things we only need step out in faith and be obedient to God.
God is the one who actually does the
work. And He can do anything. It’s just that He seeks our co-operation and
obedience to do these things.
We just need to be open to the
possibilities of what He can do – and then follow the prompting of His spirit.
Of course it can be difficult
sometimes to recognise when God is prompting us to do something – but we need
to take risks – like Peter did when he stepped out of the boat and walked on
water.
We won’t always get it right but
that’s how we learn.
If we aren’t prepared to step out in
faith and take a risk we won’t see God working through us.
I saw a really encouraging video on
Youtube of a Christian lady in her sixties who’d never prayed for anyone to be
healed – going out on the streets with a couple of younger Christians to pray
for the sick.
She was totally amazed when she saw
that actually God could heal people through her if she was prepared to risk
praying for them – and then her confidence grew.
In today’s gospel reading I think Jesus
is encouraging the disciples to start looking at situations with the eyes of
faith.
From a worldly point of view there is
no way this crowd can be fed. But from God’s point of view everything is
possible.
And as Christians God wants us to
start looking at everyday situations with the eyes of faith and to be open to
the possibility that He may want to work through
us in some way.
This may be taking the opportunity to
speak to someone about Jesus or on occasion - offering to pray for them.
This could be a simple prayer of
blessing or a prayer for healing. Or it could be an opportunity to use the
authority he has given us to pray for any negative spiritual influences over a
person’s life to be broken in Jesus name.
I’m not talking about full blown
exorcism – which is best left to experts - but I am talking about evil spirits
who oppress people.
I remember praying for someone who
had come for prayer for a relative. I sensed God wanted me to pray for this
person to be set free from something like a dark cloud over their life.
So I asked them if they’d mind if I
said a quick prayer for them - and I just prayed that any negative spiritual
influences over their life be broken in Jesus’ name.
They came up to me the following week
saying they felt so much better and happier.
You see in Luke’s gospel Jesus tells
us - I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to
overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
As Christians we have the authority
to set people free from the negative spiritual influences that ruin their
lives.
Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians
that we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which
God prepared in advance for us to do.
So God has prepared good works for
every Christian to do. We just need to be open to being prompted by the Holy Spirit
to when these opportunities arise.
This is what Jesus did. Jesus went
exactly where God the Father wanted him to go and did exactly those good works
which the Father had prepared for him to do.
So to conclude my talk this morning,
I want to ask – as God’s people here at Brenchley, are we opening our hearts
and lives to receive God’s spirit and life – and are we then seeking to share
his life and love with others?
I know in practice with everything
going on in our lives it is difficult to live like this – and I’m preaching
this sermon as much to myself as to you - but every day we should be seeking to
be filled with God’s spirit.
And we should be seeking to share our
faith – not just with words - but by being open to pray for those around us who
need healing or setting free from evil spirits who are oppressing them – if the
Holy Spirit prompts us to do this.
Those who haven’t truly invited Jesus
into their life – remain cut off from God’s abundant life – and are spiritually
dead – but if you have the spirit of Jesus living in you – the abundant life of
God lives in you.
As John says - Whoever has the Son
has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Jesus calls us to be fruitful and the
only way we can be fruitful – is when we share God’s truth and love and power
with others – in other words when the life of God’s spirit in us - works
through us to touch other people’s lives.
So is God’s spirit and life in you?
And if it is – have you asked Him to fill you with it abundantly – so you can
share it effectively. And are you living each day seeking to be filled with it?
Because that is the only way we can live the Christian life.
And
if not – although you may be religious – if you’re honest - is your faith dry
and dusty? Is it like a dark room where the shutters are closed? If it is –
would you like it to be more than this? Would you like God’s abundant life to
come and live in you?
If you would - that life is in Jesus and he longs to come and live in your heart – if you will make room for him. You need to throw open the shutters of that dark room and let the sunlight – the spirit of Jesus - come streaming in.
Let’s close with a short time of
prayer.
Lord Jesus thank you
that you stand among us now and you see our hearts – and you see our hunger to
be filled with your light and your life and your joy and your love.
Lord fill us now with
your abundant life. Come to all those here today who want to know and be filled
with your life.
Bring light where there
has been darkness; bring joy where there has been sorrow; and bring living
faith where there has been doubt.
Lord come and fill us
and empower us with your life giving spirit - that we might share this life
with others.
We ask this in your
name Jesus. Amen
