'The comings and goings of Solomon and Jesus'

Transcript of Sermon 16th August 2015

                                                               St Anne’s Brown Edge

1 Kings 2.10-12; 3.3-14 Ephesians 5.15.20 John 6.51-58

What is the difference between wisdom and knowledge?

Knowledge knows a tomato is a fruit and wisdom tells you not to put it into a fruit salad.

Solomon is chosen by David to succeed him to the throne, to the great displeasure of his older brother, Adonijah.

Solomon had knowledge about the ways of God. He had knowledge about how his father King David ruled, who despite all his failings was greatly loved and revered. Solomon also knew that the tribes of Israel were a loose confederation and that something needed to be done to unify them.

Solomon also knew that David desired to build God a house, a temple, a place fitting for the Ark of the Covenant.

So when God asked Solomon what he most wanted, Solomon asked for wisdom to ‘govern this great people of yours.’ 

Knowledge precedes wisdom – both are necessary.

So, using the materials amassed by his father for just such a purpose, Solomon sets about building the First Temple.

Quite a good deal of the early chapters of 1 Kings outlines the building project and the final dedication.    

This isn’t the Temple that Jesus knew; the First Temple was destroyed some 400 years later by Nebuchadnezzar and the Jews carried off into exile.

Building began on the Second Temple with the return of the exiles some seventy years later. King Herod began a massive reconstruction about 20 BC.

This was the temple Jesus knew and said would be destroyed.

Following the incident of the cleansing of the temple, which occurs earlier in John’s Gospel, Jesus said ‘destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.’  John 2.19

Jesus was Israel personified. Jesus was the Temple, Jesus was the Torah, the Law and Jesus was the Prophets – all embodied in his very person.

We don’t have a Last Supper account in John and this passage is about as close as we get.

Note that it follows the feeding of the five thousand.

Bread from heaven to feed the body and bread from heaven to feed the soul.

If Jesus’ words of feeding on his flesh and drinking his blood are strange to us then we can only imagine what they must have sounded like to the Jewish people of his day.

Abstaining from blood was one of the key teachings and there was elaborate ritual and slaughter of animals to ensure no blood was taken.

Leviticus 17.14… because the life of every creature is its blood. That is why I have said to the Israelite's, "You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; anyone who eats it must be cut off."

In Hebrews 9.22 we read ‘In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.’

If you think back to the story of Adam and Eve you will see after the fall God’s clothes them with skins, presumably from animals and presumably from slaughtered animals.

So Jesus dies and sheds his blood willingly that we might be clothed with a robe of righteousness.

Isaiah the prophet wrote… ‘I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.’ 61.10

Therefore as our passage from Ephesians exhorts us we should - ‘Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise…’

With an encouragement to meet together regularly and ‘speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord…’

Solomon’ wisdom became proverbial and yet Jesus says, ‘The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here--but you refuse to listen. ‘

Greater than Solomon – that can only mean Jesus.

Solomon’s knowledge of the disparate tribes of Israel and the need to unify them was certainly one factor for building a temple.

It was a place that all the tribes could come to and be united in their worship of the one true God.

However Solomon says ‘come’ and Jesus says ‘go…’

‘And he said to them, therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…’

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 

Then from Acts “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."  1.8

Do you see the pattern…

We come to worship and then go out to witness – to proclaim the Gospel to all creation.

Solomon’s knowledge of the Israelite's and the situation he found himself in helped him make wise decisions.

What knowledge do you have of the people in this community of Brown Edge?

What do they like to watch on TV?

What kinds of jobs do they have?

What Radio Station do they listen?

What about their age profile?

What about family set ups?

You see you can find a lot of this out and then acquire a certain knowledge that you can use wisely in seeking to proclaim the Gospel.

Jesus challenged the Temple worship because it had become self-serving instead of life affirming and life giving.  It has become bound up with ritual and formula that had to be strictly adhered to so that God could be approached and sins expunged.

Jesus says that they have become like blind guides and have missed the true vocation of ethnic Israel, which was to be a light to the Gentiles.

We need to be very careful we don’t do the same.

Archbishop William Temple said ‘the church exists for the benefit of its non-members.’

Jesus invited us to become ‘fishers of people’ – but so often we have become an aquarium of a rare breed of fish rather than a fishing boat.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."  1.8

Let me close by suggesting that this church is Jerusalem and it is right and proper that you invite people here to taste and see that the Lord is good.

However can I challenge you to think about where your Judea might be, and what kind of people live there, what Gospel message should we be proclaiming to them? And then where is your Samaria and finally the ends of the earth.

Let us pray....

Holy God, the one who calls,

accompanies and sustains,

so use our hearts and minds

that honour may be given

to your faithful witnesses

  past and present;

and, as new patterns of living

flow around us,

draw us into your pattern

for offering new life in Christ

to all peoples and nations,

now and in ages to come.

By the power of the Holy Spirit

make us courageous, creative,

gentle and obedient to go where you are

and give glory to your name.

Amen.

 From CMS Emerging Mission Study

St John's Littleworth Summer Season Sermons - 'Developing the Church' 09/08/15

St John the Baptist Littleworth August 9^th 2015                            http://www.stjohnsstafford.org/

Sermon Series on Ephesians – Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2

Living Your Life 1

Whenever you see ‘therefore’ in Paul’s writing it is good to ask what is it there for?

It is there for to remind us of how we should live as a result of a set of teaching, insight or exhortation that has just been offered.

So what insight or teaching have we just received – i.e. what do the few preceding verse talk about.

Basically it’s about living in a new way now that you have put on Christ – been made new in the attitude of your minds.

Ephesians 4. 22-23 ‘You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.’

 

And in Paul’s Letter to the Romans…

Romans 12:2 is “Do not let the world squeeze you into its mould, but instead let yourself be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Believing always affects behaviour, with perhaps the exception of some mental disorders.

Everyone has a faith and a belief system, sometimes referred to as a ‘world view’ and that affects their behaviour.

Those who have put on Christ are now to have a different behaviour arising out of a different set of beliefs.

Lies become truth…

Anger isn’t allowed to fester but it dealt with…

Stealing must stop and honest labour pursued…

Filthy talk transformed to wholesome and edifying conversations…

Bitterness, rage, anger, brawling and malice – all must be become kindness and compassion.

I want to suggest that our belief directs our behaviour under two broad headings - bombs or blessings.

Human history both ancient and contemporary has far too many examples of belief becoming bombs.

Bombs of course in the quite literal sense of the word, strapped around human bodies to cause as much death and injury as possible to those who don’t accept or share our beliefs.

But there are also other kinds of bombs.

Bombs like the ones Paul mentions here.

Bitterness, anger and rage such as led a man recently to get out of his car after a minor accident and stab a 79 year old man to death.

You can fill in the details – we all know the stories and they can pile up one on top of the other.

Loud, foul mouthed mothers bawling out at their kids using obscenities. O yes, we are called to love them – but not their foul mouthed obscene behaviour that is instilling in their kids that shouting and swearing and cursing are normal behaviour and a way to get things done.

But there is other more subtle bombs people drop – and we need to be on our guard we don’t do the same.

That little word, that cynical remark, that hint of doubt – the unkind comment on Facebook or by Twitter or email.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you, I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all people on earth will be blessed through you.’  Genesis 12. 2-3

Thus Abram receives the call from God to be a blessing to all people on the earth.

Jesus accuses the leaders, the scribes and the elders of having lost sight of this call. 

Ethnic Israel had become self-serving instead of being a light to the Gentiles demonstrating how to live as authentic human beings in God’s created order.

Jesus personifies Israel and seeks to bring his people back to the Abrahamic calling of being a blessing not only to ethnic Israel but also to the Gentiles – to all the earth.

‘The Kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe the Good News.’

The Law and the Prophets and the Temple where like a pedagogue who had the task of taking a child to the teacher – now the Teacher had come and all is being fulfilled.

The Teacher establishes a new community, a new Israel who are children of promise and grace, not of birth and race. Paul argues this very forcibly, particularly in his Letter to the Romans.

And also in Galatians…

‘For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.’

And what is the task of this new Israel, what is their calling?

As children of Abraham does it not follow that we inherit that same calling as our father in the faith?

To be a blessing to all peoples on the earth.

This calling is wonderfully explored in Graham Tomlin’s book – ‘The Widening Circle, Priesthood as God’s way of blessing the world.’

Also ‘Rediscovering the Ministry of Blessing’ by Russ Parker.

What we believe affects the way we behave.

Let me ask you what do you believe about Jesus?

What do believe about the Community of Faith, the Church, the Bride of Christ?

What do you believe about this Community of Faith, here at St John’s?

What do believe about the Lord’s Prayer?

What do you believe about Jesus’ return and the redemption of the cosmos with 

heaven and earth conjoined?

What do you believe about your part in this enterprise?

Michael Quoist in his book ‘The Christian Response’ says…

‘You are a unique and irreplaceable actor in the drama of human history, and Jesus Christ has need of you to make known his salvific work in this particular place and at this particular moment in history.’

Do you believe that – if so, how is that going to affect your behaviour on Monday?

Today we are God’s gathered people receiving blessings.

Tomorrow we will be God’s dispersed people; each of us with a unique opportunity to dispense blessings to the people we encounter in our daily lives.





Later in the Service we will hear these most important words – 

  ‘Go in peace to love and serve the Lord’ -

           as we go may our prayer be…

Lord, make us instruments of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let us sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. 

Captain's Log August 2015

 

My involvement with the Stafford RDA (Riding for the Disabled Association) continues to go well and I have now been duly trained, approved and vetted! I recently spent a couple of hours in Stafford Sainsbury - RDA is their Charity of the Year.

Let me tell you a story - let me tell you my story!

I really believe that one of the key elements in sharing our faith and witnessing is our story. I had the great privilege of telling my story at the Mothers’ Union AGM. My story began by playing ‘Fame – I wanna live for ever,’ which picked up my desire to become famous and saw me travel to Newmarket at the age of fifteen in the hope of becoming a famous jockey. I didn’t find fame but found Jesus. I discovered the only place you need to ensure your name is written is in the Lambs Book of Life. Jane brought my story to end an end by singing ‘Through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus.’  My challenge to them was, ‘that’s my story, and so what’s your own faith story?’ To help frame a 'faith story' I have found Ben and Ann very helpful. Ben stands for Before Encounter Now and is mostly conversion Christians. Ann stands for Always known God Needed to have an owned/personal faith Now, mostly cradle Christians.

Both are important in their own way, albeit not many people are finding faith as cradle Christians - Ben and Ann's need to talk to each other!

'Summerfest' It was great to get the Caravan out plus all my garden games, badge making and bubble machine. Jane and I spent the weekend at Ilam Caravan Park and took part in a Mothers’ Union Family Fun Day based at Dovedale House, a Christian Residential Centre.

 http://www.dovedalehouse.org/

On the Sunday I preached nearby at St Peter’s, Alstonfield.  Interesting to reflect that we could have been accommodated at Dovedale House. However I think we made the better choice staying in the Caravan Park. Sometimes it is important to step outside the Christian bubble!

Whilst in the Chichester Diocese I got involved in Spiritual Direction. Therefore it was a delight to meet up with Christine who is the Lichfield Diocesan Spiritual Companions Advisor.  She has the most amazing Reflective Garden that includes a small Hermitage where guests can stay or small groups can have Quiet Days. www.reflectiongardens.org.uk  I am also pleased that I now have my own Spiritual Companion. It is so important that we tend and nurture our own souls.

Part of my role is to support Benefices and Parishes during Vacancies which includes taking Services.  As such I led a Praise & Worship Service for St Peter’s, Forsbrook.  St Peter’s is one of those places where you can invite and wait upon the Spirit.  So often, particularly at the beginning of our worship, we simply set off along a familiar path not really thinking about what we are doing.  One man said it was one of the most memorable and profound Acts of Worship he had been to in that Church going back over 40 years!  Thanks be to God!  Invite the Spirit and see what happens! Structure, order and the Spirit all help bring us before God                                                       in praise, worship and adoration.

July ended with a trip down to Cornwall taking the Caravan. We had the Baptism of Daniel and Tracey’s second child, Lowenna. We had thoughts of a nice weekend in a good campsite because the Church Army caravan is really basic; just one step up from camping! The journey down on Friday was a nightmare in the pouring rain all the way there and a journey of five hours took over eight! Saturday was a nice day so we took the opportunity of visiting Lanhydrock, near Bodmin.  We settled down on Saturday night having enjoyed a BBQ and a bottle of wine only to be woken up at 5am with a howling gale and a gazebo that decided it was going to be a kite!  So we both went out in our PJs to try and sort things out and got wet, very wet. The joys of camping and caravanning in Britain!    Thankfully the Baptism went well, albeit we were somewhat bleary eyed. Michael Marshall, the Priest at Holy Trinity St Austell, led the All Age Worship that in many ways focussed around the Baptism as they had as their theme, ‘Philip and the story of Ethiopian Eunuch.’

Prayer Diary for August 2015

Not a huge amount of appointments in August. Therefore I am taking the opportunity of catching up on admin and reports etc. Also some planning for things like the Parish Weekend for St Michael and All Angels, Lancing, in September. We are also hoping to get ourselves a little better sorted. Things got rather dumped when we arrived and there are still boxes and files and other stuff to sort, sift and possibly get rid of!  (We lost one gazebo in Cornwall!) We also plan to take some more time out, spending time together and perhaps visiting a few places to help us get to know the area a little better. 

Sunday 9^th

Preaching at my home church for the first time! (St John’s Littleworth)

Thursday 13^th

Meeting of a small group to explore ‘resourcing rural mission.’

Sunday 16^th

Preaching at St Anne’s, Brown Edge

Tuesday 18^th

Meeting with Ministry Team at Swynerton

Thursday 20^th

Diocesan Group who are engaged in the promotion of LICC. www.licc.org.uk

Friday 21^st

Small group meeting to explore a Church presence at the Shropshire County Show.

Monday 24

Meeting with my Spiritual Companion

The Family – you will have picked up on the lovely baptism we had for Lowenna. Pray for Daniel and Tracey and the girls, especially as Daniel takes a break from school. Tabitha continues to flit between here and Crawley, pray for her safe travelling. (Tabitha also has a developing relationship with a nice young man!) Joe and Jen - yes the Wedding of the Century looms ever closer. However  more immediate prayers for Joe who took a tumble off his motorbike – broken wrist, broken shoulder and a damaged knee. Jane continues to keep busy with music making and visits to the gym (and looking after me and the house!) plus making all sorts of creative items for the Wedding. These include paper button holes made out of a book of poems by Edgar Alan Poe! 

Holiday for Jane and I will come after the wedding, so latter part of September early October.  Pray for strength to keep on going!