Acts
17:22-28; John 14:15-20,
25-27
We live in a time when people are
interested in spirituality, but not any religion in particular,
a time when people who grew up
attending worship and youth group are no longer interested in ‘church’
we live in a time when fewer
people than in the past know the basics of Christianity.
When I was growing up, I don’t
remember having Scripture classes at school, they may have happened, but I
don’t remember them.
My parents did not attend worship, or have anything to do with church.
My brother and I went to Sunday School with the lady a few doors up for maybe 2 years.
But, I wondered what it meant that Australia was a Christian country.
My parents did not attend worship, or have anything to do with church.
My brother and I went to Sunday School with the lady a few doors up for maybe 2 years.
But, I wondered what it meant that Australia was a Christian country.
Did it mean we were all
automatically Christians?
From the little that I knew, I decided that everyone couldn’t be Christian, because some people did the wrong thing – I obviously hadn’t heard about grace [smiley face]
From the little that I knew, I decided that everyone couldn’t be Christian, because some people did the wrong thing – I obviously hadn’t heard about grace [smiley face]
Faith is a mystery in many ways,
so many people feel that there is more to life than what they can see; yet for
many people the church is not a place they look to answer that need.
Paul is visiting Athens, where
there are idols to many Gods, including an idol to the ‘unknown God’.
Paul didn’t tell the people of
Athens off, for having so many Gods.
He didn’t tell them they were going to hell
or that they were outside God’s love.
He talked about the God he knew, not giving every detail of the story, and connecting with the people’s interest in religion and poetry.
He didn’t tell them they were going to hell
or that they were outside God’s love.
He talked about the God he knew, not giving every detail of the story, and connecting with the people’s interest in religion and poetry.
When so many people today are not
interested in ‘the church’, but are searching for something more in life,
when people don’t have years of Bible stories and Sunday school
I wonder how can we speak to people in ways that connect with their experience, that answers the questions they are asking.
when people don’t have years of Bible stories and Sunday school
I wonder how can we speak to people in ways that connect with their experience, that answers the questions they are asking.
Sure, we could go and stand on
the beach and tell people about sin and the cross and hell – but …
•
what if instead we lived in ways that showed people
love. Not because they deserve it, but because they are part of God’s creation.
•
what if we took seriously questions about shame,
guilt, life, death, forgiveness, pain and grief. Not with easy answers, but
willing to listen to people’s experience.
•
what if we were prepared to say we don’t know the
answers to everything about God and Jesus and faith
•
what if instead of talking about punishment for
sin, we showed God’s desire to heal the wounds our sin causes.
When people are looking for
something that makes sense of life, how do we talk about our experience of God?
As I mentioned last week, John
has this very long section of Jesus telling his disciples he will soon die, and
reminding them of how to live.
Jesus is saying: don’t be afraid,
I will send another advocate, another companion. Just as Jesus has been with
the disciples, walking beside them, teaching them, showing them how to live; after
he dies, the Holy Spirit will come and continue to guide them and be present
with them.
You may have noticed that this
section begins: “If you love me, you will do as I
command.”
If….
Is this a threat like: if you don’t tidy your room
you won’t get any dinner?
Or, if you eat your vegies you can have dessert.
Or, if you eat your vegies you can have dessert.
There is another way to look at this, Jesus is
stating a fact. This isn’t a threat, but a reality. When we love someone, we
will follow their teaching and example.[i]
And what was the teaching and example
of Jesus?
Love
Grace
Healing
….
“We remember ... that Jesus has
also said, ‘I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I
have loved you, you also should love one another’. (John 13:34)
The commandment is to love, to be
loved.
It has to do with an abiding in
and with God and with one another. It is a mutual relationship.” [ii]
Our love of Jesus is expressed in
being "agents of God's love in the world."[iii] We don’t do that on our
own, that is what Jesus is saying here, keep my commandments, love one another,
and I am sending a companion, the Holy Spirit will guide and lead you, just as I
have been with you, guiding, teaching and loving you.
Sentimental love or a cherished
memory will not give us the courage and confidence to speak on behalf of the poor,
to be obedient when it is uncomfortable or unpopular or illegal.
Christianity is about being a
follower of Jesus, not an admirer or a fan.
When things get tough for the
disciples, and the early church, they are being encouraged to remember the life
Jesus showed them, and the teaching about being loved and loving.
We can remember the life of
Jesus, and treat it as a good story; or we can remember the life of Jesus and
allow it to change us, so that we allow Jesus to live in and through us.
Have you ever felt the prompting
of the Spirit?
The other week in hospital, one
night the lady next to me was in pain. My first thought was that I am a
patient, and the nurses will sort it out. But I knew I should speak to her. So, I pulled
the curtain back, and asked if she was in pain? She was, but had been on
painkillers for 3 weeks and didn’t want anymore because of the side effects. I suggested
she ask the nurse, which she did. The nurse went to get some medication for
her. The patient asked me why I bothered talking with her. Well, to be honest I
was tempted to stay out of it, but something inside me connected with the humanity
and pain of this woman. To me that was a
prompting of the Holy Spirit, telling me that this woman needed kindness, and I
should get out of bed and let her know she is not alone.
This section from John finishes with Jesus
saying: I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can
give.
The challenge, as always, is to hear Jesus speaking
to us as well as the disciples, knowing that if Jesus was here today giving
this sermon, he would use different words to 2000 years ago.
While much has changed in that time, I think
much of our humanness is the same. Several people have written about the basic
human needs.
Anthony Robbins has written the 6 core needs
of people:[iv]
- • Certainty - security and predictability
- • Variety - surprise and challenges and change
- • Significance - feeling needed, a sense of importance
- • Love and connection
- • Constant emotional, spiritual and intellectual development
- • The need to contribute, to care for others, to give beyond ourselves.
For me, the Christian life fulfils each of
these needs:
Jesus offers us peace and security
The Holy Spirit brings surprises and challenges.
God gives each of us gifts that are to be used for the good for all, and we are called to seek the coming kingdom
And each one is loved, and lives in God, and God in us – how much more connected could we be.
The Holy Spirit brings surprises and challenges.
God gives each of us gifts that are to be used for the good for all, and we are called to seek the coming kingdom
And each one is loved, and lives in God, and God in us – how much more connected could we be.
We live in a time when people are seeking
life; abundant, fulfilling, meaningful life. How do we speak of our experience of faith in
ways that connect with people?
Not belittling, or putting them down, or
speaking words of judgement.
How do we speak of life and love and peace
with people who don’t know about Jesus or church or the Bible?
When people are looking for something that
makes sense of life, how do we talk about our experience of God?
May the Spirit give you courage and
confidence to speak the words of life.
