“Show forth my glory in 2010; preach my Gospel”

CPAC Sermon for 28.2.2010 by John

“Show forth my glory in 2010; preach my Gospel”

Scriptures:

· Ephesians 3: 7-13

· 2Tim 4:1-8 and Why? 1 Tim 2-4

· Is 43:10 and 44:8 You are my witnesses, says the LORD

· Is there any God besides me? There is no other rock.(see Acts 2: 36-42+Acts 3:12)

· Rom 10 6-17 How will they hear without someone to proclaim Him?

How can I be a witness and share my faith?

1. Pray for opportunities and divine appointments and boldness Acts 4:31

2. Start with testimony in witnessing your own and other peoples testimonies and CPACs story

3. Recognise divine appointments when people share needs with you.

4. Invite and bring people to hear Evangelists like Pat and Bill Subritzky 17-18^th April

5. Receive training and equipping such as at the Bill Subritzky Evangelism and Healing Seminar17th April

6. Bring people on Alpha: Wed evenings during 2^nd term at St Johns hall.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever 21 Feb 2010

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever

Wonder what sort of week you have had? Did you know at the start the way it would pan out? Our week was varied and challenging, particularly settling into this new role. But I guess it was just like anyone settling into a new role. Change can take some getting used to.

It is how we approach change that makes the difference and who we look to to help us adjust and cope.

I have woken in a cold sweat a couple of times at 4AM wondering how I was going to cope. At those times my mind has gone back to an old song………….. "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace." And I have prayed "Lord I believe you have called me into this. I need you to guide me in handling these things." And I can tell you he certainly has. Very quickly the issues troubling me seemed to be resolved. Very clearly the person to look to at all times is Jesus.

You see if I had known what the outcome would be I would never have needed to pray that prayer and to put my trust in him. The outcome could have been seen as about me and my ability and not about Jesus. That is the great confidence we can have - it is not in our hands but in Christ’s…………..IF we trust him!

I have very clear recollection of the text that was written on the wall behind the pulpit in the church I grew up in, in Christchurch . It was in polystyrene lettering that stuck out from the wall - giving it even more impact. So I can remember it clearly. It was……………………

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb.13:8)

You see the one and only constant through change in our lives is Jesus.

In Col.1 we read…… When Jesus came to earth he was God in the flesh. He existed at the beginning of creation. What Jesus represented on earth was the character of God in every aspect. And now we know that when Jesus returned to heaven from earth he is seated at the right hand of God. Jesus was there in the beginning, is now, and ever will be. What or who else could we possibly need?

And……………so importantly for us…….HE, Jesus, is the head of our church. Not me. Not John. Not whoever it is that God has to come here in the future. It is Jesus.

Note the Cross. I haven't put it there to make a statement just for the sake of change or doing something new. I have put it there to remind us all that Jesus must be at the centre of our church ………..at the centre of our thinking……….at the centre of all we do…………at all times………..and especially now as we look to see what the future holds.

It is not whether I like this person or that person standing up here that will determine where I worship. As long as that person is committed to loving and serving the Lord it shouldn't matter. What must matter is that we too love and serve the Lord. He must be at the centre of our lives………..as individuals……..and as a church body. Stating the obvious perhaps?

Let us make sure that that obvious is reality and that we don't forget who really is the head of our church……...Jesus.

For some time as I thought what I would say today, I had had that Colossians passage in my mind. It seemed so appropriate about the supremacy of Christ and that he is the head of the church. But over the last week or two the founding scripture of Churton Park Anglican Church has kept coming to me in various ways…….other people mentioning it and so on. And a couple of days ago my devotional reading was just that passage. John 15:1-17.

My devotional was about the importance of love and how we must really major in love….. in the way Jesus commanded us, but especially in our church family.

Read John 15………..

There are a number of messages we can take from this passage, but what I want to focus on today is that aspect of remaining, or abiding, in Christ. What does it mean?

It is to grow deeper into Christ - to seek him - to know him better - to have a great trusting relationship with him - to be obedient to him - to be strengthened and refreshed by him - and empowered by him.

Talk about Elders discussing people feeling tired in ministry. I have thought the normal way to deal with this is to take time out and have a rest. Jesus did that. We read where he often went away to a quiet place on his own. But it is what he did then that is the point of difference. He spent time with his father, seeking him, ADIDING in him - enjoying his relationship with him, and being refreshed as a result.

So the Christian way is actually contrary to the way we are used to happening in the world's sense. To be refreshed from spiritual tiredness we actually have to work harder!!

We have to press into God - to know him more and more closely - to learn from him and know his ways.

Tell about my experience 5 years ago of burnout and resulting bible study that led to a spiritual awakening and refreshing.

We can learn a couple of lessons from doing this and abiding in Christ…….

1. God doesn't expect us to do more than he has called or equipped us to do. This applies for us both individually……..and as a church body. God will supply all our needs.

I believe that if we don't have certain resources we are not meant to try and do those things at that time. God will provide those resources at the right time to act upon.

2. Also……that weakness/tiredness in serving God can also be a strength. This is because it is at those times we have to call on God to provide the power and enabling…..

Note Paul's claims in 2 Cor.12:9-10 and Phil.4:13

I often think of those passages and draw strength and encouragement from them.

Think back to the vine imagery. The vine of course is the main stem or support. It is the source of all nourishment and strength………….in fact everything that the branch and fruit needs comes from the vine. They can't exist without it, let alone flourish. Our vine, Jesus, gives his branches, us, LIFE. And from that comes the fruit.

That is why we must centre on Jesus…………..abide in him.

If I have anything to offer you over these coming months it is this - Jesus Christ.

No-one, not even the great preachers or respected Christian leaders around the world can offer you anything greater.

Jesus is all we need. And I can tell you with great assurance that will be enough.

May we, over these coming weeks as we handle changes in our church, may we please look to Jesus for his guidance, and his empowering. That it isn't our will or our agenda that are sought. But that it is his will and that he is central.

CPAC “Farewell” sermon 14 February 2010

Someone once said,

“Don't cry because it's over.  Smile because it happened!”

I like that attitude….

We can smile today, because many wonderful and memorable things have happened in the last 9 years, and now this chapter of our lives has come to an end.

The theme of todays service is “What a Ride!”

For me it’s been a great, if not sometimes ‘wild’ ride, over the last 9 years.

I was installed as Priest-in-Charge at CPAC on 17th Dec 2000.

That means I have been sermonizing to you for 9 years, so if you haven’t got my drift by now, then good luck to you.

So I’m not going to give you a sermon as such this morning

but let’s go for a brief walk down memory lane.

I have many treasured memories of our time together over the last 9 years.

I remember early on in my time here, after each Sunday morning service young Matthew Osborne always asked if there was any Communion pita bread left over! I was beginning to wonder if his parents fed him breakfast, or perhaps they made him “fast” before church every Sunday morning!!

At a Church Camp we had at Kiwi Ranch I have lasting memories of watching Elmar and Rob Lake “skip” in one of our mini-Olympic games – it didn’t quite look like it was coming naturally to them. And then they decided to give horse riding a go! Well! What’s the definition of “relief”??! They had that huge look of relief on their faces as they dismounted their horses after a hard afternoon’s ride!

I thank all my golfing mates, present and past, for allowing

“me to be me” on the golf course. I regarded that time on the golf course as a gift, and I am very grateful. However, I am still working on the issue of forgiveness for the times they beat me!

I thank many, if not all of you, for the bottles of wine we have drunk, some of which became very useful as water bottles at our CPAC social events!

We’ve done very well at turning wine into water!

And then of course there’s the whiskey-drinkers who too easily led me down the garden path, or should that be the distillery path!

Home groups have always been a source of great fun and fellowship as well as learning. I thank all my fellow Home Group members, past and present.

I recall one Homegroup at the McDermott’s home, we had a post-Lent chocolate party & we played a game involving a chocolate peanut sitting on a well groomed cake of flour. The game was to cut the cake without upsetting the chocolate peanut. Guess who upset the chocolate peanut & then had to eat it from the middle of the pile of flour – not egg on my face but FLOUR on my face! You ever seen a white-faced black Maori?!

For the past 9 years speed cameras in the northern suburbs have done me no favours! I am still annoyed with myself when one day not too long after we had arrived Julian and Fiona Thomson very kindly lent me their little red car to use for church business. I thought, what generous Parishioners we have!

Then the first morning I drove it I got a speeding ticket along Middleton Rd!

Where would we be without our IT systems, our Sunday service sound teams, music teams, set-up and pack-down teams, morning tea brigade, and so on…

Many, many thanks to those of you who work tirelessly, diligently, and very loyally behind the scenes to prepare things for our Sunday morning services…..

Thank you to the Elmar and James and the technical support team that has kept me on-line for 9 years. I can remember feeling very embarrassed one day - I crashed Elmar’s computer system when I sent him an email of Jessica’s school assignment for printing!...

Putting up an artificial Christmas tree?

No worries, I was a former Civil Engineer who once designed buildings and railway bridges! However… couldn’t work out how the Christmas tree stand fitted together. Tania saw me having trouble and proceeded to show me how it fitted together. When I travel around the country, I now make a point of looking at the buildings I once designed, to see if they are still standing!

Trina’s 21^st birthday - dressed up as Bob Marley and Linda was dressed similarly as my white girlfriend with back dreadlocks. Anyway when we left the party venue a cop saw us get into our car and as soon as I turned on the ignition key he pulled up & breath tested me. Then Linda and I went to church the next day still dressed as Mr and Mrs Bob Marley and for a little while we were not recognized! What was going on there?

A BBQ at the Riceman’s home - having a few quiet beers, minding my business, when suddenly James comes up to me and shoves a video camera in my face and Tania says, “Danny can you tell me what you think ‘hell’ is?”

Note that I am being recorded on camera. So what am meant to say? “Is this Candid Camera?” Now, I usually take several days to think about topics such as hell! But I only have several seconds to come up with an answer and in addition I am slightly inebriated.

So I blurt out, “Well, sometimes my wife gives me hell!”

Oops! That has just been recorded….

> John 15….Bear much fruit - hand out small cards….

So thank you, thank you, thank you, to each one of you who in your own special and caring way has impacted, for good,

the lives of Linda and I and our family…. We do not leave the same people as when we arrived – we are much the wiser and learned thanks to you…

Thank you to my family…. without whom I could not do what I believe God is calling me to do….

Thank you to those in the CPAC leadership team and my Church Wardens who have journeyed with me over the years. We have had our highs and lows but the important thing is we stuck together > unity > we were committed and faithful, not only to each other, but most importantly to our Lord.

I leave you now in very, very capable hands > Wayne and John, our CPAC Wardens, our CPAC Council led by Elmar, and the others in our CPAC leadership team… their hearts are aligned to God’s heart… a sure recipe for success and significance in God for CPAC as it moves ahead now….

Thank you to all of you who have prayerfully journeyed with us over these past years…. prayer > the absolute, vital ground of our being…

“Goodbyes are not forever.
Goodbyes are not the end.
They simply mean I'll miss you
Until we meet again!”

²⁰ Now may the God of peace—
      who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ,
   the great Shepherd of the sheep,
      and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—
²¹ may He equip you with all you need
      for doing his will.
   May he produce in you,^[a]
      through the power of Jesus Christ,
   every good thing that is pleasing to him.
      All glory to him forever and ever! (Hebrews 13:20-21)

Amen.

Irish BLESSING:

May the road rise up to meet you,

may the wind be always at your back. 

May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields.  And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.

And the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…

Luke 4:14-21 24 January 2009

CPAC sermon Luke 4:14-21 24 January 2009

Illustration of building a tower – requires a strong foundation….

Dictionary definitions:

Foundation = the base on which something stands

Purpose = the reason for which anything is done, is created or exists

Read Luke 4:14-21… > Synagogue

• = a model of the house church
• Jews had no Temple when in exile so formed synagogues
• Syn had a leader and an assistant
• Syn consisted of about 10 families
• A visiting Rabbi would read the scriptures and teach
• Synagogues were places of regular/formal connection with God, with prayer and worship of God also being a focus

Luke 4 > Isaiah 61

Jews freed from exile by Babylonians but they still under oppression and are a conquered people

* So Isaiah referring to future Messianic age when Jews would be truly freed.

* Jesus says He is now bringing to pass the good news that Isaiah proclaimed in Isa 61. If you like, Isaiah 61 = a founding scripture for Christ – points directly to His purpose on earth.

Foundations are extremely important…

The Foundation(s) holds the key to one’s/church’s purpose(s)

Christ is the cornerstone of the foundation of our life….

CPAC’s foundation began upon a conviction that God had a purpose that He wanted to achieve through CPAC… and so CPAC was conceived/formed….

So from God’s point of view, a synagogue or a church = much more than a meeting place or a place where friends meet.

Church is a fellowship of people committed to fulfilling God’s eternal purposes for it > “Fellowship of the Ring”… (the Fellowship helps Frodo destroy the Ring in the fires of Mordor)

What is the foundation of CPAC or God’s original purpose for CPAC?

>John 15 > to bear much fruit in and through Jesus Christ as our

source of life itself

Foundations don’t change. Foundations help us focus/refocus….

John 15 is CPAC’s foundation on which it must be built using the 5 fold ministry (Eph 4) and the gifts of the H Sp (1 Cor 12:7-11)…

The Church is about releasing us into God’s purposes.

Important to always examine our foundations personally, at work, at school or uni, in sports teams, at home in ourt relationships, in our friendships/marriages, at church…to check our progress and review if we are meeting our goals/targets, etc Isa 45…. end with prayer..