What it means to take up your cross.

Matthew 16:21-28

I have to admit that my heart really goes out to Peter in today’s gospel reading. He is my favourite disciple because he very rarely sits on the sideline, and rightly or wrongly, always appears eager to jump in head first. However, on this occasion, he has bumbled big time! He just doesn’t get what the Messiah is saying. Yet only last week that he really knew what was going on, for in answer to Jesus’ question about who the disciples thought he was, Peter, as their spokesperson, said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus commended him for that and told him that he was “blessed’ because God had revealed that to him. And, I can imagine than from then on Peter was on a roll.

But now, when Jesus immediately starts talking about being rejected by the leaders of the nation, and says he is going to suffer and die, it just doesn’t fit with the confession of faith that Peter had just made. Jesus’ words seem to contradict what Peter thought it means to be the Messiah and it doesn’t make any sense. So, when Jesus starts talking that way, Peter figures that he’s mistaken and rushes in head first to correct him. He wants desperately for Jesus to fit into the mould he has made of what a Messiah should do. I wonder how often you and I, perhaps subconsciously, put Jesus into the mould we have made for him? How often do you and I prevent Christ’s work in the world because of our own agendas of what we think He should or shouldn’t do?

What I love about the Bible most of all is the fact that the people in it are so real and we can really identify with them! For people haven’t really changed that much in 2000 years! Aren’t we, as people, also much like Peter, for aren’t we guilty of wanting God to fit into a certain mould too? We are often guilty of treating him like Santa Clause, only communicating with him when we want something. We berate God when things go wrong, things that are often the result of either our own actions or of poor decisions we have made in the past. Or we point the finger at God when our world falls apart. We pick out all the parts of the Bible that suit us but often disregard the parts that call us to account as followers of Christ.

“Jesus began to show” his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem. He will tell the disciples over and over again, because they are simply unable to grasp what he is saying, just like he does with each of us today. As a new Christian, our understanding is fairly basic, but over years of walking with the Lord, He reveals more and more of himself and our level of understanding increases. Jesus must go to Jerusalem to complete his God-given mission Not to go, would be to compromise everything that he has come to do.

When Jesus reveals to his disciples that he will suffer at the hands of the elders, chief priests and scribes, it is hard for them to comprehend, for it is not the worst of men who will kill Jesus, but the best. Why would the guardians of the nation’s religious heritage kill the one who has come to fulfil that heritage? I believe that there is a message in that for us today. It is imperative that we are in relationship with Christ in order to discern that church leaders, myself included, are truly preaching the gospel and in fact walking the talk, and not falling into the trap of legalism and religion. Being unable to discern the difference, people, is not an excuse! That is why I encourage you all to dig deep into God’s word because being led astray should not be an option!

Having so recently been confirmed in his belief that Jesus is the Messiah, poor Peter cannot understand Jesus’ dramatic news of his death. He has heard Jesus say “killed, but obviously didn’t understand the significance of “on the third day be raised.” I wonder if Peter rebukes Jesus because he takes seriously his new responsibility to be the rock on which the church is built. It is almost as if he seems to think it is his task, and his alone, to insure a successful outcome for Jesus’ ministry. Whatever his reason however, he oversteps his appropriate bounds as a disciple. How often, I wonder, are we guilty of this as church? How often do we assume to know what is best, and plough on without waiting on the Lord to guide us? How often, like Peter, is our vision of Christ’s mission skewed, and how often do we try to superimpose our vision over God’s vision?

Jesus then calls the disciples to a disciplined life. “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” The meaning of discipleship is slowly unfolding and, here, the disciples know full well what Jesus means. Crucifixion was a common method of execution, and condemned criminals had to carry their crosses through the streets to the execution site. Following Jesus, therefore, meant a true commitment, the risk of death and no turning back. I wonder if we were faced with the risk of death for our faith today how many of you would be in church this morning?

Make no mistake, 2000 years on, that kind of commitment is as valid today as it was back then. Taking up our cross and following Jesus requires different values, morals, goals and purposes than what the world aspires to and will set us apart from others and, for many around the world it will indeed mean death. For whether you are aware of it or not, there have been more Christians martyrs this century than for the entire history of Christianity. Picking up our cross demands that we accept Jesus not only as Saviour but that we make him Lord of our lives, so that everything we do, we do in the light, to bring glory to his name.

Taking up our cross involves denial to our own selfish desires and instead involves giving God’s will priority in our lives. In every case, Christian self-denial will involve some sort of personal sacrifice. In every case, it will involve some sort of service in Christ’s name. Taking up the cross and following Jesus isn’t easy and comes at a cost but the rewards are great! Instead of death, comes life; life as we have never experienced it before.

It means that the person who is willing to lose his/her life in Christ’s service is freed from fear of death. The person for whom Christ is more important than possessions is freed from slavery to materialism. The person who resists temptation finds him/herself stronger when the next temptation rolls along. The employee who maintains integrity in the face of temptation can face a mirror without feeling shame. The person who sacrifices an afternoon of golf to help a person in need gains a sense of self-worth. It means life, but life more abundantly.

If we, like the apostle Peter, want to be significant in the outworking of God’s plan, we must yield ourselves consistently to his leading in our lives. You know, Peter’s greatness in his role in the early church did not come from his personal abilities or giftedness. What led to Peter’s great role in church history ultimately comes down to his willingness to pick up his cross and to the development of consistency in his commitment to Jesus in all areas of his life. He was able to give himself consistently to God’s ways, God’s work, God’s will, not his own, whatever the circumstances. For that, Peter becomes an important example of the way in which our lives can count for God in his calling in our lives, at our work, in our families, in our church, and in our neighbourhood, when we pick up the cross and commit fully to Jesus as Lord and Master.

Where do you stand with God today? Are you willing to make him Lord of your life? Are you ready to fully commit your life to him?

Who do you say that I am?

Matthew 16: 13-20

In today’s gospel reading we are in Caesarea Philippi where Jesus is asking his disciples one of the most familiar questions in all the Bible, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” I doubt however, that Jesus was really all that interested in what the crowd thought about him. He knew that masses of people are quite fickle and easily led astray. We only have to look around us today. There are lots of people who will follow just about anybody, or anything for that matter, who does something wildly different. Jesus wasn’t really concerned about what the masses were thinking about him for he knew that some in the crowds cheering him now, would later shout the loudest for his crucifixion. However, he was concerned when he turned to his disciples and asked them, “And who do you say that I am?” Jesus’ plan for the salvation of the world lay with this small group of men. He was building a team that would carry on after he was gone. The only thing that mattered to Jesus was their opinion. Who did they think he was?

And that, I believe, is Jesus’ main concern for those of us who call ourselves his disciples today. Who do you think he is? I won’t embarrass you by going around the church and asking you one by one, but you know something, it is actually that important. Who do you think he is? It doesn’t matter what people outside these walls think. They are not the ones called to be the light of the world, But it matters immensely what you and I think, for He is counting on us to offer up our lives in service to his kingdom. He is counting on us to be about the Father’s business in our homes, at school and at work and in all our important relationships. What we think of him is of vital importance. It will determine the level of our loyalty and the intensity of our commitment. Who do you say Christ is?

The best place to find out about Jesus Christ is in the Bible. In the very first book in the Bible, the book of Genesis, the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, turn away from God to Satan and sin. Then they know fear and shame and hide themselves. But God acts. In the cool of the evening God walks in their garden. “Where are you?” He queries. Finding them, he begins to unfold His divine redeeming strategy. At God’s initiative an animal is slain, the first blood sacrifice, and the promise of a saviour is prophesied, one who would crush Satan. In other religions we have Confucius, Mohammed and Buddha who are only the initiative of man, but the distinct uniqueness of Christ, is that he is the initiative of God himself.

Another distinctive of Jesus Christ is that his life and ministry were predicted long before he was born. The Old Testament was written over a 1,500 year period, yet in its 39 books a saviour is predicted 300 times and these just weren’t vague prophesies like people read today in the stars, but were very specific. 300 prophesies and yet guess what! Jesus Christ fulfilled everyone of them!

In Christ’s teachings, a further distinctive is found. Other religious leaders said, “I have taught you the truth,” but Jesus said, “I am the truth.” There are many, many people today who would like to say that Jesus Christ was a great teacher, but he was not God. But here’s the thing that we need to take heed of: Christ has not left that option open to us. Either he is right or he is wrong. You must decide, because sitting on the fence is not an option. The New Testament writers all tell us, that Jesus taught with such authority, and that his lifestyle never contradicted his words. Merciful love, faultless character and extraordinary miracles accompanied his every utterance.

I guess like countless millions around the world, many of you will be glued to the TV when we have the World Rugby, following many of the games. Well, in 1896, when Athens renewed the Olympic Games, you can imagine how proud the Greeks were to host the first modern Olympics, but imagine their disappointment when their own athletes experienced a lack of success in event after event. It wasn’t until the last competition, the marathon, that word reached the stadium, that a lone runner approaching the stadium was their own entrant named Louis, a virtually unknown shepherd. As the excitement grew, Prince George of Greece hurried to the stadium entrance where he met Louis and ran with him to the finish line. I wonder how many of you knew this story?
The point of telling it to you, is this. In this story we have something of the history of the human race. Most historical figures make their impact, achieve a measure of fame, books may even be written about them, but as years go by, they begin to fade; less and less is written or spoken of their lives until they eventually rest in relative obscurity, as happened to Louis. With Jesus Christ, however, we find quite an opposite phenomena! While all others decrease, he increases until, as the Bible predicts, “To him, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

Almost 2000 years ago a man was born contrary to the laws of nature. Born of a virgin, he lived in poverty, and was reared in obscurity. Never did he travel extensively, no big OEs for him! Only once or twice did he cross the boundary of Israel. He possessed neither wealth nor influence. His family had little education. In infancy he startled a ruling monarch. In childhood, he puzzled learned scholars. In adulthood, he ruled nature walking upon the sea and hushing a storm.
He healed the multitudes of blind, lame, mute, possessed and he did it without medicine and made no charge for his services. He never wrote anything down, and yet the libraries of the world bulge with the volumes written about him.
He never practiced medicine and yet he has healed more broken spirits and hearts than modern medicine near and far. He never started a university, yet all the universities of the world cannot boast of having as many disciples.
He never commanded an army, fired a gun, drafted as a soldier, or ran for political office, yet no officer or king ever had more volunteers who have, under his orders, marched into every valley of human need, to begin orphanages, schools and hospitals, to right wrongs and institute justice And every Sunday, multitudes assemble in churches worldwide to worship him as Saviour and Lord.
The names of athletes, movie stars, artists, presidents, kings and queens, have come and gone; but the name of this person grows in time. Though over 2000 years from his birth, yet he lives today! Herod could not kill him. Satan could not seduce him. Death could not obliterate him and the grave could not hold him.
He stands forth upon the earth as God Incarnate, the King of glory, Jesus Christ, Saviour and Lord; our Messiah.
Proclaimed by prophets, heralded by angels, worshipped by saints, feared by devils, he asks each of us today,
“Who do you say that I am?”
And my question this morning is, “what is your response?”

Resentment, an Inner Attitude.

Luke 10:38-42

Years ago, I was invited to hear an American woman, Florence Littauer, who was speaking at a function in Auckland. She is a Christian woman who has done a lot of study on understanding different personalities. Not only was she very funny but I found her to also be very informative. According to her, broadly speaking, there are four different personality types.

First there is the choleric personality. This is the action –oriented doer, who likes to take charge. They are happiest when they are in control.

Secondly there is the melancholy personality. This is the detailed planner. They have the ability to organize and are happiest when everything is done correctly.

Thirdly there is the sanguine personality. This is enthusiastic optimist with the bubbly personality. They are happiest when they are having fun.

And finally there is the phlegmatic personality. This is the thinker. They are happiest when everything is peaceful.

I have to confess, just in case you hadn’t already worked it out, I am a mixture of choleric and sanguine, which basically means I love to be in charge as long as I am having fun!!

The point of Littauer’s personality profile is fairly obvious. We are all different and when we recognize, understand, respect and celebrate our differences we get along better. It might surprise you that this idea is rooted deeply in the Bible, so it’s actually nothing new! It is also one of the key themes of Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. Some are prophets and some are teachers. Some are action-orientated, while others are pensive and thoughtful. Some are enthusiastic motivators while others are controlled organizers. Some are loud and some are quiet. We are different people with different personalities, different styles, different temperaments and that’s OK! Indeed it is actually necessary as long as we are loving and tolerant about it.

You are probably wondering where I am going with this, and perhaps why I have chosen this particular reading for this morning. Not only is it a perfect backdrop that shows up different personality styles, but it also speaks to me of an attitude that I have had to repent of recently.

All morning long there has been a bustle of excitement in the home in Bethany. Jesus is coming for dinner. Martha is so excited and, being the perfect organizer, since day break, she has been frantically sweeping, scrubbing, dusting and darting in and out of the kitchen preparing the food and checking that everything is in order. Probably, if truth be known she’s been bossy and giving orders right left and centre! I get the feeling that she’s probably the choleric personality type! Needs to take charge!

Then Jesus arrives and what does Mary do? She whisks in to take over as hostess, as if she’s been doing all the work! She welcomes Jesus and the disciples warmly and ushers them into the living room. It sure looks like it’s going to be a great evening. Jesus is there with all his closest friends and he has so much to share. Mary, sensing a certain urgency in his voice, positions herself at his feet, peacefully drinking in his every word, totally oblivious to the fact that Martha isn’t there with her. Certainly the phlegmatic personality, wouldn’t you say?

Meanwhile, Martha is out in the kitchen, slaving away preparing the meal, checking the last minute details, and doing the one hundred and one things which, in her super-efficient mind, needed to be done. However, there is a problem. All the while Martha is working, she is seething inside. Her frustration mounts. “Where is Mary? Why isn’t she here helping me? Who does she think she is?” Ever felt that sort of resentment? Ever been faced with a situation where you feel you have been left to do the donkey work? We all experience this from time to time don’t we?

Finally, unable to contain herself any longer, her resentment erupts and she bursts into the living room and creates a scene. “Look here Jesus. Don’t you care that my sister Mary has left me to do all the work on my own? Tell her to get out and help me!” But Jesus says to her, “Martha, Martha, get off your high horse! Relax. Lighten up. There is only one thing worth being concerned over. Mary has discovered it and it will not be taken away from her.” End of story!

You see Jesus was not concerned about what Martha was doing outwardly, but rather about what she was feeling inwardly! His concern was for Martha herself. Here’s the thing! We might appear, on all intents and purposes, to have it all together on the outside but Jesus looks at our heart! He sees what we are really thinking and where our heart really is!

That day Jesus was concerned about Martha’s attitudes, for when Jesus looked at Martha he saw some red flags, some warning signals, some destructive attitudes within her which were more harmful to Martha herself than to anyone else. This really worried Jesus because he loved Martha. They were good friends but that day he saw in her some hurtful attitudes that were working in her like spiritual poisons, petty attitudes that, if left, can devastate and destroy the soul.

Firstly, he saw the attitude of resentment. Notice the three words used to describe Martha: distracted, anxious and troubled. That’s what resentment does to you! But even more, her resentment cut her off not only from her sister, Mary, but also from her Lord. The same thing happened to the elder brother in the Prodigal Son parable. He resented his brother and it cut him off from the Father. That’s how resentment affects us and why it is so dangerous. It separates us from people and it separates us from God.

I have to confess that recently, to my shame, God has had to deal to me because I allowed resentment to rear its ugly head in my life. And you know what, it robbed me of the blessings God had for me. I was reminded these past few weeks that Satan knows all our weak points and whenever we let our guard down, he’s in boots and all. I’m certainly not making excuses but I realised that I was still holding onto negative attitudes, formed way back in my up bringing. I have had to confess it to my elders and to repent of it before my Lord. Why? Not because it is a major sin but because simply this: That holding onto negative attitudes is extremely dangerous because it not only separates us from God, it robs us of the spirit of joy and any blessings God wants to give us and God needs me, as your vicar, to be accountable to Him.

Secondly, in this story, there is the attitude of narrowness. Martha’s view has become so narrow that she can’t see any other way to receive Jesus but her way and she wants to force her way on Mary. And people with the choleric personality type do need to be careful of this tendency! She is blind to the miracle of uniqueness. She forgets that we are all different; that we are individuals and that each of us has a unique relationship with our Lord.

Thirdly there is the attitude of unkindness. Martha tried to make herself look good by making Mary look bad. Unfortunately, it boomeranged back on her and she came out the unattractive one. Ultimately, it happens every time. Our harsh condemning judgements come back to haunt us when we are unkind to others.

In the Mary and Martha story, Jesus is teaching us a great lesson about our inner attitudes and I believe He is saying beware of resentment. Beware of narrowness and beware of unkindness. Choose instead the way of grace and love and compassion and be prepared to look at and work on the weaknesses in our own personalities in order that we can be the best we can be for Him.

Breaking Down the Walls 31 July

Let me ask you, what have you learnt from this exercise this morning?

Now I wonder if any of you would be so brave as to share, in about three words, what God has been speaking into your life as a result of this exercise.

Now I want you to ask yourselves, how available, today, are you for God? What are the bricks that you have put up in your life that might hold you back? What is the wall you have built between yourself and God?

Last week I had the privilege of attending the Church Mission Conference in Waikanae. The keynote speaker, the Bishop of the diocese of Josh in Nigeria, Bishop Ben Kwoshi, told the story of having his home as well as his church burnt down by fundamentalist Muslims when he was a vicar. They lost absolutely everything. He was eventually offered another parish to pastor and he said as he set out, between himself and his wife Gloria and their two small babies, the only possessions they owned were the car he was driving and one small suitcase! The most amazing thing was, he said, that instead of feeling bereft, they experienced a wonderful sense of liberation: liberation from all the material stuff that gets in the way of our walk with Jesus. They were free to serve God! And, believe me, serve God they do! They are the most exciting and inspiring Christians I have been in the company for a very long time. I believe what they had experienced first hand, was that removal of one of the bricks in their life. Material possessions!

Don’t get me wrong. I am not suggesting we go home after this service and give away all our possessions, though the prospect does excite me, however, I believe we do need to really look at all the bricks we use to build a wall between ourselves and God. All those things that get in the way of an in depth, daily walk with Jesus; all those things that rob us of our intimacy with the very One who laid down his life for us.

· Bricks in our lives build up very subtly. Over time, I believe, they have built up in our lives to the point that we are unaware of them and, of course, Satan wants us to accept them as the norm of daily living. This morning I am just going to cover some that are more obvious and those that perhaps you might never have considered as bricks in your lives.

· The brick of busyness is the most common and perhaps also the easiest to justify, but when you really think about it we are often busy with non essentials. I have to confess that I struggle with this one and have to be very deliberate in putting time aside to spend in the company of my Lord. Jesus reminds us about the danger of busyness in the story of Mary and Martha, where Martha places her own busyness as a barrier to learning from the feet of Jesus.(Luke 10:38-41 )

· Working long hours in order to maintain empty lifestyles is also a very real factor for many people today. Empty lifestyles, because without Jesus having priority in our lives we have no sense of purpose or real fulfilment. The danger is that emptiness leaves the door wide open to the temptation of trying to find fulfilment through other things like sex, drugs and alcohol that eventually lead to an untimely and tragic death as seen recently with Amy Winehouse.(Proverbs 7:6-23 )

· Following close on it’s heels is the brick of tiredness. We so wear ourselves out on the non essentials that we if we have to choose between bed and God, bed wins out every time and another day goes by without reading God’s word or having any time with him. I wonder how many of you can identify with that? How often when you tired and worn out do you think to go God for refreshment I wonder? Too often I counsel couples whose relationship has fallen apart because over time they have become too exhausted for physical intimacy which leads to one or the other being tempted to look elsewhere. Isaiah very clearly tells us “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.” “He gives power to the tired and worn out” Isaiah 40:29-31 So my question is, why aren’t we doing this?

· Just like the rich man in today’s gospel reading, money can be an enormous brick in our lives. Money in itself is ok as long as money, or the requirement of it, is not our chief focus. For when our focus is on making more money then our focus is not on God and the enemy very quickly steps in to tempt us with the idea of self-sufficiency. Because when we are busy working in our own strength, we’ll never experience God’s power

· The brick of unforgiveness can often be a very heavy brick we not only carry but use to build up a wall between ourselves and God. I know, I’ve been in that position myself where I have harboured unforgiveness towards someone. Oh yes, I could justify it in my mind, but all it did was harden my heart and put up another brick in my relationship with God. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit went to work on me and reminded me that Jesus not only taught about forgiveness, he also demonstrated his own willingness to forgive.

Matthew 9:2-8

John 8:3-11

Luke 7:47-50

John 18:15-18; 25-27; 21:15-19

Luke 23:39-40

After much repentence on my part, I can honestly say I experienced the “weight” of that brick being lifted from my life.

· Another brick that has crept into our lives today is the brick of over-stimulation of our minds. We are so bombarded with information coming to us from so many different quarters that we fail to hear God speaking to us because we have clogged up our minds with useless information. We end up with so many ideas choking up our minds, that too often there is no room for God

· I am also aware of a brick called “desensitization.” As well as the bombardment of information, our minds also become saturated with the violence we see and read about on a daily basis. Because of this I believe, we run the risk of becoming desensitized to the world around us and fail to display the compassion Christ calls us to show others.

· And finally, I am becoming more and more aware of many people at my stage of life, including in my own family, who are retiring early and going off around the world for a few years involving themselves in good causes. That, in itself, is very noble but, I believe, they often immerse themselves in good causes so they won’t have time for eternal ones. And that is one of the biggest bricks people of my generation put up between themselves and God. They see good works as being above a relationship with God!

So, I will ask the question again. What are the bricks in your life? Are you willing to lay them down at the feet of Jesus this morning so that you relationship with him is no longer hindered by the wall you have built?