The Way 21 March 2010 – Wayne Austin

21 March 2010 – Wayne Austin

Reading: John 14:1-6

At our Parish Diocesan Consultation last week the opening question we were asked to consider was - "What is your best recent experience in sharing faith conversations?"

The question was designed to be provocative and challenging - to make us think - what are we about? And the question challenged many of us - but it did really make us think:

What does my faith really mean to me?

What am I doing with my faith?

Does it mean so much that I am willing to share it with others? Or is that too hard?

And those conversations led onto us thinking…………………

What then is church all about? Is it coming here on Sunday to be fed, or topped up to enable us to get through the next week? Is it coming together as a church family to bring our united worship to God? What is our role in being a member of Christ's church?

What do we want our church here in Churton Park to be?

What does God want our church in Churton Park to be?

And that was the question that really needed to be answered.

About 2 hours later we arrived at this conclusion of what we believe God would like our church to be……….

"At its best, Churton Park parish nurtures and equips people in God’s love to go and be community transformers, actively missional, connecting people and Christ to bring healing, hope and life through the power of the Holy Spirit."

I wonder, in making that statement do we really know what we have done?! Do we really realize what we are committing ourselves to? Are we really prepared to be that church?

This is very much in keeping with the message that Susan Blaikie left with us last week that the missional church is incarnational, not attractional. An attractional church expects unbelievers to come to it in order to encounter the gospel. But, the incarnational church goes out and gets involved in our community, in order to be Christ to those who don’t know him.

That is challenging isn't it? But that is what we are clearly saying is that is what we believe God wants us to be as this church in Churton Park. We even made sure in that Provocative Statement that we included the word "actively" - actively missional - to ensure this wasn't just a statement of words, but that it was an action statement. That we ARE going to be that missional church out there in society.

This also follows on from the findings of the Natural Church Development survey our church completed late last year …………………some of those findings were:

We are:

§ Catering very well to needs/spiritual growth of current congregation on Sundays.

§ Welcoming/friendly towards visitors who seek us out but not generally active in bringing non-Christians in.

§ Risking becoming inward focused rather than outward focused.

§ Needing to improve relationships with the local community and strengthen our presence wherever possible.

How do we do this? First and foremost the getting of new ordained leadership is not going to do all this for us. It is not the sole responsibility of any new ordained leadership of our church to reach out into the community. In fact I think any prospective applicant would be scared off by the 14 point wish list we came up with for them. But I know the Parish Nominators will adjust that to a more realistic expectation.

Even so it is still not their sole responsibility. Ephesians 4:12 says we are to be equipped, prepared, and actioned to spread the Gospel. The ordained leadership is to do just that - equip, empower, and LEAD us out into the world. That last part is still a challenge isn't it? We have to GO and be.

It is similar to setting out on a journey - you may know the destination - but are not sure what will happen in getting there. Example of driving in London - we knew where we had to get to - weren't exactly sure how - didn't know what we might encounter - might get distracted and take the wrong turn - as a result we weren't at all confident………………..we weren't exactly sure of the way.

What is The Way for us as followers of Christ?

Followers of Christ in New Testament times were actually known as belonging to the Way. It is not just a way, but the way. Why??

We just need to go back to the Gospel reading. Jesus said he is the Way to the Father - to God. That he is the only Way. But it isn't just that Jesus said he is the Way. He also showed the Way, and how to live it. Remember the Great commandment………Love the Lord you God with all your heart, mind, soul, strength. And love your neighbour as yourself.

And the New Commandment of Jesus………Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. BY THIS all men will know you are my disciples if you have love one for another.

LOVE is the answer………and The Way! And Jesus was the perfect example of love and how to love others.

The natural way the universe was designed to function was in perfect unity - everything and everyone working together. So actually then if you think about it, to live a Christ-like life is the way life should be - because that is what it is about - living in love and unity. If we try to do that, it isn't going against what we have been attuned to understanding is normal accepted living. Rather it should be the normal accepted way of living - the way it was designed to be. When Jesus came to earth he knew we would need help to live this way so he showed us how, and then he left us with the Holy Spirit to prepare us and enable us to spread his good news to others. Jesus left us, his disciples, with that responsibility. The Great Commission - GO therefore and make disciples of all people………

From the question in the consultation "What is your best recent experience in sharing faith conversations?" it is really interesting that the top values we drew from those experiences that we shared were:

· Building relationships with others in order to share faith - 24 votes

· Love for God in order to show his love for others - 21 votes

· Being Spirit led - 11 votes

WE are saying ourselves that we must know and share God's love personally - not leave it to the church ministers. But we are acknowledging that we need the Holy Spirit to lead us.

Susan shared with us last week about the ministry they have in the community of Newtown. The demographics of Churton Park are vastly different, but there are still needs in our community. I am sure we all know of needs of people in our street - our neighbours - and in our community. For example………………

Ø There is a ministry I believe we could be more involved in - at Churtonleigh.

Ø I can guarantee there are lonely people in our community………the wonderful initiative of starting the drop in centre in the Lower Room at Church House will provide a place for people to have a chat and build friendships.

Ø Children and young people

Ø Busy business people - how to reach them - don't have time to come to us - even to marriage/parenting courses………how do we reach them?

Explain re proposed ministry to business people - "pals for Christ". In the middle of May a group of us are going to launch this ministry to business people.

To effectively be Christ's presence in the world there are ways that are more fitting for some than for others, depending on your personality and particular situations, and how God chooses to use you. But I believe there are four essential actions necessary that can be identified by using that acronym PALS ………

Pray

Prayer is foundational to everything we do. It is our starting point. It is essential so others will connect with Jesus so it is very important to pray for those people you may meet. Jesus started his day in prayer (Mark 1:35). We too need to start each day genuinely seeking the Lord. Perhaps use a prayer like: "Lord, I submit my will to you today to fulfill your purpose for me. May your Holy Spirit help me with my thoughts, the words I speak, the actions I take, and for me to meet the people you want me to meet."

When you do this you are welcoming God, by the Holy Spirit, into your situation to help you to be His presence wherever you are. You are making yourself available to be used by God - but actually putting the responsibility onto Him to do what He wants to do through you!

That will please God because He just longs for your availability and your willingness to be used by Him.

Acknowledge Christ to others (Matt.10:32) and live to please him (2 Corinthians 5:9-10).

An opening for letting people know you are a Christian may be as simple as saying you went to church if someone asks you what you did at the weekend.

Give examples…………………..

However you do it, your acknowledgement of Jesus must be supported by your attitude to the way you live your life to please Jesus. It won't be perfect. No-one is.

Give example…………………….

We need to try, as we go about our daily activities, to think of doing them as though we are doing it for Christ; showing love and consideration to others in our thoughts and actions, and what we say; seeking to provide a good role model of faith, integrity, consistency, reliability, caring, and balanced living; doing things wholeheartedly, willingly, and cheerfully with the attitude of Christ.

What is that attitude? (Philippians 2:1-7) This does not come about by living according to a legalistic set of do's and don'ts, but is apparent in a life lived when the Holy Spirit is involved.

Love others for Christ

St Francis of Assisi famously said … "At all times be prepared to share the Gospel. When necessary use words." Jesus said that our heart dictates how we live and what we say (Matt.12:34). This tells us how our thoughts, attitudes, and actions must be given the right shape by the love in our heart. Our actions must come from love in our heart, not just the mind. A heart felt friendly smile or a kind word to someone, even a stranger, can help make the other person feel appreciated and valued. Take a genuine non-intrusive interest in their lives; join in social activities with them; be willing to listen. In doing these things bridges of understanding, respect, and trust are able to be built that create opportunities for the person to see in you the hope you have in Christ that makes a difference.

Share with others the hope that you have in Christ

When you have built bridges of friendships, people will begin to respect and trust and value you, and want to know what seems so special in your life. You may not actually go looking for opportunities to share your faith but you are earning the respect and right to do so when opportunities present themselves. When they do you need to be prepared to "share the hope that is within you" (1 Peter 3:15). Note the caution given by Peter - with gentleness and respect - we mustn't force our beliefs down people's throats. But if we try to have the attitude of Jesus………to do everything with love - then whatever we say will come out right.

Read the prayer of St Francis of Assisi.

The mission of the church, as the body of Christ, is to do that - to be missional. But we must accept our own responsibility to be missional also - and not leave it all up to the ordained leadership and those seen as being "evangelists". It is incumbent on each one of us, as Christ's followers, in our daily living to show The Way. Jesus left us with that responsibility - it was his last instruction before he went up to heaven.

The challenge for us here at Churton Park Anglican Church is not who is going to lead us out into the community for Christ, but are we willing to be led? To go and be as Christ to our community.

I pray that we will.

Susan's Sermon 14 March 2010

Willing and able 7 March 2010 – Wayne Austin

Willing and able

7 March 2010 – Wayne Austin

Reading: Exodus 4:1-16

I have just come straight from taking part in a service at Arohata Women's Prison. The song we have just sung "This is my desire" was also sung there - it is almost an anthem of the prison - it has so much meaning for the women there and they sing it so beautifully with Maori and Polynesian harmonies. Ministry there is a real privilege and joy - the women are so receptive to the gospel. Other Christians have asked how we are able to be not judgmental with the women and to relate to them. We usually don't know what they have done, and they are people who need to be loved just as much as any of us. Most seem truly sorry for what they have done and want to change. One woman we got to know very well became an inspirational Christian, even leading worship in the services. Her face lit up the room with the joy of the Lord - it was that obvious. We did find out what she had done, and it wasn't very good at all, but didn't make any difference because Jesus loves her just as much as anyone of us. AND…………God can, and does use anyone and everyone who yields their life to him.

None of us are worthy. We may not have committed a crime. We may have always sought to do good, and we may be really good people. But even that is not enough (Refer Eph.2:8-9) - none of us are any more worthy of salvation than the worst criminal. Paul tells us in Rom.3:23 that we ALL have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. There is no distinction or scale of sin - whether people in prison, us in our comfortableness. We all need God's forgiveness, mercy, and grace.

Growing up as a child I learned all about my Bible heroes. They all seemed larger than life and perfect. They could seemingly do no wrong. But I discovered later on in life that all of those great characters of the Bible were just human with their own fallibilities and failings just like you and me - and like those women in Arohata Prison. Stephen was my big hero as a kid - not sure why - he just was. I now know he was one of 1st 7 Deacons appointed, so that has great significance for me now being ordained 2000 years later also as a Deacon. Mind you Stephen was stoned to death because some took exception to what he said. I am hoping that history doesn't repeat itself………

But the point is this - when we do yield to God and let him have his way with us, then he can really use us for the purpose he created us (Eph.2:10. But we have to yield our will to him. That is really difficult isn’t it? We just want to be in control.

We sang a little earlier the song “Take my life and let it be” I was delighted Robyn chose this song because it is one from my early church days. I wonder if you found that a challenge to sing? I always do. Listen to the words again…………

Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee;

Take my moments and my days; Let them flow in endless praise;

Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.

Take my voice and let me sing, Always, only for my King.

Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from Thee;

Take my silver and my gold, Not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect and use Every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it Thine, It shall be no longer mine;

Take my heart, it is Thine own, It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour At Thy feet its treasure store;

Take myself and I will be Ever, only, all for Thee.

I find it is almost impossible to sing. It's taking all we have and are and offering that to God to use in HIS way - not ours. It means we won't be in control. It is that yielding that is so hard isn't it? We are so used to wanting to have control. But when we have control - God doesn't, which is a bit silly really. When we do let go and let God, we achieve so much more than we imagine is possible because then he can really work in and through us and do amazing things.

Rob and Kerri gave me permission to share a little story. About a month ago they led the music in our service here, and for me it was a most Spirit lead time of worship of God. I sent them and email saying this and thanking them, and I said “it was just like the Lakes of old”. They emailed back thanking me and asking what I meant by “like the Lakes of old”. As I thought more about that I said there was a lovely sense of nothing being forced and they were just being them. It is when we are being who we are meant to be, and not trying to be otherwise, that the Holy Spirit has more opportunity to minister to us and through us.

I had this revelation too about 5 years ago, when I discovered that something someone had said to me in my childhood had had a profound affect on how I lived my life for the next 40 years. It meant I was always striving to please others and be someone I wasn’t designed to be. When God revealed that to me a weight was lifted off my shoulders and I became a “new me" with a totally different outlook on life – a sense of release and freedom to be the person God designed me to be.

When we acknowledge who we are to God and to others, and don't try to be someone else, then God will step in and enable us and use us. And then as Paul said "we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us".

Moses was someone very human with failings and inadequacies. Listen to what happened when God asked told him he was the one God wanted to lead the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt to the promised land (Read Ex.4:1-16.)

Moses had murdered an Egyptian because the Egyptian was beating up an Israelite. What possible credibility would Moses have before the Egyptian Pharaoh or the Israelite people? Yet Moses has gone down in history as one of the great leaders of people…………… because time and again he did what God told him to do despite his failings. Sure, just like you and me, he questioned God many times, but at the end of the day HE WAS OBEDIENT TO GOD. Moses accepted who he was and didn’t try to be someone else. He came across so many difficulties and trials that he couldn't possibly overcome in his natural way, like crossing the Red Sea, yet despite his fallibility and feeling of inadequacy he is still acknowledged as a great leader.

How? The only possible way was that in openly acknowledging to God that feeling of inadequacy, he was yielding to God's control, and THEN and only then was God able to work through him in a mighty way. AND then God got the glory, and not Moses.

It was God's triumph to return the people of Israel to their home - not that of Moses. Moses didn't actually get to see the final outcome of his obedience. It was Joshua who had the privilege of finally leading them into the Promised Land.

It doesn't seem fair at times does it? Sometimes we seem to do the hard yards without seeing the result of our efforts. But I often wonder if that is maybe God's way of keeping us humble and showing us that really it is he who is in control and knows that real plan.

What does this all mean for us - as individuals - and as a church as we enter a crucial 3 weeks in the life of this church in Churton Park? Firstly in the future ministry consultation, and then 2 weeks later at our AGM to appoint leadership for the year ahead.

I believe it means this.

For us as individuals the Bible clearly tells us we are each members of the body of Christ - his church. Each one of us has a role to play. We just have to be us - whatever our gifts, our failings, any sense of inadequacy. As long as we are open and available for him to use us we will contribute to his mission for the church in our own unique way.

For us as a church body, we have an amazing opportunity next week for God to reveal through us each one of us, and to us as a church body, his plan for this church moving forward. But we must take part! God's revelation is unlikely to come in a blinding flash. We must seek him prayerfully this week, and then come together to share what we believe God is saying to his church. We will be facilitated in this process by experienced people, and it is a process to be looked forward to, and not feared. I consider it a privilege to be part of it these exciting times in our church.

We as individuals can't do everything. Sometimes we have to recognize that a particular task is not for us to do and we have to leave it to someone else - or accept that it maybe just isn't meant to get done at this particular time. God doesn't expect us to over-commit ourselves and be worn out. Remember that verse in Eph.2:10? God created us to do what he planned for us to do - NOT MORE!

I believe it is the same for us as a church. At this particular time we may not have all the resources to do what we would like to do. We have to be very careful that what we would like to do is in fact what God wants us to do. We may have to accept that God's timing for some things may mean delay - in his time - or doing things quite differently - or not at all.

Are we as a church ready to hear that? To be obedient to what we believe God says to us over these coming weeks? Or will we be determined to do it our way?

I sense a spirit in our church now of an openness to hearing what God is saying to us and being ready to move into whatever direction God is leading. That is exciting!!

I encourage you……..TO BE YOU…….the person God designed you to be and allow him to minister through you. To play your God designed part in this church going forward.

AND for us as a church to be what God wants us to be………missional………..

The Great Commandment – ends with loving your neighbour as yourself - mission

The Great Commission – say GO into the world and make disciples - mission

And with Great authority – Acts 1:8 - And you will receive power when the Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth – mission

Let's be open to how God wants us to play that out, even if it means a quite different approach. I pray we will be open to that if that is what God wants.

If we are willing, then I can promise you God is more that able.

Paul reminds us in Eph.3:20-21 - when we are willing, God is able to do far more abundantly that we can ever imagine.