Fresh Frontiers 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 10th October 2010

There is a bridge somewhere in Central America that was originally built to span over a significant river. Today after floods widened the river, the bridge sits on solid land with the river flowing either side of it. It is literally a bridge to nowhere - isolated from any usefulness. I wonder - is this a picture of the church today? Who are we trying to reach? Has our reason for being in existence changed? Are we cut off from being effective - not doing what we were originally designed to do - like this bridge - because the circumstances around us have changed?

I heard recently of a vicar who was trained under the old C of E model of the church in the middle of a village. Everyone came to the church - it was the centre of the village literally and socially. Mission wasn't actually necessary - people just came because it was the way of life. It was the thing you did. The vicar was looked up to and whose advice was sought and respected. He basically was there to do births, marriages, and funerals and weekly services - of course. Now as he heads toward the later stages of his ordained ministry he has realized that model has changed and the church MUST change too - in order to carry out the work of God - mission. Because you see…………MISSION STARTS WITH GOD.

At our clergy conference in July the keynote speaker made this statement………

'Mission has its origin in God. God is a missionary God, a God who crosses frontiers towards the world. In creation God was already the God of mission, with his Word and his Spirit as missionaries. God likewise sent his incarnate Son into the world.'

God created the world and its people for relationship - with each other - and with him. And when these broke down he sent Jesus into the world to restore those relationships. When you think about it, through OT times and through the ages, God has gone to extraordinary lengths to do this. So God has always been about mission - connecting people with each other and with himself - to spread his love. David Bosch says -

'Mission has its origin in the heart of God. God is a fountain of sending love. This is the deepest source of mission. It is impossible to penetrate deeper still: there is mission because God loves people.'

Love originates from God. He is the source of love, so love is at the heart of everything about God. That is his purpose for us and all he does. John 3:16 is the constant reminder of this - greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. God was prepared to go to that extraordinary length in order to reconcile the relationship between him and us.

Our mission statement for our church here is "Connecting People and Christ to bring healing, hope, and life." It is our stated intent, and desire that everyone comes into a loving personal relationship with God. That personal relationship is SO important. That it isn't just an intellectual connection with God - a trying to understand what God is all about. But it is a relationship of the heart - of our innermost being - that you just know you have a special connection with him - like you do in any other love relationship - it is almost un-definable - but it is so very real to those in the relationship. So what does mission mean for us as God's church?

I have a couple of quotes that will help us understand what it is. Think about them………

1. ‘The Church of God does not have a mission but the God of mission has a Church.’ (Tim Dearborn.)

Doesn't that actually make it easier for us? Because it is saying we are simply part of what God wants to do anyway. In fact without us, how would he carry out his mission?! God has us, as his church, to do mission. It is what he expects of us. What a privilege that God trusts us to do his mission for him!!! We shouldn't even be debating or discussing this. It should just be who we are as a church. Instead of thinking about organising programmes or activities to take care of ourselves we must be going about mission.

2. 'There is church because there is mission, not vice versa.' (David Bosch)

So are we doing it right? Is our focus truly missional? If we were intentional about this, the result would be that God's Kingdom would grow in the hearts and minds of his people that would translate into caring for each other and loving each other as a natural Spiritual outworking of this. The Great Commission was given by Jesus to his disciples that they should GO and make disciples themselves - and THEN baptise - or welcome them into the family of God, his church. It wasn't the other way around. We are commanded to go and make disciples. Jesus was very clear and definite about this.

Peter tells us in his first epistle that the church consists of the followers of Christ. It is those people. It is not a building. It is the people of God.

In the passage Vickie read this morning Paul is saying

1 CORINTHIANS 9:19-23

n 19 I have made myself a slave to all so that I might win more of them.

n 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew,

n 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law

n 22 I have become all things to all people

n 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel

It is obvious to me how important it is to relate well to people in THEIR setting - not in ours. And the reason?

'As far as possible he (Paul) has deliberately identified himself with those whom he has sought to win for the gospel.' Morna Hooker

Why would he do that? Remember Paul as Saul set out to destroy the Christians, so now why would he go out of his way to deliberately identify with them? He says -

‘I do it all for the sake of the gospel.’ 1 Cor. 9:23. It was purely to spread the good news of Jesus.

Paul's missionary methods were very straight forward and simple - as you would expect of Paul - he was very direct………

‘What Paul describes is the self identification of Christ with men and women which, in turn, results in their sharing in what he is.’ Morna Hooker

So Paul is encouraging the Christians in Corinth to identify themselves with Christ - not just to meet our own needs - to acknowledge him as not only Saviour - but also as Lord - and so to imitate him in his attitudes and methods and way of living. Paul says -

‘Be imitators of me as I am of Christ.’ (1 Cor.11:1) Firstly as………

A slave

Remember Jesus said - "I came not to be served but to serve." Then how can we do anything but do likewise? Paul also said he became as one………

Outside the Law

This doesn't mean that we are above the law of the land and that we can do anything we like. It means we need to be above the pharisaical attitude of sticking to the extreme letter of the law - of traditions - of ritual - of religiosity. Instead we need to be living a life of love and servant hood as Jesus modeled.

Last weekend I met Dave. He has a ministry to bikkies. He has placed himself in the world of the bikkies, but not of it. Why? To win them for Christ. He is definitely not of the traditional priest mould. He has long hair, a bushy drooping moustache, and a God Squad patch on his T shirt. But he was a person who deeply impressed me with his love for and his commitment to be mission for his Lord and Saviour. Religiosity doesn't enter his mindset. And yet those people he has this contact with regard him as their priest even though he isn't ordained as one, such is the recognition of something very different about him for them. That something they probably aren't able to yet recognize as being "Christ in Dave." Yet in his way, Dave is able to provide that connection between the bikkies and Christ.

To connect people and Christ is what God needs his church for to carry out his mission.

BUT contrary to what we often think - it isn't actually OUR mission. Clark Pinnock has said God’s work is………

‘Mission is a Spirit event – it is God’s mission, not ours. It is not a duty following the work of Christ but is itself God’s work.'

That is very important to recognize. We mustn't get involved in God's mission out of a sense of duty. Each one of us has a particular corner of God's mission field that he has prepared us to serve him in. Seeing he has prepared us for it specifically we must be careful we find that corner he has for us by recognizing: our passion for where we are to serve; our calling from God; and our gifting.

About 3 years ago a passage from 2 Timothy 1:6-9 made a huge impact on me. We mustn't do something out of a feeling of duty because as Paul says in this passage we have each been given a gift to use for God and a spirit of power (the power of the Holy Spirit). We are called to live a holy life. God requires us first and foremost to live a life of godly character (fruit of the Spirit) even before a life of service. So we seek to live out our faith when and where purely because of God's grace and purpose for us. This takes away the burden of striving because God has prepared everything for us and will enable us. All we have to do is be available. God will do the rest.

There are many fresh frontiers of ministry - they are anywhere God places you. Anything goes really. We just have to put aside that traditional church model and thinking. Church isn't just here on a Sunday - in a building - with a Vicar. The model is changing from just meeting our own needs - to GO, as Jesus told us to do, to meet the needs of others where they are most comfortable and love being.

Not every one of us has a calling to a specific ministry/outreach area. In our church we have people involved in ministry to the Elderly, DrugArm, the Indian community, Arohata, and so on, for example. Those could develop into new ways of being church - fresh frontiers of mission. AND………not everyone is called to be in the frontline. But those ministries cannot function without support bases - of prayer - encouragement - resourcing - and so on. But we must be involved because without everyone of us, God's mission cannot be fulfilled.

Our involvement at the very least must be in our families, to our neighbours, in our workplace, wherever we are called to live. It is non-negotiable. If we profess that Jesus is Lord, we have that call on our lives to be God's mission in our particular worlds.

In finishing, I challenge you to consider these questions:

Are we as this church here in Churton Park - like the bridge - cut off from the people God wants us to connect with? If we are, what are we prepared to do about it?

Are we willing to be courageous like the early pioneers - to press forward into fresh frontiers - to take a risk for Christ?

Or will we stay like that bridge - built for a specific purpose even though circumstances have changed, but people no longer COME to us.

Will we instead GO to them?

I really pray that we will.

The King of Glory (Psalm 24) 26 September 2010

After starting the year with a glorious New Wine 4 days with Jesus and His people I felt God said,” I want to show forth my glory in 2010” He’s doing it eg Subritzky meetings, the Alpha Course, the Baptisms. And now we’re looking forward to the India mission.

Intro: recall Psalm 22 about Christ’s agony in the garden and on the cross for us; recall Psalm 23 the risen Shepherd and carer of our souls.

Testimony from Singatoka SOMA service: “Start with a miracle” and “Lift up your heads!”

Release God’s power over pain. Declare CPAC a pain free zone in Jesus name.

Psalm 24 is a powerful psalm of battle and victory. e.g During the 2^nd WW the Nazi armies drove the allied armies back across North Africa 1000 miles. They were pinned down in Egypt. General Montgomery, an Australian Bishop’s son, was appointed by Churchill to drive the German armies back. Before the battle of El Alamien he gathered his officers together and said, ‘Let us call on the God of battles’ then he instructed his chaplain to read psalm 24. NZ troops led a key night breakout. The victory that followed was a key turning point in the war that defeated Hitler‘s evil empire.

A. Who is the King of Glory?

Ÿ Opening verses tell us He is the Lord of the all the Earth for he created it all

Ÿ He is Lord of all the peoples and animals who live on Earth

Ÿ V 3-6 tell us who can dwell with God and enter his presence.

(1) Those with clean hands (who use their hands to bless the Lord and care for his people and creation).

(2) Those who have pure hearts.. Hearts cleansed by the blood of Jesus so their motives are always to love God and their neighbour. Cleansed of pride, hardness of heart and deceit.(liars watch out! you may not be admitted unless you repent)

Ÿ v.6 encourages us to be a generation of people who earnestly seek after God and his face. Jesus said, ‘Blessed are the pure(sincere and honest and humble and single-focused like a pair of loving doves and innocent) for they shall see God’. Math 5:8

THE REVOLUTIONARY VERSES of Psalm 24: 7 -10

1. DAVID BROUGHT THE ARK OF THE LORD’S PRESENCE INTO JERUSALEM WITH PASSIONATE PRAISE. 2 Samuel 6: 14 - 23 says

‘David danced before the Lord with all his might; so David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.

Micah looked out of the widow and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord and she despised him in her heart.

They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in it’s place in the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before the Lord. When he had finished the offerings David blessed the people in the name of the Lord of

Hosts and distributed food among all the people.

Michal, the daughter of Saul and wife of David told David off for humbling himself before the Lord and before the people. She had no child to the day of her death.’

The Lord blessed David because he had a heart after God. But Micah was barren because she despised the enthusiastic worship of God. eg. Lifepoint Sunday school at the Webb St Synagogue sang and danced like David

2. JESUS RETURNED TO HEAVEN IN GREAT TRIUMPH. On the cross He declared; ‘It is finished’. He had paid the price for our redemption from sin and sickness. and slavery to Satan. On the cross Jesus was surrounded and pinned down by all the forces of evil. He willingly took them all upon himself. But God had planned a breakout. Jesus descended into Hell and released the captives and took the keys of death and hell. He rose again in triumph St Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 15: 3-8

‘I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received; that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures and that he appeared to Peter then to the twelve, then to more than 500 brothers and sisters at one time most of whom are still alive… last of all he appeared also to me.’

He ascended to Heaven in Glory as Ephesians 4: 8-10 says,

‘When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people

When it says he ascended it means he also descended into the lower parts of the earth. He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens so that he might fill all things.’

In Rev. 1:17-18 John wrote: When I saw him I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me saying, “Do not be afraid: I am the first and the last, and the living one. I was dead, and see I am alive forever and ever: and I have the keys of death and hell.”

1. WE MUST NOW welcome Him to TRANSFORM OUR MINDS AND HEARTS with HIS VICTORY AND GLORY.

B. How can welcome this glorious King?

1. LIFT UP YOUR HEADS oh ye gates. Welcome Him in to transform our minds by His Spirit Romans 12:2 says, ‘be transformed by the renewing of your minds…’

2. OPEN YOUR DOORS, your hearts to receive Christ as the one who comes to share our lives and His with us. In Revelations 3:20 Jesus says, “Listen,I am standing at the door, knocking: if your hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you and you with me”.

This promise of presence was made to perhaps the most reprimanded of all the 7 churches of Asia in Rev. 2-3. Laodicea was accused of indifference and luke warmness to God. eg. My conversations with my father.(read)

Today is the day to hear Jesus knocking on the doors and calling to us to ask Him in to our hearts, our minds, our church, our homes, our work places and all our lives. Let us commit ourselves to be that generation who passionately commit ourselves to seek his presence and his face.

‘If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways: then I will hear from Heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.”

2 Chron. 7:14

Now is the time to turn to Christ in prayer, confess our sins and welcome in the Lord of Glory.

The Baptism of Jesus 5/9/10 – Baptism Service

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Mathew 3:13-end

Intro: Today is an important day as we hold this baptism service for 4 people who have decided to follow Jesus and be baptised as he was. So I want us to think about Jesus’ baptism and our baptisms.

A. WHY WAS JESUS BAPTISED?

The reason He gave to John was: “to fulfill all righteousness”, He was doing 3 things:

1. He was obeying God. Righteousness means ‘Doing the right thing by God.

2. He was totally identifying himself with us sinful humans. He was doing the right thing for mankind.

3. He was honouring John the Baptist as a true prophet: a link person to all the OT prophets who went before him and a true prophet in recognising Jesus as the Messiah, the one who would bring in the new era of the Spirit. John prophesied, “ I baptise with water but he shall baptise you with the Holy Spirit.”

B. WHAT HAPPENED?

1. Jesus was baptised in the river Jordan by the prophet and his cousin John the Baptist and came up out of the water.

2. The heavens were torn open, a new era of open access to the Kingdom of Heaven through Jesus was started. That’s why he said to Nathaniel, ‘ you will see the angels of god ascending and descending on the Son of man” just like Jacob’s ladder which was an OT example of an open heaven experience. At the transfiguration Jesus let his 3 closest disciples preview the open heaven he established by his death on the cross for us and his mighty resurrection by the power of God. When he died for us the curtain of the temple blocking access to God’s presence was torn in two giving us all through Jesus access to God.

3. The Holy Spirit came to rest and remain upon Jesus like a dove. Just like at the beginning of creation the Spirit hovered over the waters so at the creation of this new creative relationship or covenant the Spirit came in power.

4. The Father spoke from Heaven. “You are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” This confirmed to Jesus who He was and to those around him who heard and to John the Baptist. So at Jesus baptism the Father, the Son and the Spirit were present as they are also at Christian Baptism. We baptise believers into the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

C. WHAT WATER BAPTISM MEANS TO ME:

When I was baptised as a believer at age 21 I had seen a friend baptised in the Rangiora River and I was so moved by her experience of immersion baptism followed by the laying on of hands with prophecies and prayers that I wanted to experience that. As I was training to be an Anglican Priest at that time and had been christened as a baby I rejected the idea as nice for some but not for me. I thought it was just a personal choice. I had been baptised with and experienced the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues so I thought that was enough. But I was convicted by Acts 10:45 which is about people who had had the same experience as me and the Apostle Peter “commanded” them to be baptised. It was as if the finger of God was pointing straight at me and commanding me to be baptised. It was a difficult choice but I obeyed and was baptised as a believer by immersion.

But I was disappointed because there was no prayer or prophesy or laying on of hands as I came out of the water. I was just standing there wet and dripping and having a ‘pity party’ with God. Then I remembered those wonderful words, “You are my beloved son and I’m pleased with you.” Wow! That was better than all the prophesies and prayers so I held on to that. Ten years later when I was sitting in the unemployment bureau in Christchurch feeling very down and depressed and abandoned by God I cried out in my spirit, Where are you?’ and immediately I felt the Father say, “Remember you’re my son and remember I’m your father and you’re just as much my son sitting in the unemployment bureau as you are standing behind a pulpit preaching my Word.” Now, I always hold on to that word from God and it’s the basis of my personal identity with all the changes and challenges in life I may face.

D. TO THOSE WHO WILL BE BAPTISED TODAY

We don’t know what challenges you being baptised today will face in the future but we know Christians must be tested as Jesus was. Overcoming tests with God’s help and carrying on as an active Christian is the best life both in this life on earth with the Holy Spirit and in Heaven with Christ. Your Baptism today is:

1. An identification with Jesus in his death and resurrection. By this baptism you are dying to sin and burying your old life and looking to enter a new resurrection life by the power of the Holy Spirit. When Paul was baptised in Acts 9 his eyes were opened, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and commissioned for service. When Paul baptised the believers at Ephesus in Acts 19 he laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

2. A witness to your family and friends that you are a Christian and are seeking to follow Jesus in your life. Romans 10:9-10 says; ‘If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. For a person believes with the heart and so is justified and confesses with the mouth and so is saved.’

3. An identification with other believers so they can welcome you to the Christian family and pray together for you as you with them follow Jesus together. 1 Corinthians 12 :13 says, ‘In the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body and were made to drink of one Spirit.’

Conclusion:

Challenge to all to turn to Jesus, believe and be baptised. In Mark 16:15 -16 Jesus commissioned his apostles, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to everybody. Anyone who believes in me and is baptised shall be saved; but anyone who does not believe will be condemned…’ When you hear about the fact that God loves you so much that He sent Jesus to demonstrate that love by dying a horrible death on a Roman cross for you; when you hear that He came to save you so you can come into his Kingdom and enjoy his wonderful blessings in this life and for ever; when you hear He sent the Holy Spirit so you can experience the living God who created the Universe; when you meet believers who testify that Jesus is real today and has helped them and wants to help you; when you hear these things then there are 2 responses you can make: belief or unbelief. If you are ready to believe today and turn your life over to Jesus He says “Come!” Come to me and experience the living God who will give your life a new meaning and purpose.

There may be others here who have come to faith in Jesus but you have never been baptised. My challenge to you is: What is there to prevent you being baptised today?

Come! We’ll lend you a towel to dry yourself enough before you go home! 2 years ago Anne Jay responded to a message like this from Danny and was baptised that day. I don’t believe she regrets it, and neither will you. Come and be baptised today

Like those 3000 on the day the church started nearly 2000 years ago.