Archives

Fallen tree in Maryon Park

Psalm 2: rejoice with fear and trembling

No matter what goes on in the world this year, our Lord is sovereign. We should serve him with fear and trembling!

Our passage today: Psalm 2, preacher Ian Bayne, Sunday 7th January.

Last week we started the year with regrets and aspirations. This year there seems to be a lot more going on in the world that hasn’t previously been going on such as wars and rumours of wars.

Our fallen world

We are in moral decline in the west with Christian values being torn away. We’re disappointed also in ourselves when we participate in it.

The world is ruled more obviously by different tyrants who have got into power and lead by fear and persecution.

Neither socialism or capitalism can contain the true heart of man, which sees what we can get at the expense of others.

We see democracy dying as it carries the seeds of its destruction.

Our sovereign Lord

Growing up in the post Second World War: the Cold War. The button for nuclear war was ready to be pressed.

My dad took me aside and said: I believe God is sovereign over all the world and everything that happens is by his permission. I found this comforting.

The one enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord ridicules them.

Psalm 2:4 CSB

Some will say it’s the devil at work, but he’s also restricted by God.

Psalm 2 reminds us of God’s Son: Jesus. Jesus lived, died, rose again and was raised again. He commanded his disciples to go out:

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Matthew 28:18-19 ESV

Jesus has all authority, which includes both giving life and judging others.

Worship him with fear and trembling

Our response should be to bow down and worship the Lord with reverence.

Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. [11] Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. [12] Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 2:10-12 ESV

We’re to worship him with joy and with fear and trembling.

When I was in my teens I leased a large block of land and became a farmer. Canterbury in 1975 had a great storm, and almost every tree was broken or blown down. In those days farming didn’t make much money so to supplement my income I chopped wood.

There was a tree I was cutting down which was at a precarious angle and I needed to get underneath to cut it. I thought I could cut and get out of the way of it started moving. I was underneath and cutting it – I went all the way through and nothing happened. I stepped out and kicked the tree and out instantly fell – I felt the air around it – there was no way I’d have been able to run from under it. It was a narrow escape from death. I rejoiced with joy and trembling.

There’s wars and rumours of wars but we should take comfort that nothing happens without God’s express permission.

Resources

Questions? Please contact us. Inspired? Come and worship with us on Sundays.



Nativity scene

Luke 2:21-38: Merry Christmas

Our passage today: Luke 2:21-38, preacher Ian Bayne, Monday 25th December

Jesus is just 8 days old and met by the priest to be circumcised.

When they came there were two individuals that met them: Simeon who was waiting for the Lord.

Anna was 84 years old, also in prayer and connection with God. When Jesus is presented, she recognises Him as the messiah.

1. The Lord was looked for

Some who had read the Old Testament new the messiah was coming as a son of David who would redeem Israel (believers).

At our house Christmas isn’t really my thing, tripping over bears on stairs, but I do really enjoy watching the anticipation of the children.

Back when I was growing up there was an old sock and an orange in the bottom of it, things were more meagre, but still exciting. You didn’t know what would be in the sock.

There was an anticipation for Jesus.

2. The Lord was prepared for

Simeon and Anna were praying for Jesus. They receive encouragement and prayer.

Sometimes people ask me what I do and I say “I’m a pastor”. Sometimes people will then ask “But what do you really do?” I say “I prepare people to die well”

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:21 ESV

It’s said that the two most certain things in the world are death and taxes.

3. The Lord came for a reason

He saves us from our sin. The Lord promises to save us from the penalty of our sin and the power of our sin. It can be a slow process, but through persistence and prayer he will help us overcome our sin that he pays the penalty for.

4. The Lord was spoken for

Simeon and Anna both speak about Jesus. Christians don’t want to stop talking about Jesus and want to share the good news with our families and friends.

In spite of what we’ve done and who we are we know and believe that Jesus came as a baby, lived, died and ascended into heaven, giving the Holy Spirit to us to help us live day by day to speak the word to others around us.

It can be hard for others to hear all the time and we hope that one day they will receive the words of Jesus as we received them.

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

John 5:24 ESV

Resources

Questions? Please contact us. Inspired? Come and worship with us on Sundays.



Vineyard

Matthew 20:1-16: the ‘eccentric’ vineyard owner

Life can seem unfair when working hard and missing out on a deserved reward. In this passage Jesus shows God (as a vineyard owner) giving the same reward to each person regardless of how much they work. How is this fair? Ash Clarkson explores this seeming biblical injustice to reveal a God who knows far more about our nature than we do!

Our passages today: Psalm 80:8-19 and Matthew 20:1-16, Preacher Ash Clarkson, Sunday 24th December.

Introduction

This seems a strange passage for Christmas Eve. What does an eccentric businessman have to do with Christmas?

Christmas is a time of gift giving and the birth of our saviour. It’s not based on our own labour or our possessions; none of which translate to our heavenly reward. We’re receive eternal life regardless of whether we come to Christ early or in the last hour of our life.

The workers in the vineyard receive the same reward and grumble. Everyone receives at minimum what they deserve and some got more. There is no place for jealousy in God’s kingdom. Everything he gives us is out of his generosity and we deserve nothing.

Context of our passage

We come to the parable after the story of the rich young ruler who was told to sell all he had.

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” [26] But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” [27] Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?”

Matthew 19:25-27 ESV

Some of the disciples were businessmen who had family businesses. Levi was a tax collector who had been taking some on the side before he came to Jesus.

Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. [29] And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. [30] But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Matthew 19:28-30 ESV

Our passage explained

Labourers for the vineyard

Our passage of the vineyard then takes place. The hours were 6am to 6pm and labourers would be in the square at 6am. A denarius was a fair days wage and enough to feed a family.

The day progresses and the labourers who haven’t found work get picked up by the vineyard owner.

From an early perspective what could they achieve in an hour? Very little pay and very little value add; it’s a slightly odd hiring practice.

An odd arrangement?

There’s also slightly odd payment practice:

“You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning.

Leviticus 19:13 ESV

What he does is in accordance with the law, but the amount is surprising:

And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ [9] And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.

Matthew 20:8-9 ESV

“It’s not fair!”

Think about how you would feel in each group. The last group would get the equivalent of a denarius per hour, whereas the last group would get a denarius per day.

The workers grumble, setting out through their eyes: it’s not fair.

saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ [13] But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? [14] Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. [15] Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’

Matthew 20:12-15 ESV

The Lord’s response

The grumbles are described as friends. This is an address as someone near and dear to him that he cares about.

The disciples are the first hearers of this parable are the disciples. A vineyard is an image of God’s kingdom (e.g. Psalm 80 and Isaiah 5).

The first to follow Jesus gets eternal life and the ones that come after also get eternal life.

We have all gone astray. We’re labourers who sleep on the job and yet he still gives us what we need.

For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” [16] So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

Romans 9:15-16 ESV

Application

The disciples were starting to think that God owed them something. When Jesus was dying there were two men with him. The thief on the cross got his denarius at the 11th hour.

The disciples were not to judge based on their achievements.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. [5] Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, [6] who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, [7] but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. [8] And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:4-8 ESV

The king of all creation was born in a stable, not a palace. His humble birth made the first of all creation last.

Because of the death on the cross we get mercy. When we work hard and we don’t get the gains we say it’s not fair and assume it’s because of sin and that we’ll get what we deserve in God’s kingdom, but the world is turned upside down.

Position and prestige don’t matter, only grace matters. We might think that our lifetime of service might entitle us to something. This is not to deny that there may be different rewards, but it’s all because of God’s grace.

This is liberating: the world is all about being someone, but the kingdom of God it’s not like this. In God’s kingdom, the currency is mercy and grace.

How do we receive God’s mercy? By receiving the call of the landowner to work in his vineyard. Turn to Jesus and follow Him!

God’s goodness and grace is dying on a cross for us.

Resources

Questions? Please contact us. Inspired? Come and worship with us on Sundays.



Nativity scene

Luke 2: A message from God – will you follow?

Today in our classical carol service, we heard about shepherds witnessing a miraculous message from angels proclaiming the birth of Christ the messiah. They were terrified! Their faith led them to leave their fields go and witness this miracle for themselves.

Our passage today: Luke 2:8-14, Preacher Ian Bayne, Sunday 17th Dec

Our passage explained

Normally shepherds would be keeping their flocks. Tonight something special happened: the angels proclaimed Christ as the messiah. The shepherds were “terribly terrified”.

Having proclaimed that Jesus had been born and was in a stable, the shepherds then travelled to see Him. It was an extraordinary event!

1. We find comfort in things that we know.

When we create traditions it’s hard to stop, as we like the comfort. When things happen out of the ordinary things are frightening, especially in the spiritual realm as described in our passage.

Our spirituality has been damaged in the fall (Gen 3), so what we are sometimes afraid of can actually be a message of hope. As an example, we can look to Manoah in Judges; the father of Samson.

There was a certain man from Zorah, from the family of Dan, whose name was Manoah; his wife was unable to conceive and had no children. [3] The angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “Although you are unable to conceive and have no children, you will conceive and give birth to a son. [4] Now please be careful not to drink wine or beer, or to eat anything unclean; [5] for indeed, you will conceive and give birth to a son. You must never cut his hair, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from birth, and he will begin to save Israel from the power of the Philistines.”

Judges 13:2-5 CSB

We know a lot about Samson killing Philistines with a jawbone, and bringing down a great house. Manoah is only mentioned briefly in a passage strikingly similar to our passage today. His father thought he would die from seeing an angel, it was an extraordinary event.

2. What’s irregular can sometimes be a message from God.

Moses was raised up to lead Israel from being a simple shepherd passing a burning bush.

Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. [2] Then the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed. [3] So Moses thought, “I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up?” [4] When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered.

Exodus 3:1-4 CSB

This was highly irregular and God used it to get Moses’s attention.

3. Joy and praise are natural to the believer

Christmas is like every day for believers. The world celebrates on a day, but Christmas is every day for believers. Every day we remember as John recounts from Jesus’s teachings:

For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 CSB

Joy supersedes every situation, overriding life’s situations. The praise we offer to God provides focus to our situation: that Jesus was born to die, to be raised again and to ascend to heaven for all enemies to be made a footstool for his feet.

If you don’t have joy from Christ the you may have taken a wrong turning, and hence we need to retrace our steps and find that joy again.

In Pilgrims Progress they get captured but escape through the “key of promise” and retrace their steps back to where they went wrong, and further: put a sign up to warn others.

We remember the faith the shepherds had, to go and see Jesus. They had both faith and works which are necessary for salvation:

Senseless person! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless?

James 2:20 CSB

4. Faith makes Jesus smile.

Two instances made Jesus smile: first the Roman Centurion:

“Lord,” the centurion replied, “I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. [9] For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command. I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” [10] Hearing this, Jesus was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with so great a faith.

Matthew 8:8-10 CSB

And again to the Gentile woman:

But she came, knelt before him, and said, “Lord, help me!” [26] He answered, “It isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” [27] “Yes, Lord,” she said, “yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” [28] Then Jesus replied to her, “Woman, your faith is great. Let it be done for you as you want.” And from that moment her daughter was healed.

Matthew 15:25-28 CSB

We need to be reminded of this daily. True faith makes Jesus smile, and offer his salvation to us.

Jesus was born over 2000 years ago and your life will be transformed if you believe in him.

Resources

Questions? Please contact us. Inspired? Come and worship with us on Sundays.



Sheep herded in a pen

Romans 3:27-31 Boast in the Lord

Is boasting always sinful? Paul tells us that it’s not – not when it’s in our Lord and Saviour!

Our passages today Psalm 20 and Romans 3:27-31. Preacher Ian Bayne Sunday 10th December.

Recap

We are all affected by depravity of man which is tainted by sin. The great conundrum is a sinful condition we all share that means we fall short of God’s standard.

Paul has spent the last couple of chapters rounding everyone up so everyone understands they are sinners.

We can’t work our way out. Nothing we can do will save us. Religious duties, sacraments: the Lords supper and baptism, church membership won’t make any difference.

Explanation

There’s one way to escape from the situation: Jesus. The one name given amongst men is the name of the Lord Jesus, son of God.

And I will make enemies Of you and the woman, And of your offspring and her Descendant; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise Him on the heel.”

Genesis 3:15 NASB

I will raise up for them a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them everything that I command him.

Deuteronomy 18:18 NASB

Jesus is the fulfilment of the old Gospel. Jesus has achieved everything. Only through faith set alight through God’s revelation

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

Titus 3:5 NASB

He took the penalty for us. Only Jesus could be the just and the justifier.

Where then is boasting? It has been excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.

Romans 3:27 NASB

What can we boast about? Not our works, but our faith in Christ. Boasting is not bad, but it’s what we boast about.

God is a God of everyone. All people, believers and unbelievers will be accountable to him. Faith doesn’t take away from the law and our responsibility to follow his commands. Off we are in him then we ought to do that.

He will grant answers to our prayers and give us victory over our enemies. He will cause us to rejoice. He is sovereign over his creation. There’s no such thing as a Christian without joy.

We’re not always going to be happy: there will be difficult times. He will be our sacrifice and saviour. We may boast in God but not in the world’s currency.

Resources

Questions? Please contact us. Inspired? Come and worship with us on Sundays.



Sheep herded in a pen

Romans 1-3: Recap

A recap of Paul’s narrative so far – we are all sinners and fall short. A summary of Romans 1-3 is in the PowerPoint below.

Our passage in focus: Romans 1-3, Preacher Ian Bayne, Sunday 3rd December.

Romans-1-3-Recap Summary Presentation_23_12Download

Resources

Questions? Please contact us. Inspired? Come and worship with us on Sundays.



Speed limit sign

Romans 2:12-29 No excuses!

How can humans who don’t know God’s law be held to God’s standard? In this passage Paul explores how ignorance is no excuse and attempting to deflect blame is futile.

Our passages today: 1 Samuel 15:17-23 and Romans 2:12-29. Preacher: Ian Bayne, Sunday 19th November.

Recap

In Romans 1 there were 29 charges levelled at those who reject the truth of the gospel.

This has consequences: a result borne out of those who reject Christ.

We then looked at different types of hypocrites: Paul is gathering in all kinds of sinners and preaching the true gospel to the church at Rome; it’s like an avalanche.

Psalm 139 tells us that God knows our situation and our hearts. This should give us a sense of wonder and inadequacy.

Our passage explored

This week I was at the farm gathering my sheep into a pen to invite volunteers to go the abattoir. There were a few holes in the fences, so I wondered if they might sneak out of the pen. I fixed the holes in the fences first! Sure enough, some of the sheep were looking at the previous holes and would have escaped.

Paul starts on the obvious sins, then covers hypocrisy, and now he’s trying to fill in the holes that sinners may try and slip through.

Some years ago we were going to see my sister and heading down in the car. I was getting tired and handed over the driving. The police came up behind and said we were going a bit fast. We thought we were doing the speed limit and didn’t see the sign. But did we still get a ticket: yes we did.

Not seeing the speed restriction sign is not an excuse.

Paul’s point here is addressing the question of how people who don’t know the law need to follow the law. His response is that everyone should know by nature.

Possible responses

  • “My foot is naturally heavy” the other response is that by nature we are not capable. But God’s law is.
  • “Im genetically disposed” our race and human state make no difference to God’s law
  • “Do you know who I am? I’m a son of Abraham” – being a Jew makes no difference, whether we are one race or another or bear the sign of circumcision – it’s not a get out of jail free card.
  • “It was the woman” – there’s no deflecting to someone else. Adam was held responsible by God.

Ps 139 is about how God sees us. Paul is concerned that we see ourselves as guilty before God and that God is right. As we see here our human condition will always seek ways to avoid responsibility. Paul is trying to help us die to self and put on Christ.



Christ our example, relections on prayer with Pastor Elmir

Prayer: Luke 22:39-46 – Christ, our example

In Jesus’s final hours before His arrest, he prayed as no one has done before, such that his sweat “became like great drops of blood”. Feeling extreme anguish, well-practised prayer comforted and sustained him as he faced unimaginable punishment for our sin. In our passage today, Luke 22:39-41, our saviour gives us an unforgettable lesson in the power and importance of prayer.

Our passage today: Luke 22:39-46. Preacher: Pastor Elmeir Pereria.

Leading by example

My father was a missionary for 55 years. In his first sermon he preached some of it in English, being a native Portuguese speaker. Perhaps I feel as though I am following in his footsteps today, as this is my first sermon in English.

The main thing is: whatever the language, the message of God can be spoken into our hearts.

In order to teach effectively we need to be an example of what we preach, as Peter points out in his letter:

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

1 Peter 2:21 ESV

Parents: do we want children who love Christ, His Word and His Church? In the Lord, our perfect parent, we have a perfect example to follow.

The example of prayer

In our passage today we see the example of Jesus in pain: about to be arrested and sent to the cross. He was in agony because he would experience God’s wrath for our sins.

To get Him through this He needed to pray.

And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Luke 22:44 ESV

He was suffering, and it was unbearable.

Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”

Matthew 26:38 ESV

How could he cope? He went to the Mount of Olives for some precious time in the presence of God; receiving comfort and grace to fulfil his mission.

From this extraordinary time, we learn about the importance of prayer, following the example of Jesus.

1. Prayer must be a custom

Prayer must be a habit. This was not a one off for Jesus, it was his custom

And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him.

Luke 22:39 ESV

He got strength and courage from prayer. Throughout His life and death, Jesus prayed for us all.

Christians who don’t pray are weak in faith and immature. How much time do you spend in prayer daily?

2. Have a separate place to pray

Jesus had a preference for private place for prayer.

In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.

Luke 6:12 ESV

Any place and any time is is fine: Jonah prayed from inside a fish, Daniel from inside a furnace and den of lions, but Jesus’s preference was private prayer.

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Matthew 6:6 ESV

It’s especially helpful to have somewhere quiet and free from distractions.

Suzana Wesley had 19 children, but made time every day to be in prayer and intimate communion with God. The house they lived in had only one room with no quiet place, however she had a separate place to pray inside the house. Every day she went to a corner of the house and covered her face with an apron. In that time, all her children were quiet.

3. Don’t give up

We must not give in to temptation: Jesus was tempted to give up his mission.

Satan the tempter has been active to prevent the woman’s destiny to “crush [Satan’s] head” (Genesis 3:15).

He got Pharoh to kill the young Hebrew boys to destroy the people, as Moses was being born (Ex 1:22). Herod tried the same to destroy Jesus (Mat 2:16). He was present in the desert to tempt him to give up (Mat 4).

Pray you may not fall into temptation. As an example: even though Satan’s power was broken on the cross, he still tempts us.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. [9] Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

1 Peter 5:8-9 ESV

We can put on the armour of God (Eph 6:11-12) and pray in the spirit at all times (Eph 6:18). Prayer is a powerful weapon.

4. The right condition to pray

We don’t need to be in a specific position to pray. The Lord prayed in different positions.

But we need to humble ourselves: Jesus here with his knees bent in prayer recognises God’s majesty.

This reflects a contrite heart, which is important as God doesn’t like proud people.

5. Asking correctly

God’s will was the priority for Jesus.

saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

Luke 22:42 ESV

God has many blessings for those submitting their will to God:

And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” [3] And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Matthew 8:2-3 ESV

This man went to the right person to solve his problems: he bowed down before Jesus.

We know that God is present and pleased when we pray.

6. In difficult times we may need to pray alone

Sometimes no one will pray for, or with us.

And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow,

Luke 22:45 ESV

It would have been a comfort for His disciples to be there for Him, but He was alone: no-one prayed for Him.

In Acts 12 the church was persecuted and many leaders put in prison.

So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

Acts 12:5 ESV

When a believer prays, great things happen. In this example, Peter escaped (Acts 12:7-11)

7. When we pray God sends his comfort

When Jesus was in agony, His Father provided company.

And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.

Luke 22:43 ESV

Now God sometimes allows intense affliction, but when we pray to God he comforts and protects us.

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. [7] And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 ESV

Resources

Questions? Please contact us. Inspired? Come and worship with us on Sundays.



Ephesus with tourists

A Christian’s Life: Ephesians 1:15-23 – A church family prayer

We’re picking up our series in Ephesians again looking at what it means to be a Christian. In the second half of Ephesians Chapter 1, Paul prays for the church family. This is a model for mature Christian prayer.

Our passages today: Ephesians 1:15-23 and 1 Samuel 2:1-10, Preacher: Ian Bayne, 21st February 2021

Recap

Let’s recap verses 1-14 that we looked at before Christmas.

Understanding the author helps us to understand the intent of the book. We looked at the apostle Paul and how he was converted from a self-righteous persecutor of the church to a transformed individual.

The recipients of the letter were at Ephesus – they were recognised as the church of God. When I was growing up there was a backlash against organised religion and an emphasis on personal faith. Actually, scripture says there’s a mix of both. Elders and Deacons are organised and recognised. But we all have a part to play:

Q. What is the chief end of man?

A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

Westministher Shorter Catechism

1. We are to worshop God

All Christians are saints: called to worship God. We’re saved by faith.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Ephesians 2:8

It’s not because of what we do, though what we do should follow. Have you ever been disappointed because you aren’t as you want to be? Even despite your best efforts? It’s a comfort that we are both saved by faith and called to live by faith.

2. We are a family

We have faith in Jesus. This means we become incorporated into His body, a family, a Church of Christians. This is why the family aspect of church is so important.

3. We are blessed

We have a huge amount of blessings stored up for us in eternal life, and we can draw down on some of this now. Some of the trials we go through in life are only bearable because of faith.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,

Ephesians 1:3 ESV

When we look at our lives we can only see the past and present as it relates to us.

4. We are predestined

he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

Ephesians 1:5 ESV

We did not choose God, before He chose us. We need to be born again to enter the Kingdom.

Our passage explained

Our passage starts with an apostolic prayer. There are two of these (the other is in Ephesians 3). This is the Church Family Prayer if we want to give it a name.

When someone asks “how can I pray for you?” we tend to think of something mundane, but here we see the better answers we can give!

When we’re young believers we may pray in a child-like way. God loves this, but we do need to grow, and we can use the apostles’ prayers to model ourselves on.

The previous verses are talking about the status of believers. We did a very brief recap, but look how this flows from talking about the church to praying for the church.

  • The preparation of the prayer
  • The growing of the prayer
  • The sowing of the prayer

1. Preparing

Firstly Paul gives thanks for fellow believers:

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints,

Ephesians 1:15 ESV

What is he giving thanks for? He’s giving thanks for their faith and their love for one another. This prepares our heart.

2. Sowing

Paul prays for knowledge for the church and for the ability to use it well (wisdom).

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,

Ephesians 1:17 ESV

3. Growing

He also prays that we would be enlightened to know more about God’s calling. It’s for the Church to pray for one another to know God’s calling.

having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

Ephesians 1:18 ESV

This calling is an inheritance for believers, and Paul wants us to understand it.

It’s amazes me how much God loves us – He gave His life for us, he wants us to understand more about Him, and He grants us power to get us out of tricky situations.

Application

1. Give thanks first and supplicate second

We can treat God as a supermarket, with a list of demands.

fools rush in where angels fear to tread

An essay on Criticism, Alexander Pope (1711)

When we cook meat, we let it rest for tender results. Season your prayers with thanksgiving.

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. [7] And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 ESV

Thanksgiving helps us to focus on what’s important and puts everything in perspective.

2. Have patience

Back in the day, long car journeys with children were challenging as they would always ask “are we there yet?”. We didn’t have screens to keep them entertained for hours – we had to play games.

We can be like this as Christians. Even mature Christians are not there yet.

We don’t really understand the attributes of God.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1:7 ESV

3. Pray for each other

If we pray these things for each other all the detail will fade into insignificance.

Christian counselling is quite different from secular counselling. The counseller has all of the answers before knowing the problem. It’s helping the counsellee understand the answers.

Pray for one another as Paul did: with thanksgiving for knowledge and wisdom so that we can understand God’s plan for us.

Resources

Questions? Please contact us. Inspired? Come and worship with us on Sundays.



book with pages flipping

James 3:13-18 – Wisdom for life

Following our church camp mini-series on Marriage and the Family, in order to encourage our spouses and families we need wisdom for life! Our guest preacher: Steve Williams takes a looks at how to respond to challenges of life, and how to test whether our thoughts and the advice of others can be trusted. How can we tell wisdom is from God?

Our passage today: James 3:13-18.

Preacher: Steve, 14th February 2021

Wisdom from above – sermon slidesDownload

Wisdom in hindsight

In New Zealand, imagine you’re walking up a mountain and can see sections of all the tracks – how they begin in front of you, and how they end up at the top. The rest of the path is hidden.

Actually walking these paths, you could find that one was straight to the top, but steep, and another perhaps has a precarious ledge that you would rather avoid. It’s only at the top can you see the big picture.

Sometimes we look back and think: if only I’d had more wisdom.

Our passage today is in the book of James. James is the brother of Jesus who was prominent in the early church and the writer of one of the early letters.

Wisdom in the Bible

When we think of someone who was wise in the Bible, we think of King Solomon. He was the son of David. Now David wasn’t perfect, but he had a heart for God. Solomon had a half heart for God.

Solomon was wise (an example is in 1 Kings 3:16-28 where he makes a wise judgement), but in contrast he didn’t take down the high altars and had lots of wives and concubines who caused his heart to go astray to the point he started to worship other gods. People can be wise at times, and not at others.

What is wisdom?

Where does wisdom come from and what is it?

Wisdom is from God: it’s knowing what to do with knowledge, resulting in a life well-grounded in the reality of a situation.

True saving faith produces good works, yet, in contrast, earthly wisdom is unspiritual and “demonic” according to James. This is pretty strong language!

How can we tell if wisdom is from God?

If a person is earthly and follows worldly thinking then they are not following God’s wisdom. In contrast: Heavenly wisdom is pure and reflects godliness. It’s peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

We can test “wisdom” by looking at the characteristics of it: including it’s motive.

In summary, godly wisdom tends towards the big picture and is ultimately about honouring God.

And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

James 3:18 ESV

One question many people ask is: why are there so many Christian denominations?

The church seems like a mess with soon many believers believing different things. Why can’t the church be one as Jesus prayed? Are we bringing unity or division? Not peace at any price, but we should seek unity over division.

Where does wisdom come from?

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1:7 ESV

For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Proverbs 2:6 ESV

Wisdom comes from God.

How do we get wisdom?

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

James 1:5 ESV

We need to ask God and therefore we need to get to know Him. The only way to do this is through His Son, Jesus.

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

1 Timothy 2:5 ESV

See also: Hebrews 9:15 and Hebrews 12:24.

If we’re feeling short of wisdom and as though we’re far from God, it’s not God pushing us away, we push God away. Ultimately the wisdom of this world will get us nowhere. We need the wisdom of God and that’s my prayer for us all.

Resources

Questions? Please contact us. Inspired? Come and worship with us on Sundays.