http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources en p.bentley@confessingcongregations.com Copyright 2012 2012-01-23T06:40:06+00:00 http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/courageous-film/ http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/courageous-film/#When:06:40:06Z Courageous (M, 2011) Integrity, Strength, Love, Forgiveness, Faith. All the elements of previous Sherwood movies like Fireproof and Facing the Giants come to the fore in Courageous. Previously the characters were primarily concerned with their own occupations and lives, the characters in Courageous are often dominated by the lives of others; that is, until a tragedy impacts on them. Co-Writer and Director Alex Kendrick stars in the film as Sheriff Adam Mitchell. He and three other officers are continually confronted by questions arising from their public service, and increasingly see the connections arising from a broken world in which teenagers move into gang-related and petty crime, with the gang leader often seemingly taking the role of the father they never had.This will be a helpful and challenging movie for many people, and encouraging for men (who are fathers) to consider what it is to be a father, especially to their sons. How do you bring up boys today? How do we address a society in which many fathers have abnegated their responsibilities? Courageous had a limited commercial release in Australia in November 2011, following the American release in late September, where it performed well at the US box office, being the highest grossing new film release and fourth overall on its opening weekend. The film has had substantial media contact, including help from the now well-known Duggar family, some of whom were extras in the 5km race. I have mentioned before that the acting in Sherwood films is mainly non-professional, and there are some parts in Courageous which illustrate the limitations of this approach. A tighter script and editing down to about 100 minutes (approximately 130) would help this to reach a broader audience (especially if it appears on cable or TV). The Christian theology presented by Sherwood Pictures is conservative, and no doubt there will be questions over the occasional male headship reference. It does not centre on this, and is similar to the first film Flywheel, which is referenced in Courageous in a minor way, as Adam Mitchell's pickup truck carries a Jay Austin Motors license plate. Alex Kendrick played Jay Austin, the Zacchaeus like used-car dealer. The theme of fatherhood, and the questions that this often raises can be challenging. There are some scenes and comments which for some people may be emotionally confronting. If you have a group see the film, it would be worth ensuring there are some members available for counselling. A related group of resources has been produced, based around the resolution that the men in Courageous agree to jointly take and hold themselves accountable to. Overall, Courageous wants to call men, and particularly fathers to take their part in the raising of children, and hopefully to raise a new generation which respects women, and themselves. Culture Connections, Film and Media, Latest News 2012-01-23T06:40:06+00:00 http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/the-adult-son-of-god-at-christmas/ http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/the-adult-son-of-god-at-christmas/#When:09:19:11Z Rev Dr Max Champion at St John's UCA Mt Waverley Christmas Day 2011 Lessons -- Psalm 96; Hebrews 1:1-4; John 1:1-5,10-14 The Son reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature. (Hebrews 1:3 RSV) In Hebrews there are no shepherds, wise men, parents, crib or 'baby son'. Angels get a mention but not as singers (v4). Yet this letter, probably written by a colleague of Paul during AD 52-54 to a Jewish-Greek parish at Corinth, gets it right. Christmas highlights the 'radiance of God' in the adult 'Son'. Now 'radiance' is not the first word that we associate with God. That may be due to the long time when Christmas has been trivialised and our senses numbed by monotonous and sentimental repetition of carols. Hebrews can help us reclaim a language to fit the magnificence of what happened at Christmas. The opening verses draw us to the radiance of God and illuminate God's glorious purpose revealed in his son for our flawed, strife-torn world and the defeat of the dark forces that threaten life. * The gist of his testimony is that the splendour of God was (partially) revealed when God spoke through the prophets and has been (fully) revealed through his Son (vv 1-3). What was promised to and glimpsed by 'our forebears' has been fulfilled in and illuminated by 'the Son' in whom the radiance of the Creator is uniquely reflected. In these few verses a momentous claim is made! Jesus is not a prophet, wise teacher or angelic figure but the reflection of the majesty of God (v3c). In him the creative power that brought into being and upholds the universe is embodied (v3b). In him ancient hopes for redemption are realised (vv1,3b). This is expressed very exuberantly. The 'Son of God . . . bears the very stamp or imprint of God's nature' (RSV/NRSV). He is the 'flawless expression of the nature of God' (JB Phillips), 'the exact representation of the divine power' (HW Montefiore, The Epistle to the Hebrews, p33ff). In him God's very Being as Creator, Redeemer and Lord of all is enfleshed. What a stupendous claim! How momentous it is can be seen by comparing what he says to a thinker like Philo (20 BC--AD 50), who used similar phrases to speak of the Word of God in the world. For him the Word or Wisdom is the 'image of God', 'God's agent', 'the exact representation of the divine power' and 'an angel of God'. He even described the universe as the 'first born Son of the Word'. (Montefiore, p36) These expressions were in the air and Hebrews deliberately takes them and uses them in a way that Philo and other philosophers of Wisdom found scandalous! The 'image of God' is enfleshed in the Son who is 'the exact representation of the divine power' behind and within the universe. The radiance of the Creator is reflected in the only Son of God. That is, Christ represents the Very Being of God or, as the Nicene Creed later put it, the Son is 'God from God . . . true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made'. The Good News of Christmas is that Jesus is not a wise teacher or an angelic figure, but God in the flesh. What we see in the Son is the very character of God as Creator, Redeemer and Lord of all. * The redemptive character of God's radiant grace is briefly described in these verses in language that is unfamiliar to us and may cause offence. He says that 'the Son had made purification for sins' (3b). To many people, the idea that we need to be 'cleansed from sin' is negative and not conducive to a good, positive self-image. Undue focus on sin can be destructive but what is often forgotten is that sin and evil actually soil our lives! Try as we might, we cannot rid ourselves of guilt for the wrongs that we have done to God and others, or resentment at what they have done to us. All of us, deep down, long for a time when the light of grace shall ultimately triumph over evil. Besides, 'purification of sins' is not meant to be a drab, humourless affair. In Handel's Messiah the word of hope is sounded in the refrain 'and he shall purify'. The tone is uplifting, joyous and liberating. The choir virtually skips and dances its way through the repetitions of the line. Cleansing of sins means freedom! This is the attitude that we should bring to Hebrew's bold announcement that, in the Son, evil has met its match. Drawing on the ritual enacted by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement, he points to the radiance of grace reflected in the sacrificial life, death and resurrection of the Son. (This is developed more fully in Chapters 4 & 5.) The essential point is that the 'Son' is the 'High Priest' who gave his own life for the sins of the people. He reflects the sacrificial love of God who did for us what we cannot do for ourselves: cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Such is the power of God's costly grace! The stain of sin has been removed by an incomparable act of divine love. The message of Christmas is that 'the Son' has come into our flawed and strife-torn world to restore us to communion with God. Jesus is not the 'baby son' of Mary and Joseph, about whom so much twaddle is written, but the 'Son of God' who brought healing, forgiveness and wholeness on earth. Hebrews gets it right at Christmas! The crucial thing is not that Jesus is to be worshipped as the 'baby son' but as the 'crucified and risen Son' who, with the Father, creates and sustains the world (vv 2c,3c) and continues to 'reign at the right hand of the Majesty on high' (v3c). In fact, this is consistent with the infancy stories in Luke and Matthew. Because they saw God's radiance reflected in the adult ministry of the Son of God, they also saw the 'glory of God' in the Christ-child. As the writer to the Hebrews reflected on the momentous events centred on Jesus, he concluded that 'the Son' was unlike any other figure -- human or angelic. He uniquely reflected the radiance of God -- Creator and Redeemer of all. That is why he is described as being 'superior' both to 'angels' (v4) and to human teachers of wisdom. This does not mean that the 'Son' is half-God-and-half-man -- caught midway between Deity and humanity -- but the fullness of God in his humanity. This doesn't come out directly in these few verses, but it is emphasised later where it is made clear that the 'superiority' of the Son does not mean being a remote heavenly figure detached from the real world and real people. The true 'Son' is God identifying with us in the flesh. As Hebrews puts it, 'We do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but one who is every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. (4:15)' The radiance of God's mercy is reflected in Christ, the only Son of the Father, whose power is exercised through his incomparable, self-giving humanity. We do not need shepherds, wise men, parents, crib or baby son to celebrate Christmas properly. In fact, the repetition of what is so familiar and repetitive can and does distract us from seeing what is so remarkable about the coming of Jesus into our broken world. The truly remarkable thing is that, in his humanity, the Son of God reflects the radiance of God's grace for sinful humanity and breaks the power of sin and evil that despoil our lives. At Christmas, therefore, we celebrate the coming of hope for humanity and can confidently pray that the radiance we have glimpsed in Jesus, the true Son of God, shall at last shine with the radiance of God in all the dark places of our world. ----------------- Rev Dr Max Champion is minister in the St John's Uniting Church, Mt Waverley, Victoria, Australia. Dr Champion is Chair of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations within the UCA.   Sermons, Max Champion 2012-01-12T09:19:11+00:00 http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/mary-the-theologian-of-christmas/ http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/mary-the-theologian-of-christmas/#When:09:16:15Z Rev Dr Max Champion at St John's UCA Mt Waverley Christmas Eve 2011 Lessons -- Isaiah 9:2-7; Titus 2:11-15; Luke 2:15-20 All who heard it marvelled at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these things (NRSV) and thought deeply about them (JB Phillips). Luke 2:19 Luke's Christmas story is greeted by a mixture of astonishment and profound thought. Shepherds join the angelic chorus to 'glorify and praise God'. Spectators are amazed. Mary 'turned over in her mind' (JB Phillips) the meaning of the unfolding events. A sense of holy awe and deep reflection are the proper responses to news of God's remarkable and unexpected presence in history. How strange this sounds to us. A sense of wonder has been largely replaced by banality. Hyped-up excitement is cultivated to sell products and get TV ratings. Few people value profound thinking, particularly if asked to stretch their minds beyond immediate concerns. Our 'consumer culture', in which everything is geared to appealing to 'the masses', has inoculated us against the deep and thrilling sense of mystery that should accompany Christmas worship. This situation has serious implications for our Christmas celebrations. The mystery of the incarnation of Jesus, that should evoke in us a joyous and thoughtful response of heart and mind, is now widely ignored in favour of customs centred on family, community and gift-giving. Cartoonist Michael Leunig is typical of social commentators who see the incarnation merely as a time of 'new birth and renewal' that can help us better to enjoy nature (The Age, 24/12/11, p1). It is clear that as a society we have now become blase about the single event that has humanised the world! We need to rediscover the wonder of Christmas. Christ's coming into our midst -- as the embodiment of God's unshakeable commitment to humanity -- is of such earth-shaking significance that normal responses are inadequate. The story must re-shape our thoughts, experiences and hopes so that what is all-too- familiar may gladden our hearts, sharpen our minds and steel our wills. We must look for the unexpected amid the familiar! * The presence of shepherds is odd. They were not high on the scale of social worth. Their work made it almost impossible for them to perform religious duties. They were despised by orthodox believers. Yet they, not the pious, are the first to receive news of the coming of grace -- the first of all the obscure, despised and irreligious folk who have been joyful recipients of grace. * Spectators too are astonished by the turn of events (v18). They do not try to explain away what they have just heard. They simply marvel at the audacity of God's saving presence in this child. They are the first of countless unknown folk who have been amazed at the presence of grace in Jesus. The shepherds and the onlookers point us to the mystery of God's appearance in the humanity of Jesus: an event so wonderful that it cannot be contained within everyday thoughts and experiences about what is possible and knowable. In Christ, they see that God has broken through what is familiar, predictable and comfortable to reveal his grace and evoke astonished praise. Through them we learn that a sense of holy awe, unlike the hyped excitement that surrounds us today, is the proper response to Jesus' birth. * But Mary, even more than shepherds and spectators, shows what this remarkable event means. She is not distracted by euphoria surrounding Jesus' birth. She shares their profound sense of wonder. But it leads her to 'treasure these things and think deeply about them' (v19). Unlike many folk, who were 'amazed' at God's presence in what Jesus said and did but were unwilling to become disciples, Mary 'heard' and 'understood'. Of all in Luke who glorified God at the birth of Jesus, she penetrated the meaning of the events -- events that she was part of throughout Jesus' life. Mary encourages us to think deeply about the nativity in the context of the whole of Jesus' ministry. Remember! The infancy stories were the last, not the first, to be included in Luke and Matthew. They are profound reflections on the completed ministry of Jesus. Mary herself is present at key moments: the wedding at Cana (John 2:1-5), the crucifixion (John19:25ff) and the upper room (Acts 1:14). We can say that her reflections on Jesus' birth are borne of conviction that his adult life displayed his divine origin. The Jesus she knew in his incarnate, crucified, risen and ascended ministry was Lord of all from birth! In Mary, wonder, thinking and action go together. The mystery of God's becoming flesh in the Christ-child is an event of such earth-shaking significance that it propels her to worship wholeheartedly. Mind, emotion and will are united in praise of God who, in this single event, has humanised the world in a way that we could not have imagined if Christ had not been born into the real world! We are invited to share the sense of holy awe and deep reflection of these early witnesses to the incarnation. It is not easy in a society where the sense of mystery has been dulled -- where banality and hyped-up excitement work against us reorienting our thoughts, emotions and wills to God's grace. It is not easy, but it is necessary! For us to be open to the unexpected presence of God in the Christ-child is to be in the company of folk, like shepherds and bystanders, who have been overwhelmed by the mystery of grace. And to be open to this singular event is to know, with Mary, that responding to God's grace involves our whole being in worshipping the Lord of heaven and earth: the incarnate, crucified, risen and ascended Jesus. ----------------- Rev Dr Max Champion is minister in the St John's Uniting Church, Mt Waverley, Victoria, Australia. Dr Champion is Chair of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations within the UCA.   Sermons, Max Champion 2012-01-12T09:16:15+00:00 http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/become-a-child-of-god/ http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/become-a-child-of-god/#When:00:43:34Z SEEDS FOR HARVESTING 7/1(Christmas 2011) John 1:12"But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God"(NASB) What wonderful words for this new year. Remember that we are a part of the "many as received him."It is important to acknowledge that it is God who" gave them the right to become children of God." In understanding the meaning of the title"children of God"we must switch from our human ways of thinking .and try and understand how God sees us.For us "children" implies growing into adulthood.For God, we will always be the "children" of our Father.For that we must give Him all the praise. We can grow in grace and understandingas the Spirit guides and leads us, through the Living Word.God will always look upon us as His children.His relationship to us will always be one of a loving and caring Father.It is God who allows us "the right" to becomereconciled to himself. We need to be reminded of the flow of eventswhich enables us to claim the rightto become "children of God."Through his previent grace we became convinced of our sins,and needed to be forgiven and reconciled to God thought Jesus our saviour.It was then that we became "children of God"and continue to be so, until we enter the Kingdom of God Bob Imms 22.1.12   Devotional Resources, Seeds for Harvest with Bob Imms 2011-12-22T00:43:34+00:00 http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/enlightened-by-grace/ http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/enlightened-by-grace/#When:09:54:34Z Rev Dr Max Champion at St John's UCA Mt Waverley Sunday 11 December 2011 Lessons -- Isaiah 60:1-3,19-22; 1 John 1:5-10; John 1:1-9,19-28 God is light and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5) The true light that enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. (John 1:9) We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ . . . God from God, Light from Light. (Nicene Creed) In ordinary speech 'light' is often used as a symbol of truth, goodness and life in contrast to the 'darkness' of error, evil and death. Ignorance is banished when 'light is shed' on a subject. In Plato the sun symbolises the 'Idea of Goodness' shining amidst evil. The Buddha offers spiritual enlightenment to escape earthly suffering. New Agers find in themselves the inner light that illuminates truly spiritual knowledge. Secularists pride themselves on belonging to the 'Age of Enlightenment' in which the natural light of reason is said to have triumphed over irrational faith and bigoted religion. It is common to believe that there are many paths to 'enlightenment'. In the Gospel and Letters, John uses this common image to say something very specific about Jesus. He is 'the light that has come into the world', 'the true light', 'the light of the world'. He illuminates God's love for the world -- love that is implacably opposed to the darkness of sin, evil and death. In his life, death and resurrection, the 'Word made flesh' has defeated the powers of darkness and so illuminated the unparalleled self- giving love of God 'for all'. The Church is called to respond to God's presence in Jesus by 'bearing witness to the light'. This means taking up Israel's vocation to be 'a light to the nations' and following the example of John the Baptist in pointing to the light. Israel's calling was to be a sign of hope for the nations. As Isaiah 60 says, she does not exist for her own sake but to be a beacon of faith, goodness and mercy in a darkened world. The Hebrews are to point away from themselves to God who 'brought light out of darkness': the Creator of the world, their covenant partner and the Redeemer of their flawed and strife- torn life. John the Baptist too points away from himself. Instead of 'shedding light' on his own religious achievements, he illuminates Jesus as 'the light of the world': the One in whom the 'glory of God' is reflected and embodied. Thus John the Baptist represents Israel's vocation as a 'light to the nations'. He is also the herald of the One who fulfils-and-embodies that vocation as 'the light of the world'. 'He was not the light, but he came to bear witness to the light' (John 1:8). John the Baptist illuminates the Gospel and the nature of faith. In 'bearing witness to the light' he points to the unique presence of God in Jesus. In pointing to the 'glory' of the incarnation in Christ, he 'sheds light' on the grace of God in a 'darkened world'. He also 'sheds light' on what it means to live by faith. Jesus' disciples do not exist to draw attention to themselves! We are not encouraged to look within to find divine enlightenment but to look to what God has done for them and for all people in Christ. Thus we are to point away from ourselves to the incarnate, crucified and risen Jesus in whom God's life- giving purpose for the world has been supremely 'illuminated'. Sadly, this is often forgotten. Some high profile preachers enjoy the spotlight. Some of us are proud of shining our little light in public. Such self-centred faith is the very opposite of what the Church is called to be. It is a practical denial of our vocation in the world. We are called to bear witness, not to our own (fragile) faith and (flawed) actions, but to God's grace for humanity in Jesus Christ. We are to be 'torch-bearers' who, in the midst of darkness, point to God's costly and triumphant life in Christ -- to the One whom John the Baptist identifies as 'the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world'. (John 1:29) Therefore, we must not reflect on our own (imagined) goodness but cast light on God's costly love for all in the Body of Jesus. As torch-bearers in the midst of darkness, our worship, ministry and mission must be directed to glorifying God for what he has done in Christ for all nations -- to rejoice that God's goodness and mercy have been uniquely and splendidly illuminated in the man who is 'God from God, Light from Light'. When we 'shed light' on the Incarnation of Jesus, we also commit ourselves to defend human dignity -- to 'shed light' on situations in the world where people have suffered, either by their own actions or the actions of others. In such 'dark' places, the 'true light' is sorely needed, to illuminate evil, call wrong-doers to account and forgive the penitent. In affirming 'Christ as the light of the world', the Church aligns herself with God's implacable judgment on fanaticism and tyranny that doesn't shrink from causing widespread terror, death and torture. The global scale of human evil is an affront to God! Millions of our brothers and sisters have been stripped of their dignity, had their bodies violated and their lives cut short. Others, claiming the right to choose their life-style, consent to do what is wrong. In places where 'religion' is strong (e.g. Islam) or 'secular humanism' holds sway (e.g. the West), the dark shadow of evil often dims the light of goodness and mercy. Wherever God's incarnate, crucified and risen love is mocked and human beings do evil, the 'true light' of Christ is blanketed: terrorism (Iraq,Afghanistan) ; tyranny (Syria, Egypt, Libya, Zimbabwe); militant atheism, euthanasia and abortion on demand (the West); rape (global); promiscuity (the West / Africa); mistreatment of refugees (global). In such situations, the Church's vocation is to be a torch-bearer -- to illuminate God's judgment and grace in Christ. In practice this is daunting! Being 'a light to the nations' with the Jews, and bearing witness to Jesus Christ as the 'light of the world', is not 'all sweetness and light'. Remember that John the Baptist suffered and was killed for being a 'witness' to the 'true light'! Jesus himself died on a cross. Down the ages martyrs have died because the 'enlightened' people of their day did not welcome the light being shone on their dark deeds. The Christian life is both demanding (knowing that we are summoned to shine the light of grace into the 'darkest' corners of earth) and liberating (knowing that our darkened lives have been illuminated by grace). When the 'darkness' seems blackest and there is no glimmer of hope and 'light' seems far off, we must pray for courage to 'hold the torch' and 'keep the flame flickering'. A world that lives 'in darkness' needs to 'see the true light' of God's goodness and mercy in Christ. For the light that has come into the world in this incarnate, crucified and risen man is the sign of hope for a suffering world and a 'light to the nations'. It is also a pledge that in him, and at the last, God shall overcome the 'darkness'. It is our happy responsibility to be torch-bearers. We are called to point to Jesus Christ, 'the light of the world', 'God from God, Light from Light' -- to illuminate the self-giving glory of God in his ministry and mission. Sadly, it has become commonplace to treat such splendid affirmations with disdain -- as if they are unbelievable in an 'enlightened' age. But how 'enlightened' is it to sneer at the 'true light' of Christ and instead put hope in what flawed, arrogant and mortal human beings can do to illuminate our lives and bring about moral progress on earth? Our hope is in what God has done specifically in Christ to shed light in a darkened world. Jesus did not shun the darkness or sidestep suffering. God did not detach himself from sin and death but, in Christ, suffered evil and triumphed over it for us! This Son of God shed light on our predicament (that we cannot free ourselves from sin) and on the glory of God (who raised him as a sign of hope for all nations). It is incumbent on us, like John the Baptist, 'to bear witness to the light, that all might believe'. (1:7,8) The Church is summoned to declare that Jesus Christ is 'the light of the world' who reflects the glory of God and illuminates the humanity for which we are destined. When we acknowledge that 'God is light and in him is no darkness at all' and that Jesus Christ is 'God from God, Light from Light', the world has been uniquely encountered by God. Then we will be enabled to 'walk in the light as he is in the light' (1 John1:5ff) and be given courage to shed the light of Christ into the dark places of the earth. ----------------- Rev Dr Max Champion is minister in the St John's Uniting Church, Mt Waverley, Victoria, Australia. Dr Champion is Chair of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations within the UCA.     Sermons, Max Champion 2011-12-19T09:54:34+00:00 http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/hope-in-the-wilderness1/ http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/hope-in-the-wilderness1/#When:09:52:41Z Rev Dr Max Champion at St John's UCA Mt Waverley Sunday 4 December 2011 Lessons -- Psalm 85:8-13; 2 Peter 3:8-13; Mark 1:1-8 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.(Mark 1:1) Mark's Gospel begins without fanfare. There are no heavenly visitations to Mary or Joseph, no wise men nor shepherds, no angelic choirs. Yet, in his understated opening, Mark invites his audience to see, in the coming of Jesus Christ, an event so awesome that it can be compared only to God's creation of the world. 'In the beginning, God . . .' (Genesis 1:1). This is no ordinary story. We usually miss this today. 'The gospel' has become shorthand for 'good news' of any kind. In those days, however, it signified momentous events: fabulous news about military victories or the conferring of divine honours on the emperor. So when Mark proclaims 'the gospel', he points to the momentous things that have taken place already in Jesus' life, death and resurrection. He is writing, not as a detached newsreader reporting the events of the day, but as a person who has been so captivated by what God has done in Christ that he is compelled to be an evangelist -- a 'preacher of the gospel'. What is so momentous about 'the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God'? We are given a clue by the fact that these events take place in 'the wilderness'. This does not seem promising. In the wilderness God confronted his arrogant, grumbling people. There they experienced hostility from pagan neighbours -- and God's absence! It is a symbol of desolation where hopes are dashed and fidelity to God and their vocation to be a 'light to the nations' is sorely tested. The wilderness is a harsh place where, against the odds, hope emerges! When John the Baptist appears in the wilderness, hope seems a distant prospect. His severe, unpalatable message does not seem to be 'good news'. He puts the hard word on them, preaching a 'baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins' (v4), a message confirmed when Jesus too 'preaches the good news of repentance' (v14). If this is 'good news', what counts as 'bad news'? Is not talk of confession a relic of a bygone age? Surely, the really 'good' news is that, because Jesus accepts us as we are, we are OK? Let's 'accentuate the positives' and be done with repentance that is so harmful to a healthy self-image! Instead of being struck by the splendour of our creation in the 'image of God' and painfully aware of our failures to image God in our lives, we have become comfortable with ourselves. We are not saints, but nor are we criminals! So let us get on with 'doing our best' and forget all this stuff about repentance! Pre-occupation with sin can cause problems! But if we are astonished by the magnificence of our creation and of God's grace, then we should be prepared to face ourselves in the mirror of God's righteousness and mercy. Notice that John the Baptist (and Jesus) speaks of 'forgiveness of sins'. That is, our failure to live as God intends is named and set aside. There is no escaping the fact that we do not love God and others as Christ loves them -- and as we have been created to do. Astonishingly, though, God is merciful and just. This is 'good news'. It is a word of hope that has come in 'Jesus Christ, the Son of God' (v1). He embodies the mercy and goodness of God and also reconciles sinful men and women to God! This is momentous news that declares Jesus to be 'mightier than John the Baptist and the prophets'. The specific nature of his 'power' is spelt out throughout Mark's Gospel. Jesus heals, chastises and forgives people in a way that is unlike any godly prophet or political leader. The names used by Mark to describe Jesus as the One who embodied 'the Gospel' -- 'Christ' and 'Son of God' -- were given new meaning because he captivated his followers in ways that they could never have imagined from their previous experiences of prophets or kings. The 'power' that John the Baptist identified in him was unlike that of any other messianic figure. In him 'good news' took on a completely new meaning. This unlikeness is evident throughout Mark's 'gospel'. For example: * Immediately after John the Baptist's testimony to the one whose sandal straps he is unworthy to untie, Jesus is baptised by John (v9). Jesus' unique power is displayed by his willingness to identify himself with broken humanity. Here is a sign that Messiah conquers sin by reconciling sinners to God. * Jesus is shown to have a unique relationship with God. He is the 'beloved Son' in whom God's love for the broken world is uniquely embodied. * Jesus' unique 'power' is displayed supremely in the crucifixion. The Roman centurion (not a Jew nor a disciple) says, 'Truly this man was the Son of God.' (15:39) * In Christ's life and ministry the Holy Spirit (v8) is revealed, not as a vague, disembodied spirit, but as the Spirit of God's costly, self-giving love for humanity. This is 'momentous news'. In the wilderness -- symbolic of desolation -- the word of hope comes to the sinful, the dispirited, the sick, the afflicted, the dying and the persecuted. From the human point of view it comes where life and faith are threatened -- where evil thrives and God seems absent. In this place, John the Baptist announces the coming of Messiah to defeat the dread powers that afflict life. As we see after the baptism (vv 12,13), Jesus does this, not from a safe distance as you might expect of a heavenly figure, but by withstanding temptations that appear when everything seems desolate. In these few understated verses at the beginning of his good news story, Mark anticipates the completed work of God's power in the whole ministry of Jesus Christ, Son of God. Here, says John the Baptist, in a person like no other, God is acting to overthrow the powers of evil. Apart from what God has done in him there is no hope for broken, flawed humanity! Today, where 'the news' merely reports the endless cycle of triumphs and tragedies, conflicts and failures, and the opinions of celebrities trump concern to uphold what is right, the 'good news' urgently needs to be heard. This is particularly necessary at the moment when, despite the outward appearance of social harmony and tolerance, Christian beliefs and practices are being relentlessly undermined in the Australian community. We may think that, compared with many other places in the world, we are living in an oasis. In fact, we are starting out on a long journey through the wilderness. How else can we explain the amount of time given to one-sided reporting about the virtues of same-sex marriage, an issue that, if enacted in law, will change the meaning of marriage and rob children of the right (under United Nations Human Rights charters) to be raised by a father and a mother? We have moved well beyond understanding, empathy for and opposition to vilification of people living in same-sex relationships. The relentless pursuit of 'gay marriage' by the Greens, and the decision of the Labor Party yesterday to endorse it as national policy, are not signs of greater virtue but of the need for repentance. Despite what many public figures are saying, it is not 'good news' when the splendour of marriage between a man and a woman, as wonderfully designed by God, is undermined and attacked. In this situation, the 'good news' about repentance needs to be heard. It is 'good news' that, in the wilderness, we may 'repent' of our conformity with the world -- that, in the words of our Moderator (in CrossLight) we may live a life that is 'counter-cultural'. As individuals, as citizens and as members of the Christian community, we are free to see ourselves in the light of the goodness that is God's will for the human family, repent of our failures and rejoice in the mercy that is embodied in Jesus Christ, Son of God. It is a great freedom to repent in this way. We do not have to fool ourselves about who we are. And we are free to stand against beliefs, attitudes and policies that mock God's good purposes as revealed through John the Baptist and others and displayed in Christ. The churches must resist the push for same- sex marriage, as have 19 church leaders (but not the UCA) in a press release yesterday. At the same time, as our text makes very clear, we must not give in to despair. In the wildernesses of life, when God seems to be absent and unrighteousness seems to be all-powerful, hope emerges unexpectedly. Now -- and not for the first time in history -- the Christian churches are being called to live faithfully in the wilderness. We should pray to be spared from pessimism in God's seeming inability to judge evil, forgive sin and renew us in hope. It is enough that we are called to preach the 'good news' of repentance -- knowing that our personal and collective illusions have been shattered by the grace of God so that we may proclaim the Gospel in words and deeds. Sometimes this is hard. But we need not be dismayed. The 'wilderness' was the place where John the Baptist proclaimed the 'gospel' of 'Jesus Christ, Son of God' and recalled the people to live boldly in the world with a freedom born of genuine repentance. Moreover, the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, in which we participate today, is the sign that Jesus Christ, Son of God who suffered desolation on the cross, has triumphed over evil and forgiven our sins. So may we gladly proclaim this momentous news: that Christ himself is the sign of hope for our broken world. ----------------- Rev Dr Max Champion is minister in the St John's Uniting Church, Mt Waverley, Victoria, Australia. Dr Champion is Chair of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations within the UCA.     Sermons, Max Champion 2011-12-19T09:52:41+00:00 http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/parable-of-the-misunderstood-talents/ http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/parable-of-the-misunderstood-talents/#When:05:45:08Z Rev Dr Max Champion at St John's UCA Mt Waverley  Sunday 13 November 2011 Lessons -- Psalm 123; Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30 The Parable of the Talents is one of the best known of Jesus' parables. It appeals to our sense of responsibility and fits in with what we hold to be central in life: showing initiative, using our abilities and 'maximising our potential' to be productive citizens. How often has it been drummed into us that we must use our 'talents'? Stories abound of those who 'wasted their talents'. It is usually told to encourage us to have a strong 'work ethic' and use our God-given talents responsibly. Its message is said to justify ideals of individual initiative, self-help, free enterprise and wealth creation -- some even arguing that it is the basis of modern capitalism! Such views were supported by an earlier generation of scholars. A Julicher, who thought that all of Jesus' parables had a simple generally applicable meaning, said that the point of this parable is that 'reward is only earned by performance'. This way of looking at the parable is so ingrained in our collective thinking that we completely miss what Jesus is actually saying. We have become so used to taking individual parables and sayings out of context in the whole Gospel- story that we have come to think of Jesus as a teacher of universal values that agree with our cherished ideals. We overlook the fact that he is the embodiment of God's grace who, at a particular moment in history, challenged behaviour at odds with God's will for humanity. The Parable of the Talents is a major casualty of such thinking. It is one of a number of parables Jesus tells his disciples who are expecting the fulfilment of history. It is not about our work ethic, but the true nature of Christian discipleship! * It reminds them of the magnificence of God's grace. * It summons them to take risks in preaching the Gospel as they await God's future. * And it warns them of the consequences of cautious and resentful religion. * The first thing to note is the enormous sum of money given to each worker. One 'talent' was worth more than 15 years' wages of a labourer (NRSV). One man was given the equivalent of 75 years' wages, another 30, another 15. The boss is extravagant beyond measure in what he gives to each man. Thus, this parable of discipleship begins with the superabundance of God's grace. God is not stinting in the gifts he gives to his Church! Whilst there is a great diversity of gifts in the church, everybody, including the third servant, receives more than they could possibly have imagined. The parable of the talents begins, not with the rewards due to us by our performance, but with the extravagant grace of God towards us. * The second thing to note is that God's magnanimous gift comes with great responsibility. There is no grace without a summons to act boldly in passing on the Good News. Much is expected of those who are beneficiaries of God's extravagant love. Grace is not an invitation to take it easy but a calling to spread the word of God's incomparable goodness. What an incredible responsibility! That the Creator is so gracious is cause for astonishment. That we are invited to share in God's love for the world is a privilege that is beyond our imagination. The parable of the talents shows us that -- like the first and second servants -- those who have received the gift of extravagant grace are called to take risks in promoting the Gospel as they await the future that God has promised in Christ. * The third thing to note is that the parable is a warning against religion that is cautious and resentful. This becomes clear with the unexpectedly harsh treatment of the third servant. To us he is not so irresponsible. He does not lose the money or waste it on riotous living. He is not careless but, as the law requires, buries the valuable talent in order to guard against theft. He is a good, sensible, religious person! However, as well as being cautious he is resentful. This comes out in a curious exchange (vv 24,26) between him and the Master in which they seem to agree that the boss is in fact harsh and unscrupulous in dealing with people. Certainly, the Master expects a great deal of his servants. That is fine! But harsh and unscrupulous? The dilemma is solved if we see that the Master's repetition of the servant's complaint is ironic. He ridicules the man's lame excuse for inaction in the form of a question. He does not justify himself but says, in effect, 'Yeah, right! If you really thought that, why did you not do the decent thing?' In view of the Master's extraordinary generosity to him and the trust placed in him with 15 years' wages, it is inconceivable that the third servant's accusation has any foundation. He simply tries to shift the blame for his extreme caution and to justify his resentment at being asked to take risks! In the parable, Jesus makes it clear that this cautious, resentful man is a useless and dangerous enemy of the Gospel. It is notable that, in a similar parable in the later Gospel of the Nazarenes, such a man is only rebuked, while a servant who wasted money on frivolous, immoral living is thrown into prison. Why does Jesus only condemn a chap who is cautious and resentful? Remember: Jesus battled the Pharisees over the correct interpretation of the law. They were scrupulous in religious and moral observance and expected the same from everybody. And they were resentful of Jesus taking risks to show the immeasurable grace of God by mixing with 'tax collectors, sinners and outcasts' to restore them to the community of faith. In fact, the parable of the talents is an attack on scrupulous, resentful religion and a summons to discipleship in response to the astonishing mercy of God. The third servant is condemned because he is afraid of making mistakes in God's service. As Eduard Schweizer puts it: 'Jesus is saying that a religion concerned only with not doing anything wrong in order that its practitioner may one day be rewarded, ignores the will of God.' (The Good News according to Matthew, p 473.) A faith that 'plays it safe' is resentful of God's grace to all. God disturbs our religious and moral securities so that we may live in hope (of what awaits us in Christ) by taking risks, as servants of grace, to declare the Gospel in our own day. The parable teaches that failure to take risks, refusal to be vulnerable and resentment at what we are called to do in serving God can be more damaging to genuine faith than irreligion and immorality. Indeed, it is a case-study of Jesus' statement that 'whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it' (Matthew 16:25). It calls us to respond to God's 'unexampled grace' in Christ, (as Charles Wesley put it in Australian Hymn Book 145, v3), by abandoning the quest for religious and moral security and being open to God's will and our neighbour's need. This is a timely word for a Church that, having lost its nerve, has become cautious in declaring the Gospel of God's extravagant grace embodied in Jesus and resentful about the cost of discipleship. We have learned to keep ourselves 'safe' and do not want to be made to look foolish for standing up for the truth as we await God's future. The parable reminds us that disciples are summoned to use their various 'talents' to ensure that the magnificence of God's grace is made known in the time between Christ's embodiment of grace on earth and the renewal of the whole creation that await us in him. In a Church that is so often pre-occupied with its own security, has lost its nerve as a community of hope and is resentful about its declining influence, we need to hear Christ's summons. In a society where initiative, potential and productivity are rewarded, we need to encourage 'talents' that are the fruits of grace. We are summoned to be bearers of hope in a Church and society where caution and timidity are widespread and people are anxious or resentful about their own 'performances'. Therefore, contrary to popular wisdom, the parable does not teach that 'reward is only earned by performance'. To be 'talented' in the sense of the parable is to live by hope. To use our 'talents' is to respond to God's costly grace in Christ by taking risks to seek the restoration of those who are lost, broken or without hope -- and who, like us, stand in daily need of forgiveness and courage. The 'reward' for those who practise a cautious and resentful religion does not bear thinking about; there 'will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in the outer darkness' (v30). That is not for us to decide! It is enough that we should be open to the astonishing grace of God and take risks in passing on the Good News, knowing that our reward, as verse 28 makes clear, is not a life of ease but greater responsibility. ----------------- Rev Dr Max Champion is minister in the St John's Uniting Church, Mt Waverley, Victoria, Australia. Dr Champion is Chair of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations within the UCA.     Sermons, Max Champion 2011-12-11T05:45:08+00:00 http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/hope-in-the-darkness/ http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/hope-in-the-darkness/#When:05:43:11Z Rev Dr Max Champion at St John's UCA Mt Waverley Sunday 06 November 2011 Lessons -- Psalm 78:1-20; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13 A joyful wedding banquet -- a wonderful 'earthly' celebration -- is the setting for Jesus' parable of the kingdom of 'heaven'. It shows us that God is a festive God who calls us to live in the midst of the world -- with all the challenges and disappointments that come from being part of the community of faith -- with a joyous sense of hope because of what God has in store for humanity. The scene was familiar. The groom comes to the home of the bride's parents for the festivities where he is welcomed by the bride's friends. They light torches in anticipation of his arrival. The mood is happy, expectant, celebratory! Clearly, the Kingdom of Heaven is not dull, but the party cannot start without him! While this is a familiar story, it is not predictable. As usual in his parables, Jesus grabs our attention by including a couple of unusualdetails: * The groom (not the bride!) is so late (midnight) that all the bridesmaids fall asleep. * Only the bridesmaids who run out of oil for their torches are excluded from the banquet. This is no ordinary wedding! The emphasis is on the suddenness of the bridegroom's arrival, after an unexpectedly long wait, and the readiness of the bridesmaids to welcome him. As we have noted in our series on the parables, Jesus' parables must be understood in two slightly different settings: one in his ministry and one in the community to which the Gospel writer is speaking. Originally the parable was a wake-up call to the crowds to see that 'heaven' had unexpectedly come 'to earth' in Jesus' ministry. They were alerted to God's presence and given a foretaste of the future goal of history in his words and deeds of hope. Do not go to sleep and miss what God is doing in him. Matthew retells it to an early Christian community in which enthusiasm for the faith and willingness to suffer persecution for it was being sorely tested by the unexpected delay in the return of Christ to put things right. As the Thessalonians to whom Paul wrote also knew, spontaneous, joyful and whole- hearted commitment is much harder when there is 'no end in sight'. In both settings, disciples are alerted to the unexpected presence of hope in their midst! Some, like the wise girls, are 'alert but not alarmed'. Others, like the foolish girls, should be 'alarmed because they are not alert'. Stupidity and wisdom have nothing to do with intelligence or moral rectitude. They have to do with whether they are prepared to live faithfully in the present, no matter how dark it may be, in joyful hope that God will bring history to completion in Christ. * The 'foolish girls' represent the 'now generation' that wants immediate satisfaction of all their desires and needs. They want instant happiness, excitement and success in every area of life, including religion. They get bored easily. They love a good party -- a good time -- but cannot wait for celebrations which are in the distant future -- in God's good time. * In contrast, the 'wise girls' represent those who prepare themselves for the future which God has in store for the world. They are not perfect. They too fall asleep in the darkness! But, unlike their friends, they count on God's promise. They are confident that God's mercy, goodness and healing is already being revealed -- in Christ's table-fellowship with the sinful and the vulnerable and with his disciples at the Last Supper -- and that it will be fully revealed in God's good time. They are not fanatical or anxious or despondent in the face of 'darkness'. They do not keep their lamps burning so that others will see what they are doing to 'bring in the Kingdom of Heaven'. They simply take steps to ensure that they are ready (future) to welcome the One who is already displaying God's power over evil and death in his incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection. This parable has an uncanny relevance for us! Today, even more than the early Church, we are painfully aware of the 'long march of history' since the resurrection of the crucified Jesus. His ministry of mercy, goodness and healing and his triumph over evil and death often seem like a distant memory rather than a present reality and a future hope! We have grown tired of waiting for a new world. Our lives, and history, seem to be 'one damn thing after another'. Hope is in short supply. Reasons are not hard to find! The twentieth century was the most brutal, inhuman period in history; the twenty-first century does not promise better! Last week, on All Saints Day, we remembered Father Kolbe, a Polish martyr who died in 1941 at the dreaded Auschwitz concentration camp -- one of many who have kept the faith flickering in the darkest hours of history. Despite foolish optimism in some quarters today that we that we can attain 'enlightenment' through self-knowledge, so many people are experiencing 'darkness over the face of the earth'. The global financial crisis, natural catastrophes in Japan and elsewhere, brutality in places like Egypt, Libya and Syria, and the certainty of death all contribute to a widespread feeling that God is absent. There is much cause for resignation and despair. Indeed, Christians often take for granted the social and cultural benefits of the Christian heritage. It is easy to forget that the Church is called to be a community of hope -- to be 'alert' to the signs of God's presence. Churches often want quick-fix solutions to declining numbers. Mega- churches thrive on meeting people's desire for instant religious gratification. Others clutch at the latest techniques to reinvigorate worship and connect with the 'now generation'. The Parable of the Bridesmaids warns us against the temptation to reinterpret the Christian faith to suit those who 'live for the moment'. It also encourages us to be ready to play our part as torch-bearers of hope in situations that easily lead to resignation or despair. The Rev Warren Clarnette puts it splendidly when he says that the parable: 'teaches the church today the necessity for alertness, enthusiasm and integrity during the long hours . . . of fading hope when it seems that (for the church above all) night has fallen and the morning (let alonemidnight) is unimaginably far off. (It) reminds us of the one essentialtask: to be ready and faithful despite the postponement of the festivities. In an age so seriously devoted to immediate satisfactions; where the prospect of deferring pleasure (whether sensual or religious) is universally abhorred and judged to be contrary to human rights, this message is desperately needed. Our business in the church is neither to hurry the bridegroom to his destination nor to remain awake as if everything depended on our performance. It is to be there, equipped and ready, when we are most needed.' (Take and Read: The Year of Matthew,p66.) What is most needed today? It is necessary to keep the light of hope flickering today in a culture that has foolishly turned its back on the hope embodied in Christ and put its hope in our ability to achieve the immediate satisfaction of all our needs. In such a self-absorbed society, where public policies and community values trumpet the rights of individuals to decide what is right 'for them', hope that those who are vulnerable, abused or persecuted will be treated with dignity is often extinguished. In such dark times we should not fall asleep on the job! The parable is a wake-up call. We must wake up to what is happening around us and, in the midst of the darkness, be ready to celebrate the coming of the One who brings genuine hope to our broken world. This hope, unlike the foolish hopes that we put in ourselves, enables us to live fully and joyfully in the present -- with all its challenges and disappointments -- knowing that the future is God's future. As we remember with gratitude God's righteousness and mercy displayed in Jesus' 'table-fellowship' with the unjust and the unloved (past) and anticipate the festivities of the Kingdom of Heaven (future), we may enjoy our life-together now (present). That is why we gladly participate in the 'Lord's Supper' as a sign of the 'holy communion' shared with Christ now as a pledge of the festive communion which awaits us (future). In responding to the God of hope, it is our hope that our brothers and sisters may grow tired of 'living for the moment' and hear Christ's invitation to take part in festivities of the Kingdom. It may be that, like the foolish young women, the desire for instant satisfaction will exclude them from the banquet (v12). That is not ours to decide. Our task is simply to be ready to light the way of the One who brings hope in the midst of darkness. So may we be alert to Christ's presence, keep the light flickering and rejoice in the worship of God for what God (uniquely) has done, is doing and shall do in Christ who has brought hope into our darkened world. ----------------- Rev Dr Max Champion is minister in the St John's Uniting Church, Mt Waverley, Victoria, Australia. Dr Champion is Chair of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations within the UCA.     Sermons, Max Champion 2011-12-11T05:43:11+00:00 http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/methodist-hymns-on-the-death-of-true-christians/ http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/methodist-hymns-on-the-death-of-true-christians/#When:02:49:32Z Aspects of a Christian's Death in the Methodist Hymn Bookby the Rev Perry Smith of Belmont, NSW Hymns about our pilgrimage to heaven: 216 Each verse starts with "Jesus lives!" ending with "Hallelujah!", v.2 ending "We may go where He has gone, live and reign with Him in heaven".590 "Forth in Thy name, O Lord, I go", v.5 ending "And run my course with even joy, and closely walk with Thee to heaven".606 "Come all whoe-er have set your faces Zion-ward", v.4 ending "And then in heaven our journey ends".824 "Come, let us join our friends above", v.4 ending "And land us all in heaven". 831 "Give me the wings of faith to rise", v.5 ending "The long cloud of witnesses show the same path to heaven" (meaning earlier believers who have died, as in Hebrews 12:1) Other Hymns about a Christian's Death 89 "Christ, of all my hopes the ground", v.7 ending "Safely reach Immanuel's ground", and v.8 ending "Having known it Christ to live, let me find it gain to die" (Philippians 1:21). 386 "O Thou who camest from above", v.3 "Jesus, confirm my heart's desire to work, and speak, and think for Thee", and v.4 ending "Till death Thine endless mercies seal and make the sacrifice complete". Our desire in life and final sacrifice of our lives in death. (My wife's chosen funeral hymn).526 "O Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end", v.4 ending "O Jesus, Thou hast promised that Where Thou art in glory, there shall Thy servant be".615 "Guide me O Thou great Jehovah", v.3 ending "Land me safe on Canaan's side" (meaning heaven). 624 "Jesus still lead on", v.2 ending "To our home we go" and v.4 ending "Call us home to God" where "home" is a lovely, warm concept of heaven.627 "How happy every child of grace ... I seek my place in heaven! ...The heaven prepared for me", and in v.3 Jerusalem is another allusion to heaven where our "exalted Saviour and High Priest stands and extends His wounded hands to take me to His breast", and finally v.4 "O what a blessed hope is ours while here on earth we stay ... and antedate that day".658 "For ever with the Lord! Amen: so let it be ... absent from Him I roam, yet nightly pitch my moving tent a day's march nearer home" ("home" again as Hymn 624).The whole hymn is significant. Note v.4 "When my latest breath ... by death I shall escape from death and life eternal gain. For ever with the Lord".825 "The saints of God, their conflict past ... life's long battle won at last ... O happy saints for ever blest".832 "For all the saints who from their labours rest ... Thy name, O Jesus, be for every blest, Alleluia!" and v.2 "Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might; Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight". 956 "Come, let us anew our journey pursue", and verses 5 and 6 "I have finished the work Thou didst give me to do ... Well and faithfully done; enter into my joy".973 "Rejoice for a brother deceased, our loss is his infinite gain" (Philippians 1:21 again as in Hymn 89).977 "Safe home, safe home in port" Note v.1 the ship with "the voyage-perils o'er", v.2 "the athlete and prize", with "troubles gone" and "the victor-garland on", and v.4"the exile at home" with the roaming gone, and "The King has wiped those tears away". (A free translation in the 1800s of an original 9th Century Hymn).Finally 525 is a wonderful hymn of comfort in bereavement: "Through the love of God our Saviour, all will be well", with v.3 ending "Then in living or in dying, all must be well".       Devotional Resources, Living for Jesus with Perry Smith, General Resources 2011-12-07T02:49:32+00:00 http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/an-advent-message/ http://www.confessingcongregations.com/resources/item/an-advent-message/#When:02:44:11Z A MESSAGE ON ‘ADVENT' by Rev Perry Smith Dictionary definitions are interesting! Consider 3 aspects of Advent. 1) PREPARATION for a FESTIVITY. Commercially, domestically - but spiritually? Presents, food etc. How do we celebrate this birthday? Why did He come? ‘My God incarnated for me!' (MHB 135) "Our God contracted to a span" (TiS 305). 2) REALISATION of a FELLOWSHIP. ‘Realisation' has two meanings: a) To understand clearly or in detail. O.T. choice souls had special glimpses: in a cloud, fire, glory - for special purposes on special occasions. BUT a different expectation of a Messiah. Later ‘the time had fully come' (Gal 4:4), at Incarnation; at Pentecost by the Holy Spirit; and now at personal conversion (John 1:12). b) To convert into fact, like converting assets into money. It is a more conscious, realised possession. True Christians don't just have a theory, or live on a memory, but we know a reality - Jesus Christ! 3) ANTICIPATION of a FINALE. We must respond personally to His first coming, to be ready for His second coming - mentioned about 300 times by Jesus and N.T. writers in all but the 3 smallest N.T. books. Some say 1 in 25 verses of N.T. Note the Creeds and Holy Communion - ‘in remembrance... proclaim... until He comes' (I Cor 11:25-6). Culmination of apostolic preaching - Jesus was incarnate, lived, died, rose again, ascended, sent the Holy Spirit and ‘He will come again in glory'! Consider the Parable of the Wise & Foolish Maidens in Matthew 25: 1-13):* The Arrival of the Bridegroom. The event certain; the time uncertain! Note the delay (5) and suddenness ((6). Why 5 wise and 5 foolish?* The Acceptance of the Wise. Sudden crisis! He's here! Other N.T. illustrations by Jesus, Paul, Peter - thief, lightning, swoop of an eagle, a bursting flood, judgement on Sodom, 2 women at a mill, 2 men in a field, 2 in bed... one taken, one left! Grasp v.10. The shut door! The oil? - spiritual possession, not mere profession!* The Anguish of the Foolish. Outwardly they seemed alike, but the crisis divided. They were Unreal - outward formality, no inward reality. Unready - could not Not borrow oil - like Christian experience. Unrecognised - ‘I don't know you!'Unreceived - shut door separated accepted and rejected! cf. Noah's Ark's door.N.T. emphasis on the Second Coming: No fear, be holy, be busy, encouraging others as the ‘Day' approaches (Hebs 10:25). ‘BE READY'. ‘No condemnation' if we are ‘in Christ Jesus' (Rom 8:1). But be sure that you are in Him! He will wind up God's purposes. The ‘signs' are being fulfilled. Respond to his first coming by His Incarnation, Cross and Resurrection. Then be ready for His final coming in glory! History (His-story!) is going somewhere. God is in control. The CHRISTIAN HOPE! The curtain will fall on history as we know it. Study the Scriptures. Be ready! Devotional Resources, Living for Jesus with Perry Smith 2011-12-07T02:44:11+00:00