A lot of 'old people'

'Young' people who visit the church at which I minister often comment that there are a lot of 'old people'.  They visit from other churches; I guess that there are not a lot of 'old people' at those churches.

I think this is sad.  In the establishment of the church by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost Peter quotes Joel:

‘In the last days it will be, God declares,
    that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
    and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
    and your young men shall see visions,
    and your old men shall dream dreams.
 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
    in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
    and they shall prophesy.

- Acts 2:17-18

The church includes children, young people, old people, slaves - all of them adopted by the Holy Spirit into the family of God; all of them gifted by God to realize his dream for the church.  Church - by scriptural definition should be old, young, rich, poor, oppressed and liberated - together in one family - when we are not together, do we hear the word in all its fullness?

So - when you look for a church - don't join one without old people, it might be tempting - it will be fashionable and trendy and all the things you like.  The music will be loud; the preaching will be 'relevant' to your generation - but the community will be missing a limb.

As a pastor ministering to the elderly influences my preaching tremendously.  It is easy to be optimistic and upbeat about faith, prosperity, joy, mission and abundant life if you don't sit with a mother who has lost a child; or a husband who is losing a spouse.  If you don't have to talk about the despair of senility.  It is easy to say that God heals - you just have to have enough faith - if you don't comfort the mourning on a very regular basis.

Our worship will be incomplete if we're not all together.

Bible, Creation and Homo Naledi

Can Christians Believe in Evolution?

Just last week I came across a few odd pamphlets at my church.  They offered an argument for what they called Biblical Creationism.  The articles were quite impressive; they featured scientists with plenty of degrees and invited their readers to believe that the Earth is less than 10,000 years old and was created in six days - just like in the Bible.  They argue that if the creation account in Genesis is not true - then the whole Bible can not be true.

Is it Mischief?

This raises a whole lot of questions for me - the first question I prefer not to ask:  Are the people who put these pamphlets together actually Christian?  Are they trying to undermine scripture and Theology?  A reasonable scientist (even a total amateur like myself) can see straight through the 'scientific' arguments they present.  Unfortunately - for those who want to believe what these people are saying - there is no criticism of what they say - there is a certain fear of asking too many questions; and so we find Christians encouraged to disagree with science for no good reason.

Already, at the turn of the fifth century Augustine wrote:

Usually, even a non-Christian knows something about the earth, the heavens, and the other elements of this world, about the motion and orbit of the stars and even their size and relative positions, about the predictable eclipses of the sun and moon, the cycles of the years and the seasons, about the kinds of animals, shrubs, stones, and so forth, and this knowledge he holds to as being certain from reason and experience. Now, it is a disgraceful and dangerous thing for an infidel to hear a Christian, presumably giving the meaning of Holy Scripture, talking nonsense on these topics; and we should take all means to prevent such an embarrassing situation, in which people show up vast ignorance in a Christian and laugh it to scorn.

The shame is not so much that an ignorant individual is derided, but that people outside the household of faith think our sacred writers held such opinions, and, to the great loss of those for whose salvation we toil, the writers of our Scripture are criticized and rejected as unlearned men. If they find a Christian mistaken in a field which they themselves know well and hear him maintaining his foolish opinions about our books, how are they going to believe those books in matters concerning the resurrection of the dead, the hope of eternal life, and the kingdom of heaven, when they think their pages are full of falsehoods on facts which they themselves have learned from experience and the light of reason?

Reckless and incompetent expounders of Holy Scripture bring untold trouble and sorrow on their wiser brethren when they are caught in one of their mischievous false opinions and are taken to task by those who are not bound by the authority of our sacred books. For then, to defend their utterly foolish and obviously untrue statements, they will try to call upon Holy Scripture for proof and even recite from memory many passages which they think support their position, although they understand neither what they say nor the things about which they make assertion.

[1 Timothy 1.7](http://www.pibburns.com/augustin.htm also see http://www.talkorigins.org/origins/postmonth/2008_02.html)

If I was trying to undermine the very foundation of Christianity I would try to tell people that they should insist on a literal reading of Genesis.  Sadly I have heard people lamenting the fact that their friends or family have chosen not to be Christians because they simply can not reject their scientific understanding of the world.  I wish it was easier to gently speak 'truth in love' to these Christians who refuse to hear reason.  But there is a refusal to hear anything other than what they already think or believe they should think because they are afraid that if they don't believe Genesis 1 (literally) they might go to hell. 

What does the Bible Say?

If you want to take the Bible literally the first thing you will learn is that you simply can not take the Bible literally - especially with regard to Genesis 1 and Genesis 2.  Rather than simply believe what pamphlets and preachers say - I encourage people to read their own Bibles for themselves and come to their own conclusions.  Genesis 1 and 2 plainly contradict each other (see diagram below)...

It would have been easy to harmonize the two accounts, or reject one in favor of the other - but the Mosaic tradition brings two distinct accounts into the beginning of the Bible.  It has only been in the last two centuries that our ideas about how the universe began - and the timescale of it all has begun to make sense.  We've made the technological and mathematical discoveries that we need to see this - if the earliest tellers of the story of creation were going to try and explain evolution, DNA and abstract physics equations it would have taken them several books longer than the Bible to get to the point. 

The Importance & Virtue of Science

Science is really important - through scientific advance humans have been able to discover the causes and cures for innumerable diseases and disorders.  Many of the doctors and researchers were inspired by their faith to find these cures and solutions; many of the hospitals and universities where great scientific advancements are made were founded and funded by Christians because of their faith.  In their research scientists are encouraged to dig for deeper and deeper truths about the world we live in and the science of it.  Every discovery that is made is subject to wide eyed scrutiny.  Scientists are meant to rejoice when their theories are disproved; some even do their best to disprove what they have already proved in order to further their understanding.

Some religious groups see the scientific quest for truth as a sort of conspiracy against faith.  When your 'faith' prohibits enquiry and starts to believe that everyone in the world is conspiring against you.  When someone tells you that any question that undermines your philosophy is in fact a trick of the devil - then you might find that you have stumbled into a cult; propped up by conspiracy theories and a deep suspicion of material, experiential and reasonable truth.

Scripture teaches us that God created the world 'good'; our experience of Jesus (recorded in scriptures) is a physical, material experience:  John puts it so beautifully in 1 John 1:1 "We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life..."  Scientific, historical exploration and discovery is an exploration of the world that God has created and the world in which God reveals himself to people.

Psalm 19 tells us: "The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.  Day to day pours fort speech, and night to night declares knowledge.  There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world..."  The Psalmist inspires us to find the glory of God in creation.

Am I a Clever Monkey?

Those who object to evolution most stringently object on the basis that they are not just clever monkeys; they recognize that there is something special about humans.  Something sacred.  A sense of God in us.  Does evolution mean that you are less than all of this?  No it doesn't.  You are who you are because of what God says about you; because of how God loves you.  Not because of your ancestors - or the process by which you were created.  Although the Biblical creation stories might not be an exact account of the history of how you came to be - they are a perfect account of the meaning of who you are:  Lovingly and carefully "Created in the image of God." (Gen 1:27) 

The story of evolution does not make humans any less special - humans are special because God has loved them and revealed himself to them.  God has given us the ability to see his creation, think about it, reflect on it, find meaning in it; and thoughtfully talk about it with him: "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?" (Psalm 8:3-4).  

Not only this - God has sent Jesus to live among us - fully God and fully human - because God so loved the world (John 3:16).  Through Jesus God has made us holy; even though we are members of his created order.  If the way we were created is through evolution and we learn that we are inextricably related to all other living things - we don't become less holy or special.  Rather, creation becomes more holy and special to us as we realize God's love for it all.  Because of this I understand Paul's thoughts more clearly where he says:

"...creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God..." - Romans 8:19

Science alone might cause us to end up believing that we are just an amazing collection of atoms and their reactions to each other.  But science + revelation shows us that we are not just clever monkeys; we are special to God.  Right now we do not fully understand everything we are going through ("Now I know only in part; then I will know fully..." 1 Corinthians 13:12) - our understanding of God and the world is very limited; but faith gives us a glimpse of what God is up to through all of this.

Homo Naledi

The discovery of Homo Naledi and the discovery of other early hominids helps us to understand some of the scientific narrative of how God brought us into being.  The most interesting thing about Homo Naledi for me as a Theologian, is that almost 3 million years ago these creatures seemed to have a sense of their own mortality and the sacredness of created life.  They seem to have carefully buried their dead in the deep dark recesses of a cave.  I am convinced that God delights in creation - in dinosaurs, wales, humans, plants, worms, monkeys and birds; in the perfection of the mysterious chaotic balance in sub-atomic particles.  As Job 39:1-4 intones "Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?  Do you observe the calving of the deer?  Can you number the months that they fulfill, and do you know the time when they give birth, when they crouch to give birth to their offspring, and are delivered of their young?" - God keeps a watchful and delighted eye over his creatures. (Psalm 36:6)

I am quite sure that God delighted in Homo Naledi; and I am quite sure he wants us to share in his delight as we uncover the beauty and complications of this world and get to know - through our exploration - more about the glory of God.

 

Got Questions?

I wish I could say that Christianity gave me quick and easy answers to every difficulty that you and I will ever face.  I sometimes wish that truth was always black or white and us humans never had to make any decisions about what was true or what was not true.  James says in James 3:17 "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy."  The most interesting thing about this verse is the phrase 'willing to yield' - to have godly wisdom means to be willing to learn; and to learn - you need to ask questions - to ask questions - you need to admit that you are still learning.

For those who are interested in learning more about the relationship between faith and science I highly recommend www.biologos.org if you need some help with scientific responses to the claims that creationist groups make have a look at http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/ And if you want to have an edifying conversation about your struggles I'd love to grow with you.

 In the preface to John Wesley's forty-four sermons Wesley writes:

9. Are you persuaded you see more clearly than me? It is not unlikely that you may. Then treat me as you would desire to be treated yourself upon a change of circumstances. Point me out a better way than I have yet known. Show me it is so, by plain proof of Scripture. And if I linger in the path I have been accustomed to tread, and am therefore unwilling to leave it, labour with me a little; take me by the hand, and lead me as I am able to bear. But be not displeased if I entreat you not to beat me down in order to quicken my pace: I can go but feebly and slowly at best; then, I should not be able to go at all. May I not request of you, further, not to give me hard names in order to bring me into the right way. Suppose I were ever so much in the wrong, I doubt this would not set me right. Rather, it would make me run so much the farther from you, and so get more and more out of the way. 

10. Nay, perhaps, if you are angry, so shall I be too; and then there will be small hopes of finding the truth. If once anger arise, Eute kapnos, (as Homer somewhere expresses it,) this smoke will so dim the eyes of my soul, that I shall be able to see nothing clearly. For God’s sake, if it be possible to avoid it, let us not provoke one another to wrath. Let us not kindle in each other this fire of hell; much less blow it up into a flame. If we could discern truth by that dreadful light, would it not be loss, rather than gain? For, how far is love, even with many wrong opinions, to be preferred before truth itself without love! We may die without the knowledge of many truths, and yet be carried into Abraham’s bosom. But, if we die without love, what will knowledge avail? Just as much as it avails the devil and his angels! 

The God of love forbid we should ever make the trial! May he prepare us for the knowledge of all truth, by filling our hearts with his love, and with all joy and peace in believing!

 

 

 

The Meaning of the 'Folded Napkin'

In the last couple of days two so-called historical stories have crossed my screen.  One about Jesus' burial clothes.  One about the so-called discovery of the skeleton of Goliath.

What interests me is how stories like this become popular.

People often ask me why I don't mention the napkin story when I preach from the resurrection account in John 20.  I normally don't have time to give this long answer below:

 The Napkin Story

The napkin story speaks about Jesus burial clothes.  In the King James version the cloth that would have covered Jesus' head is described as a 'napkin'.

"Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself."
- John 20:6-7

The word 'napkin' leads people to think of a table serviette.  The napkin explanation then says: "Every Jewish boy knows..." and then goes on to explain that if someone eating a meal folds their napkin it means they are coming back; if the napkin is crumpled; then they have finished their meal.  The story interprets it to mean that Jesus is coming back.

It appeals to people because it seems to reveal the meaning of an apparently mysterious detail recorded in John's gospel.  Why is the cloth folded and lying near where his body lay?  Is it meant to mean something?

The apparent meaning is revealed through an appeal to a Jewish cultural practice; the cultural practice sounds quite sensible because nobody really knows what to do with a serviette at a fancy meal; so this one sounds plausible.  Is this a Jewish custom from the first century?

Probably not.

It is possible that people eating at a table would have used bread to clean their hands; but probably not some expensive cloth that was difficult to wash.

Is this a well known Jewish custom that every young Jewish boy would know about?  No.

It sounds plausible because we like to 'know' about other cultures - and if someone who seems to know something about a subject tells someone who doesn't know much - and it seems that the information makes sense and does no harm we're likely to trust it, and assimilate it.  Christians love using little Hebrew phrases as a way of showing their knowledge / privileged position in the community to others.

Then, because the apparent fact is interesting and hopefully helpful and it doesn't contradict what Christians believe; they are likely to share it.

In the age of facebook, email and twitter its really easy to forward this kind of thing on to as many people as you can; and so the misinformation explodes.  Well meaning Bible study leaders will clip this interesting morsel for discussion...

Beyond that - pastors, struggling for illustrations on Saturday night might even assimilate this into their preaching without doing some diligent fact checking because its nice to show some learning and share an interesting 'fact' with the congregation.  People really love this one.

So - what does the scripture really say / mean?

"Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself." - John 20:6-7 (NRSV)

The part of this that catches everyone's attention is the 'sauderion' (face covering) which was separate from the linen wrappings and rolled up in a place by itself.

Matthew and Mark say nothing about Jesus' grave-clothes; Luke says that Peter "saw the linen cloths by themselves" (24:12).  Why this mysterious face covering lying on the side only recorded in John's gospel?  The only occurrence of the same word in John is John 11:44, describing the resurrection of Lazarus.

In the case of John's gospel the repeat of 'sauderion' helps us to compare Jesus resurrection with that of Lazarus.  In the case of Lazarus - he is still bound by the clothes; his body is still mortal.  In the case of Jesus - the folded clothes remain; his body is different.  Paul says that in resurrection our bodies are 'Spiritual' not 'Physical' (1 Corinthians 15:44).  The folded clothes language lets us know that Jesus body has somehow moved through the grave clothes without disturbing them; no longer physical; somehow 'spiritual'.

This is important - some people might have thought that Jesus survived crucifixion and entombment and revived in the grave.  If he had stood up and walked out of the tomb he would have kept the grave clothes wrapped around him like Lazarus.  If Jesus body had been stolen then the thieves would not have left the grave clothes behind - they would have taken them with the body.

So why the detail?  Is it a secret message from John the gospel writer to his readers?

Probably not.

Is it about resurrection and the nature of Jesus resurrected body?

Definitely.

What interests me the most - why is this story so popular?

1 - People love a bit of 'exotic' information; the detail about a Jewish custom is enticing.
2 - The message is not explicitly harmful; it is quite orthodox - we believe Jesus will return.
3 - It sounds like secret, slightly controversial knowledge; the popularity of books like the DaVinci Code are testament to the fact that people like 'secret' information.  It gives you a sense of privilege.
4 - Because of all of the above; people share it widely.  If someone mentioned it to you 10 years ago and you see it  or hear it again - you are more likely to think its true.
5 - Finally - we're all a bit too lazy to fact check what we share with each other.

What do you think?

Sermon - Proper 5B 2015-06-07

Proper 5B

Old Testament 1 Samuel 8:4–11 (12–15) 16–20 (11:14–15)

Psalm      Psalm 138

New Testament         2 Corinthians 4:13–5:1

Gospel     Mark 3:20–35

Mark’s Gospel

The early church ascribed the authorship of Mark’s gospel to ‘John-Mark’ who appears in Acts, Colossians and 1 Peter.  Tradition goes that he derived his information from the apostle Peter.

So as Mark travelled with Peter he memorized or noted the stories that Peter told about Jesus during his teaching ministry and then arranged  them into this gospel.

Instead of starting with the birth stories about Mary and Joseph and wise men (as in Luke) Mark starts with John the Baptist.

Jesus baptism.

An allusion without any details of the temptation in the wilderness.

And then Jesus begins to preach:

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

- Mark 1:15

He calls disciples, and then – his first miraculous act – casting out an unclean spirit.

Its quite a simple story.  Jesus taught in the synagogue.

What was he teaching about?

Probably what Mark said:

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

- Mark 1:21

Strange thing about this message – which sounds like ‘good news’ is that it really upset some people.

Responding to the good news of Jesus - In Mark’s gospel a man with an ‘unclean spirit’ shouts out:

“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”

- Mark 1:25

Quite scary – Jesus orders the Spirit out: ‘Be silent and come out of him…’

This begins a little bit of a controversy which we deal with in the passage today – ‘by whose authority does Jesus cast out demons?

In Luke’s gospel the response to Jesus beginning to teach about the coming of the Kingdom of God:

“They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff.”

- Luke 4:29

In Matthew’s gospel we get a much longer description of the teaching of Jesus before we reach Matthew 12:14:

“But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.”

- Matthew 12:14

For those who pay attention to these things Matthew 12 is where the story of Mark 3 is told.  Giving us a much fuller background to the kind of teaching that resulted in an unclean Spirit becoming violent.

You know Matthew well: How to pray, blessed are the peacemakers, love your enemies… you have heard it said but I say unto you… etc.

All of this stuff makes the scribes and the Pharisees quite angry.

Mark 3:20-35

Mark 3:20-35 is a ‘section’ of Mark’s gospel held together by something Bible scholars call an ‘inclusio’.

Scripture didn’t used to have chapter and verse markers.

But in story telling there were markers that let you know where a certain section of story begun and ended.

In this case vs 21 and 34 form that section opening and beginning.

Verse 21 – “When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him…”

Verse 34 – “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.”

*  *  *

Verse 21 – “…they went out to restrain him…”

Verse 27 – “…no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man.”

Verse 34 – “Your mother and… …outside, asking for you.”

*  *  *

Jesus family hear about what Jesus is teaching and doing and they fear for his life – and for his sanity.  Jesus is courageously speaking out against the religious system of his day.

He is speaking up against the political system of the day.

And he is upsetting some powerful people.

Not only that – but he is upsetting some scary spirits.

Chasing them out with the authority of God.

1 Samuel 8

In 1 Samuel we hear the story of how Israel ended up getting a King.

This was not the plan.  The Israelites knew about Kings.  King Pharaoh for instance.  He was a tyrant – he started out all friendly, inviting the Israelites to enjoy his hospitality.  But soon he had them enslaved.

They got out of there and started their own land.

12 separate tribes; not one united and powerful nation.  One of the tribes set aside as priests.  The priests kept the people in relationship with God (the King) and reminded them of the law.

Their constitution was amazing – it made sure the poor were taken care of, land was safe, people had rights – even animals and slaves got a day off… etc.

I’ll skip a whole part of the story but lets just say that the book of Judges ends with the refrain:

“In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes.”

- Judges 21:23

God raised up Samuel to replace the sons of Eli (who would have inherited the priesthood from Eli at Shiloh).  Surprisingly – this is a story of corruption.

The sons of Eli used to use their authority to steal people’s sacrifices – they had no fear of the living God:

When anyone offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, ¹⁴ and he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself.

- 1 Samuel 2:13-14

This is what Eli said to his sons:

“If one person sins against another, someone can intercede for the sinner with the LORD; but if someone sins against the LORD, who can make intercession?”

- 1 Samuel 2:25

Similar thought pattern and set of words to Jesus in Mark 3:28:

People will be forgiven for their sins… but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness…”

- Mark 3:28

God raises up Samuel to lead the Israelites.  He leads under God’s guidance – calling them back to God and away from the gods of the land. He unites the tribes; they defeat the surrounding armies. But when he gets old his sons (like Eli’s sons) become a problem.

“Yet his sons did not follow in his ways, but turned aside after gain; they took bribes and perverted justice…”

- 1 Samuel 8:3

Mark Twain apparently said:

“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it sure does echo.”

*  *  *

The descendants of the people who ‘longed for the fleshpots of Egypt while they were wandering in the desert now start hankering after a King:

“…appoint for us a king to govern us, like other nations.”

- 1 Samuel 8:6

This upset Samuel because they should have no King but God; Samuel prays to God and God says:

“Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.  Just as they have done to me, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt…”

- 1 Samuel 8:7-8

God tells Samuel the kinds of things this King will do (read chapter 8 of 1 Samuel) and Samuel passes on the message:

He will take your sons for his army and to plow his grounds and reap his harvest; he will make your daughters work as perfumers, cooks and bakers… he will take your best fields; your slaves, your cattle and donkeys, your flocks…

“And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the LORD will not answer you in that day.”

- 1 Samuel 8:18

Binding the Strong Man

Most scholars reckon that Jesus words in verse 27 are about what Jesus has done, is doing to the devil:

“But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.”

- Mark 3:27

They say that Jesus is saying that he can bind demons and cast them out because he has bound Satan himself.

But I read this another way.

Jesus’ family is threatening to bind him up.  In Luke Jesus is led to the edge of a cliff to be thrown down (but he escapes).

If you want to plunder the Kingdom you have to bind up the ‘strong man’.  And in this case “The strong man” is Jesus – the Word of the living God.

The words he speaks are too true – too difficult – too challenging.  Lets get rid of him.

*  *  *

The consequence in 1 Sam 8 is you move into oppression under a ‘King’ who seemed like such a great idea at the time.

Your Strong Man

But what about your strong man?

As I’ve watched the news this week and listened to stories of corruption and brokenness… Within Fifa and government.

I’ve been thinking – how did it happen?

Jack Warner’s $10 million bribe?

Mxolisi Nxasana receiving R17 million to quit as National Director of Prosecutions.

A R250 million house in KZN.

A municipal councilor pleading for leniency in the sentencing of a murderous gang boss?

I’m no expert in these things – but there is something very wrong.

I gave a domestic worker a lift the other day – asked her about her day; what time she leaves home 6am, how many kids, 3 what time to you get back 6pm… I didn’t ask “What do you earn?”

Hopefully more than R2 or 3 thousand minimum.

I think every one of these injustices that we face – that we see on the news, that we participate in every day.

They’re the ropes that bind the ‘strong man’ in us.

The living God, the voice of the Holy Spirit that says:

This is not right.

This does not belong in Jesus Kingdom.

That says this is not the principle you learned from Jesus.

But we become desensitized to injustice.

We listen less and less and eventually we can’t hear the voice at all.

Then all falls apart; with the strong man tied up ‘then indeed the house can be plundered.’

*  *  *

The Israelites attempted to bind up the ‘strong man’ in 1 Samuel 8 when they rejected God as King in favour of asking Samuel to appoint someone.

The scribes attempt to bind up the ‘strong man’ when they reject the ministry that Jesus is doing because they’re afraid of his authority, his power over demons that destroy people’s lives and his popularity.

Jesus family attempts to ‘bind up the strong man’ when they decide he ‘has gone out of his mind.’

How are you binding up Jesus?  Ignoring the voice of the Spirit?  What is tying him up?

Privilege of Preaching

Sunday was Synod Sunday - ministers in the district get to swop pulpits for the day and share some of the unity of synod.  (Synod is a meeting of our church leadership over three days to receive reports, make decisions about policy etc.)  The church I serve in Table View has three services on a Sunday so Heather and I managed to worship together with them at 8am and Heather stayed on to teach Sunday School at the 930am service.  Rev Ross Southern from Tokai and Muizenberg Methodist Churches took all three services for me.

I headed to Bishop Lavis straight after the 8am service.  When I arrived in the suburb the rain was pouring down; despite the rain a salvation army band was forming up in the main road.  I found the Methodist Church in Bishop Lavis with the property steward busy sweeping away the leaves that had fallen during the week.

Later - as I met in the vestry with the worship steward for the day I heard the march of the Salvation Army band through the streets.  I asked about the hall they had recently built - only to hear that people kept stealing pieces of it; the gutters, the windows.  At one stage members of the congregation took turns to sleep in the church in an attempt to ward off the thieves.  The steward reckoned that most of the thieves steal pieces of the church to sell as scrap in order to buy drugs.

Table View where I live has its own set of problems - we get so wrapped up in them that we forget what our brothers and sisters in places like Bishop Lavis have to put up with and the history of injustice that determines so much of their lives.

I also need to be constantly reminded that my faith invites me to be part of a family that is not confined to this or that suburb - but that stretches across the diversity of the city and country in which I live.

Pentecost Sermon 2015

Notes from a sermon preached by Rev Angus Kelly at Table View Methodist Church on 2015-05-24 Pentecost Sunday.  Scriptures:  Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; Romans 8:22-27; John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15.

Note:

A few people asked me for the manuscript of my sermon on Sunday.  I preach from fairly sketchy notes so I’ve written this down as a kind of summary of what I had to say.  I hope it is helpful - I’d be happy to chat to anyone about these things.

God bless,

Gus

Pentecost

Today is Pentecost Sunday; on Pentecost we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Promised by Jesus.  We read about the promise of the Holy Spirit in John 16:7

“...it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you…”

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

- John 16:13

And of course there are many other promises of what the Holy Spirit will do in the Old and the New Testaments.

When Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit he refers to him as ‘the parakletos’  Paraclete is translated variously as advocate, helper, comforter.  

I’m not sure of the historical truth of this analogy but some say there was a ship in Greek harbours called the parakletos.  The job of this ship was to go out into the sea to meet a ship that was struggling in a storm.  The parakletos would be bound to the other ship and guide it into the harbour.

As the Spirit takes the place of Jesus we are reminded of what Jesus does - and how the Holy Spirit does what Jesus was doing, Jesus reveals the very hear / nature of God to us.  The Spirit continues that ministry - see John 1:18 “No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.”

The gift of the Spirit is help and the presence of God with us even after Jesus has gone.

At Pentecost the Holy Spirit is poured out on the first Christians; about 120 of them gathered together in one place.  The arrival of the Holy Spirit is marked by the sound of wind from heaven, flames on the disciples heads, and between them.

When Jesus receives the Holy Spirit at his Baptism he sees the Holy Spirit descending ‘like a dove’ - when John baptises him - John’s gospel says that John the Baptist witnesses the Holy Spirit descending ‘like a dove.’

The Holy Spirit at Pentecost, at the Baptism of Jesus is significantly depicted as moving in.

The importance of this is that the Holy Spirit does not come ‘from inside’ but is a force / presence / reality that comes ‘from outside’.

In Psalm 104 the Psalmist perceives the Holy Spirit giving life to creation:

“When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.”

- Psalm 104:30

The Spirit of God has a physical effect on creation.

In the gospel of John Jesus alludes to the Spirit as wind.  Wind has power - has an effect, is a present reality - but you can not see it.

These days we know about more than just molecules of air that move through space.  We know about x-rays, about light traveling in particles and waves - we know that beyond our atomic structure as humans.  Beyond what we can see in the world around us there are sub-atomic particles that move through space and even between atoms.

Maybe a 21st analogy would be this - these tiny particles have effects on the world.  Too much exposure to radiation can cause cancer because these particles destroy our DNA.

The Spirit - really exists, interacts with creation - could be compared to this ‘sub atomic’ effect.

I say compared - this is an analogy, not science, and the point is to illustrate the fact that the Holy Spirit is real; not imagined.  The Spirit is as present to us as Jesus was when he was with us in the flesh.

Reality

The Spirit that Jesus promises is ‘the Spirit of truth’ he says that the Spirit will ‘guide us into all truth’.  Truth - says Jesus, will set us free.  Truth - is the fact that Jesus is the Son of God; freedom is liberation from captivity.

Truth - beyond the truth about who God is - is simply a healthy relationship with reality.  The law about conviction in the Old Testament was that there needed to be more than witness to the event.  This would confirm that the event took place.

Truth is grounded in reality.

The Holy Spirit is very real.

On the other hand - the human mind is very easily deceived.  On the carpet where I get dressed in the morning there is a little bundle of thread that looks like a spider.  I look at it closely every morning to check it is not a spider; and I haven’t picked it up because it looks so much like a spider that I don’t really want to touch it.

Hypnosis and hysteria lead people to believe things that are not true.  Under hypnosis a person can feel like they are getting very hot (even though it is cold); they can feel very cold (even though it is hot.)  News24.com posted an article on 24 May about a church in Soshanguve where the minister told the congregation that they were going to be filled with the ‘spirit of snakes’.

Many of the members writhed on the floor with their tongues sticking out.

In a trance like state after singing, dancing and worshipping - the minister / leader - a trusted authority says something and the people experience what they would expect to experience.

Were they really ‘filled with the spirit of snakes’?  Or were their minds playing tricks on them?

The reasonable truth is that they were lightly hypnotised and in a highly suggestible state; in the hysteria of the moment they believed their experience to be true.

The thing is - people crave instant satisfaction; and one of the instant satisfaction experiences people desperately want is ‘spiritual experience’.  The human mind gets what it expects.

‘Spiritual experience’ is not unique to Christianity; people who worship idols have ‘spiritual experiences’ sometimes they ‘babble’ in tongues, sometimes they pass out in a trance.  They believe this experience is an experience of god.  

Blasphemy

When the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt - on the forty year journey through the wilderness - they received commandments from God.  One of those commands was:

“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”
- Deuteronomy 5:11

For many this commandment simply means that you should not use God’s name as a ‘swear word.’  The commandment is a little more interesting than that.  To ‘misuse’ the name of God is to ‘misrepresent’ God.  Name signifies identity.

The prefix to the giving of the ten commandments is a description of who God is:

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”
- Deuteronomy 5:6

This prefix reminds us of the purpose of God’s law, ‘freedom.’

Those who misuse the name of God use it to oppress other people.  In Egypt the Pharaoh claimed the authority of God for his position - later in Israel Kings and even priests would claim the authority of God for the injustice that they perpetrated.  This is a most serious and grave misuse of the name of God.

Blasphemy is a form of misrepresentation - or forgery.  Jesus - in parallel to the fourth commandment issues a warning about those who ‘blaspheme’ against the Holy Spirit:

“I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them.  But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.”
- Mark 3:28-29

In this case people are accusing Jesus of false teaching; false teachers were thought to be inspired by demons; they believe Jesus is a blasphemer and that is why they conspire to have him crucified.  Yet Jesus wants them to know that his teaching is of the Holy Spirit and is not false.  He also warns against those who might claim the Holy Spirit’s authority for that which is not of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is preparing his disciples for the gift of the Holy Spirit to be poured out at pentecost. The privilege of receiving the Holy Spirit means that Christians ‘partner’ with God in the work of the Kingdom.  The danger - is abuse of that privilege.

Just as happened in the time of Jesus spiritual authority is used to oppress and abuse others.  False prophets claim to see the future or speak God’s words to others - yet their words are so vague that you could not tell if they are true or not.

Deuteronomy 18:20 warns against false prophets:

“But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.”
- Deuteronomy 18:20

“You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?  If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken.  That prophet has spoken presumptuously.  Do not be afraid of him.”
- Deuteronomy 18:21-22

The first warning refers to what is at stake when someone presumes to speak in the name of God.  When the apostles make a decision in Acts they speak very humbly of what they believe the Spirit has led them to:

“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials…”
- Acts 15:28

The second statement invites us to test the words of people who presume to speak in the name of the Holy Spirit.  The test: “Is it true?”

If it isn’t “...do not be afraid of him.”

Those who pretend to have spiritual authority, magical authority, or any kind of ‘fake’ authority can be quite terrifying.  People are superstitious about these things.  Someone who claims God’s authority is especially scary, many Christians are quite insecure about their faith and their experience of the Holy Spirit.

Those who claim authority are very intimidating.

People of faith need to be confident enough to ask questions.  They need to thoroughly investigate claims of the promise of healing / wealth / resurrection that many false prophets offer - without intimidation.  When those prophets are found to be false they need to be held accountable.

Quench

For fear of blaspheming the Holy Spirit we might be tempted to ignore the Spirit completely.  In 1 Thessalonians 5 Paul encourages the congregation not to ‘quench’ the Holy Spirit or despise the words of the prophets.

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.

May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:19-24

Remember that the Holy Spirit is real, powerful and present.  The Holy Spirit does not necessarily satisfy our fleshly desires for instant gratification and emotional spiritual experience.  In fact we are capable of deceiving ourselves into believing we’ve had a genuine spiritual experience when in fact our minds are just playing tricks on us.  Many of the spiritual experiences that Christians claim to have are indistinguishable from the spiritual experience of those who worship idols.

So Paul says we should ‘test everything’.  The scriptural test is empirical truth (Deuteronomy 18:20-22); did it really happen?  Is it verifiable?  Another test is ‘fruit’; ‘by their fruits you shall know them’ says Jesus (Matthew 7:20).  The fruits of which Jesus speaks are Christian character / christlikeness - most succinctly described in Galatians 5:22-23:

...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Also in Colossians 3:12-13:

...clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

These fruits are no spectacular miracle, but a slow and steady blossoming into Christian Spiritual maturity.  Brought about by the Spirit - as 1 Thessalonians 5:22 says:

...may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

Receive

An experience of God’s Spirit is an extraordinary gift of God’s grace.  His Holy Spirit is experienced in different ways - sometimes very gently, sometimes powerfully, most of the time slowly and steadily turning hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.  How can you know if you have received the Spirit?

Jesus gives us a promise to hold on to in Luke’s gospel (11:9-13):

“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.  For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.  Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of fish?  Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion?  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

If you have asked for the Spirit you have received the Spirit.  Invite the Spirit to guide you and transform you.  In John 15 Jesus says the Spirit will guide us into all truth and remind us what Jesus has said and would say to us.  In Romans 8:22-27 Paul reminds us that the Spirit echoes the needs of our hearts to the heart of the Father.  He speaks of how we are being transformed / conformed to the image of his Son (verse 29) because of the power of God in us.

The Spirit reveals the heart of God to our hearts, pours out God’s love into us and gives us the power we need to live in that love.

Be open to the Spirit.  Discern carefully.  And we will see God’s Kingdom, here in this place.