In 2 Chronicles Chapter 36 we see two examples of God using foreign Kings to bring about His purposes.
Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon (to punish a wayward people).
We see their problem in v.15-16.
"The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy."
God also used Cyrus, the King of Persia to reward and free a repentant people.
TFTD: God is very patient, but at some point His patience runs out.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
How Do Others "See" Us?
How do others view us? Do we have any control over that? I don't think so.
2 Corinthians 2:15-16
15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?
From these verses in 2 Corinthians it would appear that how people view us is more dependant on what their relationship to
God! There are those "who are being saved". To them we will have a pleasing "aroma" - the "aroma of Christ".
But to others - to those who are perishing, we smell bad.
Is there anything we can do about this - except love people, pray and witness to them of Christ?
If we are doing that - we will be doing very well.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
2 Corinthians 2:15-16
15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?
From these verses in 2 Corinthians it would appear that how people view us is more dependant on what their relationship to
God! There are those "who are being saved". To them we will have a pleasing "aroma" - the "aroma of Christ".
But to others - to those who are perishing, we smell bad.
Is there anything we can do about this - except love people, pray and witness to them of Christ?
If we are doing that - we will be doing very well.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Sermon Preached on 28th August 2011 Matthew 16:21-28.
Our Gospel lesson today is a turning point in the Gospel of Matthew,
And in the life of Jesus.
It opens up with these words:
"From that time on,
Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem
and undergo great suffering...,
and be killed,
and on the third day be raised" (v. 21).
I wonder what it would have been like to be there that day.
To see the disciples' faces when Jesus told them that he was going to die.
That wasn't what the disciples expected when they signed on with Jesus.
They left their fathers and mothers and fishing boats and friends to follow Jesus.
The disciples had been with Jesus for quite some time now,
they had seen him do marvelous things.
He had fed hungry crowds, using just a few scraps of bread and fish.
He had healed the sick.
Maybe the most impressive thing that Jesus had done was to outsmart the scribes and the Pharisees.
They had sent their best men to trip Jesus up, and in every case Jesus had sent them away tripping over their own feet.
That was an amazing display of wisdom and intellect.
And then there were Jesus' teachings.
Nobody had ever heard anything like Jesus' teachings.
Jesus drew big crowds, in part, because his teachings rang true to those who came to hear him.
His teachings had a “ring of truth” about them.
It wasn't cleverness or oratory that impressed the crowds,
It was the Word of God.
Every time Jesus opened his mouth, people sensed that they were hearing God speak.
The disciples were privileged to hear Jesus every day,
to hear the Word of God every day.
When it comes to us….
If you desire to hear the Word of God, read and explained,
Then you know God is working in your life.
Praise God for that – thank God for that.
We have red and blue candles.
In the offertory hymn this morning come up and light a red candle and thank God that He has ignited that spark in your life. (pause)
If you are indifferent to the Bible – God’s Word,
Light a blue candle asking God to light a fire in your life.(pause)
The disciples had left everything to follow Jesus
it was clear to them that they were backing a winner.
But they had no idea what was going to happen next.
What they did know was that Jesus was the Messiah,
That He had come from God on a rescue mission.
Jesus started the life saving movement,
he was the first ever life saver – on the shores of Galilee.
Israel had been waiting for hundreds of years for the Messiah to come and set things straight, and now the Messiah had come.
He was their rabbi.
The disciples were his learners.
The disciples really believed was that Jesus was going to make Israel a great nation once again
-a great nation like it had been many centuries earlier under King David.
To do that, Jesus would have to send the Romans packing.
The people of Israel were so tired of the Roman soldiers stationed on their holy ground.
They were so tired of having a Roman governor tell them what they could and could not do.
The Romans were powerful ––
the most powerful nation on earth ––
but the Messiah, working by God's power, could surely defeat them.
The Israelites had seen happen before.
God had led them to get the better of Egypt
and the Philistines
and the Canaanites.
By the grace of God, the boy, David had slain the giant Goliath.
By the grace of God, Gideon and his little rag-tag army had defeated the mighty Midianites.
By the grace of God, Israel was set free from bondage in Babylon.
In the disciples mind there was no reason why Jesus the Messiah could not rid Israel of the Romans.
But now Jesus said that he was going to Jerusalem to die
to be killed by the religious authorities
the elders and chief priests and scribes.
Do you understand, how much against the grain that was?
It was the craziest thing this little band of disciples had ever heard.
They had not left everything to follow someone bent on dying.
They had not devoted the past couple of years to following a man who would turn out to be self-destructive.
When Jesus warned that he would soon die,
most of the disciples must have been flabbergasted
not knowing what to say or do,
all of them except Peter
Peter took Jesus aside and said, "God forbid it, Lord!
This must never happen to you."
But Jesus wasn't having any of it. He said to Peter:
"Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me;
for you are setting your mind not on divine things
but on human things" (v. 23).
"Get behind me, Peter!" That, after all, is where a disciple belongs ––
behind his rabbi.
When Peter took Jesus aside to rebuke him, he had pushed himself to the front.
Now Jesus was telling Peter to get back into his rightful place, behind Jesus.
We know how all this turns out,
It is easy to think of Peter as a fool ––
always sticking his foot in his mouth ––
always saying the wrong thing.
There is some truth to that, but I can imagine what Peter was thinking.
He may have thought that Jesus was having a bad day,
Peter was probably just trying to be helpful.
I probably would have done the same thing.
But Jesus wasn't just having a bad day.
Jesus knew exactly what he was saying,
and he meant every word.
Not only was he going to Jerusalem to die,
but his disciples were going to pay a high price for their discipleship as well.
Jesus went on to say:
"If any want to become my followers,
let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
For those who want to save their life will lose it,
and those who lose their life for my sake will find it" (vv. 24-25).
Those words were crafted especially for the disciples ––
for those gathered around him on that day ––
and for all those who would follow him later.
The words are for us too.
Listen again, and apply them to yourself.
"If you want to become my follower,
deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me.
For if you try to save your life, you will lose it,
but if you are willing to lose your life for my sake, you will find it."
They pose us with quite a challenge.
We have heard those words so often that they've lost their punch ––
but they must have hit those first disciples full force.
First of all, Jesus leaves the ball in our court (“If you want to become my follower”)
Jesus loves us, and wants us to be on His side,
But there is always free will,
We are given an offer of eternity, which we can accept or reject.
We are then to “deny ourselves”
We do that in any loving relationship,
In marriage,
At church, at work, with the children.
Heather denys herself for me…..I deny myself for her.
Jesus then says …."Take up your cross."
A cross was an instrument of torture –– an instrument of death.
Jesus was telling his disciples that he was going to lead them into battle –and they shouldn't expect to come away unscathed.
In fact, they shouldn't be surprised if they died on the battlefield.
They would be facing the forces of evil, and those forces were strong enough to wreak havoc.
God would win the ultimate battle against evil,
but in the meantime his disciples could expect the fight of their lives.
"Take up your cross and follow me."
What does that mean for us?
It means that we will do what God calls us to do,
regardless of consequences.
For Albert Schweitzer, that meant giving up a comfortable life in France to go to equatorial Africa to establish a hospital for people in need.
For Dietrich Bonhoeffer, that meant giving up a comfortable life in New York City to return to Germany and face the Nazis.
Bonhoeffer said, "If I am to have the right to share in the renewal that will come after this terrible war, I must share with my people in their hour of suffering."
Later he wrote, "The moment the ship left the port of New York a great sense of peace came over me –– a sense that I had found my course again."
For James Calvert, that meant risking his life and the lives of his family and friends to preach the Gospel to cannibals in the Fiji Islands.
When the captain of the ship warned,
"You will lose your life and the lives of those with you if you go among such savages,"
Calvert replied, "We died before we came here."
But taking up one's cross doesn't necessarily mean going out in a blaze of fireworks.
What it means for you in practice
depends on what God has called you to do.
Maybe God has not called you to be a missionary to Africa.
Maybe God has not called you to face down the Nazis.
Maybe God has not called you to minister to cannibals.
Maybe God has called you to some kind of service that is less dramatic, but equally important.
Maybe God has called you to live a sacrificial life rather than suffering a sacrificial death.
Maybe for you, "Take up your cross and follow me" means serving where you are and giving what you have.
Christ says to each of us "Take up your cross and follow me."
What that will mean will depend on what God calls us to.
We can discern that calling through prayer
through the reading of scripture.
It helps to keep our eyes and hearts open to the challenges that Christ puts in our way.
When we take up our cross and follow Jesus,
what seemed to be a way of death becomes a way of life.
It did for Schweitzer.
It did for Bonhoffer.
It did for Calvert.
And it can for you.
Jesus says, "For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it."
And in the life of Jesus.
It opens up with these words:
"From that time on,
Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem
and undergo great suffering...,
and be killed,
and on the third day be raised" (v. 21).
I wonder what it would have been like to be there that day.
To see the disciples' faces when Jesus told them that he was going to die.
That wasn't what the disciples expected when they signed on with Jesus.
They left their fathers and mothers and fishing boats and friends to follow Jesus.
The disciples had been with Jesus for quite some time now,
they had seen him do marvelous things.
He had fed hungry crowds, using just a few scraps of bread and fish.
He had healed the sick.
Maybe the most impressive thing that Jesus had done was to outsmart the scribes and the Pharisees.
They had sent their best men to trip Jesus up, and in every case Jesus had sent them away tripping over their own feet.
That was an amazing display of wisdom and intellect.
And then there were Jesus' teachings.
Nobody had ever heard anything like Jesus' teachings.
Jesus drew big crowds, in part, because his teachings rang true to those who came to hear him.
His teachings had a “ring of truth” about them.
It wasn't cleverness or oratory that impressed the crowds,
It was the Word of God.
Every time Jesus opened his mouth, people sensed that they were hearing God speak.
The disciples were privileged to hear Jesus every day,
to hear the Word of God every day.
When it comes to us….
If you desire to hear the Word of God, read and explained,
Then you know God is working in your life.
Praise God for that – thank God for that.
We have red and blue candles.
In the offertory hymn this morning come up and light a red candle and thank God that He has ignited that spark in your life. (pause)
If you are indifferent to the Bible – God’s Word,
Light a blue candle asking God to light a fire in your life.(pause)
The disciples had left everything to follow Jesus
it was clear to them that they were backing a winner.
But they had no idea what was going to happen next.
What they did know was that Jesus was the Messiah,
That He had come from God on a rescue mission.
Jesus started the life saving movement,
he was the first ever life saver – on the shores of Galilee.
Israel had been waiting for hundreds of years for the Messiah to come and set things straight, and now the Messiah had come.
He was their rabbi.
The disciples were his learners.
The disciples really believed was that Jesus was going to make Israel a great nation once again
-a great nation like it had been many centuries earlier under King David.
To do that, Jesus would have to send the Romans packing.
The people of Israel were so tired of the Roman soldiers stationed on their holy ground.
They were so tired of having a Roman governor tell them what they could and could not do.
The Romans were powerful ––
the most powerful nation on earth ––
but the Messiah, working by God's power, could surely defeat them.
The Israelites had seen happen before.
God had led them to get the better of Egypt
and the Philistines
and the Canaanites.
By the grace of God, the boy, David had slain the giant Goliath.
By the grace of God, Gideon and his little rag-tag army had defeated the mighty Midianites.
By the grace of God, Israel was set free from bondage in Babylon.
In the disciples mind there was no reason why Jesus the Messiah could not rid Israel of the Romans.
But now Jesus said that he was going to Jerusalem to die
to be killed by the religious authorities
the elders and chief priests and scribes.
Do you understand, how much against the grain that was?
It was the craziest thing this little band of disciples had ever heard.
They had not left everything to follow someone bent on dying.
They had not devoted the past couple of years to following a man who would turn out to be self-destructive.
When Jesus warned that he would soon die,
most of the disciples must have been flabbergasted
not knowing what to say or do,
all of them except Peter
Peter took Jesus aside and said, "God forbid it, Lord!
This must never happen to you."
But Jesus wasn't having any of it. He said to Peter:
"Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me;
for you are setting your mind not on divine things
but on human things" (v. 23).
"Get behind me, Peter!" That, after all, is where a disciple belongs ––
behind his rabbi.
When Peter took Jesus aside to rebuke him, he had pushed himself to the front.
Now Jesus was telling Peter to get back into his rightful place, behind Jesus.
We know how all this turns out,
It is easy to think of Peter as a fool ––
always sticking his foot in his mouth ––
always saying the wrong thing.
There is some truth to that, but I can imagine what Peter was thinking.
He may have thought that Jesus was having a bad day,
Peter was probably just trying to be helpful.
I probably would have done the same thing.
But Jesus wasn't just having a bad day.
Jesus knew exactly what he was saying,
and he meant every word.
Not only was he going to Jerusalem to die,
but his disciples were going to pay a high price for their discipleship as well.
Jesus went on to say:
"If any want to become my followers,
let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
For those who want to save their life will lose it,
and those who lose their life for my sake will find it" (vv. 24-25).
Those words were crafted especially for the disciples ––
for those gathered around him on that day ––
and for all those who would follow him later.
The words are for us too.
Listen again, and apply them to yourself.
"If you want to become my follower,
deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me.
For if you try to save your life, you will lose it,
but if you are willing to lose your life for my sake, you will find it."
They pose us with quite a challenge.
We have heard those words so often that they've lost their punch ––
but they must have hit those first disciples full force.
First of all, Jesus leaves the ball in our court (“If you want to become my follower”)
Jesus loves us, and wants us to be on His side,
But there is always free will,
We are given an offer of eternity, which we can accept or reject.
We are then to “deny ourselves”
We do that in any loving relationship,
In marriage,
At church, at work, with the children.
Heather denys herself for me…..I deny myself for her.
Jesus then says …."Take up your cross."
A cross was an instrument of torture –– an instrument of death.
Jesus was telling his disciples that he was going to lead them into battle –and they shouldn't expect to come away unscathed.
In fact, they shouldn't be surprised if they died on the battlefield.
They would be facing the forces of evil, and those forces were strong enough to wreak havoc.
God would win the ultimate battle against evil,
but in the meantime his disciples could expect the fight of their lives.
"Take up your cross and follow me."
What does that mean for us?
It means that we will do what God calls us to do,
regardless of consequences.
For Albert Schweitzer, that meant giving up a comfortable life in France to go to equatorial Africa to establish a hospital for people in need.
For Dietrich Bonhoeffer, that meant giving up a comfortable life in New York City to return to Germany and face the Nazis.
Bonhoeffer said, "If I am to have the right to share in the renewal that will come after this terrible war, I must share with my people in their hour of suffering."
Later he wrote, "The moment the ship left the port of New York a great sense of peace came over me –– a sense that I had found my course again."
For James Calvert, that meant risking his life and the lives of his family and friends to preach the Gospel to cannibals in the Fiji Islands.
When the captain of the ship warned,
"You will lose your life and the lives of those with you if you go among such savages,"
Calvert replied, "We died before we came here."
But taking up one's cross doesn't necessarily mean going out in a blaze of fireworks.
What it means for you in practice
depends on what God has called you to do.
Maybe God has not called you to be a missionary to Africa.
Maybe God has not called you to face down the Nazis.
Maybe God has not called you to minister to cannibals.
Maybe God has called you to some kind of service that is less dramatic, but equally important.
Maybe God has called you to live a sacrificial life rather than suffering a sacrificial death.
Maybe for you, "Take up your cross and follow me" means serving where you are and giving what you have.
Christ says to each of us "Take up your cross and follow me."
What that will mean will depend on what God calls us to.
We can discern that calling through prayer
through the reading of scripture.
It helps to keep our eyes and hearts open to the challenges that Christ puts in our way.
When we take up our cross and follow Jesus,
what seemed to be a way of death becomes a way of life.
It did for Schweitzer.
It did for Bonhoffer.
It did for Calvert.
And it can for you.
Jesus says, "For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it."
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Some Basic Truths About God.
Psalm 102:25-28
Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you will remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
27 but you are the same, and your years have no end.
28 The children of your servants shall dwell secure;
their offspring shall be established before you.
What do you think about that.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark
Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you will remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
27 but you are the same, and your years have no end.
28 The children of your servants shall dwell secure;
their offspring shall be established before you.
What do you think about that.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark
Saturday, August 27, 2011
The LORD Misses Nothing!
Proverbs 20:27
"The lamp of the LORD searches the spirit of a man;
it searches out his inmost being"
This passage has been talking about the role of the King.
But the King can only see the externals, whereas God, by contrast can search out the inmost being.
There is no hiding.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
"The lamp of the LORD searches the spirit of a man;
it searches out his inmost being"
This passage has been talking about the role of the King.
But the King can only see the externals, whereas God, by contrast can search out the inmost being.
There is no hiding.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Our "Core Business" As Christians?
Very simply stated in 1 Corinthians 15:58 is this...
"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
More From Jehoshaphet.
The Spirit of the Lord spoke to Jehosphaphet and said,
"Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow march down against them.....you will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you....Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you."
I find that encouraging. I am not without my "enemies", but how good is it to be reminded (by God) that it is His battle. I tend to forget that.
Have a good day (I will),
Peter Clark.
"Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow march down against them.....you will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you....Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you."
I find that encouraging. I am not without my "enemies", but how good is it to be reminded (by God) that it is His battle. I tend to forget that.
Have a good day (I will),
Peter Clark.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Orders From Jehoshaphat.
God's Word is just simply terrific.
He gives us just the right word for the right time - that is what I continually find.
This morning, through Jehoshaphet from the Lord to me comes this word...
"You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord" (2 Chronicles 19:9)
If that was not encouragement enough for one day, he goes on to say....
"You are to warn them not to sin against the LORD. otherwise his wrath will come on you and your brothers. Do this, and you will not sin" (v.10c)
My role, as a priest of the church and a minister of Jesus Christ is to warn people NOT to sin. If I do not do this it is actually sin on my part.
Very sobering and requiring great wisdom.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
He gives us just the right word for the right time - that is what I continually find.
This morning, through Jehoshaphet from the Lord to me comes this word...
"You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord" (2 Chronicles 19:9)
If that was not encouragement enough for one day, he goes on to say....
"You are to warn them not to sin against the LORD. otherwise his wrath will come on you and your brothers. Do this, and you will not sin" (v.10c)
My role, as a priest of the church and a minister of Jesus Christ is to warn people NOT to sin. If I do not do this it is actually sin on my part.
Very sobering and requiring great wisdom.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
An Early Gospel Outline.
This Gospel outline below, is probably is the earliest written form of the Gospel of God.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
Isn't it good to know that the Gospel has not just evolved over the centuries, but has been handed down truthfully and intact?
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
Isn't it good to know that the Gospel has not just evolved over the centuries, but has been handed down truthfully and intact?
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Sermon preached on 21st August, 2011 Matthew 16:13-20
I have never like tests.
Do you like tests?
In our Gospel lesson this morning,
Jesus gives the disciples a test,
He asks them, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
When Jesus uses that phrase, the Son of Man, he is talking about himself. In other words, Jesus is asking "Who do people say that I am?"
Jesus uses the title, "Son of Man," rather than Messiah,
because when people ever heard the word “Messiah”,
they would think of a great military leader like King David.
Jesus is the Messiah, but he has no plans to raise an army.
"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
"Who do people say that I am?"
Jesus wasn't asking his disciples for their opinions –– not yet, at least.
He was asking about other people's opinions of him.
The disciples had been mixing with the crowds.
They had been hearing what people had to say.
Jesus was asking the disciples to report on what they were hearing.
And so, they gave some quick answers:
• "Some say JOHN THE BAPTIST."
John, of course, was the cousin with whom Jesus had grown up.
John was now dead.
Herod had killed John.
Jesus had only recently learned of John's death.
He would have been still grieving over the death of his friend.
How could people think that Jesus was John the Baptist?
Maybe they thought that John had come back to life in the form of Jesus. That's what Herod thought.
When Herod heard about Jesus, he told his servants,
Jesus "is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead" (14:2).
But when John was alive, John said of Jesus,
"I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals" (Mark 1:7).
Untying someone's sandals was such a menial task that Jewish law would not allow a Jew to require of another Jew ––
even a Jewish slave –– to untie his sandals.
If a Jew needed someone to untie his sandals,
he had to find a Gentile to do it.
But John the Baptist said that he wasn't worthy even to untie the thong of Jesus' sandals.
John said that he wasn't worthy even to shine Jesus' shoes.
That's how much greater Jesus was than John ––
and John was the greatest prophet Israel had seen for centuries.
So some people thought that Jesus was John the Baptist come back to life –– "No! Not even close!"
• The disciples offered other possibilities as well.
They told Jesus that some people thought he was ELIJAH.
Elijah was a great prophet from an earlier century.
People expected Elijah to appear again "before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord" (Malachi 4:5).
Now people were saying that the time had come ––
and that Jesus was Elijah come back to life.
It was a high honor to be thought of as Elijah.
Elijah was one of the greatest prophets in Israel's history.
• The disciples had one more answer for Jesus.
They said, "Still others say JEREMIAH OR ONE OF THE PROPHETS." Jeremiah was another of the great prophets.
It was an honor to be compared to Jeremiah.
John the Baptist –– Elijah –– Jeremiah –– one of the prophets.
The disciples were telling Jesus that people thought he was not only a prophet ––
but that he was a great prophet.
Jesus was, in fact, a prophet –– a great prophet –– but more than a great prophet.
Jesus was THE great prophet.
He was the Messiah –– the Son of God.
So when people thought of Jesus as John the Baptist –– or Elijah –– or Jeremiah –– they were complimenting Jesus.
The thing is though, that Jesus was even greater than one of the great prophets.
Jesus then asked the second question, "But who do YOU say that I am?" I can just see the disciples standing around looking at their shoes.
We all know how that feels, don't we!
The teacher asks a question and you shrink down into your seat,
trying to look invisible.
The last thing you want to do is to look at the teacher –– to establish eye contact.
You know that, if the teacher sees your eyes, he/she is going to ask you to answer the question,
Put you on the spot!
The disciples long to be invisible.
But they dont have to stay invisible for long.
It was fortunate that they had a disciple with them who couldn’t stand the silence.
Simon Peter.
Peter was one of those guys who regularly rushed in with both feet.
If Peter had been a carpenter, he would have cut first and measured second.
He always spoke up.
So when Jesus asked, "Who do YOU say that I am?"
Peter couldn’t resist.
What Peter actually said was this.
He told Jesus, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
The disciples must have held their breath to see how Jesus would respond.
Was the answer going to be right or wrong?
If the answer was good,
the disciples were off the hook.
But if Jesus didn't like Peter's answer,
they weren't sure what Jesus would do next.
The answer was good – Phew!
Jesus said, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven" (v. 17).
And all the disciples must have breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Let's look at Peter's answer one more time.
When Jesus asked, "But who do YOU say that I am?"
Peter responded, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." When Peter said that, this is what he meant.
He meant that Jesus was the one for whom Israel had been waiting for centuries ––
the one, from God, who was going to save Israel.
That's what Messiah meant to Peter.
Now let me ask you a question.
If Jesus were to ask, "Who do YOU say that I am?" how would you answer?
It would be easy to repeat Peter's answer.
We could say, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God"
that would be a good answer.
It was a good answer in Peter's day,
and it is still a good answer today.
But what would that mean to us?
Let's go back and think about what it meant for Peter.
Peter thought the Messiah would recruit an army and re-establish Israel as a superpower.
That's what he meant by Messiah.
After Peter said that Jesus was the Messiah,
Jesus began explaining to his disciples what it really meant,
To be the Messiah of God,
He told his disciples that he was going to Jerusalem,
where the religious leaders were going to kill him (16:21).
What did Peter think about that?
Peter said, "God forbid it Lord" (16:22).
They will not do that to you.
But Jesus rebuked Peter, saying, "You are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things" (16:23).
Then Jesus called the disciples to take up their cross and follow him (16:24).
If we really believe that Jesus is the Messiah,
that's where we end up
taking up our cross and following him
living sacrificially for the sake of the kingdom of God.
Those first disciples all came to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Some of them, like Peter, would die for their faith.
Some of them, like Thomas, would become missionaries to other lands (We believe that Thomas established the church in India).
Still others, like Philip and Bartholomew, would serve quietly in the background.
I like that.
I like knowing that some of Jesus' original disciples just served quietly in the background.
Every church has a number of people who serve faithfully but quietly.
We have them here,
I don't know what we would do without them.
Do you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God?
Do you believe that he came to save and rescue the world?
Do you believe that Jesus came to save and rescue you?
That He died on that cross so that you might have a new life,
a new start,
forgiven and remade
If so, he will call you to serve –– maybe dangerously –– maybe uncomfortably –– maybe quietly.
If you will obey the call of God on your life,
you can be sure that your life will be a blessing to you,
and to others,
and that you will contribute to building of the kingdom of God.
The most important test of our lives is Jesus question to us
“Who do you say that I am?”
Do you like tests?
In our Gospel lesson this morning,
Jesus gives the disciples a test,
He asks them, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
When Jesus uses that phrase, the Son of Man, he is talking about himself. In other words, Jesus is asking "Who do people say that I am?"
Jesus uses the title, "Son of Man," rather than Messiah,
because when people ever heard the word “Messiah”,
they would think of a great military leader like King David.
Jesus is the Messiah, but he has no plans to raise an army.
"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
"Who do people say that I am?"
Jesus wasn't asking his disciples for their opinions –– not yet, at least.
He was asking about other people's opinions of him.
The disciples had been mixing with the crowds.
They had been hearing what people had to say.
Jesus was asking the disciples to report on what they were hearing.
And so, they gave some quick answers:
• "Some say JOHN THE BAPTIST."
John, of course, was the cousin with whom Jesus had grown up.
John was now dead.
Herod had killed John.
Jesus had only recently learned of John's death.
He would have been still grieving over the death of his friend.
How could people think that Jesus was John the Baptist?
Maybe they thought that John had come back to life in the form of Jesus. That's what Herod thought.
When Herod heard about Jesus, he told his servants,
Jesus "is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead" (14:2).
But when John was alive, John said of Jesus,
"I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals" (Mark 1:7).
Untying someone's sandals was such a menial task that Jewish law would not allow a Jew to require of another Jew ––
even a Jewish slave –– to untie his sandals.
If a Jew needed someone to untie his sandals,
he had to find a Gentile to do it.
But John the Baptist said that he wasn't worthy even to untie the thong of Jesus' sandals.
John said that he wasn't worthy even to shine Jesus' shoes.
That's how much greater Jesus was than John ––
and John was the greatest prophet Israel had seen for centuries.
So some people thought that Jesus was John the Baptist come back to life –– "No! Not even close!"
• The disciples offered other possibilities as well.
They told Jesus that some people thought he was ELIJAH.
Elijah was a great prophet from an earlier century.
People expected Elijah to appear again "before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord" (Malachi 4:5).
Now people were saying that the time had come ––
and that Jesus was Elijah come back to life.
It was a high honor to be thought of as Elijah.
Elijah was one of the greatest prophets in Israel's history.
• The disciples had one more answer for Jesus.
They said, "Still others say JEREMIAH OR ONE OF THE PROPHETS." Jeremiah was another of the great prophets.
It was an honor to be compared to Jeremiah.
John the Baptist –– Elijah –– Jeremiah –– one of the prophets.
The disciples were telling Jesus that people thought he was not only a prophet ––
but that he was a great prophet.
Jesus was, in fact, a prophet –– a great prophet –– but more than a great prophet.
Jesus was THE great prophet.
He was the Messiah –– the Son of God.
So when people thought of Jesus as John the Baptist –– or Elijah –– or Jeremiah –– they were complimenting Jesus.
The thing is though, that Jesus was even greater than one of the great prophets.
Jesus then asked the second question, "But who do YOU say that I am?" I can just see the disciples standing around looking at their shoes.
We all know how that feels, don't we!
The teacher asks a question and you shrink down into your seat,
trying to look invisible.
The last thing you want to do is to look at the teacher –– to establish eye contact.
You know that, if the teacher sees your eyes, he/she is going to ask you to answer the question,
Put you on the spot!
The disciples long to be invisible.
But they dont have to stay invisible for long.
It was fortunate that they had a disciple with them who couldn’t stand the silence.
Simon Peter.
Peter was one of those guys who regularly rushed in with both feet.
If Peter had been a carpenter, he would have cut first and measured second.
He always spoke up.
So when Jesus asked, "Who do YOU say that I am?"
Peter couldn’t resist.
What Peter actually said was this.
He told Jesus, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
The disciples must have held their breath to see how Jesus would respond.
Was the answer going to be right or wrong?
If the answer was good,
the disciples were off the hook.
But if Jesus didn't like Peter's answer,
they weren't sure what Jesus would do next.
The answer was good – Phew!
Jesus said, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven" (v. 17).
And all the disciples must have breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Let's look at Peter's answer one more time.
When Jesus asked, "But who do YOU say that I am?"
Peter responded, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." When Peter said that, this is what he meant.
He meant that Jesus was the one for whom Israel had been waiting for centuries ––
the one, from God, who was going to save Israel.
That's what Messiah meant to Peter.
Now let me ask you a question.
If Jesus were to ask, "Who do YOU say that I am?" how would you answer?
It would be easy to repeat Peter's answer.
We could say, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God"
that would be a good answer.
It was a good answer in Peter's day,
and it is still a good answer today.
But what would that mean to us?
Let's go back and think about what it meant for Peter.
Peter thought the Messiah would recruit an army and re-establish Israel as a superpower.
That's what he meant by Messiah.
After Peter said that Jesus was the Messiah,
Jesus began explaining to his disciples what it really meant,
To be the Messiah of God,
He told his disciples that he was going to Jerusalem,
where the religious leaders were going to kill him (16:21).
What did Peter think about that?
Peter said, "God forbid it Lord" (16:22).
They will not do that to you.
But Jesus rebuked Peter, saying, "You are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things" (16:23).
Then Jesus called the disciples to take up their cross and follow him (16:24).
If we really believe that Jesus is the Messiah,
that's where we end up
taking up our cross and following him
living sacrificially for the sake of the kingdom of God.
Those first disciples all came to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Some of them, like Peter, would die for their faith.
Some of them, like Thomas, would become missionaries to other lands (We believe that Thomas established the church in India).
Still others, like Philip and Bartholomew, would serve quietly in the background.
I like that.
I like knowing that some of Jesus' original disciples just served quietly in the background.
Every church has a number of people who serve faithfully but quietly.
We have them here,
I don't know what we would do without them.
Do you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God?
Do you believe that he came to save and rescue the world?
Do you believe that Jesus came to save and rescue you?
That He died on that cross so that you might have a new life,
a new start,
forgiven and remade
If so, he will call you to serve –– maybe dangerously –– maybe uncomfortably –– maybe quietly.
If you will obey the call of God on your life,
you can be sure that your life will be a blessing to you,
and to others,
and that you will contribute to building of the kingdom of God.
The most important test of our lives is Jesus question to us
“Who do you say that I am?”
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Heaps Of Lessons To Learn.
I had to go to a meeting the other day and they commenced with a Bible Reading - Genesis 45 - about how Joseph reveals himself to his surprised brothers who had come to Egypt to buy food. Joseph was now second in charge of the whole of Egypt.
There are many lessons for us to learn in that incident...
....beware your sins will find you out (as happened for the brothers)
....although it must have seemed like the biggest disaster that could ever happen...God's providence wins out...God has a plan and a backup plan....and a backup, backup plan.
....when we are in situations they do not always make sense...but in hindsight we can see how God works.
....throughout this whole incident God is shaping and refining characters and personalities- especially Joseph.
Great lessons to learn,
Peter Clark.
There are many lessons for us to learn in that incident...
....beware your sins will find you out (as happened for the brothers)
....although it must have seemed like the biggest disaster that could ever happen...God's providence wins out...God has a plan and a backup plan....and a backup, backup plan.
....when we are in situations they do not always make sense...but in hindsight we can see how God works.
....throughout this whole incident God is shaping and refining characters and personalities- especially Joseph.
Great lessons to learn,
Peter Clark.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
A Great Psalm.
Psalm 103. Have you read it lately?
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 kHe will not always chide,
nor will he lkeep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us maccording to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;1
he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children's children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers, who do his will!
22 Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Doesn't that warm your soul?
Have a great day,
Peter Clark
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 kHe will not always chide,
nor will he lkeep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us maccording to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;1
he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children's children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers, who do his will!
22 Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Doesn't that warm your soul?
Have a great day,
Peter Clark
Friday, August 19, 2011
Showing Up The Genuine Ones!
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11, verse 19
"No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval."
Paul admits that there will be differences of opinion within a congregation. When they become "win at all cost" / "protect my territory" divisions, then they are destructive to the congregation.
Those who cause division only serve to highlight those who are genuine believers.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
"No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval."
Paul admits that there will be differences of opinion within a congregation. When they become "win at all cost" / "protect my territory" divisions, then they are destructive to the congregation.
Those who cause division only serve to highlight those who are genuine believers.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
An Inspirational Verse.
Psalm 130:5-6
"I wait for the LORD. my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope. My soul waits for the LORD more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning."
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
"I wait for the LORD. my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope. My soul waits for the LORD more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning."
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Why Is The Universe Expanding?
2 Chronicles 6:18b
"....The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you....."
Is it any surprise to us that the universe is expanding outwards?
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
"....The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you....."
Is it any surprise to us that the universe is expanding outwards?
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
God Is Amazing.
God IS amazing! Is that your experience?
In his prayer at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem, Solomon recognised that.
2 Chronicles 6:14
"O LORD. God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth -
You who keep your covenant of love with your servants
who continue wholeheartedly in your way."
We see in this passage that there is no god like the true God.
That He keeps on loving us....
those of us who keep on keeping on in His way.
What a good idea.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
In his prayer at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem, Solomon recognised that.
2 Chronicles 6:14
"O LORD. God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth -
You who keep your covenant of love with your servants
who continue wholeheartedly in your way."
We see in this passage that there is no god like the true God.
That He keeps on loving us....
those of us who keep on keeping on in His way.
What a good idea.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Living & Blessing!
From Psalm 97:10-12
O you who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the lives of his saints;
he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light is sown for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name!
The key words:
Love the Lord; hate evil; Light; Joy; Rejoice; Give thanks.
God promises: to preserve our lives & to deliver us.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
O you who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the lives of his saints;
he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light is sown for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name!
The key words:
Love the Lord; hate evil; Light; Joy; Rejoice; Give thanks.
God promises: to preserve our lives & to deliver us.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
So True!
I read this from Ecclesiastes 5:10
10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income.
That is trues isn't it? What is it about money that seems to get a hold on us, and ends up owning us.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income.
That is trues isn't it? What is it about money that seems to get a hold on us, and ends up owning us.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
You Are A Temple.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
If we are believers, then God has done a marvellous thing in us and for us.
He has given us His Holy Spirit to live in us AND He loved us enough to pay an enormous price to bring about that transformation in our lives.
TFTD:What a great Heavenly Father we have.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
If we are believers, then God has done a marvellous thing in us and for us.
He has given us His Holy Spirit to live in us AND He loved us enough to pay an enormous price to bring about that transformation in our lives.
TFTD:What a great Heavenly Father we have.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Where Have You Come From?
Paul writes to the Corinthian believers describing some really bad behaviour....
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
Then Paul writes, "And that is what some of you were...." (verse 11). In other words, "that is all passed".
He then describes the process that the believers have gone through (a process of transformation)....
11 ........" But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
TFTD: Our past life of sin only matters if we have not moved away from it.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
Then Paul writes, "And that is what some of you were...." (verse 11). In other words, "that is all passed".
He then describes the process that the believers have gone through (a process of transformation)....
11 ........" But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
TFTD: Our past life of sin only matters if we have not moved away from it.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Take A Step Towards God!
It takes very little on our part to respond to God.
Unfortunately, some hearts are so hard....they cannot even do this....
"....If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever." (1 Chronicles 28:9b)
TFTD: Keep praying that God might give you a soft, responding heart - the opposite is too awful to contemplate!
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Unfortunately, some hearts are so hard....they cannot even do this....
"....If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever." (1 Chronicles 28:9b)
TFTD: Keep praying that God might give you a soft, responding heart - the opposite is too awful to contemplate!
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Nothing More To Be Said!
How are we to respond to God?
1 Chronicles 28:9a gives us some clues:
".......acknowledge...God.....and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts."
This is how David was encouraging Solomon to act towards God.
TFTD: Shouldn't we be doing the same?
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
1 Chronicles 28:9a gives us some clues:
".......acknowledge...God.....and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts."
This is how David was encouraging Solomon to act towards God.
TFTD: Shouldn't we be doing the same?
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Being Intentional!
This morning I was reading 1 Corinthians 4. These jumped out at me.
4 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.
Paul the Apostle knew the direction of his life and ministry. Not all agreed with that direction!
But he was clear....it was as a "servant of Christ" and as a "steward of the mysteries of God"
His desire was to be faithful in these things, and it didn't matter how others judged his life, he was going to continue in that direction.
Not a bad idea is it? Having your direction set! Heading in it! And not being put off by others.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
4 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.
Paul the Apostle knew the direction of his life and ministry. Not all agreed with that direction!
But he was clear....it was as a "servant of Christ" and as a "steward of the mysteries of God"
His desire was to be faithful in these things, and it didn't matter how others judged his life, he was going to continue in that direction.
Not a bad idea is it? Having your direction set! Heading in it! And not being put off by others.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Sermon preached on 7th August 2011 8am Matthew 14:13-21
John the Baptist was Jesus' cousin –– his friend –– his helper.
They had grown up together,
and John saw his mission as preparing the way for Jesus.
But John was out of favour with King Herod
and with Herod's wife, Herodias.
Herodias had been married to Herod's brother,
but Herod had persuaded Herodias to divorce his brother and to marry him.
That sounds pretty disgusting,
but that was typical behavior for the Herods.
Jewish law prohibited a man from marrying his brother's wife ––
unless the brother was dead.
Herod's brother Philip was very much alive.
And so John the Baptist denounced Herod for marrying Herodias –– his brother's wife.
There was no free speech in those days ––
and you certainly were not allowed to criticize the king.
When John denounced King Herod, he was moving into dangerous territory.
Herod would have simply murdered John,
but John was so popular with the people that Herod hesitated to touch him.
But Herodias, Herod's wife, had no such qualms.
She sent her daughter, Salome, to dance at Herod's banquet.
Herod was so pleased that he promised to give Salome whatever she asked for.
After consulting with her mother, Salome asked for John's head on a platter.
Having made a public promise, Herod had to keep it.
He had John beheaded, and presented John's head to Salome, who gave it to her mother.
John's disciples buried John's body, and then went to tell Jesus what had happened.
That's where our Gospel lesson picks up today.
It says, "Now when Jesus heard this – (that Herod had beheaded John) Jesus withdrew...in a boat to a deserted place by himself."
Jesus had drawn large crowds wherever he went,
but now he needed to be alone.
He needed a chance to think –– to grieve –– to pray.
John had been his lifelong friend.
Jesus must have been affected.
We can understand that, can’t we?
But the crowds wouldn't allow Jesus his opportunity to mourn.
They didn't know about John's death.
They didn't know about Jesus' grief.
All that they knew - was that Jesus was a great teacher and a great healer,
and that they wanted what he could give them.
Jesus had gone off by boat,
but they guessed where he was going and got there ahead of him.
That is like the Eastern suburbs – it takes longer to drive somewhere than it does to walk.
When Jesus arrived at his destination, there was the crowd –– waiting for him.
Anyone else would have been angry at this intrusion into his grief,
but Jesus wasn't angry.
He had compassion for these people,
These people who were so needy.
He stepped out of the boat and began to heal those who were sick.
Keep in mind that Jesus had wanted to go somewhere private –– remote –– a place where he could be alone.
That's exactly what this would have been if the crowd hadn't guessed where he was going
–– if they hadn't arrived there first.
Jesus' disciples began to worry about how to feed all these people.
They said to Jesus:
"This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late;
send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages
and buy food for themselves" (v. 15).
The disciples had the foresight to spot a problem before it became a problem ––
and they came up with a solution.
Send the crowds away now ––while there was still time.
They were concerned for the crowds,
but they were concerned for Jesus too.
They wanted Jesus to take control,
And end the day on a positive note!
But Jesus had his own solution.
He told the disciples, "They need not go away; YOU give them something to eat" (v. 16).
The disciples looked at each other and took stock of their meager resources.
They said, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish" (v. 17).
They must have been thinking,
"Come on, Jesus! Get serious!"
But Jesus said, "Bring them here to me."
Bring me the bread and fish.
Then Jesus ordered the crowd to sit down on the grass.
That was a bold step, because Jesus was, in essence,
inviting the people to prepare to receive a picnic lunch.
He was raising their expectations beyond all reason.
Listen to what Jesus did next.
He TOOK the loaves and fish ––
and looked up to heaven ––
and BLESSED the bread and fish,
BROKE the bread and fish,
And GAVE the crowd the bread and the fish.
Do you recognize that language?
Ring any bells?
That's the kind of language that we use at the Lord's Table.
It's the kind of language we use to celebrate the Eucharist.
In other words, Jesus is going beyond feeding these people.
He is transforming this moment on this remote hillside into a holy moment ––
a sacred celebration.
He intends to offer these people something to eat,
but he also intends to offer them something more.
He intends to involve them in a holy occasion ––
a moment when they can experience the presence of God in their midst –
a moment when they can see Jesus revealed to them as the Son of God.
This is another example of Jesus TRANSFORMING the ordinary,
Transforming the mundane.
That is exactly what Christ can do (and does) to our ordinary, mundane lives,
He can transform them into something HOLY,
Something special.
He came to die on that cruel Roman cross to transform our lives
Into eternal lives – that can be lived forever with the creator of the universe.
He offers the invitation for us to “come” to Him.
To turn around and head our life in His direction.
This wasn’t the first Lord's Supper.
That would take place shortly before Jesus death,
In the upper room
But what did happen was that, in Jesus' hands,
the bread and fish became something more than bread and fish –– something blessed.
We don't know what kind of awareness the crowd experienced on the hillside that day.
But the disciples did though.
They saw something they could not have imagined.
Jesus blessed the loaves and broke them and gave them to the disciples.
Then the disciples gave the broken loaves to the people.
As the people passed the baskets of bread from one to the other,
each person took enough to satisfy his or her hunger.
The story then concludes this way:
"And all ate and were filled;
and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces,
twelve baskets full.
And those who ate were about five thousand men,
besides women and children" (vv. 20-21).
Five thousand men –– PLUS women and children.
How many would that be? Seven thousand? Ten thousand?
We don't know exactly how many that would have been,
but we do know that it would have been a huge crowd.
It would have been far more than the disciples could have fed with five loaves of bread and two fish.
Everyone ate, and everyone's hunger was satisfied.
But there was food left at the end
twelve baskets full of food
a symbol of abundance
evidence that a miracle had taken place
evidence that Jesus was not bound by the usual rules of arithmetic evidence that God was present on this hillside.
It is that presence of God in our lives that we miss today.
Why is that? Is it because we are too wrapped up in our own lives?
Our families lives?
In gathering goods and money?
We are a sad people – we think we have it all,
But we have nothing.
I wish I could have been there that day.
I wish you could have been there too.
I wish we could have shared that moment with Jesus.
If we had been there, I wonder what we would have seen.
I wonder what we would have believed.
Would we have been among those who saw only that they received enough food to satisfy their hunger?
Or would we have been among those who saw something more?
I don't know.
But I do know this.
I know that Jesus still touches lives today in miraculous ways.
Jesus still transforms people's lives.
Jesus still breaks into our world in ways that break the rules of basic maths.
And I know that some people see that, and others don't.
As he did on that deserted hillside, Christ invites.
He invites people to come to Him – to say they are sorry for leaving Him out of their lives.
He invites his disciples –– invites us –– to be his partners in ministry.
When we see hungry people, he says, "You give them something to eat."
When we protest that we do not have enough, he says, "Bring it to me."
Then he blesses it and makes it enough to do what he intends to do.
Jesus doesn't call us to be great.
He calls us to be faithful.
If we will do what he calls us to do ––
and go where he calls us to go ––
he will bless the little that we bring ––
and he will bless us ––
and he will bless those to whom he sends us.
Amen.
They had grown up together,
and John saw his mission as preparing the way for Jesus.
But John was out of favour with King Herod
and with Herod's wife, Herodias.
Herodias had been married to Herod's brother,
but Herod had persuaded Herodias to divorce his brother and to marry him.
That sounds pretty disgusting,
but that was typical behavior for the Herods.
Jewish law prohibited a man from marrying his brother's wife ––
unless the brother was dead.
Herod's brother Philip was very much alive.
And so John the Baptist denounced Herod for marrying Herodias –– his brother's wife.
There was no free speech in those days ––
and you certainly were not allowed to criticize the king.
When John denounced King Herod, he was moving into dangerous territory.
Herod would have simply murdered John,
but John was so popular with the people that Herod hesitated to touch him.
But Herodias, Herod's wife, had no such qualms.
She sent her daughter, Salome, to dance at Herod's banquet.
Herod was so pleased that he promised to give Salome whatever she asked for.
After consulting with her mother, Salome asked for John's head on a platter.
Having made a public promise, Herod had to keep it.
He had John beheaded, and presented John's head to Salome, who gave it to her mother.
John's disciples buried John's body, and then went to tell Jesus what had happened.
That's where our Gospel lesson picks up today.
It says, "Now when Jesus heard this – (that Herod had beheaded John) Jesus withdrew...in a boat to a deserted place by himself."
Jesus had drawn large crowds wherever he went,
but now he needed to be alone.
He needed a chance to think –– to grieve –– to pray.
John had been his lifelong friend.
Jesus must have been affected.
We can understand that, can’t we?
But the crowds wouldn't allow Jesus his opportunity to mourn.
They didn't know about John's death.
They didn't know about Jesus' grief.
All that they knew - was that Jesus was a great teacher and a great healer,
and that they wanted what he could give them.
Jesus had gone off by boat,
but they guessed where he was going and got there ahead of him.
That is like the Eastern suburbs – it takes longer to drive somewhere than it does to walk.
When Jesus arrived at his destination, there was the crowd –– waiting for him.
Anyone else would have been angry at this intrusion into his grief,
but Jesus wasn't angry.
He had compassion for these people,
These people who were so needy.
He stepped out of the boat and began to heal those who were sick.
Keep in mind that Jesus had wanted to go somewhere private –– remote –– a place where he could be alone.
That's exactly what this would have been if the crowd hadn't guessed where he was going
–– if they hadn't arrived there first.
Jesus' disciples began to worry about how to feed all these people.
They said to Jesus:
"This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late;
send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages
and buy food for themselves" (v. 15).
The disciples had the foresight to spot a problem before it became a problem ––
and they came up with a solution.
Send the crowds away now ––while there was still time.
They were concerned for the crowds,
but they were concerned for Jesus too.
They wanted Jesus to take control,
And end the day on a positive note!
But Jesus had his own solution.
He told the disciples, "They need not go away; YOU give them something to eat" (v. 16).
The disciples looked at each other and took stock of their meager resources.
They said, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish" (v. 17).
They must have been thinking,
"Come on, Jesus! Get serious!"
But Jesus said, "Bring them here to me."
Bring me the bread and fish.
Then Jesus ordered the crowd to sit down on the grass.
That was a bold step, because Jesus was, in essence,
inviting the people to prepare to receive a picnic lunch.
He was raising their expectations beyond all reason.
Listen to what Jesus did next.
He TOOK the loaves and fish ––
and looked up to heaven ––
and BLESSED the bread and fish,
BROKE the bread and fish,
And GAVE the crowd the bread and the fish.
Do you recognize that language?
Ring any bells?
That's the kind of language that we use at the Lord's Table.
It's the kind of language we use to celebrate the Eucharist.
In other words, Jesus is going beyond feeding these people.
He is transforming this moment on this remote hillside into a holy moment ––
a sacred celebration.
He intends to offer these people something to eat,
but he also intends to offer them something more.
He intends to involve them in a holy occasion ––
a moment when they can experience the presence of God in their midst –
a moment when they can see Jesus revealed to them as the Son of God.
This is another example of Jesus TRANSFORMING the ordinary,
Transforming the mundane.
That is exactly what Christ can do (and does) to our ordinary, mundane lives,
He can transform them into something HOLY,
Something special.
He came to die on that cruel Roman cross to transform our lives
Into eternal lives – that can be lived forever with the creator of the universe.
He offers the invitation for us to “come” to Him.
To turn around and head our life in His direction.
This wasn’t the first Lord's Supper.
That would take place shortly before Jesus death,
In the upper room
But what did happen was that, in Jesus' hands,
the bread and fish became something more than bread and fish –– something blessed.
We don't know what kind of awareness the crowd experienced on the hillside that day.
But the disciples did though.
They saw something they could not have imagined.
Jesus blessed the loaves and broke them and gave them to the disciples.
Then the disciples gave the broken loaves to the people.
As the people passed the baskets of bread from one to the other,
each person took enough to satisfy his or her hunger.
The story then concludes this way:
"And all ate and were filled;
and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces,
twelve baskets full.
And those who ate were about five thousand men,
besides women and children" (vv. 20-21).
Five thousand men –– PLUS women and children.
How many would that be? Seven thousand? Ten thousand?
We don't know exactly how many that would have been,
but we do know that it would have been a huge crowd.
It would have been far more than the disciples could have fed with five loaves of bread and two fish.
Everyone ate, and everyone's hunger was satisfied.
But there was food left at the end
twelve baskets full of food
a symbol of abundance
evidence that a miracle had taken place
evidence that Jesus was not bound by the usual rules of arithmetic evidence that God was present on this hillside.
It is that presence of God in our lives that we miss today.
Why is that? Is it because we are too wrapped up in our own lives?
Our families lives?
In gathering goods and money?
We are a sad people – we think we have it all,
But we have nothing.
I wish I could have been there that day.
I wish you could have been there too.
I wish we could have shared that moment with Jesus.
If we had been there, I wonder what we would have seen.
I wonder what we would have believed.
Would we have been among those who saw only that they received enough food to satisfy their hunger?
Or would we have been among those who saw something more?
I don't know.
But I do know this.
I know that Jesus still touches lives today in miraculous ways.
Jesus still transforms people's lives.
Jesus still breaks into our world in ways that break the rules of basic maths.
And I know that some people see that, and others don't.
As he did on that deserted hillside, Christ invites.
He invites people to come to Him – to say they are sorry for leaving Him out of their lives.
He invites his disciples –– invites us –– to be his partners in ministry.
When we see hungry people, he says, "You give them something to eat."
When we protest that we do not have enough, he says, "Bring it to me."
Then he blesses it and makes it enough to do what he intends to do.
Jesus doesn't call us to be great.
He calls us to be faithful.
If we will do what he calls us to do ––
and go where he calls us to go ––
he will bless the little that we bring ––
and he will bless us ––
and he will bless those to whom he sends us.
Amen.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Life Is A Mystery!
In the New Testament a "mystery" is something that has been revealed.
In other words....it is not something that is "unknown" but "known".
Knowing this puts a different slant on Paul's blessing at the end of Romans.
25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Life is far from being a mystery - what real life is has been revealed through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
In other words....it is not something that is "unknown" but "known".
Knowing this puts a different slant on Paul's blessing at the end of Romans.
25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Life is far from being a mystery - what real life is has been revealed through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
The Devil Made Me Do It!
He didn't you know! As much as we might like to think that we have no control over our actions.
In 1 Corinthians 1 :8 it says....."...Jesus will keep you strong to the end"
For what purpose?
"so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (also v.8)
We are given the power to resist evil. Don't forget, that we have God's Holy Spirit living in us.
In the very next verse, v.9 we are reminded that God who has called us "is faithful"
He doesn't call us to the impossible.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
In 1 Corinthians 1 :8 it says....."...Jesus will keep you strong to the end"
For what purpose?
"so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (also v.8)
We are given the power to resist evil. Don't forget, that we have God's Holy Spirit living in us.
In the very next verse, v.9 we are reminded that God who has called us "is faithful"
He doesn't call us to the impossible.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Come!
Have you ever thought about the number of times that Jesus calls on people to come?
It is THE most important action that we can do in responding to Christ.
Initially, Jesus called His disciples and said, "Come, I will make you fishers of men..."
He calls on us to come to Him when we are burdened down with all the worries of the world.
Jesus says in Revelation 3:20 "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will COMEin and eat with him, and he with me."
TFTD: "Coming" is very important.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
It is THE most important action that we can do in responding to Christ.
Initially, Jesus called His disciples and said, "Come, I will make you fishers of men..."
He calls on us to come to Him when we are burdened down with all the worries of the world.
Jesus says in Revelation 3:20 "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will COMEin and eat with him, and he with me."
TFTD: "Coming" is very important.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
You Have What You Need!
In the account of Jesus feeding a crowd of 5000 (men) - Matthew 14, the disciples encourage Jesus to send them all away.
Jesus says, "They do not need to go away. YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT." (v.16)
The disciples had, we have, all that is needed to minister, witness and care for people, but what we want to do is to "send them away"so that they will not be a problem or bother to us.
TFTD: We know that we have what we need, because Jesus has given it to us!
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Jesus says, "They do not need to go away. YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT." (v.16)
The disciples had, we have, all that is needed to minister, witness and care for people, but what we want to do is to "send them away"so that they will not be a problem or bother to us.
TFTD: We know that we have what we need, because Jesus has given it to us!
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Constructing God In Our Image!
In Psalm 90 we are reminded "For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night" (v.4).
God is not limited by time like we are - a day, a month, a year, a decade means nothing to God.
Because God is eternal, He doesn't change, and we can depend on Him.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
God is not limited by time like we are - a day, a month, a year, a decade means nothing to God.
Because God is eternal, He doesn't change, and we can depend on Him.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
King David's Secret.
King David was especially favoured by God, even though he had a bad "sin record".
Why was that?
In the record of David's history in 1 Chronicles 13 & 14 we get a clue.
"David inquired of God" is a refrain that is repeated.
David had a living relationship with God.
That is what God wants from us.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
Why was that?
In the record of David's history in 1 Chronicles 13 & 14 we get a clue.
"David inquired of God" is a refrain that is repeated.
David had a living relationship with God.
That is what God wants from us.
Have a good day,
Peter Clark.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Oh For That Support!
This morning I read from 1 Chronicles 11 how King David "became more and more powerful, because the LORD Almighty was with him" (v.9)
How did this actually work out?
We see that in Verse 10 "These were the chiefs of David's mighty men - they, together with all Israel, gave his kingship strong support to extend it over the whole land, as the LORD had promised..."
It is that strong support that leaders need to accomplish great things for God.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
How did this actually work out?
We see that in Verse 10 "These were the chiefs of David's mighty men - they, together with all Israel, gave his kingship strong support to extend it over the whole land, as the LORD had promised..."
It is that strong support that leaders need to accomplish great things for God.
Have a great day,
Peter Clark.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
