Benediction

A benediction...what is it? Usually its the closing words from a church service, a funeral...even a wedding; it serves as a blessing and closing before everyone is dismissed. To a regular church goer it can trigger a pavlovian response--a yawn, a stretch and a quick glance to the door and clock.

But Paul's benediction in the middle of his letter to the Ephesians is anything but a final set of ho hum kind of words:
Ephesians 3:20-21
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen”

This comes at the end of an epic prayer (3:14-21) that the church in Ephesus would be strengthened so that Christ could dwell in them, he prays that they not only be grounded in love, but also comprehend the incomprehensible love of God that is in Christ Jesus and closing that we would be filled to the fullness of God. Mind blowing stuff really. And that is why he ends with these words that God would do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine...I don't think Paul even really understood how God would do these things.

So what do you imagine that God would do for you today? Do you even think he wants to do anything for you this day? If you have come to think that God just tolerates you or keeps putting up with you or has resigned to being perpetually disappointed with you...its pretty hard to believe God loves you, much less was interested to help you in anyway.

But look at the benediction once more.

John Stott breaks down these couple verses to show all that God does to build our faith again--that God loves us:

1. God can do…he is not idle, not sleeping, not distracted, not dead
2. He answers prayer…The God of the universe hears you.
3. Able to do what we think and imagine—He reads our minds (better than Santa Claus!)…before a word is out of our mouths he knows it already…what do you imagine for you life? Have you told God that? If you do not ask, do not receive.
4. All we ask…every detail, every hearts cry
5. Beyond what we ask…His expectations are more than we think!
6. More Abundantly…not calculated pieces or parcelled out fragments of grace
7. Far More abundantly…Vastly more than more! There are no limits to what God can do. The angel Gabriel would tell Mary, 'With God nothing is impossible' Luke 1:37

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

That's what God wants to do for you today. On a cloudy, cold November morning...God has a good, big plan for you and I. Amen.

'Christ's love is as incomprehensible as his riches unsearchable' John Stott

How far does God's love extend?

How far does Gods' love extend? How far will it go...till it runs out?  Does it run out? My patience runs out, my creativity drains quickly, my endurance seems to decline with every passing year but does God's love end?. I was reading Psalm 107 as part of my Bible reading plan (M'Cheyne's), and the opening line is: 'Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.' (emphasis mine). Forever.
To prove the point the psalm looks at 4 groups of people that find themselves in situations that bring to question if God's love is still around.
1. 'Some wandered in desolate wilderness...' These guys are lost, confused and turned around with little to no hope of finding their way back home, or anywhere safe. They're hungry and desperate.
2. 'Others sat in darkness and gloom...' This group has rebelled from God and is paying the price...dungeons and gloom with heavy chains. Feeling rejected by men and God.
3. 'Others become fools through rebellion...'. It seems this group also rebelled against God but this led to illness that was so bad the doctors could do nothing more for them; they are in complete distress.
4. 'Others went out on the sea in ships...' only to run into an epic storm and 'their courage melted away...they were at their wits end'. This group is simply going about their work when their world erupts into unexpected chaos.
Each situation is very relatable even to the casual observer--who hasn't been at their wits end or experienced unexpected chaos? Who of us can confidently say we have not rebelled against God and not paid for it one way or another though lingering guilt and broken relationships?
And at the end of each situation it says that 'they cried out to the LORD in their distress and trouble'--they are beyond human help and finally cry out to God when all hope seems to be gone. In each of these it can feel as though God is far away, far removed and waiting for us to fix our own mess...but look what He does: "He delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way...he broke their chains...he saved them and healed them...he stills the storm to a whisper and guided them to their desired haven.'
It is in the darkest pits; at the end of a dead end; in the greatest storm and the most hopeless state that God's love extends even there...actually does some of its most amazing work.  His love here is not a passive, limp encouragement note...its active--breaking, freeing, delivering, calming, healing...exactly what we need.
Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd (John 10), one who leads the sheep, heals them, restores and protects them and finds them when they have wandered away into dark valleys. What a great Psalm and such good news going into a new week!

Evening Wolves

Recently I was reading Charles Spurgeon's 'Morning and Evening' devotional and came across this meditation before bed. Thought I'd pass it along, hope you are encouraged:

“Evening wolves.” (Habakkuk 1:8)

While preparing the present volume, this particular expression recurred to me so frequently, that in order to be rid of its constant importunity I determined to give a page to it. The evening wolf, infuriated by a day of hunger, was fiercer and more ravenous than he would have been in the morning. May not the furious creature represent our doubts and fears after a day of distraction of mind, losses in business, and perhaps ungenerous tauntings from our fellow men? How our thoughts howl in our ears, “Where is now thy God?” How voracious and greedy they are, swallowing up all suggestions of comfort, and remaining as hungry as before. Great Shepherd, slay these evening wolves, and bid thy sheep lie down in green pastures, undisturbed by insatiable unbelief. How like are the fiends of hell to evening wolves, for when the flock of Christ are in a cloudy and dark day, and their sun seems going down, they hasten to tear and to devour. They will scarcely attack the Christian in the daylight of faith, but in the gloom of soul conflict they fall upon him. O thou who hast laid down thy life for the sheep, preserve them from the fangs of the wolf.

False teachers who craftily and industriously hunt for the precious life, devouring men by their false-hoods, are as dangerous and detestable as evening wolves. Darkness is their element, deceit is their character, destruction is their end. We are most in danger from them when they wear the sheep’s skin. Blessed is he who is kept from them, for thousands are made the prey of grievous wolves that enter within the fold of the church.

What a wonder of grace it is when fierce persecutors are converted, for then the wolf dwells with the lamb, and men of cruel ungovernable dispositions become gentle and teachable. O Lord, convert many such: for such we will pray tonight.

Sabbatical starts...

I guess the title is not correct as our sabbatical is well under way but this is perhaps the first chance I have had to consider the past few weeks. Its been full without a doubt! After a cup of 'smoking bishop' with good friends we were off to Mexico with Shonet's family, 7 days in the Cancun area. Here are some thoughts from that week: 

Mexico

December 30-January 6

1. Church community needed and missed
2. Paradise on earth is not necessarily paradise 
3. Serving the weak and vulnerable is hard
4. 1 Timothy 1:5 “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart, a clear conscience and a sincere faith.” 

1. Church Community needed and missed. As much as travelling to an all inclusive resort had its perks—no dishes, no cooking, no snow!, there were many more important aspects that were missing. Having travelled to and lived with the local church in isolated areas, I knew what it was like to have a community care for you and be generous with no money attached...to enjoy the lingering conversation with a family over a cup of tea and to share in the inside jokes of the land. To be with Christians who do not share a common language but share a common Father is a taste of heaven to be cherished. In our week in Mexico we needed to visit the doctor on the resort a couple times (my boys!), and eventually ended up in the hospital in Playa De Carman (Anthony!). A credit card speaks loud and clear in an area that has plenty of financial motivation, but in moments of uncertainty and fear it was the Christian community I really missed, the community that lives out Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Nothing replaces that. And though it was a very beautiful place, I missed the beauty of the Christian community.  
2. Paradise on earth is not necessarily paradise. I had always dreamed of going to an all inclusive resort but growing up somewhat poor (from a western stand point) and being in ministry always felt like this dream was out of reach. But when Shonet’s mother offered to take the family as a last trip due to health issues I looked forward to the ‘living with ease’ dream. Don’t get me wrong as I mentioned above there were plenty of great things there and we would enjoy going back if we got the chance. But the lie is that this kind of week is ‘heaven on earth’, but its so not. Jesus said life is realized and achieved not when we accumulate and fill ourselves or even achieve our greatest dreams but when we are emptied for others and are expended for the poor. I watched many others fill themselves with sun, drink and food till they swelled...but we all got on the plane and went home back to our lives. It was ironic that no applauded when we landed in Winnipeg. These are great weeks if you get them, but don't be bedazzled into believing this is the best life can get...there is plenty more enriching experiences than this. Enjoy it but leave it where it belongs--fantasy. 
3. Serving the weak and vulnerable is hard. For most of the week my dear wife was a nurse to her mother who was diagnosed with an early onset form of dementia that has run rampant. In fact caring for her mother has characterized much of the first part of our sabbatical (more on that later). But though we were in a lovely place, grandma needed care every half hour…changing the pace and expectations of the week. We believe she had a good time-Pina Coladas and all, but if you are a caregiver of someone then you understand the toll that can take. With Shonet caring for her mom, I was delighted to hang out with our 3 amazing kids, even though we got to know the doctor on a first name basis, they still found the humour and joy of the adventure. Kids are more resilient than adults. Faith and joy comes quicker to them. Its no wonder that Jesus recommends those who seek power in this world to study children. 
4. 1 Timothy 1:5 “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart, a clear conscience and a sincere faith.” This was perhaps the only verse I really meditated on the entire week, it popped out to me from a book I was reading by David Powlison on sanctification (how does God change us?). The simple clarity of this verse was what I needed. Sometimes I just need clear direction—the aim of my charge is love...that issues from a pure heart (not tainted to love other things)...a clear conscience (any regrets, any dark hidden secrets?) and a sincere faith (how's that doubt problem?). It took all week to think on that. 
   

Discipleship

As we begin a new series here at EMBC we're focusing on the subject of discipleship.  I like what Tony Payne and Colin Marshall say about discipleship in their book, 'The Vine Project'--they talk about us Christians as 'learners', learning the way of Jesus:

"What the ‘learners’ were learning from Jesus was a way of life based on an understanding of certain truths about reality.  The goal was for them not only to know what their teacher knew, but also to be like their teacher, to walk in his ways.  They weren’t learning a subject; they were learning a person, if we can put it like that—his knowledge, his wisdom, his whole way of life…Jesus wanted his learners (disciples) to walk with him, and to learn to be like him.  But the significance of following Jesus goes deeper than that in the Gospels, because of who Jesus was and where his ‘learners’ were following him to.  Jesus repeatedly tells people that following him is an exclusive, life and death commitment.  To go with him means to leave everything else behind, including your very life…to ‘learn’ Jesus—to submit yourself to his teaching, to walk in his ways—will mean leaving behind all your current loyalties and commitments.  It will mean walking the road to Jerusalem with him, and facing up to the cross that is waiting there.  As Jesus makes very clear, saving our old life is not an option; its only by losing our lives that we save them”

Colin Marshall and Tony Payne

To be pitied

In the aftermath of Jesus' death, the disciples were required by Jewish law to do nothing, it was the Sabbath, a day of rest.  The day that Jesus is crucified was waining on, after a hasty burial preparation, Jesus is laid in a nearby tomb and a stone is rolled over the place, with expectation that his followers would finish the preparation for burial once the Sabbath was over.  And now they were to rest.  But how did they rest when they are grieved so deeply?  How does anyone rest in sadness, when all hope is drained, when life does not make sense...how does one rest at that point?  The body can stop moving, chores can remain undone and work stands still, but does the mind and the soul stop feeling and thinking?
The appearance of Mary at the tomb early on the 3rd day (John 20) tells the story that she was crying, a wailing kind of cry--deep guttural soul cry; the other gospels tell us that the disciples are hiding and afraid.  So you have a day of rest, and yet they are stuck in grief, fear and shock.  We who have had the luxury of knowing the 'end of the story' may not have much compassion for these followers, because we know that in a day their grief will turn to joy!
But what I suspect made that day so painful was they did not remember or believe Jesus when he told them (at last count 3 times!) that he would rise again on the 3rd day.  They were thinking of going back to their previous way of life, melting back into society and trying to forget the past 3 years.  That's if there was no resurrection.
The picture that is given of the disciples on that dark Sabbath, is what Paul discusses in his epic chapter of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15.  He says there that if there is no resurrection then we have every reason to despair, we should grieve and be dumbfounded because we are stuck in our sins, stuck with this broken life with little hope.  In fact, he makes it very clear: "If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone." 1 Cor. 15:19  The disciples are a pitiful group that day of waiting...but oh, it will change in just a day.  Their lives will change, history will shift, grief turns to joy, guilt to grace and death to life...if only we could have whispered it to them and bring them out of that cloud.  But, I suppose only meeting Jesus will draw back the curtain they were under, only meeting Jesus takes the sting out of death.

Sowing to the Flesh

March 19, 2018

After yesterday's sermon a number of fine folk had asked me to post up John Stott's quote on sowing to the flesh...so here's his remarks:

"To ‘sow to the flesh’ is to pander to it, to cosset, cuddle and stroke it, instead of crucifying it.  The seeds we sow are largely thoughts and deeds.  Every time we allow our mind to harbour a grudge, nurse a grievance, entertain an impure fantasy, or wallow in self-pity, we are sowing to the flesh.  Every time we linger in bad company whose insidious influence we know we cannot resist, every time we lie in bed when we ought to be up and praying, every time we read (gaze) at pornographic literature, every time we take a risk which strains our self-control, we are sowing, sowing, sowing to the flesh.  Some Christians sow to the flesh every day and wonder why they do not reap holiness. Holiness is a harvest; whether we reap it or not depends almost entirely on what and where we sow.”

I will add on his follow up comments (which didn't make it into the message):

"Paul distinguishes between the two harvests as well as between the two sowings. The results are only logical. If we sow to the flesh; we shall 'from the flesh reap corruption'. That is, a process of moral decay will set in. We shall go from bad to worse until we finally perish. If, on the other hand, we sow to the Spirit, we shall 'from the Spirit reap eternal life'. That is, a process of moral and spiritual growth will begin. Communion with God (which is eternal life) will develop now until in eternity it becomes perfect. Therefore, if we want to reap a harvest of holiness, our duty is twofold.  First, we must avoid sowing to the flesh, and secondly we must keep sowing to the Spirit.  We must ruthlessly eliminate the first and concentrate our time and energies on the second. It is another way of saying (as in Gal.5) that we must 'crucify the flesh' and 'walk by the Spirit. There is no other way of growing in holiness."

This is part of 'The Bible Speaks Today' commentary series, published in the late 60's--still relevant to today.  I'm very grateful for the work of John Stott over the years, his words sometimes sting but wounds from a friend are trustworthy.