Sermon from 22nd July 2007
Today's sermon, from our Vicar, Cameron Barker, is based on the reading from Luke 9:1-6
Well, there's an alternative summer holiday plan for you! I wonder how attractive it sounds. Go on foot. Take nothing with you for your journey: no stick; no bag; no food; no money; not even a change of clothing! Stay in the first house that invites you to stay. Rely entirely on your host's generosity, whatever standard it is. If you're not welcome in a place, leave, and go somewhere where you will be. But first, make clear the consequences of rejecting the message you bring. In every place you go to, tell people the good news of the Kingdom of God. And show them what that looks like – by healing the sick and driving out demons! Who fancies a bit of that for their summer, then?
It must be said that it may not offer five-star comfort – but it certainly is hugely rewarding. So surely the only pity is that so many people have already gone on holiday without hearing about this possible alternative. But then, lots of you do already know about it. At least some of you will be spending part of this summer doing pretty much this. You'll be doing these things that Jesus sent his disciples out to do, on different camps up and down the country. The level of comfort at them varies, I'm told. But, far more importantly, the aim - for campers and leaders alike - is to learn more about Jesus, and what it means to live for him.
Now that was basically what Jesus was trying to teach his disciples here – how to live for him. What his disciples did not yet know was that soon they were going to have to live for Jesus without him being around. But Luke began chapter 9 with one of his famous summary passages. This was Luke's way of pausing, allowing his readers to draw their breath, before hearing the next exciting instalment of his story about Jesus. I've already given the game away about what that next instalment is. We won't study how Jesus told his disciples he was about to die, though. This is the end of our series from Luke, for the rest of this year! But today we can draw breath, after two solid months of action and excitement. As we end this series, and head for our summer break, we can – and must – think about what all this means for how we live for Jesus today. And, of course, mission has got to be high on our learning agenda!
Now we can probably do with drawing breath after what we've been through! If we feel a little breathless after just hearing these stories, though, imagine how the disciples must have felt! They hadn't just read about these amazing things that Jesus had said and done. They had been very close to the action – and often even part of it! As we end this series it's well worth reminding ourselves of where they – and we – have been, of what we have heard and seen. So: we began with the story of the Roman centurion whose servant was sick. He had so much faith that he didn't even want Jesus to come to his house! He believed that if Jesus just gave the order his servant would be healed – as indeed he was!
And, if that wasn't amazing enough, Jesus followed it up by bringing a widow's dead son back to life! Then we had a visit to Jesus from the disciples of John the Baptist. On John's behalf, they wanted to know if Jesus truly was the Messiah. In reply, Jesus pointed them to the evidence of what he was doing – in fulfilment of Isaiah's prophecy. We did then get something of a break from the action – by looking at how Jesus taught. We studied the nature of parables in general, and the parable of the soils in particular. At its heart that's a challenge about how we respond to Jesus' message. But it's also an important reminder that Jesus was – and is – about so much more than 'just' performing miracles. Jesus only ever performed miracles to point people to the message that he came to bring.
Even so, we were quickly back into the miraculous action. This time Jesus stilled a storm – just by speaking. And then he drove a bunch of demons out of a man and into a herd of pigs – which drew a rather fearful response from those who were there. That brought us to last week, when Jesus raised a dead 12-year-old back to life – and healed a woman who just touched his cloak. When John spoke on those stories he reflected very helpfully on the nature of miracles, in Bible times and now. If you missed that sermon, do read it on our parish blogsite – because it puts these stories into context. It also raises a crucial question that we all need to answer, of how we respond to God at work today.
That, in effect, was the question Jesus put to his disciples in this summary passage that ends our series. It was as if Jesus was asking them, 'How do you respond to God at work? Do you want to be part of it, as I've called you to be? If so, here's how you do it. You do it by going – in this way I've described – to do just the same things yourself'! We mustn't miss this fact – that Jesus sent the disciples to do exactly the same things he had done himself. He sent them out to preach the kingdom, drive out demons, and heal the sick. We mustn't miss it because of course it has huge implications for how we live for Jesus today. To be Jesus' disciple is to be called to do the same thing now as Jesus himself did – just as it was for the disciples back then.
That sounds like a big job – probably because it is a big job! It is a big job, for which big help is available, though. It's available to us, as it was to those first disciples. Did you note how Jesus gave his disciples 'power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases'? That was how they were able to do the same things that Jesus did – because Jesus gave them his power and his authority to do them. I recently got a whole new insight into what that means from a friend. He was talking about his job, which he says isn't very senior. But he's directly responsible to the UK Director of his multinational company. So when he says in a meeting, 'my boss wants ...', people do what he says. They know that my friend speaks and acts with far higher authority than just his own – and they respond accordingly.
It's also worth noting at this point how Jesus did hold his disciples to account for what they had done in his name. Luke tells us that they went out and did what Jesus had told them to. The disciples did travel 'through all the villages, preaching the good news and healing people everywhere'. Then, in verse 10, we read how they came back 'and told Jesus everything they had done'. That's a pattern that's repeated later in Luke, when Jesus sent out 72 disciples with a very similar mission. In the same way, they came back and reported to Jesus what they had done in his name – which is a pattern that we also need to follow ourselves as Jesus' disciples.
I should also point out that most commentators agree on a key fact about this story. They are sure that Jesus didn't mean his disciples to live like this all the time. They were not to spend all their time travelling to preach and heal. And we don't read in Luke's other book (Acts) about the Early Church following such a pattern either. In other words, these were specific instructions, for specific circumstances. What we do read about, though, is how the first Christians found other, equally effective ways to tell and show others the good news of God's kingdom. That instruction, to tell and show others the good news of God's kingdom, remains constant – then and now. Our job is to find the best way to do it today.
As I said, Luke paused at this point in the story. The tone of it was about to change dramatically. What had gone before was this this whirlwind of amazing action and excitement round Jesus as he'd travelled through Galilee. His disciples had seen it, been part of it, even. But now it was time for them to grow up a little more. Jesus was starting to prepare them for life without him. The disciples were going to have to carry on Jesus' ministry – in word and in deed – after he had gone. So Jesus sent them out, with his full power and authority, to practise what they had seen him do. They were to move quickly, to travel light, and to depend completely on God for everything they needed along the way. Then they were to report back, to listen and learn some more, before Jesus left them to get on with it alone.
The position we're in is somewhat different, of course. We have never been with Jesus in the way the first disciples had, obviously. We do live in the age of the Spirit, though. By his Spirit, Jesus is just as much with us as he was with those disciples. He has been teaching and showing us who he is and what he's like – not least through these stories that we read about him week by week. But many of us have more to go on than 'just' Bible stories. These have been exciting times for many of us. There have been good things happening, in many ways, often in the midst of difficulties. I've even heard the phrase 'life-transforming' used several times of our recent parish weekend away.
That is great, of course; but it's not a place to stop and enjoy just for its own sake! As the disciples discovered, to see and experience Jesus at work is to be invited to become part of his work. As we see Jesus at work in our own life, so we are called to share the good news of his kingdom with others, in word and in deed. Today it's as if Jesus turns to us as he turned to his disciples then. He asks us too: 'How do you respond to God at work? Do you want to be part of it, as I've called you to be?' It may well be that Jesus does not want us to go off in quite the way that he sent those first disciples. But the same principle applies. Jesus wants us to go and tell, and show, others the good news of his kingdom.
As I say, for many of us that's quite an alternative summer holiday plan, perhaps. But we have seen God at work too. So, for us also it's a question of how we respond to that. Are we ready to grow up a little more? Are we willing to receive the power and authority that Jesus offers to give us? Will we go and tell and show others the good news of God's kingdom that has so impacted our own lives? We know how the first disciples responded to that challenge. We know what impact they had – at this time, and when Jesus had left them. But will we be equally obedient in response to what we have seen God do? All this year we have gone on thinking and working on what it means to be a mission-shaped church. We have made real progress, and that's great. But today, and this summer, we have the chance to step it up again. So how will we respond to seeing God at work? Lets pray ...
Well, there's an alternative summer holiday plan for you! I wonder how attractive it sounds. Go on foot. Take nothing with you for your journey: no stick; no bag; no food; no money; not even a change of clothing! Stay in the first house that invites you to stay. Rely entirely on your host's generosity, whatever standard it is. If you're not welcome in a place, leave, and go somewhere where you will be. But first, make clear the consequences of rejecting the message you bring. In every place you go to, tell people the good news of the Kingdom of God. And show them what that looks like – by healing the sick and driving out demons! Who fancies a bit of that for their summer, then?
It must be said that it may not offer five-star comfort – but it certainly is hugely rewarding. So surely the only pity is that so many people have already gone on holiday without hearing about this possible alternative. But then, lots of you do already know about it. At least some of you will be spending part of this summer doing pretty much this. You'll be doing these things that Jesus sent his disciples out to do, on different camps up and down the country. The level of comfort at them varies, I'm told. But, far more importantly, the aim - for campers and leaders alike - is to learn more about Jesus, and what it means to live for him.
Now that was basically what Jesus was trying to teach his disciples here – how to live for him. What his disciples did not yet know was that soon they were going to have to live for Jesus without him being around. But Luke began chapter 9 with one of his famous summary passages. This was Luke's way of pausing, allowing his readers to draw their breath, before hearing the next exciting instalment of his story about Jesus. I've already given the game away about what that next instalment is. We won't study how Jesus told his disciples he was about to die, though. This is the end of our series from Luke, for the rest of this year! But today we can draw breath, after two solid months of action and excitement. As we end this series, and head for our summer break, we can – and must – think about what all this means for how we live for Jesus today. And, of course, mission has got to be high on our learning agenda!
Now we can probably do with drawing breath after what we've been through! If we feel a little breathless after just hearing these stories, though, imagine how the disciples must have felt! They hadn't just read about these amazing things that Jesus had said and done. They had been very close to the action – and often even part of it! As we end this series it's well worth reminding ourselves of where they – and we – have been, of what we have heard and seen. So: we began with the story of the Roman centurion whose servant was sick. He had so much faith that he didn't even want Jesus to come to his house! He believed that if Jesus just gave the order his servant would be healed – as indeed he was!
And, if that wasn't amazing enough, Jesus followed it up by bringing a widow's dead son back to life! Then we had a visit to Jesus from the disciples of John the Baptist. On John's behalf, they wanted to know if Jesus truly was the Messiah. In reply, Jesus pointed them to the evidence of what he was doing – in fulfilment of Isaiah's prophecy. We did then get something of a break from the action – by looking at how Jesus taught. We studied the nature of parables in general, and the parable of the soils in particular. At its heart that's a challenge about how we respond to Jesus' message. But it's also an important reminder that Jesus was – and is – about so much more than 'just' performing miracles. Jesus only ever performed miracles to point people to the message that he came to bring.
Even so, we were quickly back into the miraculous action. This time Jesus stilled a storm – just by speaking. And then he drove a bunch of demons out of a man and into a herd of pigs – which drew a rather fearful response from those who were there. That brought us to last week, when Jesus raised a dead 12-year-old back to life – and healed a woman who just touched his cloak. When John spoke on those stories he reflected very helpfully on the nature of miracles, in Bible times and now. If you missed that sermon, do read it on our parish blogsite – because it puts these stories into context. It also raises a crucial question that we all need to answer, of how we respond to God at work today.
That, in effect, was the question Jesus put to his disciples in this summary passage that ends our series. It was as if Jesus was asking them, 'How do you respond to God at work? Do you want to be part of it, as I've called you to be? If so, here's how you do it. You do it by going – in this way I've described – to do just the same things yourself'! We mustn't miss this fact – that Jesus sent the disciples to do exactly the same things he had done himself. He sent them out to preach the kingdom, drive out demons, and heal the sick. We mustn't miss it because of course it has huge implications for how we live for Jesus today. To be Jesus' disciple is to be called to do the same thing now as Jesus himself did – just as it was for the disciples back then.
That sounds like a big job – probably because it is a big job! It is a big job, for which big help is available, though. It's available to us, as it was to those first disciples. Did you note how Jesus gave his disciples 'power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases'? That was how they were able to do the same things that Jesus did – because Jesus gave them his power and his authority to do them. I recently got a whole new insight into what that means from a friend. He was talking about his job, which he says isn't very senior. But he's directly responsible to the UK Director of his multinational company. So when he says in a meeting, 'my boss wants ...', people do what he says. They know that my friend speaks and acts with far higher authority than just his own – and they respond accordingly.
It's also worth noting at this point how Jesus did hold his disciples to account for what they had done in his name. Luke tells us that they went out and did what Jesus had told them to. The disciples did travel 'through all the villages, preaching the good news and healing people everywhere'. Then, in verse 10, we read how they came back 'and told Jesus everything they had done'. That's a pattern that's repeated later in Luke, when Jesus sent out 72 disciples with a very similar mission. In the same way, they came back and reported to Jesus what they had done in his name – which is a pattern that we also need to follow ourselves as Jesus' disciples.
I should also point out that most commentators agree on a key fact about this story. They are sure that Jesus didn't mean his disciples to live like this all the time. They were not to spend all their time travelling to preach and heal. And we don't read in Luke's other book (Acts) about the Early Church following such a pattern either. In other words, these were specific instructions, for specific circumstances. What we do read about, though, is how the first Christians found other, equally effective ways to tell and show others the good news of God's kingdom. That instruction, to tell and show others the good news of God's kingdom, remains constant – then and now. Our job is to find the best way to do it today.
As I said, Luke paused at this point in the story. The tone of it was about to change dramatically. What had gone before was this this whirlwind of amazing action and excitement round Jesus as he'd travelled through Galilee. His disciples had seen it, been part of it, even. But now it was time for them to grow up a little more. Jesus was starting to prepare them for life without him. The disciples were going to have to carry on Jesus' ministry – in word and in deed – after he had gone. So Jesus sent them out, with his full power and authority, to practise what they had seen him do. They were to move quickly, to travel light, and to depend completely on God for everything they needed along the way. Then they were to report back, to listen and learn some more, before Jesus left them to get on with it alone.
The position we're in is somewhat different, of course. We have never been with Jesus in the way the first disciples had, obviously. We do live in the age of the Spirit, though. By his Spirit, Jesus is just as much with us as he was with those disciples. He has been teaching and showing us who he is and what he's like – not least through these stories that we read about him week by week. But many of us have more to go on than 'just' Bible stories. These have been exciting times for many of us. There have been good things happening, in many ways, often in the midst of difficulties. I've even heard the phrase 'life-transforming' used several times of our recent parish weekend away.
That is great, of course; but it's not a place to stop and enjoy just for its own sake! As the disciples discovered, to see and experience Jesus at work is to be invited to become part of his work. As we see Jesus at work in our own life, so we are called to share the good news of his kingdom with others, in word and in deed. Today it's as if Jesus turns to us as he turned to his disciples then. He asks us too: 'How do you respond to God at work? Do you want to be part of it, as I've called you to be?' It may well be that Jesus does not want us to go off in quite the way that he sent those first disciples. But the same principle applies. Jesus wants us to go and tell, and show, others the good news of his kingdom.
As I say, for many of us that's quite an alternative summer holiday plan, perhaps. But we have seen God at work too. So, for us also it's a question of how we respond to that. Are we ready to grow up a little more? Are we willing to receive the power and authority that Jesus offers to give us? Will we go and tell and show others the good news of God's kingdom that has so impacted our own lives? We know how the first disciples responded to that challenge. We know what impact they had – at this time, and when Jesus had left them. But will we be equally obedient in response to what we have seen God do? All this year we have gone on thinking and working on what it means to be a mission-shaped church. We have made real progress, and that's great. But today, and this summer, we have the chance to step it up again. So how will we respond to seeing God at work? Lets pray ...
posted by Parish Administrator at 11:07 am
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