Living it Together 7

Sermon:

Living it Together1 & 2 Timothy Sep 12 – October 24, 2010.
Pentecost 22C, Week 6

Stand by me2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

6For I am already being poured out like a drink offering and the time has come for my departure. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

16At my first defence, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. 18The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Everyone needs someone to stand by them. We need someone to stand by us when we are under threat and when we are witnessing something joyous.
When fear rises, danger draws near and we feel the threat, it is so helpful and encouraging to have a trusted person with us to help us, protect us and share the fear with us.

When we are standing at some place of great meaning – a place we have always wanted to see, or we are finally doing that thing we have always wanted to experience, the first thing we naturally want to do is share the moment – share the joy with a person who stands with us in our joy.

“the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength”, declares Paul as he signs off.

Of course, it is not always possible to have that trusted other person near to stand with you in the good or bad moments.

In good times, others can stay away because of envy or jealousy. In bad times people can fall away from us because of fear or shame.

But the great human need we have is for someone to stand with us – which means to share our thoughts, our feelings, our fears; our hope. We all need someone to stand by us to protect us, to help us, to give of themselves to us, to broaden our own experience and learn things we cannot learn alone.

Paul declares that God has been this “stand by me”, ‘Other’ person for him all the way through. That statement of great praise of God’s ability to stand when all other people and things fall reminds me of a famous story about one of the early Church Fathers named Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna…

After dodging the Roman authorities for a few days and then seeing a vision of his own death given by the Lord, Polycarp was arrested under the persecution of the Roman empire in AD 156. He was a well regarded bishop and old man of faith in the church generally. He was pursued by a certain Constable, named of all names, ‘Herod’!

On the journey to the Coliseum he was put under a little more pressure than your run of the mill “atheist” (Christian) was put under by those gave their allegiance to the Caesar and Roman gods. “Just say, “Caesar is Lord”, and make a sacrifice to Caesar and all will be well, Polycarp!” Constable Herod and his father, Nicetes implored; first with just words, and then with physical tactics to the old but important man.

Polycarp made it clear he would not Hail Caesar or sacrifice to him. His fate was sealed as they eventually entered the stadium. Before the Proconsul, as the great crowd watched another “atheist-Christian” being eaten by the lions, Polycarp took a firm standing as the Proconsul attempted to get him to deny his faith in Jesus as Lord and declare publically that “the atheists” should be done away with. Say, “I curse Christ”, Polycarp, and I will release you.” it went on…

The Proconsul, knowing he had a much known and respected “atheist” before the crowd saw the opportunity to make a great attack on the faithful people of God. He pressed on and on…

And then comes the very famous response from a man of God in the face of the darkest and most sinister kind of evil aimed at destroying not only his faith, but attacking the faith foundation of the whole community of God…

“Eighty six years I have served him, and he has done me no wrong: how then can I blaspheme my King who saved me? Do you what you will”

Polycarp of Smyrna was then burnt at the stake instead of being fed to the lions in the great stadium and became a great inspiration to the whole church as he confessed faith in Jesus in the face of all fears and threats.

Paul and Polycarp betray a simple faith in God’s dependability, despite the injustice, attack, betrayal, hardship and doubt they experienced. Amazingly too, they also betray lack of anger at God. It seems that they have been through all of that. Surely they would have had their moments of being angry at what was happening to them in various fearful and even shameful moments.

Surely they would have prayed the psalms and the book of Job when they were under great pain or sorry or threat.

“Why do the wicked keep winning, God and the poor keep losing?”

Why do the unjust and corrupt people make it and the honest and kind people get trodden under foot?”

Why do we work so hard only to find out that the generation will squander we have worked for anyway?

Why is this happening to me, God? Where are you? Why don’t you respond to me?

But now it seems, as Paul speaks a final word to his son, Timothy, the time for anger at God, despondency with the church, anger at people who have hurt him and caused him great personal damage is passed.
Only One remains and His faithfulness and dependability is all that matters for whatever may come.

18The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.

Friend, I don’t know what you are angry about or if you are angry at all. I don’t know if you are despondent about your life and where it is heading or whether you’re pretty happy with how things are shaping up.

I don’t know if you have ever been angry with the Lord and whether or not you admitted it and told him or someone else that you were or whether you still are.

I don’t know if today you are where Paul has ended up – with no angry words to say to God or anyone else – just a word of praise of God’s ability to stand by people through to the end of it all.

Whether there are words to be had with God or not, the truth being proclaimed here is that God is a “stand by me” God. He stands not apart from, but he stands with his people.

He is calling us to believe this about him and inviting us to a deeper experience of his trustworthiness and inspiration in our place here.
Will we believe and will we let the Spirit of Jesus draw us further into the experience of God standing with us in all we are and all we are facing?

 

This God in whom we live and move and have our very being, is the God who stands by his people as much as is humanly possible in the shedding of the blood of his Son, and the giving of the gift of the Spirit to his people. He stands by us in all circumstances; shutting lion’s mouths, staying close and never abandoning you. As we follow his call to trust here and now, in our everyday things and our inner world, he will stand by you. His light and life will be with us in us all.

We will end up where Paul ends up – seeing so far beyond the current circumstances of chains, and grief and loneliness and instead, seeing life, community, God’s surrounding faithfulness, God’s promises coming to pass in his life and the people of God moving on to their goal – the presence and glory of Christ and his crown of victory.

To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Living Together 5

Sermon:
Living it Together
1 & 2 Timothy Sep 12 – October 24, 2010.
Pentecost 21C, Week 5

Word Searching
2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 (New International Version)
14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 4
1In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Leanne and I viewed that new movie with Julia Roberts staring called “Eat, Pray, Love”. It was a very “now” kind of story of divorce, marriage, spiritual searching, inner journey and an honest attempt to reflect on love and life and the meaning of it all. It is also so very orientated on the self and the whole notion of “the god within” and finding one-self. God is so human that he is no longer objective or divine.

In contrast and direct challenge, Paul, at the end of his life and his life’s work does not point us to look within ourselves only (even though this is necessary for wisdom and understanding),  but to search outside ourselves – not mainly with our eyes but more with our ears to an Outside presence and teacher.

How can Paul, a man in a dark prison, who has lived his life fearlessly, boldly and seen great acts of God played out right before his eyes and through his very word and presence, very human and flawed though they be, stay faithful, and more importantly hopeful about his own life and the life of all of us?

How can this master keep his young apprentice, Timothy, in the game of life and ministry? How can Paul trust that the church he has had a huge hand in planting around the Mediterranean will stay strong, truthful, faithful and full of life as he wallows in a seemingly hopeless bondage to godlessness?

Closer to home, how can you and I as parents or grandparents or teachers of students have any kind of real hope that we have done enough for faith to win the day in our kid’s lives?

As people who know the love and power of Jesus, we dearly want that for the next generation. We want that for our own kids and grandkids, but it seem too precarious in them. Having lived a little longer than them, we know how hard things will be for them in this ever secular, oversexed, material culture in which we live.

How do we find a hope that God will keep them and they will keep God and all that they have been taught regarding faith in God through our lives – again, imperfect though they be?

The truth is that in ourselves we have no such hope. Without God’s direct intervention from outside of us; without God’s powerful love and grace operating within us and in our relationships with those we mentor, teach and encourage, any hope that kids, grandkids, students and friends will run the race of faith with strength and loyalty to the Lord would be just wishful thinking.

But with the one thing God gives us that we all can access and be helped to understand in our hearts we can hope and we can trust.

When it seems that your hopes are being dashed, or you just don’t feel up to life and work and parenting and being church; when you are not sure if your leadership is the best it can be or you’ve got what it takes to do all the things you know God wants you to do, the thing that will sustain you and keep you hoping, even against hope, is the Word of the Living God.

I don’t know what is going on for you these days – where your fears are, where your hope is fragile and your faith is diminished, but the direction from the Spirit given to Timothy is to “continue in what he has already learned in life from God”.

14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it

Not only will hope remain as Timothy remembers the things he has come to understand from God’s grace being poured out into his life in many and various ways through the Word, hope will be strengthened by also remembering those who did the teaching; those through whom God graced his life – beginning with his childhood mentors.

…….you know those from whom you learned it, 15and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Friends, I can tell you that I get despondent about many things – as you probably do. I get despondent about my work, my parenting, my husbanding, my health, my selfishness, my idols, my regrets and sorrows.

I get despondent about the world and the state of affairs. I get despondent when the big companies deny the little people justice or when corruption has its way or when another sporting cheat is found out in the sporting arena and so it goes.
We should not be at all surprised by all we find stressing, worrying and threatening. Paul has no illusions when he speaks of what he sees in the future (and the present).

The old man says to the young man, “. 3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”

That’s a damning word on how we human beings carry on. I can relate to what Paul is seeing. I see it. I see it in our community, our world and in my own heart!
Paul says he has “run the race of faith in God’s power and grace”. Somehow he has got there through all his despondent and dangerous times. Somehow he has been led through his own foibles and pain to be on the edge of the great reward which he seems to be almost able to taste and see as he writes this final letter to his son.
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.

7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Are we longing for his appearing? Probably not, most of time anyway. There is so much to be and do. Good things I mean; faith-filled things like teaching the kids, loving our partner, friends and learning to be a better human being.

But there are times when the thought of Jesus coming to wrap everything up and deliver on his promise to bring in a new heaven and earth – a new existence in his presence seems a pretty good option!

Paul’s is there. He wants Timothy and all those who will hear these words throughout generations to be there too – and find the faith he has been given.
There is only one place to find it, he is saying. It is in the God-breathed, God-charged living Word which the Spirit fills.

16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Friends, if you want to be equipped for life, parenting, working, wise decision making, recovering from grief, divorce, loss, and regret, staying truthful and honest and showing others how to stay there too, then the Scriptures are the force behind bringing those things to fruition in your life.

I know. You know this is the case but somehow we just never get to actually taking God’s word personally and putting this kind of weight on it in our week. We know the theory but struggle to do something about the practice.

What I am hearing is a little bit of the Word is better than no Word. Taking time to receive God’s word here most weekends is good. It is better than not being here and not hearing the Word with other travelers – not just the spoken Word of a sermon, but the word in the praying, the singing, the liturgy, the silence; the actions of the Spirit that free us and forgive us. Keep that up.

But there is a few more moments than Sunday morning to live and that is where I know it is hard. Then again, is it that hard? We consume plenty of other media. We do tend to over work. We fill our days up to the full with lots of things – many good, some not do good.

I hear Paul urging Timothy to “stay in the Word” however he can. For Timothy in his calling it is preaching the word. He is to;

2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction...

It definitely sounds like the Word in our lives is a long term and demanding thing requiring patience and great care. Its message is not always immediate; its meaning from the Spirit is not always easily heard or understood at first – so it requires time and space and intent, and conversation with fellow hearers, like producing a good garden, making a house a home, raising children, becoming good at a complex skill.

The difference between hearing the Word of God and hearing and learning other things is that God’s Word is supernatural. It is spiritually charged by the Spirit of Jesus. He speaks when it is spoken. It has power to make wisdom part of us, to shape us internally, to give us God’s life in our life. That is Paul’s belief.

So he says, speak it, learn it, share it – at all times, when the going is easy and when it is not; when it is well received and when they look at you funny.

God, help us search for the truth and include your Word in our search as we strive to stay faithful to you and one day reach the end of the race of faithful life and receive your great reward – now and then. Amen

Living it Together 4

Lay Sermon:
Living it Together
1 & 2 Timothy Sep 12 – October 24, 2010.
Pentecost 20C, Week 4

God’s unchained Word
2 Timothy 2:8-15

We continue delving into the Timothy journey this morning in the Second Letter Paul writes to his “son” in the faith, Timothy. The situation is difficult for Paul. He is reaching his end in a Roman prison. He is longing to see and hear from his “son” in the faith, Timothy. Paul wishes his son was with him as he faces day after day in a dark, damp cell, in chains, with no one with him except Luke.

Out of his chained body and his chained spirit Paul trusts something. He makes one of bold statements of the gospel that has stood the community of Christ in good stead in its worst times of threat from within and without – “I am suffering in chains, but the Word of God is not chained”, declares Paul to Timothy.

Now that is a statement of faith! For all intents and purposes, it looks as if the Word of God which has burnt in Paul’s heart and come from his mouth and by his hand these last 30 years since the resurrection is nearly silenced. The “great man” is alone and imprisoned, unwell, grieving, not free to speak anymore to anyone.

His close companions have bailed out. It seem only Luke, the evangelist, is with Paul now – or at least his only regular visitor. To make this confident statement about how things are from God’s point of view is faith on show.

“Even though the Word is nearly silenced in me, it will never be silenced. Even though I rattle around in these painful chains and my energy is spent. God is not spent and his word is on the move way beyond me”, declared Paul.

What a word of faith an encouragement to a young pastor and a young community having trouble with words! There seems to be lots of arguments and disputes over many things in the Ephesian church.

There is dodgy teaching by two characters at least; Hymnanaeus and Philetus, “who have wondered away from the truth” (verse 18). They have decided that the resurrection to life for all the baptized people of God has already happened and this has destroyed the faith of some in the community of faith in Ephesus.
There are “foolish and stupid arguments” going on and Paul is encouraging Timothy to “avid them because they only ever end in “quarrels” which leads to resentment among God’s people (verses 23-24).

We may think that a few arguments and a bit of gossip about the community is no big deal. We may resign ourselves to the fact that we are human beings and these kinds of words do happen in the church. Paul allows no such “giving in” to “godless chatter”. He is very strong here and directs his apprentice and son to be very strong here too. Why is this?

Well Paul is of the belief that the more of this kind of gossip and argumentative words we share, the more self-focused, resentful of others and “godless” we will become.

The message is that words are very important and are to be respected, thought about, carefully chosen and God focused. He instructs Timothy as the pastor of this community to steer very clear of all this argumentative kind of behavior. He instructs him to tell to people to keep clear of it too.

Surely Paul, who has been on the end of heartless and damaging words for years knows a thing or two about the damage and argumentative and quarrelsome word can do to a person and the community of God.

We do too. Harsh words hurt and create unnecessary anger that can easily lead to resentment – and so quickly – even between people who had nothing much to fight about even an hour ago!

In the murky world of arguments and hurtful words there is a solid, dependable and life-giving word which triumphs over our petty squabbles and our deep hurt. It is God’s Word.

Paul calls out to us to “remember”. Remember Jesus. Remember his resurrection and his victory over all untruth. Remember Jesus, the new King David, from a human family (that of King David) and yet now “King of all kings” (1Timothy 6:15).
All this ungodly focus and harsh wording among God’s people can be so confusing and faith-destroying, and yet God’s Word remains clear and true and consistent and above all – life-giving. It resurrects us as it resurrected Jesus. It rules the church as Jesus the new King David rules now.

So, if God’s Word is never chained in any one person or any one church community or any one situation of sorrow or hurt or resentment, then we can endure. That’s where Paul takes this faith he has in God’s unchained word.

Because God’s Word moves on beyond us and sometime in spite of us, we can endure whatever words come our way. Paul says “I endure everything (including shame, loneliness, ill-health, resentment at being unfairly chained….) for the sake of the elect”. Paul can endure this not for his sake, but for the sake of the people in Timothy’s church and every other follower of Jesus.

The goal of his enduring is the salvation and life of God’s people. He is still totally committed to the Call God put on his life to be an “apostle to the Gentiles”. He still burns for those outside the household of God and will endure all to do all he can to make sure that God’s word is unchained in the world.
If we die with him we will live with him.
If we endure, we will rule with him
if we are faithless he will remain faithful,
declares Paul as he remembers some hymn that people seem to know.

In the end Paul instructs the Pastor of the church to be in the business of memory keeping. He uses this song people know to do just that and gives Timothy a resource to help him keep people’s hearts and minds focused on Jesus the resurrected King.
“Keep reminding the people of these things”, says Paul to Timothy.
Remind them of what?

Jesus is the resurrected king of kings, the Ord of Life and the head of the church who rules in grace and power. His Word is the living thing that keeps us straight and true. His Word avoids unnecessary agreements and the resulting fighting and resentment that this always brings into the community.
His Word brings life and healing to the community.His Word will ensure that we endure any harsh word or situation and in the end ensure that we remain “workers, approved by God” (verse 15).

That’s God’s part. Our part is to respond. “Do your best”, Paul says, “to be a worker approved by God who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of God” (verse 16).

Correctly handling the Word surely means not using it to argue! Rightly handling the Word of God means careful use, thoughtful response, respectful and gentler application to those who have a different point of view.

Paul goes on to say that :The Lord’s servant must not join the quarrel, instead he must do kindness, be able to teach (the Word), not resentful….he must gently instruct in the hope that God will grant people the gift and ability to repent of sin and find peace in Christ (2Timothy 2:24-25).

This is our way of being together and enduring together at Ocean Forest. We need to help each other stay away from argumentative behavior and harsh words. The way we do this to affirm in our words and actions the truth that God’s Word is the authority on all things and that it does not reside in any one person fully! We all share the Word and have authority to encourage each other in it.

As much as it is up to us, we do acts of kindness and take the gentle approach to working through different points of view, always bowing to God’s Word as the final authority in life.

We handle the Word of God with respect and great care as we reflect on it for ourselves, share it with others, teach it to our children and receive it into our own heart for our own life.

As we receive God’s Word we endure and we are doing exactly what we are called to do. As we handle it carefully and kindly with others we are being workers in God’s vineyard who know we have his approval for our work.
Amen

Living it Together 3

Sermon:
Living it Together
1 & 2 Timothy Sep 12 – October 24, 2010.
Pentecost 19C, Week 3

2 Timothy 1:1-14
Confidence in Living Faith

We continue delving into the Timothy journey this morning and we switch to the Second Letter Paul writes to his “son” in the faith, Timothy. The situation is very different for Paul now.

We know that Timothy’s situation has remained the same. But Paul’s situation has gotten much worse than when he first wrote to Timothy.

When Paul wrote the first Timothy letter he was under quite an easy, “house arrest” kind of captivity. People were able to visit him as they pleased in the fair city of Rome and he could teach and preach to anyone and everyone who turned up.

Scholars suggest that Paul was eventually released from this house arrest and spent some time on another missionary journey; maybe West of Rome toward Spain.
But then that crazy megalomaniac, Caesar Nero, came to power and began the first serious persecution of Christians, blaming them for the burning of Rome, which he himself actually ignited in AD64.

It seems that Paul now is in no comfy house arrest – he is in the darkest dampest dungeon, in rags, among the rats of Rome. We can tell from this letter from the dungeon that Paul knows his work and his life are nearly complete. The pathos of the language suggests great pain at being lonely and especially cut off from his “son”, Timothy.

TEXT
2 Timothy 1:1-14 (New International Version)
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,
2To Timothy, my dear son:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
8So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

13What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

This first part of this final letter of Paul is very much concerned with  confidence in the Christian faith. Paul encourages confidence in God despite seeing his end and suffering almost alone. A co-worker in Rome, Demas, has “deserted me and gone to Thessolonica”, says Paul. Another co-worker in the gospel in Rome “has gone to Galatia, and also, “Titus has gone to Dalmatia” he says. Only one remains with Paul in this last part of his work and life – Luke (2 Tim 4:10).


Joy in suffering for the gospel
So, despite his suffering and loss, Paul thanks God for his life and says to Timothy, “Recalling your tears (presumably when they last separated) I long to see you (Timothy) so that I may filled with joy”.

You can feel the pain and the longing of a man who has fought the good fight and now waits to receive the reward of Jesus’ final affirmation and call home to rest. You can sense the strongest bond between “father” and “son” as the father finally departs and the son takes up the mantle for which he has been trained.

As the mentor and “father” speaks to his “son” he even asks Timothy to come and visit him one more time (and bring with him Paul’s cloak that he left with another co-worker, Carpus in the city of Troas some time earlier – 2Tim 4:13) Paul wants to sure up Timothy’s faith for his ministry, which is under pressure and may be flagging a little.

So, we are speaking about confidence – confidence to live without fear or shame in Jesus in our time and place. Paul points Timothy to three streams from which he can draw confidence to live this faith-life together. We are directed to put your confidence in God’s presence and activity in your life prior to this day.

Remember God’s Old Testament people, and for us, his New Testament activity and tradition. Paul says he serves God as all the Old Testament people did(v3). Paul points to Timothy’s mentors and sponsors in the gospel. Paul affirms Timothy as one who has inherited his Mother’s and Grandmother’s strength and faith.

Paul directs Timothy to remember God’s call on your life. Paul encourages Timothy to remember what God has chosen him for, set him apart for and given him. He speaks of Timothy’s ordination to the pastoral ministry – by Paul’s own hand. “Fan that into flame”, encourages Paul.

For all of us we might encourage each other to remember the Rites of the church; the things God does in the public worship service of God’s people, baptism, Holy Communion, Blessing, Absolution, Confirmation, Marriage, installations to vocation, installations to church roles/callings, rites of transition for the young and rites of belonging in a community - like our Welcome to Membership, rites of grief and loss: funerals. These are tried and tested and they are stable and long-term – things to put great stock in for a long-term living of the gospel faith.

These gifts are what transform our “spirit of timidity into a spirit of boldness and confidence to live in Jesus – in love and self-discipline and God’s power (v7).
We are encouraged here today as Timothy was then to live free from shame, because God has called us and saved us and made us holy in his sight. Confidence comes from God’s call on our life. God’s call overcomes shame.

And finally, confidence in faith comes from God’s presence in other people
Paul raises up his own experience of God’s calling and his response to it. He has done this before, but now for the last time it seems. He tells again of God’s calling on his life to be a “herald and ‘apostle’ (or ‘sent one’) and a teacher” (of the good news of Jesus’ freedom, love and grace of God, not by one’s works but solely by God’s grace and love).

Paul has “believed and obeyed”, he says. Paul has not just toyed around with faith as a theory or something to get into when you feel like it – he has been captivated by it, submitted to Jesus’ word on things and done what he heard God telling him to do in his Word.

Paul has reached the end and the reward of a life well lived and faith fulfilled. He tells Timothy to keep on track and give it all he has got, as Paul has done. A faithful life is possible and really the only life to truly live.

 Confidence in living this faith-life comes from;

God’s presence and activity in your life prior to this day
God’s call on your life
God’s presence in other people

This confidence to live this life of faith shows itself in some ways, according to Paul. Paul says this pattern of living the faith together shapes faithful living and ensures the passing on of the gospel.

This is the goal of what we are doing here through a school and through gathering in God’s presence, as we, like the first Christians, who “devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).

So, the very pattern of a confident Christian life Paul urges Timothy to follow and live out is drawn from the gathering together around God’s Word, the holy meal (breaking of Bread), Prayer, and Fellowship together with the Holy Spirit.
This is our pattern. From here comes the same pattern around the “family” altar in our homes – (the kitchen table!). From there comes our own individual reflection and seeking of God’s Word and prayer. This is our life-long process of being made holy; being conformed to the Way of Jesus; becoming more like Jesus, we might say.

The great thing about the pattern of faith that has been passed on to us is that through our participation in these rhythms of Christian living, the gospel is passed on further and God’s kingdom advances and that prayer of Jesus. Your kingdom come, you will be done on earth as in heaven” is being fulfilled in our life-time.
We confidently live free from fear or timidity about our faith as we guard and live in God’s pattern of living with faith in Christ and love for each other.

And we are not ashamed of who we are in Jesus, because we know in whom we have believed, and we are convinced that he is able to guard what we have entrusted to him for that final day.
Amen

Living it Together 2

Sermon:
Living it Together
1 & 2 Timothy Sep 12 – October 24, 2010.
Thanksgiving Day, Week 2
Background and 1 Timothy 6:6-19

We continue delving into the Timothy journey this morning on this thanksgiving day.
Remember we are in one of the “Pastoral Epistles”.
The letters offer a wide spectrum of warnings and encouragements as well as instructions to pastors/leaders in the local church based on actual experience of the author.
We are in the important Roman provincial city of Ephesus; a city dominated by one of 7 wonders of the ancient world – temple to the goddess, Dina or Artemis.

TEXT Timothy 6:6-19 (New International Version)
6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Paul's Charge to Timothy
11But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honour and might forever. Amen.
17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Today God speaks of how to deal with both  the blessing of wealth and the dangers of it and what that great gift is of being truly content in God and in so, in life.  title slide

“Leaning on his fence one day, a devout Quaker was watching a new neighbour move in next door. After all kinds of modern appliances, electronic gadgets, plush furniture, and costly wall hangings had been carried in, the onlooker called over, "If you find you're lacking anything, neighbour, let me know and I'll show you how to live without it."

Contentment? I read this quote from some unknown person….
“I had no shoes and complained until I met a man who had no feet”.

There seems to have been some people in the Ephesian community who were falling for the age old trap of selling out for the almighty dollar – at the cost of everything else in life. They seem to have been saying that being disinterested in money, lacking the heart to chase it and build it was a road to emptiness and poverty.
But there seems to have been a, faith-destroying side to this flawed view. These church folks were suggesting that living a God-pleasing, faithful life was to be the ticket to financial gain! As if our whole life with God was really all about gaining material possessions, health and whatever else is good for us in our view!
Paul turns this shallow understanding of life in Jesus right back on their heads and says, in fact, there is great benefit in godly living – and it is not financial gain – but that most valuable state of being – ‘contentment’. “Godliness with contentment is great gain”, says Paul to Timothy, just in case the young pastor is in doubt.

So Paul is saying that we live in God’s way for contentment in him – not for what money or possessions or status we think we need and seek.

The main reason why giving your heart to the pursuit of wealth destroys your faith and your life in the end is because wealth is so flimsy! Banking on money in the bank to bring lasting contentment in life is folly, according to the Word of God.
So, what to do my heart when it comes to money and the pursuit of the accumulation of wealth?

Flee. “Flee from giving too much of your heart to it”, says Paul to young Timothy.
“Take hold of”: Grab on to the more lasting and precious and life-giving thing – God and his word and his people”, says Paul.
Grab on to where you have been with God, says Paul. Remember where you have come from with the Lord and hang on to that.
But there is something else to do. “Confess faith”. (v13). Instead of speaking about the making of money and the great reward of being wealthy and etc…, speak about your life in God’s riches – your security and personal fulfillment in the love of Christ and his presence with you.

So, this is how we receive the great personal gain of that much sought after gift, “contentment”: Flee from the love of it, hold on to the things of faith and speak about them

And what of being wealthy? Everyone here is wealthy – or at least wealthier than a lot of other people around the world. Interesting how Paul never suggests that being wealthy is bad – just dangerous.

I was reading a book called “Mustard Seed Verses McWorld” by Tim Sine. It is an insightful work that sees right through our ‘McWorld’; fast and disposable culture.
Tom suggests that there is a whole generation of wealthy Christian people who don’t know how to be wealthy and faithful at the same time. Somehow we wealthy Christians seem to hear “Wealth is not good” in the church. Therefore we go underground and don’t mention the “M” word or the “Giving” theme.

Well, let’s get above ground now. Being wealthy is not bad – just dangerous; like every other sort of life really! Wealth is a gift. It is not even a gift to be gotten rid of as quickly as possible or hidden as much as you can to be a “real” Christian, as far as Paul is concerned here. He says that this wealth has been given to you by God for your enjoyment! (v17).

God has given me my income, my house, my motorbike, my car, my……. because he is happy that I enjoy them. That’s the truth. The truth is that wealthy Christian can do a lot of things, support a lot of people and be a huge blessing to many people – because they can – because we can.

“Tell the wealthy folks to be rich in good actions – generous and always willing to share”, says Paul to Pastor Timothy. Paul can say this with confidence because he knows in his own life that God and his provision is trustworthy. He knows words from God like these…

Psalm 145:15-16 (New International Version)
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

So, wealthy men and women of God, we can trust that the Lord will provide all we need and more – enough for us to be generous.
And with this trust, we don’t need to attaching too much of ourselves to the pursuit of wealth and status. Instead we can be generous, hospitable, giving people. That is how to deal with our wealth in this community – give it, share it, do good things with it.

It is also our responsibility to pay for the work of the gospel with our wealth. That is why we have an offering and why we don’t seek lots of government grants or company sponsorship for our congregation’s work.

Christians pay for the work of the Lord and for the help of those in need. It is what we do. It’s what Jesus told us to do. The guide in the OT community was that God’s people gave a 10th of their income for the Levites – the priestly family who served the people and the Lord in a special way in the worship and teaching of God’s Word and help for the alien and the needy in Israel.

I have come across wonderful wealthy Christians who have done so much good for people and the church and those in need in my Christian walk They have become a model of how to be a wealthy Christian to Leanne and I – generous, giving, sharing their time and their wealth.

Maybe the truth is that the less stick we put in stocks and shares and money and etc. the less our heart is sidetracked by this pursuit and the more our heart finds its peace and love and rest in Jesus? Maybe Paul is right – Contentment in God’s Way and his love is of the greatest personal gain for each of us and for those around us.

So, friends, watch your heart when it comes to your money and stuff.
Thank the Lord for it all. Hold on to who you are in your baptism and what the Lord has called you to. Speak of your faith; speak of the gift of life in Jesus.
Give it away as much as possible.

Do good things with your wealth – things for the gospel, things to meet the needs of those in need. Support our work here – give your offering as an offering to the Lord of your life who has given himself and everything he has to you and still does.
God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honour and might forever. Amen.