I preached this morning in the main service (for the first time.. eek!)… It was the culmination of a big ‘project’ – guided by God, where everyone laid down their team roles within the church and prayed about where God was asking them to serve. All very ‘step of faith’ stuff but very exciting! So today was the first Sunday in new teams and I was asked to do a ‘fight them on th beaches’ kind of talk.. not sure it was exactly that but God totally spoke to me about it. The passage was Acts 14: 8-18. So here it is:
Acts
14:8-18.
14:8-18.
‘We
too are only human’
too are only human’
Intro: Paul/Lystra/Gods – CONTEXT
I
haven’t got long but I just want to start by putting this passage into context.
Here we see Paul on his travels, along with Barnabas, visiting the Roman Town
of Lystra, in what is present day turkey. Then, of course, it was part of the
Roman Empire, (before it was Christianised) and the local religion was that of
the Roman Gods, and had been for
some years. In fact in this particular town there was a prominent legend
featuring Zeus and Hermes, the Gods mentioned in this passage, who according to
the story visited Lystra in disguise, but apart from one old couple no one
recognized them. This couple were lavished with gifts from the Gods whilst the
rest of the people were killed!
haven’t got long but I just want to start by putting this passage into context.
Here we see Paul on his travels, along with Barnabas, visiting the Roman Town
of Lystra, in what is present day turkey. Then, of course, it was part of the
Roman Empire, (before it was Christianised) and the local religion was that of
the Roman Gods, and had been for
some years. In fact in this particular town there was a prominent legend
featuring Zeus and Hermes, the Gods mentioned in this passage, who according to
the story visited Lystra in disguise, but apart from one old couple no one
recognized them. This couple were lavished with gifts from the Gods whilst the
rest of the people were killed!
So
whilst it may seem odd that to us, that the people here think they are Zeus
& Hermes, actually it was probably a fairly natural reaction, these were
Gods from their own religion, with a history in their town and what’s more they
didn’t want to received the same fate as their predecessors! So it’s probably not as unusual as it
sounds.
whilst it may seem odd that to us, that the people here think they are Zeus
& Hermes, actually it was probably a fairly natural reaction, these were
Gods from their own religion, with a history in their town and what’s more they
didn’t want to received the same fate as their predecessors! So it’s probably not as unusual as it
sounds.
PAUL: bad press/ amazing man of God
You
know, Paul gets a bad press sometimes doesn’t he? But I just think he is such
an amazing man of God. Bearing in mind where
he came from, and he has given up everything, literally, to travel round
sharing the Gospel. He is so sold out and passionate in his mission that he is
persecuted, ridiculed and even, as we see later in this chapter, attacked and
stoned.
know, Paul gets a bad press sometimes doesn’t he? But I just think he is such
an amazing man of God. Bearing in mind where
he came from, and he has given up everything, literally, to travel round
sharing the Gospel. He is so sold out and passionate in his mission that he is
persecuted, ridiculed and even, as we see later in this chapter, attacked and
stoned.
So one can only begin to imagine how he felt
when he realizes that the people here in Lystra, think that he and Barnabas are
Gods. It must have been heart breaking. The Passage says that they tear their
clothes, which is an ancient practice, used to express grief, sorrow or
righteous indignation. In fact in one definition I read: a reaction to a
calamitous event, in ‘righteous indignation’, an act of self humiliation. All
of which I’m sure could be said of Paul here.
when he realizes that the people here in Lystra, think that he and Barnabas are
Gods. It must have been heart breaking. The Passage says that they tear their
clothes, which is an ancient practice, used to express grief, sorrow or
righteous indignation. In fact in one definition I read: a reaction to a
calamitous event, in ‘righteous indignation’, an act of self humiliation. All
of which I’m sure could be said of Paul here.
Paul
wears his heart on his sleeve doesn’t he? His
passion for Christ is so evident in all that we read of Him. He has his
eyes firmly fixed on THE ONE, on Jesus. As
he says, here, we are only human… we just have to do what God asks of us and
let Him do the rest.
wears his heart on his sleeve doesn’t he? His
passion for Christ is so evident in all that we read of Him. He has his
eyes firmly fixed on THE ONE, on Jesus. As
he says, here, we are only human… we just have to do what God asks of us and
let Him do the rest.
This CHURCH: CHALLENGING TIME
This
last few weeks has been a pretty challenging time, I think, for this church. God
has asked a lot of us, we have asked a lot of you! but I hope that throughout
that, we have all, kept our eyes fixed
on Him, on THE ONE.
last few weeks has been a pretty challenging time, I think, for this church. God
has asked a lot of us, we have asked a lot of you! but I hope that throughout
that, we have all, kept our eyes fixed
on Him, on THE ONE.
Ultimately
we did not know how it would go. We had a vision that God was asking us to do,
and we could only do our part, we had to step out in faith – all of us – and
let God do the rest. Because we are
only human, if this was going to work,
God had to be at the centre and we had to step out and let Him do His will.
And he did.
we did not know how it would go. We had a vision that God was asking us to do,
and we could only do our part, we had to step out in faith – all of us – and
let God do the rest. Because we are
only human, if this was going to work,
God had to be at the centre and we had to step out and let Him do His will.
And he did.
I personally have been challenged
through it all, thinking about what church is and why we come here, or
anywhere, what do we need in order to worship God. At the beginning of this
week, just as we were in limbo! I had an email from one of last years IBTI students – James – who is now back in his home
country – living in Kampala, Uganda. He
says:
through it all, thinking about what church is and why we come here, or
anywhere, what do we need in order to worship God. At the beginning of this
week, just as we were in limbo! I had an email from one of last years IBTI students – James – who is now back in his home
country – living in Kampala, Uganda. He
says:
‘God is
doing great and amazing thing, I have started a new work planted one Church at
the country side last Sunday and I have got home group in Kampala which will
soon be started to a Church’
doing great and amazing thing, I have started a new work planted one Church at
the country side last Sunday and I have got home group in Kampala which will
soon be started to a Church’
And
he sent some pictures, and they are just of people worshipping in shacks
mostly! On benches in some cases and he says the one thing they need is plastic
chairs. That’s it!! Plastic chairs.
he sent some pictures, and they are just of people worshipping in shacks
mostly! On benches in some cases and he says the one thing they need is plastic
chairs. That’s it!! Plastic chairs.
And as I was thinking about that I was reminded of a
conference I went to earlier this year…
conference I went to earlier this year…
And
to the opposite extreme, earlier this year I went to a Women’s conference run
by a very large church organisation. The first thing I saw was all the
branding. There were signs and logos everywhere. When we walked in we were
registered on ipads by hundreds of glam looking stewards all dressed in black.
My instant reaction was ok, what is all that about?! Aren’t we here to worship
God? It was really hard to see past all
that, to see past the exterior.
to the opposite extreme, earlier this year I went to a Women’s conference run
by a very large church organisation. The first thing I saw was all the
branding. There were signs and logos everywhere. When we walked in we were
registered on ipads by hundreds of glam looking stewards all dressed in black.
My instant reaction was ok, what is all that about?! Aren’t we here to worship
God? It was really hard to see past all
that, to see past the exterior.
However,
as soon as I stepped foot in the building I
knew God was there. I could see him in everyone around me. The smiles,
people looking out for each other, sharing food at lunchtime, women they had
never met before, it was quite moving actually! Everyone involved was passionate about Jesus, in everything they did. About sharing Gods word. Not
just on stage but in every aspect. God was there…
as soon as I stepped foot in the building I
knew God was there. I could see him in everyone around me. The smiles,
people looking out for each other, sharing food at lunchtime, women they had
never met before, it was quite moving actually! Everyone involved was passionate about Jesus, in everything they did. About sharing Gods word. Not
just on stage but in every aspect. God was there…
And so here we are looking at our church…
OUR CHURCH: REAL CHURCH, REAL PEOPLE…
So
here we are. Looking at how our church is set up and run. And it is not about the branding, the coffee or the worship band.
It is about Him. And it is about his we serve Him.
here we are. Looking at how our church is set up and run. And it is not about the branding, the coffee or the worship band.
It is about Him. And it is about his we serve Him.
But
God has shown us through this process that we are on the right track. And in having all this set up, we are creating an environment where we can help
people to meet God. So within that let’s serve God with a passion,
with a heart for Him (like Paul).
God has shown us through this process that we are on the right track. And in having all this set up, we are creating an environment where we can help
people to meet God. So within that let’s serve God with a passion,
with a heart for Him (like Paul).
When
I was preparing this I felt God give me the phrase ‘wear your heart on your sleeve’.
And I don’t think he meant let’s all overcome our British stiff upper
lip and start sharing our emotions all over the place … I mean in whatever way
we can – so that while we carry Jesus in our hearts, it can be seen on the
outside. That people can see within us,
without us saying a word, that we are serving Christ. If we are welcoming
people in, we’ll be doing it with a smile and with genuine care for that
person, if we are working on kids team, we are doing it with a passion to see
them know Jesus more, if we are on the new babyzone, we are looking out for
people, maybe exhausted mothers, with compassion.
I was preparing this I felt God give me the phrase ‘wear your heart on your sleeve’.
And I don’t think he meant let’s all overcome our British stiff upper
lip and start sharing our emotions all over the place … I mean in whatever way
we can – so that while we carry Jesus in our hearts, it can be seen on the
outside. That people can see within us,
without us saying a word, that we are serving Christ. If we are welcoming
people in, we’ll be doing it with a smile and with genuine care for that
person, if we are working on kids team, we are doing it with a passion to see
them know Jesus more, if we are on the new babyzone, we are looking out for
people, maybe exhausted mothers, with compassion.
Let this church be a place where people don’t have to
look past the ‘branding’ the exterior, because
they can see God within it.
look past the ‘branding’ the exterior, because
they can see God within it.
What would we aspire to have people say about us as a
church? Not that we have fantastic kids work, or an
awesome worship band, or that we serve the best coffee around (all of which are
of course true!) what I’d love people to say that when they visit this church,
they see God. And that they see people serving with a heart of God.
church? Not that we have fantastic kids work, or an
awesome worship band, or that we serve the best coffee around (all of which are
of course true!) what I’d love people to say that when they visit this church,
they see God. And that they see people serving with a heart of God.
People need Jesus…
I
think I said this a few weeks ago, but hopefully most of us here, know what a
difference God has made in our lives. There are people out there who don’t know
what that feels like. They are lost, they are in need, some of them really
truly in need, beyond what we could begin to imagine, and wouldn’t it be
amazing if we could welcome some of them here, that they would see God here,
that they would meet with him and have their lives transformed like we have. Let them not be confused about what we are
doing here, like the people of Lystra, let them see Jesus!
think I said this a few weeks ago, but hopefully most of us here, know what a
difference God has made in our lives. There are people out there who don’t know
what that feels like. They are lost, they are in need, some of them really
truly in need, beyond what we could begin to imagine, and wouldn’t it be
amazing if we could welcome some of them here, that they would see God here,
that they would meet with him and have their lives transformed like we have. Let them not be confused about what we are
doing here, like the people of Lystra, let them see Jesus!
WINESKIN:
James,
when this whole process started, talked about Mathew 9 – creating a new wine
skin. (reading passage)
when this whole process started, talked about Mathew 9 – creating a new wine
skin. (reading passage)
16 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old
garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17
Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will
burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour
new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17
Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will
burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour
new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Maybe our wineskin had got a bit dry around the edges…
So now here we are at the point of creating our new wine skin, and like
anything if it is made with love,
people will see that.
So now here we are at the point of creating our new wine skin, and like
anything if it is made with love,
people will see that.
But it isn’t finished here.
if God is going to our His spirit into the wine skin we are creating, if He is
going to bring people here, we need to go on making it with love, polishing it,
loving it, making it beautiful so that people can see God in that wineskin. And to trust that God will go on filling
that wineskin.
if God is going to our His spirit into the wine skin we are creating, if He is
going to bring people here, we need to go on making it with love, polishing it,
loving it, making it beautiful so that people can see God in that wineskin. And to trust that God will go on filling
that wineskin.
This
is a new season for this church, an exciting time. Really exciting! I can’t
wait to see what God is going to pour into the wine skin we are creating!
is a new season for this church, an exciting time. Really exciting! I can’t
wait to see what God is going to pour into the wine skin we are creating!
So
in that, let’s honour God and serve Him in whatever capacity, with love and
with Jesus in our hearts (and on our sleeves!)
in that, let’s honour God and serve Him in whatever capacity, with love and
with Jesus in our hearts (and on our sleeves!)
As
James would say.. ‘is that alright?’…
James would say.. ‘is that alright?’…
Go
serve Him!!
serve Him!!
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