the sermon for this week!

Sermon this week
Once upon a time in Scotland, on a long road out of Edinburgh, and passing what was probably the St Johnstone football ground, one man said to another man, “You should hear them cheer in there on a Saturday? Why isn’t it like that in church?” And the other man pondered a while and said, “Because they are cheering something that just happened.” And maybe we’ve stopped telling each other what has just happened, what God has just done, what he is doing now in us, through us, what prayers have been answered, what insights grasped, what sins understood, what grace released, what healing lavished, what rescue effected, what life imparted… in our love of God have we forgotten what he is doing for us today, when we show our love?

Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus
replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest
commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as
yourself.’” Matthew 22:36-39 (NIV)

Do you remember how many commandments God gave to Moses? Ten???? Well
that is the number of commandments that were carved on the stone tablets.
But there were actually 613 commandments given to the people of Israel in
all 248 positive commandments and 365 negative commandments. That is a
lot of commandments to keep track of isn’t it!!!

When the lawyer asked Jesus, “Teacher which is the greatest commandment?”
there were a lot to chose from. The lawyer was testing Jesus to see if he
knew the correct answer. And he did. Jesus answered him like other great
teachers of the faith had always done. He said: “Love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, this is
the greatest commandment.” And then he added, “And the second is like
it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’” Why do you think Jesus said that
these were the greatest commandments? It is because Jesus knew that if we
could keep these two commandments, we would not have any trouble keeping
the others.

Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees were delighted but they wanted to see Jesus was orthodox, there were others who had said the same as Jesus. Akiba, Hillel, Ben Azzai, we are not sure if Jesus is the first to put Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the Lord God part of the shema the credo of Judaism (still spoken at the beginning of Jewish services) with Leviticus 19:18 love your neighbour as yourself, but it is certain no lawyer or teacher of the law could ever faulted him for doing so. But the summary is powerful and disturbing, it takes us from an area where we think we can achieve, perhaps fulfil, to that of attitude where no one can boast fulfilment. The experts on the law were strong on ethics, but weak on relationships, what Jesus was teaching revealed the heart.
Nobody has ever loved God with all his being; no one has loved her neighbour as herself, so nobody can possibly deserve eternal life (Jehovah’s witnesses)
This brings us back to grace… when we arrive in the kingdom of God, it will be due to the undeserved, unmerited grace of God, for sinners who could never make it by themselves. Grace is the gospel; the gospel is grace, full stop.
This is what Christianity is, if there is love for God, there will be love for our neighbour, God’s love is infectious, you can measure how much you love God by the way you treat those made in his image, (that is everyone!). It is not enough to say “I don’t cause anyone harm”, you have to do good! If you put God as number one, neighbour second, you will have a heart that is correct before God. When grace fills you you love in recognition of what he has done for you and you want to help your neighbour in need.
So how do we do it? Well as we look at the word love, it is not “Phileo” which expresses friendly affection, but “agapao”, the commitment of devotion that is directed by the will and be commanded as duty, so we help not because we like people, but because we are called by God to help, we are to love with our heart, soul and mind. Sometimes we love only in part, sometimes we say we love God but never take time to express that love in word, song or prayer.
Sometimes we worship every week, and do good deeds, but do it out of duty, or pride, or fear, and we really think this is the last thing we want to do, so we are not in harmony with ourselves let alone God, sometimes we pour all our mind and will upon doing God’s will, but do not feel positive, let alone affectionate to God, we feel empty, even when we do the right thing.
We become like Charlie brown who says “I love mankind! It is the people I can’t stand!” Often easier to say I love you, than show that you love, God knows this, he forgives us, that is what grace is, but he still calls us to love him totally and love our neighbours as we love ourselves. Easy you say I don’t really like myself, I don’t have to love others much then! But you need to see yourself as God sees you, not so you act like if you were a bar of chocolate you would like yourself, but to see that God loves you so much that he gave his only son for you try John 3:16 replace world with your own name, let that take significance in your life, live as God loves you.
Jesus is saying love God which we can do without anyone else pulling us up on it , after all it is a personal thing, but then he goes on to say and love your neighbour as yourself. People can see if you are fulfilling that commandment. Be accountable to someone else, ask them to challenge you as to how you are loving your neighbours, the lovely and the no so lovely alike! You know you love well if you live up to the standards of the greatest commandment and the example of Jesus. This reminds me of things like duty, responsibility, accountability, punishment, justice, prayer, power, peace and reconciliation. Do we respect , do we allow others dignity, do we give to others ourselves out of love or because of our own agendas? Do I lie, cheat, speak about others behind their backs, do I give God my best or the leftovers?"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." (Rebecca - age 8) "When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth." (Billy - age 4) "Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." (Chrissy - age 6) "Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." (Terri - age 4) "Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." (Danny - age 7) "Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." (Bobby - age 5) "If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend whom you hate." (Nikka - age 6) "Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day." (Noelle - age 7) "Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." (Tommy - age 6) "Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken." (Elaine - age 5) "Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford." (Chris - age 8) "Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." (Mary Ann - age 4) "Love is when mommy sees daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross." (Mark - age 6) And one last one "You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." (Jessica - age 8)

people forget, love those made by God, love because you are part of God’s family, by word and action, by doing what Jesus did and believed what Jesus did, a servant not a master, poor not rich, obedient to God, even though obedience meant suffering and death, he trusted and he was rewarded as will we ConclusionOnce upon a time in a company in Southern England a young woman would walk the office corridors and smile at a colleague from another department, whose name she did not know, and whose job she could only guess at. And the other woman would smile in return. Occasionally, a little hello would accompany the smile but they had no occasion to pause or chat, for both had work to do and places to go and people to meet whose names they knew. And besides the work of the one did not touch the work of the other. And so time passed, counted in smiles and little hellos.And the young woman we shall call Anita because that is her name and because it means ‘grace’ or perhaps ‘gracelet’ or ‘graceling’ and because it is the kind of name that a weaver of fiction would have chosen for such a woman as a clue. But she is real and so the name was well chosen indeed. Once upon a time at the end of a day Anita was walking to her car and there coming towards her was the woman. And the woman stopped and they began to talk. And she told Anita that her child was chronically ill with asthma and eczema that would not go away and that she wanted to leave her husband. And Anita listened and asked if she could pray for her and if her home group could pray for her child. And the woman said ‘yes’. And Anita offered her a Bible from the box of Bibles in the boot of her car. And afterwards Anita prayed. And her home group prayed.The child recovered and the woman did not leave her husband but drew close to him and to Christ and became one with him and his people.And so the tale was told to me by the lady of grace. And I told it a conference. And an older man heard the tale. And it swirled around in his mind, and from time to time it would pop up like a tennis ball in a garden that you come across again and again but always somehow in a different place. Two years later the man retired after 40 years as a vicar and 25 years in one parish. He moved to a town where no one knew him and he knew no one. How then might he serve in this place? How then might God use him here? And so he prayed and the Lord brought Jeremiah 29:7 to mind: “Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile.”How could he bless the city he had been brought to?And the Lord told him to pick up the litter. He who had been a pastor for forty years. It reminded him of Jesus washing the disciples feet in the upper room – cleaning off the dirt. So he went to the Council and asked them for a litter-picking claw. They gave him one on permanent loan and so on the days that he goes on his 2 mile walk to, and through, and from the nature reserve that’s close to his home, he prays and praises God for his world and picks up the litter that mars it and puts it in a plastic bag. And he smiles at people and says ‘hello’. Just like Anita in the story that swirled around in his mind. Pretty soon people began to say ‘hello’ back, and little conversations began as people passed on the path. And the months passed and people would ask him “Why do you it?” – because God loves the world he has made – and “Are you being paid?” – which he hasn’t been. And one person said, “That’s a thankless job. You’ll get to heaven for that”, though they didn’t know he was a vicar and might already have had his ticket bought for him. So he replied that he hoped to get to heaven but not because he picked up the litter but because he knows Jesus who gave his life for him. And some people have come to evangelistic meetings at the church. And in Easter week, he says hello to the people he normally says hello to and gives them a gift – a little cross, made, he tells them, from olive wood from Israel where Jesus lived, a gift to remind us that at Easter Jesus died and rose again. So as he walks Peter the Litter-Picker picks up litter. And drivers he doesn’t know toot their horns and wave in respect and gratitude. And then, on one ordinary day like any other ordinary day, a white van pulled up beside him. The window rolled down and the man in the white van who had, of course, like all drivers of white vans, somewhere to go, and work to do, and people to meet whose names he knew, said, “Thanks very much.” And so Peter the Litter-picker has blessed his community, as God commanded the people through Jeremiah, and many have seen it and declared it ‘good’. Some have heard the reason why and walked on – for the moment – and some have taken a step towards the one whose path Peter treads.Is this too small a tale to tell? Of how an older man changes his bit of the world around him by a ‘little’ thing that he does and calls forth gratitude and wonder from passing drivers and a man in a white van.And so to a tale of ten-years olds? Once upon a time in a primary school close, close to where the A404 runs down by a great oak, and snug up against the parish church, there was a group of Christian children. Now every year, the whole school – the teachers, the staff, and the kids – discuss what the school’s values should be, the values that are displayed in the school hall on paper elephant heads and shape all that everyone does. And anyone may suggest a new value to replace an existing value. And every year everyone votes. And the school, which is called Holy Trinity, sits snug up against the parish church is a Church of England school but counts among its people Muslims and Hindus and Sikhs and many with no particular faith at all. And so the group of Christian children pondered how they might in this place of study and play, of talk and food and many faiths, bring the warm light of Christ to shine? And so they went to the head teacher and said, “We think one of our values should be ‘What would Jesus do?’” And so the head talked to the Muslims who didn’t mind, because after all Jesus is a prophet. And she talked to the Hindus and the Hindu children talked with the children who were Christians and they talked with the Headteacher and they talked together about this strange and unusual value. And after much discussion the Hindu children returned to the Headteacher and said this is after all a Christian school, so we feel you have every right to have this value. And so it was agreed that WWJD should become one of the school’s values, one of the criteria by which everything that happens in that school should be evaluated. And though the Christian children had never heard grown-up phrases like ‘changing corporate culture’ or ‘transforming ethos’ this is what they had done. And they were 10 years old.Was it easier, I wonder, or more difficult for Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? Is it easier or more difficult for you or me? Or have you or I perhaps already done it?Is this too small a tale to tell, I wonder, of how the life of Jesus so courses through a ten year old that they want to see his name high and lifted up… as indeed it is, for all to see, on a paper elephant head on the walls of their school hall? Of course, we must also proclaim the greatest tale of all, with all our hearts, minds, souls and capacities. But how much more potent it is when we can both proclaim the truth of his resurrection and testify to its power in our lives.May it be so for each of us. Love God and grow the kingdom, let people tell stories of us and this Church of how we love as God has loved us.

sermon for the week

if you are interested I thought I would do this whenever I remember too!
Sermon notes
What's your favourite sign on a church notice board? Eg: Seven days without prayer makes one weak. "Do not wait for the hearse to take you to church."The carpenter from Nazareth seeks joiners. "Searching for a new look? Have your faith lifted here!"Here's a good one, which fits in with today's gospel reading: TRESPASSERS will not be prosecuted, they may be forgiven. This is a good reminder that the Church is first and foremost a community of forgiven sinners. To many people, church-going is so closely associated with respectability that anyone who is not strictly law-abiding might well feel out of place in such company. But if we have even the tiniest sense of God's grace working in our lives then we know the reality is, thankfully, quite different. Another church notice-board asked passers-by to consider, Who would you rather spend an hour with this Sunday morning: hypocrites who are going to heaven or hypocrites who aren't? You could replace the word hypocrites with any other word for wrongdoing, because all wrongs God longs to right. And God is happy to have a church full of wrongdoers who long to be righted. That's not to say that when we do wrong, when we do wrong to each other, we shouldn’t try to right it. Jesus made it clear to his followers that they should deal with people who wrong each other within their community of believers. So how should the Church deal with people who wrong others when they are found within its community? Should it openly condemn the sinner or, by keeping silent, seem to condone the sin? Neither, suggests this Gospel reading, quoting the practical instruction Jesus gave to the Church about ways of dealing with wrong-doers and restoring them to the fellowship of forgiveness. The author of Matthew's Gospel, steeped as he was in the Hebrew Scriptures, would have known well what the prophet Ezekiel wrote: that those who did wrong should be directly confronted with their faults. It was a solemn responsibility of the community to warn such sinners to turn away from their wickedness. If they did not, the community itself would share the blame. The Gospel prescribes a three-stage process. First there should be a personal, private opportunity afforded for the culprit to be confronted openly with the reality of the offence. If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. Notice it says, confront the problem. Don't go away and hide from it; don't go away and complain to your friends about it while doing nothing to put things right. In recent years there have been some shocking stories in the press about how even cases of sexual abuse within the church community have been hushed up for fear of causing scandal. In the World Council of Churches Decade to Overcome Violence, a spotlight has been thrown too on the extent of domestic violence found even in some church-going families, whose victims have kept quiet about it. [Now it's hard, if you're in that situation, to speak up about it - it could put you at more risk. But a trusted friend could perhaps be told...] As the title of a recent WCC report puts it, such cases should be 'No Longer a Secret!' If a one-to-one conversation fails, then the Gospel suggests that two or three other people should be invited to come and listen to what is said and try to discern all the facts of the case, which can so often become twisted in the telling. Following Jewish custom, there should be at least two independent witnesses to such a conversation. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. Notice why the person who has been wronged, or who has seen the wrong, takes two other people with them next time - not to 'gang-up' on the sinner, but to find out the truth. This is so important, because we are always tempted to to place blame and to find a scapegoat, and we need to get others on our side to make that happen. Jesus isn't telling us to get people on our side to gang up against someone who's done us wrong. He's asking us to accept our responsibility to put things right, by inviting others to use their judgement to find out the truth. If that doesn't work, then the whole community should be drawn into the discussion as a final decision is made as to whether the wrongdoer can be restored to full fellowship. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector. Gentiles and tax-collectors were outside the church; this verse means that someone who refuses to repent puts themselves outside the church, needing to rediscover God's mercy and grace all over again. All believers in Christ have been given the solemn power of absolution, by which in Christ's name they have the right to give or withhold forgiveness. This is serious business, it means we have to take each other seriously, care for each other deeply, live close to God so we can judge things right. We all know well the last verse of this passage: '... where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.' It's a pity that these words have become one of the most frequently misused texts in the whole of Matthew's Gospel. They are quoted so often as a word of consolation to those who may be feeling disappointed when fewer people have turned up to a service than they expected. 'Never mind', they say, looking at the empty pews, 'where two or three are gathered together, Jesus will be with us'. That's not what Matthew meant at all. Note that here Matthew is not writing about worship nor even about prayer, but about reconciliation within the community. In the verse, which goes before it Jesus says, 'Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.' This is what Christians are called to do when we come together - to work out agreements where there are disagreements, to work towards harmony where there has only been disharmony. Wherever there is such harmony, says the Gospel writer, Jesus Himself is present. Another church notice board I heard about used to say, Christians may not always see eye-to-eye, but they can walk arm-in-arm. That's not always the reality, of course, but it is what we can help each other to do, as we let Jesus walk beside us. This is Church, a place where sinners know they need forgiveness and give it to others as they are forgiven. Lord’s prayer
Filling The Sponge Between Our EarsScripture: Philippians 4:8 Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.Introduction: The human brain weighs only about 1.5 kg but contains 12 to 14 billion cells and its computing power exceeds that of the 100 largest computers invented. However, the most amazing thing about the human brain is that it can think the things of God (1CO 2:16 "But we have the mind of Christ"). The mind is the crown jewel of man. It is the control-center. If our mind believes something to be good and desires to obtain it, then our affections and will automatically follow. Every sin that was ever committed began first as a thought in the mind. Therefore, whoever controls the mind, controls the man (PRO 4:23). Life's battles are won or lost in the mind. Satan, therefore, concentrates his attack on our minds. Sometimes he does so directly by distracting our mind when we read God's Word, or placing evil thoughts in our minds about others whom we are with. More often he attacks us by filling our minds with ungodly things through what we see, read, hear or experience. He knows that our brain is like a sponge - naturally soaking up information around us. The emptier it is, the quicker it soaks up information. Like a sponge, it soaks up things more easily than it discharges it. In other words, it is easy to absorb information presented to us but very difficult (almost impossible) to remove the information from our brain once it has entered. Therefore, we have to be extremely careful what we allow to enter into our minds. Think: Apostle Paul mentions a long list of things that we should think on. To think means to consider carefully. A cow ruminating on his cud is a good illustration of this process. It slowly chews on the cud to break down the cellulose cell walls of the grass so that the nutritious portion of the grass is made available. When it runs out of cud to chew, it regurgitates semi-digested cud from one of its stomachs and continues to chew on it, to extract whatever nutrition that is still available in it. The most nutritious portion of grass is extracted by this laborious process. Similarly, useful and godly ideas are often not easily obtained but have to be carefully sought out from things around us (eg. Bible, people, events, books). Every great life and work is produced by deep thoughts. The nutrition obtained from the cud nourishes the body. Similarly, the good lessons learned from good things around us influence our minds, give us new ideas and challenge us to attain greater heights. Without realizing it, we will be "transformed by the renewing of our minds" (ROM 12:2). The higher the example, the higher our transformation (2CO 3:18 "Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory"). Therefore, we must continually fill our "sponge" with good things.On these things: The list mentioned by Paul is not limited to things mentioned in the Bible nor is it limited to spiritual things. The word whatsoever is all-encompassing. To re-emphasize this, Paul adds the concluding phrase "if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." The Greek word that is here translated as virtue was commonly used by Greek moralists, and this is the only place in Scripture where Paul uses this word. In other words, Paul tells us that there is much to be learned from outside the Bible - though the highest and purest form of knowledge is found in it, and the most perfect example of a virtuous life is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Like grass that is freely available to cows, useful lessons are freely available to all men - if they would only look for it in the things around them. We should think on things that are true (as opposed to things that are false). God's Word is true (JOH 17:17). God's promises are true, and so are His warnings. The Gospel is true. Satan is a liar and his promises are lies (JOH 8:44). The world also often makes false promises. We should think of things that are honest (ie, honorable, valuable, reverent). Some things are true but not valuable (eg. the facts about Hitler's life). Christians can learn reverence from worshipers of other religions. Things that are just (ie, righteous) refer to our dealing with others (ie, doing unto others, what we would have others do unto us). Many Christian employers can learn from heathen employers regarding fair employment practices. Things that are pure refer to things that are holy and undefiled. We must be careful to avoid contaminating our "sponge" with filth because it is very difficult to clean a dirty sponge. Furthermore, since we are "the temple of God" (1CO 3:16) we must not be defiled.Things that are lovely (better translated: lovable) refer to things that are pleasing and attractive to good men (eg. humility, gentleness, patience). We can learn so much from the gracious behavior of others.Things that are of good report refer to things that are well spoken of (eg. courtesy, respect to elders, diligence, organization). Conclusion: Life's battle is won in the mind. We must be careful to fill our minds with good and godly thoughts. God has placed many opportunities around us to benefit from - if only we will learn to learn from them our minds will be filled with good. If we do not, then our empty minds will be filled with worthless and ungodly thoughts - and we will lose life's battle and be drawn further and further away from God.