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.